Akhmad Kadyrov opposes statements fanning ethnic tensions

Chechnya's President Akhmat Kadyrov said February 6 he shared the grief over the terrorist act in the Moscow metro, but he believed at the same time that statements fanning ethnic tensions were incorrect even in that situation.

"In a situation like that, opinions need to be especially correct and weighed-out, and it's important that people don't make statements fanning ethnic strife," Kadyrov said in a telephone interview.

Ethnic Chechens living in Moscow, as well as residents in Chechnya, are indignant at what happened in the Moscow metro and express condolences to the families of the dead and wounded, Kadyrov said.

"Like all the Russians, they hate the adherents of Wahhabi fundamentalism," he said.

"Quite naturally, we condole together with the victims' families," Kadyrov said. "Here in Chechnya ordinary people, Army servicemen, policemen, and government officials die at the hands of Maskhadov's and Basayev's terrorists every day."

Kadyrov also reiterated he shared Russian President Vladimir Putin's position.

"He made very correct conclusions, and that is the only way that Chechnya and the rest of Russia can be saved from terrorism," he said.

"There are forces both in the West and in the East that are trying to compel us to sit down to the negotiations table with the terrorists, but this is inadmissible," he said.

"Why does no one try to bring the Americans to negotiations with bin Laden?" Kadyrov said. "It's high time to stop all the insinuations about the talks with Maskhadov."

Only investigators or bullets must speak to that man, he indicated. "Our patience is exhausted, and we're not going to speak to them, we'll be destroying them," Kadyrov said.

Editors note: See also the article "Death toll from Moscow metro blast reaches 39".