Berezovsky financed terrorists by paying ransoms – Chechen prez
Published: 08 April, 2009, 03:11
Edited: 23 November, 2009, 10:08
TAGS: Crime, Chechnya, Interview, Politkovskaya, Politics, Terrorism
Boris Berezovsky encouraged Chechen warlords Shamil Basayev and Salman Raduyev to kidnap people so that Berezovsky could finance them by paying ransoms, claims Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.
In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the Chechen leader said he personally witnessed the agreement.
“He couldn’t just give money to the militants, so he invented this mechanism. In my presence, Berezovsky suggested to Raduyev and Basayev: ‘Capture people and I’ll ransom them. I’ll get good publicity and you’ll get money.’ He paid millions of dollars to Basayev,” Ramzan Kadyrov said.
During the time in question, 1996-97, Berezovsky was deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, and negotiated the release of hostages captured in Chechnya. This became a profitable business for rampaging warlords in the de facto independent republic.
Both Basayev and Raduyev held posts in the Chechen government under President Aslan Maskhadov.
Aleksandr Korzhakov, the former head of Kremlin security, says he believes Kadyrov’s statements 100 per cent.
“In fact, I'm sure there isn't a person in Russia who does not believe this idea. We've had statements from the people who were kidnapped during the wars. And their stories only support the claim,” Korzhakov said.
Many people seem certain of Berezovsky's guilt, but what does that change?
“This changes nothing,” says State Duma Deputy Aleksandr Khinshtein. “He can't be charged with anything, he was never directly involved in the kidnappings. Yes, there are witness statements – but they aren't supported by any evidence. It would be the same as if he, for example, accused me of being involved in the kidnappings. And even though we are certain of his guilt – there is no way of charging him with it.”
Kadyrov also said he believed Berezovsky was behind the killing of journalist Anna Politkovskaya. She was exposing crimes in the Chechen republic.
“We would need Politkovskaya today to show what she used to say, and what there is now. People arrive and walk freely around Grozny. A normal life! How could our enemies use Politkovskaya effectively? By killing her. Who did it? Berezovsky, I believe.”
The official investigation into the murder of the journalist never revealed who ordered it. Four men were tried for doing the killing, but were found not guilty by the jury. Russian prosecutors are now revising the case.
According to Kadyrov, 'Berezovsky and the likes of him’ have drawn Chechnya into two bloody conflicts to cripple and dissolve Russia.
“The people doing world politics chose our republic because they knew us: our strength, courage, spirituality… In the first and the second campaigns, they used us as a tool, dragged us into this war. The White House said: take sovereignty. They armed us and used us against the sovereign state of Russia,” Kadyrov said.
Boris Berezovsky is a Russian tycoon living in exile in London. He was an influential figure in the late 1990s and held several public positions.
He has been sentenced in absentia to a 6 year term in Russia for fraud and money laundering. He was also charged with planning a coup after publically admitting ‘working’ on a forced change of regime in Russia in 2007.
But Berezovsky has political asylum in the UK and London has repeatedly refused Russia’s extradition requests.
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@Andrew There is evidence against Berezovsky there was a Central Asian NGO that confirms through financial records that he does finance Chechen militants. He took Klebnikov to court for his book about him and the only charge against him was that he couldn't supply enough evidence connecting him to the murder of a TV executive or owner so the rest of what he said in the book is true and at the time of his murder he was working on a book about the subject. Khoderkovsky was about to sign an oil contract with a US oil company at the time of his arrest essentially outsourcing Russia's economy overseas that’s why he was charged . Thanks to Mathew Raphael Johnson for that one. http://reasonradionetwork.com/_archive/PS_20090211.mp3 Khoderkovsky was just a front man for Lord Rothschild of London in Russia. Plus the US, Britain, EU, Soros are running operations financing, training and media any and all potential opposition to overthrough Putin through intelligence front NGO's like NED, USAID, etc. Plus they also finance "human rights" organisations and civil rights foundations in Russia like Georgia Soros HRW. Worse is some of these as used as terrorist fronts operating in Russia. Kasparov is affiliated with the AEI as well as Kasayanov.
I think all these acusations being mentioned about Berezovsky without any evidence are just a "Kompromat" to make him look like a cirminal. I do believe there is Putin or his fellas behind all these cases which are mostly made to ruin Berezovsky's reputation. And all this is made because Putin is scared of him, as Berezovsky was the one who put putin to prezidents, he might figure a way to take him out as well. Same case with Chodarkovsky, Putin was scared that he will go into Politic's and make a strong oposition. As you see currently there is none, and Kosparov is just a too little to be afraid of.
Its difficult to say who is telling the truth , I think they all will kill or lie when they believe it is advantageous to there interests . I was very disappointed with NATO's action and trails in Yugoslavia . I really could not tell the difference what NATO did in the nineties or what Hitler's Nazis did in the 40s . I actually think NATO were bigger liars and the Nazis more honest . This was pretty sad for me to discover ,as I' have been a supporter of US power and even NATO all my life . I believe Russia and Serbia were more on the high road and behaved more honorably than the NATO aggressors . I followed the trails in the Hague and again I ended up on the side of most of the Serbs . Now I am just as likely to trust statements coming from Russia or even China as the information promoted by the United States or the western democracies .