Russian shells didn’t kill any of the Wahhabites – so this war will go on a long time.”. Vladimir Putin put up a vigorous defence yesterday of Russia’s military crackdown in Chechnya, describing it as an attempt to stamp out “terrorists and extremists” in the breakaway republic. Vladimir Putin put up a vigorous defence yesterday of Russia’s military crackdown in Chechnya, describing it as an attempt to stamp out “terrorists and extremists” in the breakaway republic.
Relishing the opportunity to set the record straight for the West on his Chechnya policy during his first visit outside Russia since his election, the Russian president-elect repeated the official line that has not wavered since Moscow unleashed its forces on the rebel Muslim republic last September. With Tony Blair at his side at a joint news conference, he reminded reporters that Moscow launched its offensive after Chechen militants invaded the neighbouring Russian republic of Dagestan.

Chechnya was being used as “a launching pad for undermining Russian sovereignty”, he stressed.Mr Putin did not explain why it was necessary to target Chechnya’s civilian population in the war which has flattened the capital, Grozny, forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, and left thousands dead. Russian forces who are still fighting Chechen guerrillas in the republic have, meanwhile, been accused of atrocities, prompting human rights organisations to demand an international inquiry.”The actions of Russia are a struggle against extremism,” Mr Putin said yesterday. “They are directed entirely against international extremism and terrorism.”Mr Blair was under pressure from organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to take a strong stand in his Downing Street talks with Mr Putin. The human rights bodies are calling for an investigation into three massacres in which 125 civilians were murdered.

But the Prime Minister appeared conciliatory yesterday, stressing he did not want to isolate Moscow on the Chechnya issue.He welcomed Mr Putin’s promise that Russia was launching its own inquiry into human rights violations in Chechnya, although this has been dismissed by human rights activists as inadequate.Acknowledging the dozens of protesters outside Downing Street demanding an end to the “torture in Chechnya”, Mr Blair said: “Some say that because of our concerns about Chechnya we should keep some distance from Moscow. I have to tell you that while I share those concerns, I believe that the best way to register those concerns and to get results is by engaging with Russia and not isolating Russia.”Mr Blair made it clear that he was ready to mediate between Moscow and Washington to overcome Russian resistance to US plans for an anti-missile shield aimed to defend the United States against attack by “rogue states”.Mr Putin, whose victory in Russian presidential elections last month was widely attributed to his hard line on Chechnya as the acting president, is under increasing pressure from the West to find a diplomatic solution to the Chechen war.Before seeing Mr Blair for their three-hour meeting, Mr Putin appealed to business leaders to invest in the “new Russia”, saying that Moscow would do everything possible to modernise its economy. He promised to reduce taxes, respect ownership of property, reform regulations and ensure they were applied consistently.He took tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle before flying to Ukraine last night.. The spin went badly wrong. It was meant to be a well-orchestrated presentation of how Tony Blair had persuaded Vladimir Putin to seek truth and reconciliation over the Chechen war

The spin went badly wrong. It was meant to be a well-orchestrated presentation of how Tony Blair had persuaded Vladimir Putin to seek truth and reconciliation over the Chechen war.
Instead it turned into a tub-thumping defence by Russia’s president-elect of his forces’ conduct of the war.

And then, to rub it in, scathing criticism of Britain and the West for “being afraid” to face the threat of Islamic terrorism.It had all started off so well, as Mr Blair and Mr Putin ate a cordial lunch at Downing Street and then stood side by side at a Foreign Office press conference. Both wore nearly identical navy suits and dark ties and Mr Blair had on his customary public grin. As befits a former star of the KGB, the Russian leader appeared more watchful.On cue Mr Putin made his “dramatic” announcement for the media – the setting up of an independent commission to investigate atrocities committed by the Russian army.He stressed how Mr Blair’s visit to St Petersburg had helped pave the way for this. But when questioned as to how effective its role is going to be, Mr Putin said all he knew was “what he had heard from the press”.Russian journalists travelling with Mr Putin pointed out privately that those who will make up the “independent” commission were hardly known for their independence from the Kremlin. It was to get much, much worse.Mr Putin then launched a fierce, and for his hosts acutely embarrassing, defence of the Russian army in the Chechen conflict. He warned that the West would “pay heavily” for failing to confront the “real seeds” of the conflict. He said: “We have seen European countries and leaders not able to support the Russian fight because they are afraid of a reaction among the Muslim inhabitants of Europe, but that’s the wrong conclusion.”By now Mr Blair’s grin had a fixed and rather pained look about it.

He and Mr Putin left the Durbar Court, a celebration of Britain’s own colonial wars of conquest againstMuslim powers of the Indian sub-continent, soon afterwards. Alastair Campbell, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman, appeared to stress to the media that Mr Blair, who had faced strong criticism for inviting Mr Putin, had pressed for access by international groups to investigate alleged war crimes.This was scant justification to groups of British Muslims and Chechen exiles who had gathered across the road from Downing Street to protest atthe visit. “Putin is a murderer” they shouted; “Putin go to hell, Blair go to hell”, “Shame on Blair”, “Democracy, hypocrisy!” and “What do we want? Jihad!”They were watched by a large contingent of police officers. There was little of the heavy handed policing in evidence during the visit of the Chinese President, Jiang Zemin, in October. But in an echo of what happened then, a number of vans suddenly appeared to shield Mr Putin from any distasteful glimpses of the demonstrators as his Zil limousine swept into Downing Street.One man was arrested for throwing a stone at the Putin cavalcade; he was taken away struggling and shouting “Allahu Akbar [God is great]“.Some among the crowd of around 150 had their faces covered by chadors to prevent their pictures being taken by Scotland Yard photographers.Rahimtullah Mansur, who said his friends had been killed at the battle for Grozny, said: “How do we know these photos will not go to the KGB?”Now that Blair and Putin are such friends. It is disgraceful that the British police are behaving like this.