Protest against Russian war in Chechnya
This is selected archive of INFO-RUSS protest against
Russian war in Chechnya
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The letter of 240 info-russ-netters to President Clinton, 10 Jan 95
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"All channels are open: war in Chechnya!" (by coordinator, 12 Dec 94)
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"The first night without lool.." (by A. Suhanov, 14 Dec 94)
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"Refugies are shot by tanks..." (by A. Suhanov, 18 Dec 94)
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Radio Svoboda keeps watch... (Radio Liberty, 19 Dec 94)
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Old dissies rise up again... (coordinator & RL, 22 Dec 94)
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Boris Velikson writes to the US President (23 Dec 94)
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They were stopped on the New Year eve... (A. Suhanov, 3 Jan 95)
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Idiots are forever... (by A. Andrianov, 2 Jan 95)
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"This war is a crime. Let us do something!" (first text of the letter;
by coordinator, 4 Jan 95)
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"We have 200+ signatures!!! " (by coordinator, 9 Jan 95)
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"My friend, you are one of 230+ signees. Thanks!" (by coordinator, 11 Jan 95)
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"They came from all the walks of life..." (by coordinator, 11 Jan 95)
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Chechen Republic home page
Back to the selected postings page
Back to info-russ page
Back to Alex Kaplan's home page
From: sasha@super.ece.jhu.edu (Alexander Kaplan)
Date: Mon, 12 Dec 94 00:13:22 EST
To: info-russ@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Subject:INFO-RUSS:here they go again...
Folks,
Another Afghanistan of 1980 (or Czechoslovakia of 1968)? Russian tanks
invaded Chechnya. After slaughtering their own parliament using
tanks a year ago, they are closing the circle by striking the entire,
albeit small, nation. Tsars, or commies, or stalins, or yeltsyns, or
zhirinovskies, or generals, whatever -- doesn't matter... the same old
Russ-expansionist, world-hating shit is back in saddle again... So much
for all these exuberant cries about great Russian democracy rising like
a new sun... Sure, let us keep feeding them with billions and billions
bucks from our taxpayer pockets -- otherwise, how those poor, poor former
commies, KGBs, thieves and looters, rapists and killers, how they would
build that new shinning democracy without our money ?! And if they want
to play a bit with those little toy-tanks -- let them; boys will always
be boys, right?; and who wants to hear about those Chechens? who are they,
anyway? and after all, the oil... well, it is always better to have oil
rigs and oil pipe in the same hands, easier to do business, you know...
OK, I gather that following its tradition, this IR-net would be interested
to hear the news from the front-line. Any witness's accounts, any first-hand
information especially from "the horse's mouth" would be greatly appreciated.
News (and impressions) from both sides of the border (especially from the
other side, for I guess there will be plenty views coming from Russian
side) are welcome.
(Those of you who are more "patriotic" about Russia alone, don't forget:
the aggressor pretty often pays bitter price. And it is paid by
soldiers and their families, not by the bastards in headquarters...)
--Alex Kaplan, INFO-RUSS owner/coordinator
From: "Alexander A. Suhanov"
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 1994 21:08:07 +0300
Hi, folks!
Nastupila noch' - pervaja noch' na Kavkaze, ne prinesshaja spada ogn'a.
Prodolzhajets'a boj v prigorode Groznogo - poselke Pervomajskij, kotoryj
polnost'ju razrushen.
Tem vremenem v zajavlenijah pravitel'stvennyh chinov - vazhnoje izmenenije:
vmesto slov "vojska ne imejut prikaza brat' Groznyj" oni stali govorit'
"vojska ne imejut prikaza brat' Groznyj do 15 dekabr'a".
V stolice Ingushetii Nazrani vojska segodn'a pristupili k prochesyvaniju
goroda i razoruzheniju milicii.
Ochen' hochets'a, chtoby v etu minutu ne byli zabyty nami tovarischi
g-na E po Internacionalu Prezidentov, vtoroj raz za poltora goda
podderzhavshih ego dobrym uchastijem v trudnuju minutu sovershenija prestup-
lenija. Kto, skazhem, t'anul za jazyk mr.Cristofer nazyvat' dejstvija
EBN ne tol'ko konstitucionnymi i legal'nymi (chto bylo by pon'atno,
hot'a i neverno), no takzhe poleznymi i neobhodimymi? Mozhet byt', on ili
Clinton porabotajet u nas prezidenton?
Vcherashnij demarsh Borisa Fedorova v podderzhku EBN ne nashel podderzhki
u togo vo frakcii ("Sojuz 12 dekabr'a"). Jego zamestitel' Mihail Kiselev
skazal: "Ogromnoje bol'shinstvo russkih gotovy priznat' nezavisimost' CH.
i ne gotovy vojevat'". Eto besspornaja pravda, i skladyvajets'a vpechatlenie,
chto za E tol'ko armija (+policija) i Internacional P. Pl'us ogolteluje
shovinisty, koih on v proshlom godu rasstrelival.
Esche segodn'a, v godovschinu smerti A.D.Saharova, na jego mogilu
vozlozhili venki "Ot Prezidenta RF" (sam P na l'ud'ah ne pokazyvajets'a).
Pustoje, zanesennoje snegom Vostr'akovskoje kladbische, mogila, okruzhennaja
tolpoj ubijc, otorvavshihs'a na chasok ot krovavogo pira radi pominal'nogo
obr'ada... Eto huzhe smerti - no mnogoje huzhe smerti, my proshli cherez
to, chto huzhe smerti, god nazad i "zhivem" dal'she - eto huzhe zabvenija.
Gosudarstvennaja teleradiokompanija Ostankino privatizirovana. Prezidentom
izbran grazhdanin RF El'cin Boris Nikolajevich.
From: "Alexander A. Suhanov"
Date: Sun, 18 Dec 1994 01:36:59 +0300
Poslednie novosti takie: posle zasedanija Soveta Bezopasnosti RF,
proishodivshego v bol'nitse (eto ne jumor!) resheno posle polunochi s
subboty na voskresen'e bombit' Groznyj, a dnem ego brat' (oni
protestujut protiv slova "brat'", govorja "eto ne shturm Berlina,
prosto vojti, podavljaja soprotivlenie". Sejchas, po soobscheniju
S.A.Kovaleva (on v Groznom s esche odnim deputatom-vyborossom,
odnim jablokovtsem i odnim kommunistom), nad gorodom slyshen rev
bombardirovschikov, no bombezhka (na 1 chas nochi po Moskve) ne
nachalas'. Poka bombezhki esche ofitsial'no ne proishodili, po otsenke
Kovaleva, bylo ubito bombami desjatki, raneno mnogie desjatki. On
sam videl razrushennuju bomboj "hruschobu". V gorode neftezavody,
gazohranilische i elektrostantsii, a takzhe mikrobiologicheskij
zavod.
Naznachen gubernator Groznogo - ministr natsional'nostej Egorov
(sygravshij bol'shuju rol' v poslednih sobytijah).
Segodnja tankisty vozle stanitsy Osinovskoj Ingushskoj respubliki
rasstreljali neskol'ko mashin s bezhentsami iz Chechni. Voobsche ves'
den' oni veli ogon' po vsemu dvizhuschemusja. Kstati, opublikovany
svedenija ob itogah stolknovenij vojsk s naseleniem Ingushetii pri
prohoddenii zapadnoj kolonny: ubito zhitelej 6 (imja ministra
zdravoohranenija Ingushetii, o zverskom ubijstve kotorogo ja
upominal - Tamerlan Gorhanov, da budet blagosloven), raneno
okolo 40, sozhzheno domov 10, v tom chisle 1 mechet'. Poteri vojsk:
1 (odin) ubit po oshibke sosluzhivtsem iz pulemeta. Poterjano
(sozhzheno ingushami i chastichno spuscheno pod led) mashin 70, iz nih
bronirovannyh 29. V obschem, zveri-musul'mane.
Posle togo, kak ja zasvetilsja v shkole (soobschil cherez komp'juternuju
set' o svoej pozitsii), menja vtoroj den' osazhdajut deti i
studenty, trebuja ob'jasnit'sja. Po moej otsenke, 20% teh, kto
opredelilsja, za vtorzhenie i reshitel'nye mery. Eto sootvetstvuet
obschej statistike po Rossii (i eto dlja Rossii malo, no dlja 57
shkoly - bezumno mnogo). Pozitsii ih ot "moja strana, prava ona ili
net" do "raz uzh vlezli, nado konchat'". Est' i pozitsija (odin
chelovek) "davit' vsju etu svoloch'". Mnogo teh, kto spravedlivo
ponjal, chto nikakoj srednej pozitsii (kak u Gajdara - pokorit' pod
nozi, no kak-nibud' bez smertoubijstva) na samom dele ne byvaet,
a vybor - mezhdu genotsidom i priznaniem nezavisimosti; i eto ih
ispugalo. Prichem nezavisimost' - bol'she, chem genotsid.
Zasim konchaju pros'boj: ne pokidajte nas! Retranslirujte nashu
pozitsiju cherez universitetskie kanaly, pishite v gazety. Pomogite!
MAYDAY!
Vash Alik
From: rferl-daily-report
Subject:INFO-RUSS: RFE/RL Daily Report 19 DEC, 1994
The RFE/RL DAILY REPORT--a digest of the latest developments in
Russia, Transcaucasia and Central Asia, and Central and
Eastern Europe--is published Monday through Friday (except
German holidays) by the RFE/RL Research Institute, a division of
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Inc.
Copyright 1994 RFE/RL, Inc.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpts from RFE/RL Daily Report No. 238, 19 December 1994
RFE/RL Research Institute is a division of
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Inc.
***********************************
OFFENSIVE ON GROZNY. The one Russian column approaching Grozny
continued using artillery and aerial power against Chechen
positions and residential areas as well as engaging Chechen forces
in tactical clashes, Russian and Western media reported. Moscow's
official toll of 16 Russians killed through 16 December is
generally deemed understated. The Russian side has yet to
acknowledge the Chechen civilian casualties, estimated to number
in the hundreds. One major official justification for the
intervention is to protect the physical security of the Chechens,
in their capacity as Russian Federation citizens, in connection
with the "inter-Chechen conflict." -- Vladimir Socor, RFE/RL, Inc.
RUSSIAN GENERAL: LAW AND HUMANITY ABOVE ORDERS. On 15 and 16
December Major-General Ivan Babichev, commander of one of the
three Russian columns moving toward Grozny, publicly announced
that he was halting the advance and would refuse to use force
against civilians. The military operation against Chechnya was
unlawful and inhumane, and any orders to attack the population or
residential areas would be "criminal," Babichev said. He made the
statements to Russian and Western journalists and in a
fraternizing encounter with a predominantly female Chechen peasant
crowd astride his column's path. He also strongly implied that a
nighttime attack by unidentified forces against his column had
probably been orchestrated by Russian security services in order
to provoke an attack on the Chechen. Officers from various
elements of the column told the press that they had prepared
letters of resignation from the military and would submit them if
ordered to attack. Comprised of several hundred tanks and armored
vehicles, elements of a motor rifle division and of the elite
Pskov paratrooper division, MVD units, and other elements,
Babichev's column had refrained from challenging civilian crowds
thwarting its advance through Ingushetia and Chechnya toward
Grozny. The column's head is still reported 35 kilometers from
Grozny and its rear still in Ingushetia. Another column seems to
be marking time on the Dagestan-Chechnya border. -- Vladimir
Socor, RFE/RL, Inc.
ETHNIC RUSSIANS ALSO VICTIMS. Ethnic Russians, whose share in the
population of Grozny and environs remains substantial, are being
made to suffer the rigors of bombardment and blockade alongside
the indigenous Chechen population. Respected human rights
campaigner and Duma deputy Sergei Kovalev told RIA on 16 December
that "many of the industrial and residential buildings on the
outskirts of Grozny have been destroyed." Outside Grozny, hardest
hit by Russian forces has been the predominantly Russian-inhabited
town of Pervomayskoe. Ethnic Russians interviewed by Russian and
Western media express indignation at Moscow's use of force which
puts their lives at risk. Reports from the field also speak of the
emergence of a sense of solidarity among local ethnic Russians and
Chechens in the face of common adversity. There are no reports of
Chechen threats of any kind to local Russians. One of the
justifications for the Russian intervention had been the presumed
need to protect ethnic Russians in Chechnya. -- Vladimir Socor,
RFE/RL, Inc.
SHEVARDNADZE SUPPORTS RUSSIAN ACTION IN CHECHNYA. Russia must
defend its national interests and territorial integrity in
Chechnya, Eduard Shevardnadze told ITAR-TASS on 18 December.
Shevardnadze said Georgia supports a united and indivisible
Russia, because if Moscow will not curtail an "aggressive
separatism," it could lead to the disintegration of the Russian
Federation. Georgia, which has a joint border with Chechnya, has,
of course, a special reason to support military action against
Dudaev; it has its own separatist territory, Abkhazia, and
Shevardnadze hopes that the Chechen example will help legitimize
Georgian policy towards its secessionist state. -- Victor Yasmann,
RFE/RL, Inc.
From: sasha@super.ece.jhu.edu (Alexander Kaplan)
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 94 22:45:07 EST
Subject:INFO-RUSS:pishite nam, pishite po starym addressam...
To: info-russ@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Status: OR
Dear IR-folks,
Below is another excerpt from RFE/RL Daily Report No. 241,
22 December 1994, on "reopened" dissident movement and samizdat in Russia.
I just want to make a little comment on the report below by Julia Wishnevsky,
an old dissy herself, who is usually well informed and write good reports.
She wrote "all four participants in the 1968 demonstration against the Soviet
invasion of Czechoslovakia who are still alive--Larisa Bogoraz, Pavel Litvinov,
Nataliya Gorbanevskaya, and Viktor Fainberg --have signed a petition
condemning the Russian intervention in Chechnya". It is good to know that
my own instincts (I am talking here about Chechnya) are still the same as
that of the people whom I used to know personally for many years, to know
both as brilliant and talanted individuals and as bravest and honest to
earth dissidents, pioneers in open opposition to the sov-system, people
with whom I had had an honor of having my signature to appear on the same
protest letters 28 years ago and later.
It is so good to hear their names and voices again, to know they are
the same brave and outspoken dissies, soul and heart... The only thing
is that, thanks God, they are not "all ... participants ... still alive".
There were seven of them at that demonstration in Red Square in 1968. Vadik
Delone died in Paris about 10 years ago; and unfortunately at this point I
don't know anything about Kostya Babitsky, but the 7-th demonstrator,
Volodya Dremlyuga, it quite alive in NJ (at least as of an hour ago when I
spoke with him on the phone:-). Good for him; after 6 years spent by him in
the worst sov-camps, he can use some extra time on this earth... It is my
pleasure to let those of you who remember my posting about "7 in Red Square"
know that the rumors of him not being alive are a bit exaggerated:-)
--Alex Kaplan, INFO-RUSS owner/coordinator
---------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpt from RFE/RL Daily Report No. 241, 22 December 1994
---------------------------------------------------------------
CHECHNYA: SOVIET DISSIDENT MOVEMENT REVISITED. The invasion of
Chechnya has revived forms of activity typical of dissidents in
the Brezhnev era, many of whom had hitherto supported President
Yeltsin. Apart from the veteran human rights activists Sergei
Kovalev and Mikhail Molostvov, whose actions in Grozny have been
covered in the Daily Report, as many as 17 former political
prisoners signed the appeal protesting against the invasion
(Express-Khronika, 16 December 1994). Elena Bonner, a founding
member of the Moscow Helsinki group and the widow of the Nobel
prize winner Andrei Sakharov, declared in an open letter that
Yeltsin could not remain Russia's president if the invasion were
to continue. Finally, all four participants in the 1968
demonstration against the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia who
are still alive--Larisa Bogoraz, Pavel Litvinov, Nataliya
Gorbanevskaya, and Viktor Fainberg--have signed a petition
condemning the Russian intervention in Chechnya. Since no Russian
newspaper has published their petition so far, it is circulated in
samizdat form among Moscow human rights activists. Julia
Wishnevsky, RFE/RL, Inc.
From: Boris VELIKSON
Subject: INFO-RUSS: letters to the White House
To: info-russ@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 94 19:44:41 "WET
Folks:
Here is a copy of the letter I sent by e-mail to Clinton and Gore. Even
though the probability of such letters having an effect is low, it cannot
hurt. I think it is a good idea, for those who share my point of view and
are ready to spend several minutes, to send such letters by e-mail
individually.
Unlike Maxim Poliashenko, I do not think that only US citizens
have the right to do so. If you have an opinion, give it, whichever your
status is. You are at least as qualified as any US sovietologist.
Boris Velikson
____________
President Clinton
White House
Washington, DC
Boris Velikson
Section de Biophysique
des proteines et des membranes
DBCM
Centre d'Etudes de Saclay
91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex France
December 23, 1994
Dear Mr President:
as a US citizen and as a former Soviet citizen, I urge you to stop
considering the situation in Chechnya as a a Russian internal affair. This is
a major event for the future of not only the Caucasus region, but of the world
as a whole.
During the 16 years that I have been living in the West, the
incapability of the US government to evaluate events in Russia in their
full context and on time, as well as the experts' failure to correctly predict
their consequences, has become anecdotic. However, it is not too late at
the moment to use the whole weight of the US political and economic strength
in order to try preventing Russia from becoming a threat for humanity once
again.
The current events mark a threshold in the short history of the post-
Soviet regime in Russia. For the first time, the government's troops are openly
killing innocent people for purely imperialist (moreover, nonrealistic)
purposes. Personally, I cannot any more feel different about the current
Russian government than I felt about the Soviet regime. There is no legality
to a government that murders civilians, whether or not such a government has
come to being in a democratic fashion. I would like to remind you that Hitler
came to power democratically.
It is important to understand that what is happening now has nothing
to do with any inter- or intra-ethnic conflict, or with the question whether
or not the right of the Chechen people to self-determination should be
recognized. The situation, complex in the past, has become crystal clear.
The lives being destroyed now are not the price to pay for saving other lives
(even if one recognizes to a government the right to decide who will die
instead of whom). The children killed by Russian bombs in Grozny died simply
to satisfy someone's criminal ambitions.
The so-called East-West conflict has often been misrepresented as a
conflict between world powers. This is false. The Soviet regime was a
worse enemy of its people than of the US as a state. The current government
has become MY enemy - it has shown that it would easily kill me or you or
whosoever if our house happens to stand on its way.
The political situation is unstable in Russia. It seems that only
some 20 per cent of the population are in favor of this war. This means that
an external influence may help shifting the balance and stop the bloodshed.
I urge you to stop any governmental help to the Russian government.
Stop dealing with criminals!
Yours sincerely,
Boris Velikson, Ph.D.
cc: Vice President Gore
White House
Washington, DC
To: info-russ@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Organization: School N57
From: "Alexander A. Suhanov"
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 02:01:10 +0300
Subject: INFO-RUSS: "Chudo na Sunzhe"?
Hi, folks!
Naskol'ko mozhno sudit', rossijskaja gruppirovka, prorvavshajasja v Groznyj
v novogodnjuju noch', unichtozhena. Do kontsa dnja ofitsial'nye istochniki
tverdili o "polnom kontrole nad gorodom" i "planomernom unichtozhenii
boevikov", kakovye versii plavno zamenilis' na "otvod chasti vojsk na
pereformirovanie". Russkie soldaty shli na shturm polugolodnymi; vzjat v
plen russkij soldat, nastupavshij v botinkah na bosu nogu (noski otnjali
starshie tovarischi). Gorod takzhe prakticheski razrushen, s segodnjashnego
utra vozobnovilis' nalety na uzhe ruiny Groznogo.
Informatsionnaja obstanovka takova: gazety ne vyhodjat
(novogodne-rozhdestvenskie kanikuly), gosudarstvennoe TV opaslivo
zhmetsja pod pressom tsenzury (kogda katastrofu stalo skryvat'
nevozmozhno, otnositel'no liberal'noe Rossijskoe TV peredalo soodschenija
o nej so slovami "eto ofitsial'noe soobschenie Pravitel'stva Ingushetii").
Dlja bol'shinstva, ne slushajuschego "Svobody", informatsionnoj otdushinoj
sluzhat peredachi stantsij, prinadlezhaschih konkurirujuschej s E
finansovo-politicheskoj gruppe mera Moskvy Luzhkova "Most". Eto
televidenie NTV i radio "Eho Moskvy". Oni rabotajut dovol'no smelo, ibo
ponimajut: im nechego terjat'. Pohozhe, g-n E v sluchae pobedy vse ravno
nikogo ne poschadit. Vo vsjakom sluchae, sotrudniki ego lichnoj tajnoj
politsii (organizovavshej nalet v maskah na gruppu "Most") ne skryvajut,
chto budut "spasat' Rossiju ot rusofobov, zapadnikov i mafii".
Moj lichnyj opyt prodolzhaet davat' podtverzhdenija tomu, chto nastroenija
intellektual'noj elity gorazdo bolee militaristskie, chem obschestva v
tselom. Mezhdu prochim, stoit opasat'sja rasprostranenija politicheskogo
raskola intelligentsii na sferu ekspertnyh otsenok nauchnyh zaslug
kolleg, naprimer pri vydelenii grantov Sorosa. Stoit obratit' vnimanie
na predposylki etogo:
1. Zakrytyj i "vnutrishkol'nyj" harakter ekspertizy v Rossii.
2. Ochevidnaja, no poka ne zlostnaja diskriminatsija uchenyh s nepravil'nymi
politicheskimi vzgljadami (nezlostnaja potomu, chto ih bylo malo i sredi
nih ne bylo osobo krupnyh uchenyh). Vo vsjakom sluchae, opyt
diskriminatsii est'.
Eto poka nichem ne podtverzhdennye opasenija, no stoit pobespokoit'sja
zaranee, chtoby etogo ne sluchilos'.
Vash Alik
From burkov@lassp.cornell.edu Wed Jan 4 14:37 EST 1995
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 95 13:28:50 EST
From: "Sergei Burkov"
To: info-russ@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Subject: INFO-RUSS: Sovokinform
From: SMTP%"andr@hohlov.msk.su" 4-JAN-1995 (sokraqeno)
IDIOTIZM NE LECHITSIA. 02 Jan.95
Proizoshlo samoe hudshee (i durackoe) iz togo, chto moglo.
Neponiatno s kakoi stati voiska vdrug sorvalis' s mesta i
brosilis' shturmovat' Groznyi (v novogodniuiu noch'!).
Poskol'ku, kak uje govorilos', shturm gorodov sovremennoi
voennoi naukoi ne predusmotren - poluchilos' to, chto i doljno
bylo. Kolonny tankov i bronetransporterov vtianulis' v gorod i
byli postepenno rasstreliany v upor iz granatometov, poprostu iz
okon domov - priamo v borta, pod priamym uglom.
Prichem (vidimo, dlia pushei nerazberihi) shturm ustroili
noch'iu. Uchityvaia, chto soldaty goroda ne znaiut, a mestnye,
naoborot, znaiut - rezul'tat legko predstavit'.
Eststvenno, soldaty, kotorym jit' hotelos', streliali "po
vsemu, chto dvijetsia".
Rezul'taty plachevnye. Oficial'nye istochniki soobshili o
"peregruppirovke voisk", chto, kak izvestno, oznachaet, chto dela
plohi. Po nezavisimym dannym, podbito pod 100 (sto!) tankov i BTR,
poteri voisk schitaiutsia na sotni, poteri mestnyh - na tysiachi.
Sudia po vsemu, v nejilyh promyshlennyh raionah
(neftepererabatyvaiushii zavod) i, vozmojno, v novostroikah voiska
vse-taki zakrepilis'. No v centre, pohoje, polnyi razgrom.
Seichas, po sluham, idut podkrepleniia.
Estestvennyi vopros: ZACHEM?
Otvet neponiaten. Generaly sami po sebe daleko ne idioty.
Imeetsia bogatyi opyt podobnyh neudachnyh shturmov (Afgan). Malo
togo, za tri dnia do vsego ministr oborony Grachev ustroil
press-konferenciiu, gde vpolne tolkovo i vniatno ob'iasnil,
pochemu Groznyi shturmovat' nel'zia.
I vdrug - takoi bred. Krov', pozor, i proch. I ved' liubomu
leitenantu izvestno, chto v nashe vremia goroda ne shturmuiut!
Edinstvennoe, chto mogu predpolojit' - chto Bol'shoe
Nachal'stvo potrebovalo vse konchit' "v tri dnia".
Sudia po vsemu, v Kremle vse davno uje v graduse "chert s
nimi, s jertvami i mirnymi jiteliami, no etih banditov my vse-taki
likvidiruem". Svolochi. Nu i poluchili.
Snimaia obvinenie v "genocide": bol'shinstvo mirnyh grajdan,
ostavshihsia v Groznom i gibnushih ot strel'by i bombejek - eto
RUSSKIE. (Chechencam bylo, konechno, namnogo proshe, chem russkim,
vyvezti sem'i k rodstvennikam v derevniu - blije. A procentnyi
sostav v Groznom byl, vidimo, primerno fifty-fifty.) No comments.
Netrivial'nye momenty:
1) V Groznom nachisto otsutstvuet kakaia-to vrajda mejdu
mestnymi russkimi i chechencami. Neveroiatno, no fakt. Russkie
korrespondenty spokoino iterv'iuiruiut soldat Dudaeva, russkie
babushki hodiat za vodoi (vodoprovod, konechno, ne rabotaet).
Nikakih soobshenii o pogromah i raspravah nad mestnymi russkimi ne
bylo ni razu ni iz odnogo istochnika.
2) Otnoshenie k plennym soldatam - po-prejnemu absoliutno
korrektnoe. Plennyh kormiat i poiat, ranenyh lechat,
korrespondentam razreshaiut s nimi obshat'sia.
3) U Dudaeva postoianno nahoditsia - dobrovol'no i svobodno -
gruppa deputatov Dumy (=parlamenta) vo glave s S.Kovalevym
(biolog, byvshii dissident, pri Brejneve sidel, chelovek
iskliuchitel'noi poriadochnosti). Oni postoianno soobshali o
jertvah bombejek. Chest' im i slava.
V obshem, stydno i merzko. Chto budet dal'she, poniat'
nevozmojno - no, pohoje, budut bol'shie peremeny. Horosho by
poubavit' kolichestvo idiotov na vysshih postah...
Opros: "polnnost'iu doveriaiut prezidentu" - 13%,
"bolee-menee" - 16%, "ne doveriaiut" - 65%. No comments.
Skol'ko-nibud' otvetstvennye liudi (urovnia direktorov
zavodov, ravno kak i bankov), uslyshav familiiu Elkina,
reflektorno materiatsia. Naibolee uvajaemy v etih krugah - prem'er
Chernomyrdin, pred. Dumy Rybkin i mer Moskvy Lujkov - vse troe za
um i professionalizm, a ne za politiku.
V armii - brojenie. Avtoritet ministra oborony Gracheva byl
na nule eshe do Chechni, a uj seichas... Pri etom est' dva
bezuslovno ves'ma tolkovyh i populiarnyh v voiskah generala
(Gromov i Lebed'). Oba pozvoliaiut sebe ehidnye repliki. Konechno,
v nyneshnei situacii Elkin nikogo iz nih ministrom oborony ne
naznachit - proshe uj srazu podat' v otstavku. Ne iskliucheno,
chto i pridetsia.
Sluh: lichnoe sostoianie Dudaeva - bol'she milliarda dollarov
nalichnymi. Poskol'ku cherez Chechniu iz Rossii uplylo po men'shei
mere neskol'ko (a, vozmojno, mnogo) milliardov $ - zvuchit
pravdopodobno.
V zakliuchenie - nebol'shoi istoricheskii ekskurs: "Zapiski"
generala Ermolova, glavnoupravliaiushego Kavkazom v 1816-1826 i, v
chastnosti, osnovatelia kreposti Groznaia.
Povtoriaiu, eto 1816 god. "Nije po techeniiu Tereka jivut
chechency, samye zleishie iz razboinikov <...>. Obshestvo ih
ves'ma maloliudno, no chrezvychaino umnojilos' v poslednie
neskol'ko let, ibo prinimalis' drujestvenno zlodei vseh prochih
narodov, ostavliaiushie zemliu svoiu po kakim-libo prestupleniiam.
Chechniu mojno spravedlivo nazvat' gnezdom vseh razboinikov."
Kommentarii: vse - odin v odin k nyneshnei situacii (v
Chechne baziruiutsia professional'nye bandity so vsego Severnogo
Kavkaza - zdes' oni v principe nedosiagaemy dlia rossiskoi
milicii, a gde-nibud' v Dagestane mogut i zamesti.)
Eto tak, k slovu.
----------------
Kto-to iz deputatov Dumy, tol'ko chto vernuvshihsya iz
Groznogo, nazval cifru v 180 podbityh tankov i BTRov.
----------
Programma Vremya (a e`to teper' opyat' oficial'noe nazvanie, dazhe muzyka
ta zhe, Vremya vpered) povydavala eqe perlov: chechency de razlili
sinil'nuyu kislotu na puti russkih vojsk, a takzhe vypustili hlora.
From: sasha@super.ece.jhu.edu (Alexander Kaplan)
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 95 21:29:28 EST
To: info-russ@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Subject:INFO-RUSS:ya vam pishu, chego zhe bole, chto ya mogu esche skazat'...
Status: OR
Dear folks,
A few weeks ago, Russia started its war against Chechnya. It is clear by
now (if it wasn't clear to some of you earlier), that this war is a crime,
a war of extermination waged by the Russian military largely against
civilian population; it is a mass violation of human rights; it has
already came close to genocide; and who knows what will happen next.
We've got quite a lot of reports (in particular by Andrianov and
Suhanov) from Moscow. Good people in Russia are doing what they can to
stop this war. We can do here even more. As was suggested on this net
by Maxim Poliashenko , we can call our senators
and congressmen, and send e-mail to Mr. President and Vice-President,
telling them "NO U.S. AID, NO U.S. MONEY FOR CRIMINAL GOVERNMENT OF
RUSSIA !!!" Boris Velikson , posted here a
copy of his letter to President Clinton of similar content. Oleg
Kolosov suggested that this kind of letters be
sent to the governments and influential organizations in other Western
countries.
I've sent my letter to Mr. President too (anybody who is interested can
ask me for a copy). At this point, however, I decided to go one step
further. I want to suggest that those of us who support an action of
the United States Government to stop the war of Russia against Chechnya
send a collective letter to Mr. President of the United States and Mr.
Vice-President. With a lot of signatures, the letter will have a chance
to be read. (Sure, sure, I do remember that old joke about intelegent i
huligan where the intelegent in response to the voice of reason -- "Ne
pi**i!" -- screams "Net, ya budu pi**et', ya printsipial'no budu
pi**et'!":-):-). Yet, like an old battle horse:-), here I go... Anyway,
below you'll find the text of the proposed letter. I tried to make it
short and to the point, and write it the way hopefully acceptable to as
many of you as possible. We can do it in two possible ways.
(i) You send me your "signatures" and I compile them into one block
together with the text of the letter and get it out to Mr. President
and Mr. Vice-President. I'll be waiting for your msgs until Jan.
10'95, noon, collect whatever signatures I've got, and get the letter
out. If anybody got their signatures to me later, I can send an
"addendum" letter to the same addressees.
(ii) You can use this text below for your OWN letters to whoever you
think is best. If you do so, I would still appreciate it if you send me
a msg notifying me that you've sent it out (I need it basically for my
statistics). My own opinion though is that the larger single "snowball"
we generate, the better.
If in your signature you are eligible to use titles like "Prof.",
"Dr.", "Group Leader", "MD", "Director", "President (or Vice-President)
of Co.", or anything of this nature, please do NOT hesitate of using
them; I actually would encourage you to do so! (unlike our regular
postings, in which I usualy discourage it:-). Same, if you are a US
citizen. BUT, folks, a signature of ANYONE of you will count! (either
in the US or outside of it; academia people and business; housewives
and free spirits:-); males and females, etc.; but no pets, please:-).
I strongly encourage you to join the letter if you support its main
thrust. Aside from your name, you may want to use your address (office
or home, it doesn't matter), and your e-mail. If any of your friends
who are not IR-subscribers, wish to join the letter, they are most
welcome too; just include their names in your msg to me (of course,
with their consent only).
The more signatures, the better; I am thinking of at least 100
signatures which makes it a bit less than 10% of the total number of
IR-subscribers (there are about 1050 of us now). I may also need a few
volunteers (preferably -- veteran subscribers) to help me to handle the
job of compiling the signatures into a single list (if I really get a
lot of them:-), so please in your msgs regarding joining the letter,
indicate whether you are willing to help me. If there are no strong
objections, I'll be joining this letter too (just for you not to feel
lonely:-).
My best, and Happy New Year,
--Alex (Sasha) Kaplan, INFO-RUSS owner/coordinator
-------------------------------------------------------------------
To: Mr. William Clinton, President of the United States
Cc: Mr. Albert Gore, Vice-President of the United States
White House Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President and Mr. Vice-President:
We want to express our grave concerns over the war by Russia against
the break-away republic of Chechnya and the position of the United
States in what is happening. The war waged by the Russian government
and its military largely against the civilian population is a violation
of human rights on a grand scale, bordering on genocide. The losses
among the population are tremendous; hundreds thousand of people,
including women and children, have became refugees. There is no
justification whatsoever for the Russian government to methodically
murder civilians.
To maintain that what is happening is the internal matter of the
Russian government, is to greatly encourage its criminal behavior. The
United States Government must use all its clout to stop the war. A
possible way to do that is to make it known to the Russian government
that all financial aid, all agreements advancing Russia's interests,
will be frozen or canceled altogether if the war continues.
We are asking you to use all the means available to you, to influence
the Russian government to terminate the war.
With our best regards,
From: sasha@super.ece.jhu.edu (Alexander Kaplan)
Date: Mon, 9 Jan 95 23:31:21 EST
To: info-russ@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Subject:SIGNATURES
Status: OR
Dear folks-"podpisants" (signatories that is:-) -- or is it signees?:-)
If you received this msg (27 kb!!), your signature is under that
letter to Mr. President (and whoever else is there in Washington, DC:-)
regarding the criminal war by Russian government against Chechnya.
(Don't pay attention on the "INFO-RUSS" heading lines: I am just using
INFO-RUSS mailer with the list of your addresses, and this msg is not
broadcasted to the entire info-russ list.)
We have now 218 signatures!!!! (as of 10 pm, Jan. 9'95).
The inflow of msgs overhelmed me; frankly, I was (pleasantly)
surprised. But it also costed me dearly; last night I've slept
only three hours. Next time, folks, it will be somebody's else
turn to collect the signatures:-).
OK, below you find that letter, somewhat polished and corrected, but
with NO major changes compared with the original draft (the main change
is the sentence in the very end of the letter
"We are also asking you to promote a peaceful settlement of the conflict
through appropriate international bodies."
against which I hope there would be no objection).
My most profound and warm thanks to all of you, folks, for joining
this little "scream in wilderness":-). Yes, the chance that our voice
will influence the policy of the US government is slim; but when you
walk, the planet turns around under you, you know... (just a bit,
yet...:-). And, in the end of the day, no lesser thing is a piece with
yourself... Thanks also to those of you who sent in your critical
comments, corrections, etc. I am still open for corrections in English
(but no conceptual changes or additions, please; too many of us
have already approved the text...)
Hopefully, I'll be able to prepare all the stuff tomorrow morning and
get it out by e-mail and faxes -- do you know it is 22 pages long?
As to the war itself -- gosh, I even don't want to think of what is
coming next. A feeling as if you see a horrible dream and cannot wake
up...
One more thing: I frankly don't know where to put my own signature.
Temporarily, I've put it on the top of heap (well, this way I sort of
take a bit greater responsibility if anything goes wrong); but than
again it doesn't look very modest:-). If you have a strong feeling that
this should be changed, please let me know.
My best ,
Alex (Sasha) Kaplan
THIRD (UPDATED) DRAFT OF INFO-RUSS GROUP LETTER (January 9'95)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
(The text is ommited here)
---------------------------------------------------------------
>From INFO-RUSS-request@smarty.ece.jhu.edu Wed Jan 11 21:32:16 EST 1995
Errors-To: INFO-RUSS-request@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Sender: INFO-RUSS-request@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Precedence: bulk
Received: by smarty.ece.jhu.edu (5.61/1.18jrs)
id AA21436; Wed, 11 Jan 95 21:32:13 -0500
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From: sasha@super.ece.jhu.edu (Alexander Kaplan)
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 95 21:32:12 EST
X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (6.5.6 6/30/89)
To: info-russ@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Subject: 230+
Status: ORr
Dear folks-"podpisants",
If you got this msg on your screen, your signature is under
the letter to Mr. President, etc., regarding the war in
Chechnya.
And you are one of 230+ signees.
The text was left as in the third draft (with minor grammar
corrections). As I've promised you, I've got the letter out to
White House (i. e. to both Mr. President and Mr. Vice President)
and to the House Speaker on Tuesday, January 10'95, before midnight
(only these three appear to have their e-mail addresses). All the
day today we have been trying to get the letter (25 pages) by FAX
to the rest of the people on the list -- and got them ALL out except
one (to the Senate Majority Leader), which we'll hopefully be able
to send out tomorrow (the problem: all these fax numbers are
hopelessly busy).
OK, except for a possible addendum (i. e. if I get enough
post-deadline signatures), that little effort of ours
is over. My thanks to all of you -- you made it possible.
No war will stop just because we signed that letter, everybody
knows that. Yet if not you, then who? And yes, I do believe it
can make a difference. Somebody up there (aside from Mr.
President's staff and KGB:-) got to keep count, right?:-).
V sinem nebe,
kolokol'nyami prokolotom, --
Mednyi kolokol,
mednyi kolokol
tol' vozradovalsya,
to li oserchal.
Kupola v Rossii kroyut
chistym zolotom,
chtoby chasche
Gospod' zamechal...
My best,
--Alex (Sasha for you:-) Kaplan
INFO-RUSS owner/coordinator
From INFO-RUSS-request@smarty.ece.jhu.edu Wed Jan 11 22:44:17 EST 1995
Errors-To: INFO-RUSS-request@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Sender: INFO-RUSS-request@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Precedence: bulk
Received: by smarty.ece.jhu.edu (5.61/1.18jrs)
id AA21577; Wed, 11 Jan 95 22:44:15 -0500
Message-Id: <9501120344.AA21577@smarty.ece.jhu.edu>
From: sasha@super.ece.jhu.edu (Alexander Kaplan)
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 95 22:44:14 EST
X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (6.5.6 6/30/89)
To: info-russ@smarty.ece.jhu.edu
Subject:INFO-RUSS:uzhe skazali...:-)
Status: OR
Dear folks,
You (some of you at least:-) might be interested to know that that
little project of ours -- a letter to Mr. President of the United
States in which we asked him to use all the means available to him
to influence the Russian government to stop the war in Chechnya --
has been completed as planned: we've got 230+ signatures under that
letter (more than twice of what I expected), and it has already
been sent out to all the addressees.
While most of the signees belong to the US academic and high-tech
community, among them (us) are people from all walks of life and
from all the countries and continents (including Antarctica!).
Although most of people who signed it are US citizens (or citizens
of other Western countries), there are many citizens of Russia on
the list, and quite a few of them currently reside in Russia. One of
them is a 15 year old boy, who collected 60 signatures in Moscow for
the letter against the war, which was sent to the Russian government.
Those of you who signed the letter have already received a msg from
me. The rest of you will have to wait for the next chance (oh, sure,
with Russia, the chances are plenty!) to realize which way it all
goes. Kak vsyo eto znakomo, znakomo eto nam, pishite nam, pishite po
starym adresam... (those who ever heard this song, know that Yulik
Kim was in the end singing "po novym adresam" -- and probably remember
why...) But, anyway, it will be your headache then... (gosh, I've got
enough of them this time around:-).
Now, I want to apologize to all of you: most likely I'll be away from
the campus for a couple days, without access to the internet, and
therefore no news will be broadcasted. Sorry for that.
--Alex Kaplan, INFO-RUSS owner/coordinator
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