CHECHEN TALKS INTERRUPTED AS FIGHTING CONTINUES.

Representatives of Chechen president Dzhokhar Dudayev met in Grozny May24 with Moscow’s governor in Chechnya, and with representatives of theMoscow-backed Chechen government, Itar-Tass reported. However, after onlyfour hours of talks, they broke up without a new date being set. Meanwhile,even as the sides sat down, the fighting continued. Russian forces launchedmissile and tank attacks throughout the country, with the Russian commandclaiming that it had killed 123 Chechen “rebels” that day. Meanwhile, Chechenforces attacked the two airports near Grozny. The Chechens contended, andthe OSCE representatives confirmed, that the Russian side had violated a planto end hostilities May 23 and stop troop movements May 24. Despite thebeginning of talks, Russian commanders on the scene said that they wouldcontinue to move against Chechen bases in the south, and Yeltsin’s securityadvisor Oleg Lobov told Interfax that “even if such talks begin, I am not surethey will meet with success.” Lobov’s comments came as a Moscow meeting ofthe Soldiers’ Mothers Association called for Russian withdrawal fromChechnya.

And again on May 24, there was no word on the fate of Fred Cuny,the American aid worker who has been missing in Chechnya since April 9.

Yeltsin Presents His Platform.