YELTSIN TAKES TOUGH LINE ON CHECHNYA.

In his closing speechto the Security Council, Yeltsin said that the country’s anti-terrorismeffort must be reformed, and placed under a single anti-terroristcenter to be controlled by him, Russian radio reported June 29.He said that he was concerned about growing tensions between theCossacks and the Chechens, and noted that tensions in Ingushetiyaand Daghestan were rising; and he noted that while he was pleasedthat the peace talks were proceeding, he was concerned that theChechen government–even the one constituted by Moscow officials–didnot include enough representatives of the ethnic Russian communitythere, and did not do enough for that group. But in a move thatwill only exacerbate the situation further, Yeltsin said he approvesthe idea of transferring two Cossack regions from Chechnya toStavropol kray, a clear violation of his own request June 28 thatthere be a moratorium on all border changes within Russia until1997.

Chechen Talks