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Russia bans Chechen boys, men from crossing border
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January 13, 2000
Web posted at: 11:04 a.m. EST (1604 GMT)
MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russia's military was making good Thursday on its threat to stiffen controls over Chechnya's civilian population, with soldiers checking identity papers and combing Russian-controlled areas of the breakaway republic to find hidden rebels.
Caught off guard by surprise weekend attacks in territory the Russians thought they had under control, military commanders had promised to restrict the movement of most Chechen men.
Russia says it has regained control over Argun, Gudermes and Shali, three towns near Grozny that were at least temporarily under Chechen control over the weekend.
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Russian officials say Chechen boys and men between the ages of 10 and 60 will not be allowed to cross the border to leave Chechnya and those outside the republic are likewise barred from re-entering. More than 200,000 Chechens have fled since the fighting began, most into the neighboring republic of Ingushetia.
The new regulations have brought a fresh round of criticism from human rights and Western officials, who are already on record with their opposition to Russia's continued military offensive in the rebel republic.
Critics of Russia's campaign argue that too many civilians have already been victimized by artillery and air attacks, and the new restrictions go too far.
"It is fundamentally unacceptable to deny civilian males, including children as young as 10, the right to flee from heavy fighting," said Holly Cartner, a Human Rights Watch director.
Support waning?
In Russia, some signs were emerging that the once overwhelming support for the military campaign may be eroding. One woman, who said she gets most of her news from Russian television, said conflicting casualty reports confused her.
"But when I see the pictures of the civilians who are suffering, my heart stops," she said. "I think we need negotiations to reach peace."
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The rebels' weekend surprise strikes were frighteningly similar to tactics they employed in the 1994-1996 Russia-Chechnya war -- tactics that claimed so many Russian lives that the Russian military was forced into a humiliating withdrawal from the republic, leaving it effectively out of Moscow's control.
Russia re-entered Chechnya last September in pursuit of militant forces who twice invaded the neighboring Russian republic of Dagestan. Russia also blames the rebels for a series of deadly bombings inside Russian territory. The rebels deny responsibility for any bombings.
Initially, the Russian campaign moved smoothly across the northern Chechen lowlands, but ran into stiff rebel opposition around the capital, Grozny.
"It is increasingly obvious that the Kremlin and the Defense Ministry have grossly miscalculated the campaign," defense analyst Pavel Felgenhauer wrote in the English-language Moscow Times on Thursday.
But Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo called media reports of stunning setbacks "a grotesque exaggeration."
"The situation is stable," said Rushailo, who was visiting the Caucasus region with other officials.
Correspondent Steve Harrigan, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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RELATED SITES:
Chechen Republic Online
Russian Government Internet Network
ITAR-Tass Home Page
Interfax News Agency
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