CHIEF JUSTICE DEFENDS CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECISION ON CHECHNYA.

Vladimir Tumanov, the chairman of Russia’s ConstitutionalCourt, said that the court had no choice but to back the Russianpresident on his decision to use force because the Russian presidenthad no choice but to use force to prevent Chechnya from seceding,Moscow radio reported August 1. He eschewed legal arguments infavor of simple raison d’etat as a justification for the court’sdecision by asking rhetorically, "Does the state have theright to take measures or not? My view is ‘Yes.’" But Tumanovnonetheless suggested that Boris Yeltsin had erred in thinkinglast December that the war would be over quickly and that Russianforces had committed numerous human rights violations while inChechnya.

Another CIS Meeting Fails to Reach Agreements.