Media Alert  

For Immediate Release – 1/28/00

Chechen Foreign Minister deems trip to US “very successful”
Asks that humanitarian aid be distributed through proper channels  

(Washington, DC) – Chechen Foreign Minister Ilyas Ahmadov and Mr. Lyoma Usmanov, the official representative of Chechnya, met with ISCA staff members in Washington yesterday afternoon to discuss the success of the minister’s trip to the US and his concerns for fundraising for Chechnya. “There were many doors open to me in the American media and political arena,” said Ahmadov. “This provided me with the unique opportunity to discuss my country’s situation with some of the highest officials in the United States so that they might understand the problem from the Chechen perspective….This visit was good for future negotiations.”

Ahmadov, who had just returned from a trip to New York and New Jersey, expressed his concern about organizations in the US that were collecting money for Chechnya. When presented with figures that had been collected for the war-torn country, he noted, “If we had all of the money collected for Chechnya, we would be able to conquer anyone.” The minister hinted that this money was not reaching the civilians, and he called upon the public to donate directly through proper channels established in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

“There is an organization based in Turkey and Azerbaijan that is working directly under the auspices of President Aslan Maskhadov for collection and distribution of funds,” said Ahmadov.  “During the first war, there was much money that came and disappeared. We are facing that same problem again with this war.”

The foreign minister asked for the support of the international community, noting that even if the outcome was victorious for Chechnya, they are vulnerable to repeated incidents such as this as long as the international community does not intervene. “Only with the help of civilized nations will we be able to come out of the terrible situation we are facing,” he stated.

The minister thanked ISCA Chairman Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani for his consistent efforts in helping the Chechen people and conveyed President Maskhadov’s warmest regards.

For more information on ISCA’s efforts to end the war in Chechnya, please visit our Web site at http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.org.

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