Lebed attack on Russia's handling of Chechen War

 Lebed attack on Russia's handling of Chechen War

13 Aug 1996

By Marcus Warren in Moscow

RUSSIA'S security chief, Gen Alexander Lebed, took charge of policy towards Chechnya yesterday, meeting the Chechen chief of staff near Grozny before launching an outspoken attack on Russia's military and politicians for their conduct in the war. Russian commanders announced a halt to air strikes against rebels but fighting continued for a seventh day, with Chechen irregulars retaining control of much of the city.

Gen Lebed also voiced suspicions that his appointment as President Yeltsin's special representative to Chechnya last weekend was "part of some bureaucratic games" designed to ruin his political career. "I am not against my being appointed, but I am against the way my appointment has been interpreted," he said. "Someone really wants to wring my neck with this one."

Gen Lebed, returning from a lightning visit to Chechnya, where he held three hours of talks during the night with Gen Aslan Maskhadov, the Chechen military commander, announced that there was a real chance of ending the current bloodshed in the rebel republic soon. Its capital, Grozny, is suffering its heaviest fighting in 18 months, the result of a shock offensive by Chechen rebels and Moscow's attempts to win back control of the city and relieve hard-pressed Russian positions.

Russian officials have admitted more than 180 soldiers have been killed and 618 wounded in the battle, which shows no sign of abating a week after the rebels entered the city. Neither is there any evidence that the rebels intend to withdraw. In typical Lebed fashion, the former paratrooper was blunt about the shortcomings of the Russian troops he met on his brief visit to Chechnya, calling them "little runts".

The young conscripts manning Russian checkpoints are invariably demoralised and badly turned out, some even missing buttons from their tunics."These little runts, hungry, frail, half-dressed, cannot represent the Interior Ministry or the Defence Ministry," Gen Lebed said. "Partisans in World War Two were better dressed."

The Chechens, by contrast, were "good warriors", he added. The Russian soldiers are also trigger-happy and highly dangerous to all sides. As Gen Lebed travelled to his meeting with the Chechen leadership, his motorcade was fired at twice. Agency reports implied that Russian troops were to blame. Gen Lebed was scathing in his criticism of the lack of command and control among the Russian military in Chechnya and their low morale. He called for the withdrawal of those units that had been deployed there as "cannon fodder".

He was equally contemptuous about the politicians who have been trying to negotiate peace in the war, which has raged since the end of 1994. Senior figures in the pro-Moscow Chechen government were displaying symptoms of "megalomania" and the state commission on Chechnya had been "extremely passive".

Gen Lebed's trip to Chechnya and his outspoken remarks on his return marked his most striking move since being appointed the Kremlin's security chief nearly two months ago. He seemed almost to have disappeared from public view after being co-opted by President Yeltsin following his strong performance in Russia's elections. There may be some truth in his assertion that he has been passed the poisoned chalice of Chechnya to damage his political future.

Few details emerged about his talks with Gen Maskhadov, although a Chechen spokesman described them as "constructive". After being briefed by Mr Lebed, Mr Yeltsin, who had been expected to leave Moscow on his summer holiday, postponed his trip for a week.

12 August 1996: Yeltsin demands heads roll for Grozny debacle