CHECHNYA BARTERS, MOSCOW WON’T SELL.

Writing in the no. 52, 2001 issue of the weekly Moskovskie Novosti, journalist Sanobar Shermatova reported: “According to information obtained by Moskovskie Novosti, which has also been confirmed by the [Azerbaijani] press agency Turan, Moscow proposed to the adherents of Aslan Maskhadov a variant under which Chechnya would receive maximally broad power. The details have not been publicly revealed, but our sources maintain that that the question concerns close to confederal relations. In exchange for this, the Maskhadov side must give its agreement to the permanent basing of two Russian divisions in Chechnya. The rebels advanced a counterproposal–half the personnel of these divisions must be Chechen. The informed sources maintained that Moscow refused.”