US to blacklist Chechen groups

US to blacklist Chechen groups

Russia says it is involved in its own "war on terror" in Chechnya

The US Government is to add three rebel groups from Russia's breakaway republic of Chechnya to its list of terrorist organisations, State Department officials have said.

The officials said the three groups would be blacklisted as early as next week, which would automatically lead to the freezing of any assets they may have in the US.

Russia, which has long been asking Washington to take action against the Chechen rebel groups, has hailed the decision as a "long-awaited news".

This is a good signal showing that...we can come to precise and correct decisions that will benefit Russia, the United States, and the entire anti-terrorist coalition

Sergei Yastrzhembsky, Kremlin's top advisor

But a top Russian official denied that the US move was connected with Washington's desire to get Moscow - a key member of the United Nations Security Council - to back a new UN resolution on Iraq.

The groups would be the first Chechen organisations to be placed on the US terror list, and experts say the move will strengthen Russia's argument that it is involved in its own "war on terror" in Chechnya.

Groups' names leaked

The US officials said the groups would be put on a joint State Department-Treasury Department blacklist of terrorist organisations on 1 March.

The Moscow hostage drama shocked the world

"We have been looking at the activities of various armed Chechen groups for some time and...have designated three of these groups as terrorist," the US official told the AFP news agency.

"We'll announce the specifics of the decision at an appropriate time in the near future after we have consulted with relevant governments," the official said.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Colin Powel was due to state Washington's intentions in an interview to be broadcast by the Russian RTR television network.

The groups could not be named until an official notice is published in the US Government gazette, the Federal Register.

But diplomatic sources both in the US and Russia have identified the groups as the Battalion of Kamikaze Shahid, the Congress of Peoples of Ichkeria and Dagestan and the United Force of Caucasian Mujahideen.

'No horse-trading'

Russia has been long pressing the US to blacklist the groups which Moscow says are the most dangerous and active.

Russia's stance is widely seen to have been strengthened by the Chechen hostage-taking raid on a Moscow theatre last October, during which more than 100 people died when Russian special forces stormed the building.

Last month, the Kremlin's top advisor, Sergei Yastrzhembsky, presented Russia's dossier on the three groups during the talks with the US national security advisor, Condoleezza Rice, in Washington.

On Friday, Mr Yastrzhembsky was quoted by the Russian Interfax news agency as describing the US plans as "good and long-awaited news".

"This is a good signal showing that even in such delicate matters we can come to precise and correct decisions that will benefit Russia, the United States, and the entire anti-terrorist coalition," Mr Yastrzhembsky said.

The US move comes at a time when Washington is actively seeking Russia's backing for a new UN resolution on Iraq, which will authorise the use of force.

But a top official from Russia's National Security Council dismissed suggestions that the decision was an attempt by Washington to get Moscow's vote.

"Any horse-trading or political manoeuvring is out of question here," the official said.

"The decision was based on the national interests of the United States."