Russia Gets Its Own 9-11 / 7-7 Today

[Paul Rigby]

http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/profi...n_Chechnya

American Committee for Peace in Chechnya

Overview

The American Committee for Peace in Chechnya (ACPC) describes itself as "the only private, nongovernmental organization in North America exclusively dedicated to promoting the peaceful resolution of the Russo-Chechen war." (1)

ACPC's activities include organizing public education programs, developing policy recommendations for lawmakers, and collaborating with activists, journalists, and scholars. It also works closely with a range of nongovernmental policy groups and think tanks, including the American Enterprise Institute and the Jamestown Foundation. The committee distributes Chechnya Today, a daily email news service, and Chechnya Weekly, an online news magazine produced by the Jamestown Foundation. ACPC's web site contains a news archive; policy papers relating to the U.S. role in Chechnya; and academic papers, maps, and photos of the conflict. Similar to Jamestown Foundation's founding objective of working with Soviet defectors, ACPC also plans events that feature Chechnyan dissidents. (2)

Glen Howard serves as ACPC's executive director, and he is president of the Jamestown Foundation. Howard previously worked for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a high-tech defense contractor, as a military analyst, and has served as a consultant for the Department of Defense, National Intelligence Council, and "major oil companies operating in Central Asia and the Middle East." (3) (4)

ACPC's board of directors is cochaired by Zbigniew Brzezinski, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Steven J. Solarz, and Max Kampelman; and the committee's more than one hundred members reflect a wide range of political tendencies, including such figures as Richard Gere, Morton Ambramowitz, and Geraldine Ferraro. On its membership rolls are many high-profile neoconservatives, including Richard Perle, Frank Gaffney, Elliott Abrams, Midge Decter, William Kristol, Michael Ledeen, and James Woolsey. (5)

Origins and History

ACPC was founded in 1999 by Freedom House, a neoconservative organization that has existed since 1941 and has worked closely with the U.S. government, receiving funds from the National Endowment for Democracy and other U.S. democratization initiatives. (1) (6)

The concerns and analysis of U.S. national security parallel those of the Jamestown Foundation publications, which coincidentally publishes Chechnya Weekly, an ezine that features contributions by ACPC board members.

According to ACPC, "Now in its fifth year, the second Russo-Chechen War has deteriorated into a protracted stalemate where death and despair are the only clear victors. In Chechnya, the conflict has created a cultural and demographic crisis rivaling the tragedies witnessed in Bosnia and Kosovo. In Russia, the Chechen question is a bleeding wound that undermines the nation's historic economic and political transformation. The stakes are high, both for the future of the Chechen people, and for the successful consolidation of stability, democracy, and prosperity in the former Soviet Union." (7)

The March 2005 assassination of former Chechen president and resistance leader Aslan Maskhadov received much attention from ACPC. There was much speculation about who murdered Maskhadov, and ACPC blamed both the Russian and Chechen forces, the latter under the leadership of Chechen First Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov.

Both Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev were on Russian wanted lists, and although Maskhadov denied any involvement in the Beslan massacre, Basayev did take responsibility. Within the rebel movement, Maskhadov represented the nationalistic side; while Basayev represented the extremist, Wahhabist faction. Regardless of these distinctions, the rebel forces generally responded to both of these leaders; that is, until they were both assassinated. Allegiance to both leaders was most evident in Maskhadov's ability to negotiate a unilateral cease-fire in early 2005. Moreover, during his presidency (1997-1999), Maskhadov imposed Sharia law in the country. (7) (8)

Ramzan Kadyrov's father, Akhmed, was killed during the bombing of a Groznyy stadium in May 2004. Putin had appointed the elder Kadyrov interim president in 2000, and he continued as president after the 2003 elections. Due to age restrictions, his son could not replace him as president after he died in the Groznyy bombing, and Colonel Alu Alkhanov won subsequent elections.

According to ACPC, the Kremlin rigged both elections and the Chechen political figures it backed were Russian pawns. After Maskhadov's assassination in March 2005, Kadyrov allegedly told the press that one of the rebel leader's bodyguards had accidentally shot Maskhadov, but Kadyrov later said his statement had been a joke. (7) (8)

The ACPC regarded Maskhadov as a moderate leader who could have successfully brought the Russo-Chechen war to an end because of his ability to act as a peace negotiator. ACPC says that the rebel forces don't have links to al-Qaida, and that the U.S. should support their efforts to create an independent Chechnya. Whatever the facts about connections between the Chechen rebels and the al-Qaida terrorist network, the rebels certainly include Islamist fundamentalists, including those affiliated with Wahhabism. Nevertheless, ACPC supports the Chechen rebel movement, apparently as a strategy to weaken Russia and establish better U.S. ties in the region-one of increasing geopolitical value and which has vast, unexploited natural resource reserves-including rich oil, gas, and hard mineral deposits. (7) (8)

ACPC's governing committee includes a wide range of conservatives, neoconservatives, and liberal hawks, although the neoconservatives-most of whom have been associated with the Project for the New American Century-appear to be dominant. Among PNAC activists involved in ACPC are Max Kampelman, Richard Perle, Frank Gaffney, and James Woolsey.

What's striking about ACPC is that U.S. militarists and neocon strategists are supporting an insurgent movement that is not only nationalist but also largely Islamist. Although ACPC notes its concern about human rights violations by Russia, the committee appears to be more concerned with advancing U.S. geopolitics in this region with respect to Russia and secondarily with China. (8) (9)

Funding

Financial information about ACPC is rather scarce for this organization. ACPC says that it doesn't accept funding from either the Chechnyan or Russian governments, or from businesses that invest in the former Soviet Union. (1)

In 2002, Freedom House received $175,000 from the right-wing Smith Richardson Foundation, designating ACPC as the recipient. (10)

Right Web connections

Individuals

Elliott Abrams, member
Ken Adelman, member
Richard V. Allen, member
Eliot Cohen, member
Midge Decter, member
Thomas R. Donahue, member
Frank Gaffney, member
Bruce Jackson, member
Robert Kagan, member
Max Kampelman, co-chair emeritus
William Kristol, member
Michael Ledeen, member
Joshua Muravchik, member
Richard Perle, member
Richard Pipes, member
Norman Podhoretz, member
Gary Schmitt, member
William Schneider, member
George Weigel, member
James Woolsey, member

Organizations

Freedom House
Jamestown Foundation
Project for the New American Century

Contact Information

1319 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 296-2861 x205
Fax: (202) 296-3980
Web: http://www.peaceinchechnya.org
Email: acpc@peaceinchechnya.org

The Right Web Mission

Right Web tracks militarists’ efforts to influence U.S. foreign policy.

Sources

(1) American Committee for Peace in Chechnya: About ACPC
http://www.peaceinchechnya.org/about.htm

(2) American Committee for Peace in Chechnya
http://www.peaceinchechnya.org

(3) The Jamestown Foundation: Staff: Glen Howard
http://www.jamestown.org/employees_detai...loyee_id=1

(4) American Committee for Peace in Chechnya: About Staff
http://www.peaceinchechnya.org/about_staff.htm

(5) American Committee for Peace in Chechnya: Members
http://www.peaceinchechnya.org/about_members.htm

(6) GroupWatch Profiles: Freedom House
http://rightweb.irc-online.org/groupwatch/freehous.php

(7) American Committee for Peace in Chechnya: Background
http://www.peaceinchechnya.org/background.htm

(8) The Jamestown Foundation: Chechnya Weekly for March 9, 16, and 23, 2005
http://www.jamestown.org/publications_vi...ation_id=1

(9) Global Issues: Crisis in Chechnya
http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/Chechnya.asp

(10) Media Transparency: American Committee for Peace in Chechnya
http://www.mediatransparency.org/all_in_...n+chechnya