by Yana Dlugy
MOSCOW - Chechen rebels vowed to continue their battle against Russia Wednesday after the death of their leader Aslan Maskhadov, sparking fears that the passing of the moderate chief will lead to increased attacks by radical separatists in the war-torn republic.
"Mujahedin come and go. Those who fought for Maskhadov can rest. For those who fight for Allah, the jihad (holy war) continues," the radical warlord Shamil Basayev said in a first reaction on the kavkazcenter.com website used by the most radical Chechen separatists.
Basayev, who has claimed responsibility for several bloody attacks in recent years including last fall`s school hostage siege in Beslan, was the most prominent Chechen rebel to speak out after the killing of Maskhadov by Russian forces Tuesday.
"A new era has begun in the newest history of the Russo-Chechen standoff that does not foresee either talks or a halt to the war," said an unsigned commentary posted earlier on the same website.
"With an empire, there is not and cannot be any of the talks that Aslan Maskhadov talked about so often," said another statement. "An empire can only be destroyed. And it must be destroyed."
Maskhadov was the only Chechen rebel chief who favored negotiations to end the 10-year conflict in the Muslim republic.
The 53-year-old former Red Army colonel had always denied involvement in Russia`s most horrific attacks, including Beslan and a hostage-taking at a Moscow theater in October 2002.
As a man elected president of Chechnya during its de facto independence in 1997 in a vote judged to be free and fair by European observers, he was the only person with whom the West could pressure Kremlin to open talks on ending the second war between Russian forces and separatists.
President Vladimir Putin, who was elected to his first term on the back of support for the war in Chechnya launched in October 1999, was shown on national TV receiving the news of Maskhadov`s death from his security service chief.
Russian officials hailed the news of his death as a major breakthrough in Moscow`s conflict in the Caucasus province.
"The elimination of a terrorist of international standing only means that there will be much less evil now," said Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the State Duma lower house of parliament.
Aslambek Aslakhanov, Putin`s advisor on North Caucasus, said he regretted that Maskhadov had not been captured alive because then "we would have found out more about several pages (of the history of the Chechen conflict) which we were ignorant" of until now.
But rebels and observers warned that Maskhadov`s death would boost the authority of Basayev and risked expanding the conflict throughout Russia`s volatile North Caucasus.
Speaking to AFP earlier, Maskhadov`s close ally Akhmed Zakayev said: "The situation throughout the North Caucasus and in Chechnya itself now risks getting out of hand."
Warned Pavel Felgenhauer, a military analyst: "The death of Maskhadov will result in a continuation of destabilization of the Caucasus and Russia as a whole."
Basayev`s comments on Wednesday -- which included the call to all Chechen rebels to "swear loyalty" to a certain Sheikh Abdul Khalim as the new temporary president of Ichkeria, the name Chechen separatists give to Chechnya -- appeared to fan the fears of observers over a radicalization of the movement.
Analysts also predicted that the killing would boost Putin`s image, which has recently sagged.
"This will raise his political authority. His image is that he fulfills every promise that he has ever made," said Sergei Markov, a Kremlin-linked political strategist.
Some speculated that the operation against Maskhadov was a Kremlin public relations ploy linked to Putin`s recent dip in popularity to the lowest point of his five-year rule.
"I would suggest that this is a public relations move," said Yevgeny Volk of the US-based Heritage Foundation think-tank.
"Putin`s rating had fallen in recent times and he needed something to boost his popularity. This was a card that they have been holding for some time," he said.
Meanwhile the European Union once again called on Russia to try and seek a political resolution to the conflict.
"The EU continues to support a political settlement of the conflict in Chechnya based on the support and confidence of the people and respecting Russia`s territorial integrity," said spokesman Amadeu Altafaj.

03/09/2005 18:28 GMT