transcript

Human Rights and Security Initiative North Caucasus at CSIS

This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI's THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to theworld@pri.org. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI's THE WORLD is the program audio.

MARCO WERMAN: I'm Marco Werman and this is The World. Russia announced today it's officially ending its military campaign in Chechnya. The move puts an end to ten years of tight security restrictions -- and outright war -- in the southern republic. Russian officials say they'll withdraw 20-thousand troops and police officers. Chechnya is certainly more stable today than in recent years, but many say that stability has come at a price. The World's Jeb Sharp begins our coverage.

JEB SHARP: It's not clear why Russian authorities have chosen this particular moment to lift emergency restrictions in Chechnya but they are celebrating the moment as a victory. The Kremlin-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov told Russian television that terrorism has been defeated in Chechnya. “We have been heading towards this for a long time,” Kadyrov says, “We have lost all the precious things we had. We have paid dearly for peace, stability and prosperity. This is why everyone is celebrating now. We are having a national holiday today.” On the surface things are certainly better in Chechnya than they once were. All out fighting is long over and investment in the capital Grozny has transformed what was a bombed out war zone into a functioning modern looking city. But there's a dark side to the veneer of calm. Sarah Mendelson directs the human rights and security initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

SARAH MENDELSON: There is a iron fisted ruler of Chechnya that is Kremlin backed and he rules with impunity this is absolutely a situation of the rule of man not of law. Some people call that stability. I think it's quite worrisome. People continue to be disappeared by the authorities. You essentially have a Chechnya that, in some ways, is itself autonomous. Kadyrov has so much control in Chechnya but he has the backing of the Kremlin so it's a tenuous arrangement.

SHARP: Kadyrov keeps a pet tiger and nurtures a cult of personality that includes huge posters of himself all over Grozny. Russian journalist Alexander Goltz worries that if Russian forces pull out there will be no check on the Chechen leader.

GOLTZ: When you have forces there which are federal forces, interior troops, military forces it's clear that you can control the situation; but now when the biggest part of these troops will be withdrawn it will be only military forces which are responsible just directly to this man

SHARP: And is that a completely frightening thought given his record?

GOLTZ: Yes I think so.

SHARP: But it's not just the fact that Kadyrov is seen as eccentric and ruthless tyrant that worries people. Sarah Mendleson of CSIS says that while things are relatively calm in Chechnya, violence in next-door Ingushetia is skyrocketing. And neighboring Dagestin is in upheaval too.

MENDLESON: What's important to understand about the north Caucasus is that they're very distinct neighborhoods. There's a lot of violence in these neighborhoods. And it is extremely worrisome to have in country as important as Russia so much instability on its southern flank

JEB SHARP: Mendelson says the best outcome of today's announcement would be renewed attention to Chechnya and the surrounding region. She'd like to see Russian and international aid increase and a big push on social and economic development. She and others say Chechnya has been devastated by its history and by living in the shadow of Russia and it's largely been forgotten by the rest of the world. For the world, I'm Jeb Sharp.

Copyright ©2008 PRI's THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI's THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World's Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.