From ‘Moscow News’

According to suicide-terrorist Maskhadov, he participated in the preparation of the terrorist attack on Dubrovka, and now is readying military operations on Russian territory.

Though the mediation of Maskhadov’s representative in Azerbaijan, Ali Asayev, an employee of the newspaper ‘Zerkalo’ was able to hold an interview with Abu-Sayeed, assistant of Chechen suicide group leader Movsar Barayev. The conversation was on Friday, at 5:30 p.m., i.e.: just after the interview with Ali Asayev. Ali Asayev himself posed the first question.

Ali Asayev: Abu-Sayeed, what it the situation at the present time?

Abu-Sayeed: Right now we are in the auditorium and waiting for the Russian special forces group ‘Alpha’ to attack.

‘Zerkalo’ correspondent: You’re awaiting an assault?

Abu-Sayeed: Yes, there’ll be an assault either way. This assault is what we’re waiting for. If they start it, we’ll blow up the auditorium. That’s it — nothing will be left.

‘Zerkalo’: As we understand it, if there is an assault, you won’t even try to resist, but you want to blow up the hall right away?

Abu-Sayeed: Yes, exactly.

‘Zerkalo’: Tell me please, Maskhadov or one of the other commanders, did he know about your plans?

Abu-Sayeed: Of course. This is a specifically prepared plan. And this plan is the best one tactically. All summer long we got ready for it. And now we’ve come here by the will of Allah, Inshallah, we’ll get ours.

‘Zerkalo’: Can you contact Maskhadov or Shamil Basayev right now?

Abu-Sayeed: Yes, of course.

‘Zerkalo’: Do they now what is going on right now?

Abu-Sayeed: They know. They know everything. They call and are up to date on the whole situation. We reported everything to them.

‘Zerkalo’: There is information that Maskhadov’s headquarters is preparing to transfer military operations to Russian territory if there are no negotiations on settling the conflict by spring. Is this part of that?

Abu-Sayeed: Yes, this is only a small part. We still haven’t started our operations. And if this is only a small part, then there are big plans ahead. But if they don’t meet our conditions, then there will be specific movements.

‘Zerkalo’: When this operation was being worked out, was the commander-in-chief, Aslan Maskhadov, was he there, was he informed?

Abu-Sayeed: Yes, they worked out this plan together. Yes, he was informed. But the lower mudjahedin, they didn’t know where we were going.

‘Zerkalo’: the lower mudjahedin didn’t know where they were going, and why?

Abu-Sayeed: When they left, they didn’t know. But later they said that here is such and such a plan.

‘Zerkalo’: Abu-Sayeed, we’d like to know the fate of the 5 Azerbaijanis still among the hostages. You aren’t getting ready to release them?

Abu-Sayeed: We didn’t know this on the first day. We didn’t know that there were 5 Azerbaijanis left. Had we known, we’d have let them go right away. We released foreigners who told us about it. And they had passports on them, proving it. Whoever doesn’t have a passport, we’re not letting go. They should have their passport. If so, we’ll check it again, find out, and if it’s okay – we’ll let them go.

‘Zerkalo’: Will you be able to release them before the start of the assault that you figure is coming?

Abu-Sayeed: That’s unknown. If they start the operation, we’ll blow up everything here. If they don’t start anything, then we promise that they can leave.

‘Zerkalo’: That means that their fates will hang on how the Russian side acts today?

Abu-Sayeed: Yes, just like that.

‘Zerkalo’: That is, if you have time, than our fellow citizens will be released?

Abu-Sayeed: Yes, yes. We’ll release them, and then later the Russians will attack. It’s all the same to us. Let them attack. Let them do what they want. A single bullet hits in here, I don’t know in general, we aren’t the only theater in Moscow, and we’ll take the whole city with us.

The rest of the conversation was continued by Ali Asayev, who said the following:

Ali Asayev: Yes, yes. Your position is clear to us. Abu-Sayeed, as soon as the journalists leave, I’ll call you separately (the conversation continued in the Chechen language).

The last question by ‘Zerkalo’ to Abu-Sayeed: “Don’t you think, that if our Azerbaijanis also die, if there’s an explosion during the assault, that it could work against you? Do you understand?

'We have strict ‘nizam'*.

*= Chechen word for ‘order’.

Commentary: Moslems in the theater should have brought their passports with them. The terrorists turned out to be pickier than the police.

(Prior to the interview.) ‘Zerkalo’ correspondents in Baku later met with Aslan Maskhadov’s representative in Azerbaijan, Ali Asayev. A day before this meeting he declared that there were no Azerbaijan citizens among the hostages. According to him, all Moslems in the auditorium had been released by the mudjahedin. It turned out, however, that there were still some remaining in the auditorium, and Asayev had to answer a few unpleasant questions.

Ali Asayev: Without any impediments I will comment on the situation. At the very moment that I contacted the mudjahedin, they said the following:

“It is very annoying when they call us up and say that there are Moslems among the hostages, at the same time that these people don’t make themselves known. If you have direct contact with their relatives, have them tell their relatives here to come on up and make themselves known. And then with great satisfaction we will lead them out of here. That’s one thing.

“Secondly: if they are even here, then we need to do a repeat check. After all, it’s hard to do a thousand repeat checks, leafing through all these passports. Obviously, if they can’t show us a specific passport from one or another country, then all must present Russian passports.

“And thirdly: we are concerned about provocations. If we set things up and start to release people, then Allah willing, let representatives of one or another country meet them. We are afraid to just let them go, after all, they could be taken away somewhere or shot on the spot, and later they’ll say that the bandits killed them for trying to escape. There aren’t any other problems if we’re talking about Moslems, after all in this case all our steps are pointless, if we’re going to talk about jihad. Jihad categorically forbids killing Moslems and children.”

‘Zerkalo’: According to the Russian media, the Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia and the ambassadors of other foreign countries were in the operational headquarters, and holding talks with the mudjahedin on releasing the hostages.

Ali Asayev: I was informed about how they ambassadors were conducting negotiations, because I spoke with Jakhangir Askerov, the president of the AZAL government enterprise, who has relatives among the hostages. He is there, in the operational headquarters. Naturally, all the ambassadors contacted the mudjahedin together, but the ambassadors demand that they be allowed into the auditorium. Therefore they will not specifically name their citizens who are inside the hall.

The mudjahedin are unmistakably afraid to satisfy the given demand and explain it thus:

“If we let all the ambassadors in at the same time, could someone not easily sneak in with them? No one can guaranty that it is not a way to provoke an attack. We don’t know who it is that is entering the hall and calling themselves ambassadors, or even what the ambassadors themselves intend to do, or if ‘bugs’ or camera equipment is being brought in: these days anything is possible. If you can, Ali, come here and take away all those who need to be released. Or select a dependable person whom we can trust. We know that you can’t fly here. If there is someone in Moscow, and it’s not dangerous for him, let him contact us.”

So, right now I gave them ambassador Jakhangir Askerov’s telephone number. I asked the boys to call him directly. In order to do this, however, there is one little problem: literally a half-hour ago Movsar Barayev went to sleep — for practically two days he has been on his feet. Until he wakes up, the mudjahedin can take no steps without his orders: in this is strict ‘nizam’ (Chechen word for order). As soon as he wakes up, that is, as soon as his rest is over, we will immediately be contacted and, without fail, we will take these people out, that is what the boys said.

‘Zerkalo’: Our sources know for certain that on October 23rd, while ‘Nord-Ost’ was being performed, Eldar Gajiyev, a representative of AZAL, was called from Baku (less than a minute after the hostage seizure began). He said: “I’m sitting here with my wife at the show, but something I can’t understand is going on.” Afterwards the call interrupted. When they called Eldar Gajiyev back a minute later, a Chechen mudjahedin answered. They told him that Gajiyev was a Moslem and should not be detained. The mudjahedin replied: “If you are all Moslems, that pray for all Moslems.” And he hung up.

Ali Asayev: The problem is that now many only see them as terrorists, distorting all of their words — and in this case there is only bitterness. Everyone who contacts them tries to look like a hero. But this is not heroism. Therefore I am appealing to the Russian government; earnestly I ask that they not ignore a single contact, that they not distort anything, and bring it plausibly before the public. And themselves too: no need to fool oneself.

‘Zerkalo’: The Russian media stresses that if these Chechens were really champions of Islam, and not terrorists, then they would not be pushing political demands. How would you relate to such an assertion?

Ali Asayev: If they had pushed forward their personal demands: money, gold, etc., naturally, it would not be a matter of Islam.  But the fact is, that the demands they put forward are politics for the Russian government, but for us. For us it is a matter of saving people. Later they will not say: ‘Give us Putin’ or Seleznev or someone else. They demand Budanov, Kadyrov. After all, the whole world knows but Budanov has done, but, nonetheless, the court case against them will not happen. If they really were terrorists, then they would not have released a single hostage, and those citizens who went to the theater would not be let go. If they had political demands, then they would have been satisfied with the parliament’s offer, and traded all the members of parliament for the hostages in the auditorium.

‘Zerkalo’: But Moslem muftis have been on Russian television and have offered to trade places with the hostages as well.

Ali Asayev: I assure you, that if this mufti are ready to go there, then let at least one go. In exchange for him I’ll have 10 hostages released. But I don’t believe them — they are hypocrites. Once again this is proof that such a mufti is no Moslem.

‘Zerkalo’: The Russian media also report that the mudjahedin are ignoring requests to bring in food for the hostages, they say that people are hungry in Chechnya, and in Moslems in general consider it useful to fast.

Ali Asayev: If the boys are talking like that, well, certainly it is inhumane. But even so, they may be doing this to show the Russian people and their government how the situation is for the Chechen people.

‘Zerkalo’: At this time, how far along are the negotiations?

Ali Asayev: In Moscow right now there are no negotiations whatsoever, since the boys do not recognize any of the intermediaries – the members of parliament or the politicians. And they complain that the Russians are just trying to waste time. They are thinking about cutting off all contact. On my own part, I advise them against this. This work with the mudjahedin takes up every minute of my time. Sheik Ul-Islam and Allahshukur Pashazade, the country’s security minister, got in touch with me today. They are worried about their citizens, and about the overall situation as it is developing. I am calming them down. But the problem is that if the politicians don’t get a feel for the lay of things today, than the next event, unfortunately, will be even more tragic. Then they will not make contact with anyone…