Chechens To Open Afghan Embassy

By Amir Shah
Associated Press Writer
Friday, Jan. 21, 2000; 11:34 a.m. EST

KABUL, Afghanistan –– Chechen rebels will open an embassy in the Afghan capital of Kabul, the Taliban's Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil said Friday.

In a joint press conference with Chechen rebel spokesman Zelimkhan Banderayev, Muttawakil urged Muslims worldwide to rally behind the Chechens in their bitter war for independence against Russia.

The Taliban, the orthodox Islamic army which rules Afghanistan, is the only government so far to officially recognize an independent Chechnya. The move has drawn fire from Russia, which accuses the Taliban of sending material and men to help the rebels.

But Muttawakil said the Taliban have nothing to offer Chechnya because they are in the middle of a war of their own against a northern-based opposition, led by ousted defense chief Ahmed Shah Massood.

"Unfortunately we have nothing left in this country and what we have we are using to face our opposition," he said.

The Taliban controls about 90 percent of Afghanistan. Only three countries recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Muttawakil likened Russia's attack on Chechnya to the 1980s invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union. Then, he said, Muslims from around the world came to Afghanistan to help defeat the former Red Army, which eventually negotiated a withdrawal from Afghanistan after 10 years.

"Muslim people came from all over the world to help Afghanistan, Now the Muslim people should help the Chechen people," he said.

Banderayev sharply criticized the international community and the United Nations for doing too little to stop the Russian assault on Chechnya.