WASHINGTON, Sept 7 (AFP) - The United States on Tuesday expressed willingness to potentially meet again with moderate Chechen separatists, despite Russia's opposition to such contacts.
"We do have a policy that says we will meet with political officials, leaders who have different points of view," US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. "We've done that in the past, we may or may not do that in the future, depending on who these individuals might be."
"Our view of some of these political figures has been different than the Russians," he said, adding that a "political solution" must be found in the conflict in Chechnya.
But Boucher underscored that US officials "don't meet with terrorists. We don't meet with people who are involved in violence or fomenting violence."
He reiterated Washington's solidarity with Moscow following the deadly hostage siege at a school in Beslan, where 335 people, including children, were killed, the recent downing of two passenger jets which killed 90 and a suicide bombing outside a crowded Moscow subway station which killed 10.
"There's no question of our stance with the Russian government in fighting these kind of terrorists," Boucher said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with foreign reporters and Russia experts, criticized those suggesting that he meet with Chechen hardliners.
"Why don't you meet (Al-Qaeda leader) Osama bin Laden, invite him to Brussels or the White House and engage in talks, ask him what he wants and give it to him so he leaves you in peace? Why don't you do that?" he said, according to Britain's Guardian and Independent newspapers.
Secretary of State Colin Powell later sought to avoid conflict with Russia on the issue, emphasizing the common points of the two nations' policies on Chechnya..
"I think President Putin is making reference to occasional visits, not one recently, but some time ago, of Chechen personalities to staff members in the State Department as part of our way of keeping informed about the situation in the region," Powell said.
"Where we are now absolutely united, though, is in condemning this horrible, horrible action that took place in this small town. ... Terrorism of this kind has no place in the world. To take children and to put children at risk and to murder them in this deliberate manner has to be condemned."