Dear Editors,

Among many speculations in press about the death of Shamil Basaev our attention was specially attracted by some recent publications of  Ruslan Saidov, a well-known, in narrow circles, expert from the Institute for Globalization Studies, who regularly features articles in Pravda.info, Forum.msk.ru, Zavtra and similar publications. 

Saidov claims that Basaev's liquidation was inspired and organized by the new President of Ichkeria, Doku Umarov who, in Saidov's words, has been an "old agent of Russian secret services."  See, for instance, Saidov's article "Stavka na Kadyrova" [Betting on Kadyrov], Zavtra <http://zavtra.ru/cgi//veil//data/zavtra/06/657/33.html>.

It is noteworthy that Saidov's allegations contain details that can be known only to "experts" privy to the activities of these services or positioned very closely to the leadership of Chechen separatists, or perhaps, both...   Among other allegations, Saidov claims that Umarov "betrayed to the FSB the well-known field commander Temirbulatov, nicknamed "The Tractorist."

It is also noteworthy that Saidov's theory recently appeared--without mentioning his name--in Komsomolskaia Pravda ("Skrytie pokazhet.  Pochemu spetssluzby Rossii zasekretili smert Shamilia Basaeva?" 20.07.2006<http://www.mk.ru/numbers/2281/article79388.htm>).  Pecularly, his theory was presented as authoritative, without any alternative. 

We invite the editorial board of Chechenpress to express your opinion about Saidov's allegations and, by doing this, to put the end to the strange silence of the Chechen separatist press in relation to Ruslan Saidov and his "partners" in the consulting agency Far West, LLC, Anton Surikov above all.

We call this silence "strange" because given the fact that Saidov and Surikov have for a long time been publishing controversial, even sensational statements on Chechen affairs, it is difficult to explain the complete lack of reaction to their publications on the part of your press.  Quite frankly, we have the impression there exists some kind of taboo on even mentioning their names and that there exist some "special relations" between these "former" officers of Russian intelligence and the Chechen separatist movement.  

We are deeply convinced that such a thought must offend the feelings of Chechen patriots no less that it offends Russian.  Traitors are loathsome to both.  It is even more urgent to break this silence in case there is something more in this than pure appearances, in case that such relations indeed existed.  The Chechens who struggle for the independence of their country must be no less interested to know the truth than the Russians do.   Traitors are dangerous to both.   

After all, a much more likely scenario, in our opinion, is one of Saidov's and his partners' complicity in the deaths, one after another, of Abdul-Khalim Sadulaev and Shamil Basaev. 

It is no secret that the organized society of the military oligarch Vladimir Filin(Far West, LLC) has recently found itself in a rather precarious situation. It is threatened by a criminal prosecution both in the West--for the smuggling of KH-55 cruise missiles to Iran--and in Russia--the affair of "The Grand" and "Three Whales" furniture chains.  In this situation, the leadership of this group could well decide to "hand over" their main assets in Chechnya, Sadulaev and Basaev, to the Kremlin in exchange for  the "amnesty."  In fact, Sadulaev was doomed once Saidov and his partners announced their tactical alliance with Ramzan Kadyrov.  In this connection, we draw your attention to the fact that only several days before his liquidation by Russian services Sadulaev gave an interview to The Jamestown Foundation, well-known CIA front.  According to some confidential sources, that interview was organized with Saidov's help. 

Sincerely,

investigative group burtsev.ru

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