The dirty war that doesn't exist - Chechnya

[dArKeR]

By Ian Traynor
THE GUARDIAN , London
Friday, May 14, 2004,Page 9

The four Russian special forces officers opened fire on the vehicle carrying six civilians on a quiet road in southern Chechnya. They killed the driver, then realized they had netted not a carload of "terrorists," but a couple of village teachers, a farmer and a mother of seven children. To cover up their blunder, the Spetsnaz commandos executed all five survivors, doused the vehicle in gasoline and set it alight to pretend that it hit a landmine.

Another routine atrocity in Russian President Vladimir Putin's dirty war, a war he pretends is long over, long won since there are no political dividends in it any more. The murder of the six took place two years ago.

On April 30 in Rostov, southern Russia, the headquarters for Russia's creaking Chechnya war machine, a court acquitted the four officers of the killings. They were just following orders.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/05/14/2003155433

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Putin's dirty war

"I looked into the eyes of that man... and I can work with him.."

Looks like Putin and bush have a lot in common.