Russia Expresses Dismay At U.S. Comments On Chechnya

MOSCOW, Sept 8 (AFP) - Russia said Wednesday that relations between Moscow and Washington could suffer from a US announcement that it was ready to meet with some rebel elements from Chechnya.
"We think this statement is inappropriate," news agencies quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying.
"These sorts of statements do not help the development of Russia-US relations and our union in an anti-terror coalition," he said.
On Tuesday, the United States 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."
It remained unclear whom Boucher was referring to.
Washington had earlier urged Moscow to hold talks with separatist Chechen leader Aslan Maskhadov, once seen as a moderate voice in the war torn republic who still has the locals' respect.
But US officials in Moscow have said in recent months that they viewed Maskhadov with increasing skepticism.
In August, Maskhadov took responsibility for organizing a raid into neighboring Ingushetia, on Chechnya's western border, an overnight attack that saw more than 90 people -- most of them law enforcement officials -- killed at their posts.
Russian officials have since been in pains to link Maskhadov to the Beslan school hostage crisis that killed at least 336 civilians and law enforcement agents last week.
A London-based spokesman for Maskhadov has denied the former Chechen leader's responsibilities in the attacks.