HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HATTAB
Independent Television, Segodnya, August 8, 1999, 19:00
Grozny continues to assert that Chechnya has nothing to do with the capture of villages in Dagestan. The official reports also pass over in silence the presence of Shamil Basaev and Hattab in the combat zone. But according to the information of the Russian military intelligence service, August 7 is Hattab’s birthday. Is it a coincidence that an armed group invaded the territory of Dagestan precisely on August 7?
PODBEREZKIN ON THE PROSPECTS OF SPIRITUAL HERITAGE
Independent Television, Segodnya, August 7, 1999, 22:00
Alexei Podberezkin, leader of Spiritual Heritage, asserts that his movement has received a certain flattering invitation from Yuri Luzhkov, leader of Fatherland.
Alexei Podberezkin: Luzhkov made a very flattering proposal to our movement. It can be summarized as follows: we join Fatherland, get a place on the central and regional lists, and coordinate the list of candidates for the majority regions.
According to Podberezkin, the political program of Fatherland corresponds to the program of Spiritual Heritage. Podberezkin considers it possible that an official alliance between Fatherland, Spiritual Heritage, and All Russia may be established by the beginning of September. It will probably become clear on the eve of the elections whether Yevgeny Primakov will join the alliance.
RUMORS AROUND SERGEI STEPASHIN
ORT, Vremya, August 7, 1999, 21:00
This week Prime Minister Stepashin is in the center of attention of all politicians. According to rumors, Sergei Stepashin was dismissed this week, and then he was designated as leader of the Fatherland-All Russia coalition. The prime minister’s very cautious statement that he thinks it is possible that the government may support the coalition of Fatherland and All Russia can be explained by the persistent rumors concerning his dismissal. Evidently, Sergei Stepashin does not want to irritate the Kremlin by his contacts with Fatherland and its leader Yuri Luzhkov. But on the other hand, Stepashin reserves the option of cooperating with the influential governors who have joined the bloc.
