ELECTION 99
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Pak mercenaries join Chechen rebels

Some four hundred Pakistani and other foreign mercenaries have joined Chechen extremists over the past three weeks, report Russian federal intelligence services.

The Russian news agency Novosti today quoted official sources as saying that the continuous flow of ''trained killers'' into Chechnya was the result of a largescale international campaign with President of the breakaway Chechnya, Aslan Maskhadov extending all-out support to the rebels.

The daily Obshchaya reports that the ''International Relief Association'' based in the US has collected about two million dollars for the Chechen rebels, whereas California based ''Islamic Relief Worldwide Organisation'' has already sent over six million dollars. Another city, Plymouth, has also contributed two million dollars to the Caucasian separatists, it alleged.

Novosti also accused the British ''International Centre,'' of financing and guiding the Caucasian forum of non-governmental organisations enabling the rebels to continue waging war against the Russian government.

Meanwhile, the Russian foreign office has taken keen interest in the meeting of radical Islamic religious organisations which plan to increase financial assistance to the Wahabbites in north Caucasus.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report