COUNTERINTELLIGENCE OFFICER FINDS MOSCOW’S APPROACH TO CHECHNYA"ABSURD."

"We are certain that the Chechenproblem could have been resolved without a war," one Russiancounterintelligence officer told Kommersant-Daily August15. "We have repeatedly submitted our proposals. There hasbeen no reaction. Now, having made lots of mistakes, some of whichare attributable to the elementary lack of understanding of theCaucasus’ unique features, Moscow is now holding talks in an absurdmanner. As if no one in the Kremlin had ever read Leo Tolstoyor Russian history books!"