Jordan's opposition Islamic Action Front (IAF) on Sunday criticized Russia's handling of the theatre hostage crisis and called on Moscow to grant the Chechen people the right to self-determination.
"The Russian authorities erred in dealing with the hostage crisis. They should have used wisdom to avoid bloodshed (and) the massacre committed by the Russian Special Forces," an IAF statement said.
"We deplore this horrible incident and ask (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin to deal with the reasons for the Chechen problem by granting the Chechen people self-determination," said the IAF, the political branch of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, according to AFP.
Moreover, it urged the Russian leader to meet the Chechen people's "aspirations for independence" which has flourished in other areas of the former Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, the IAF said it supported Russia, especially in its tough stand against "American arrogance" and its plans to launch a military strike against Iraq. Over 15,000 Jordanians are of Chechen origin.
More than 100 hostages were killed after Russian security forces early Saturday stormed a Moscow theatre where a Chechen commando group held them captive. Almost all the fifty Chechens also died in the operation.(Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
