CHECHEN OFFICIAL ACCUSES "CHRISTIAN WEST" OF TRYING TO DESTABILIZE CHECHNYA.

Chechen first deputy premier Movladi Udugov has accused the "Christian West" of trying to destabilize the situation in his republic. Udugov told local television on July 22 that Russia, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia are pouring "endless streams of dollars" into the North Caucasus in an effort to fan ethnic and religious conflicts between Chechens, Ingush, Dagestanis, and Ossetians. He said the West is only partly interested in winning control of the Caucasus’s energy potential and that its primary aim is to undermine Chechnya’s efforts to establish an Islamic state. (Itar-Tass, July 23)

OSCE’s Chechen Mission Burglarized.