A London-based Chechen rebel representative said Wednesday that Russia's threats to attack terrorists around the world amount to a warning to European countries that Russian forces could carry out assassinations on their soil.
Akhmed Zakayev, an envoy for rebel leader and former Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov said such a strike by Russian forces would create a dangerous precedent.
Assassinations
"It is a warning to other European countries that Russia may come and carry out an assassination on your soil at any moment," he said.
Earlier Wednesday, Colonel General Yuri Baluyevsky, chief of the Russian General Staff, warned that Russia's military will strike "terrorist bases in any region of the world."
The threat came in the aftermath of the school hostage crisis in southern Russia that ended in the deaths of more than 300 people.
"I think these are probably not empty threats. In fact they have already shown in practice that that is the way they do things," Zakayev said through an interpreter in London.
Russian officials have accused Maskhadov and other Chechen rebel leaders of masterminding the attack. According to aides, Maskhadov has denied any involvement in last week's school siege.
Russian officials are also seeking Zakayev's extradition from London, where he's been granted political asylum.
Authorities also offered a US$10 million reward for information leading to the capture of Maskhadov and another rebel leader, Shamil Basayev.
"It is a very disturbing signal they are sending for all civilized countries," Zakayev said. He added that it's especially worrying for Chechens who speak freely about their dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies.
"To Putin, that makes them international terrorists," he said.
Qatar car bomb
In February, Chechen rebel leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev was killed in a car bombing in the Gulf nation of Qatar. Two Russian agents were convicted for the bombing. Russia has denied involvement in the assassination.
"I just know that until the war in Chechnya is over, nobody is safe from the fate that befell Yandarbiyev," Zakayev said.
Zakayev was dismissive of statements from the Russian Foreign Ministry that it would renew attempts to extradite him and others it says are linked with terrorism.
"We have a British court decision that is clear. We think it is no problem," Zakayev said.
"We think Russia is doing this because they want to take away attention from the murders in Beslan," he added.
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