Washington -- An international human rights group criticized U.S. President Bill Clinton on Thursday for not taking a stronger position on Russia's massive military crackdown on its breakaway republic of Chechnya.


In a letter to Clinton, Human Rights Watch/Helsinki urged the administration to develop a forceful and comprehensive response to Russia's continuing attacks on Chechnya's capital Grozny.


"Granting President (Boris) Yeltsin unqualified support in this crisis ... can serve only to undermine your administration's primary policy goals in Russia," said the letter, signed by the group's executive director Jeri Laber. "We urge you to make it clear to President Yeltsin that the conflict in Chechnya tests Russia's commitment to democracy and that Russia's conduct so far shows a fundamental lack of respect for human rights and humanitarian law. Such behavior is never 'an internal matter,'" it concluded.


Meanwhile, Britain said Friday it was concerned about reports of civilian casualties in Grozny and was urging Russia to take steps to avoid bloodshed.


"We are concerned and have impressed upon them the need for a solution to be arranged as soon as possible which prevents further bloodshed and allows the people of the region the full exercise of their human rights," a British foreign office spokesman said.


On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Alain Jupp? expressed concern at events in Chechnya and said the European Union would issue a statement on the situation in the next few days.