Defense Minister Pavel Grachev came under attack at home and abroad Monday, following an extraordinary outburst in which he had called President Boris Yeltsin's human rights monitor Sergei Kovalyov an "enemy of Russia" and a top legislator a "vile little toad."
Yeltsin's chief of staff, Sergei Filatov, one of a handful of liberals remaining in the Kremlin, openly rebuked the defense minister for his attacks on Kovalyov and fellow liberal State Duma deputy, Sergei Yushenkov.
"It's unacceptable to give other people such public assessments," Filatov told a press conference. "It's a bad sign. Besides, Europe reacts painfully to criticism of Kovalyov."
German Defense Minister Volker R--he, in the sharpest rebuke yet over the war in Chechnya, earlier told the German newspaper Bild that Grachev's comments Friday night were "unacceptable slander." He said his Russian counterpart would not be welcome for a security forum in Munich in February.
"I do not expect the Russian defense minister to come to Germany as had originally been planned in connection with the European Security Forum in Munich," R--he said.
R--he's words were later backed up by Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who said that "no one could approve" of Grachev's comments about Kovalyov.
Grachev's spokeswoman Yelena Agapova said she had received no official word from Bonn and could not comment on R--he's remarks.
Grachev was shown on Ostankino television Friday night at a press conference giving a rambling monologue on the theme of patriotism. "Eighteen-year-old boys have been dying for Russia, they have been dying with smiles on their faces and we should raise a monument to them," he said.
In contrast he said Kovalyov, the former dissident and Yeltsin's human rights monitor was "an enemy of Russia, a traitor." Grachev described Yushenkov, the chairman of the parliamentary defense committee, as "a vile little toad (gadyonysh), who slanders the army, which gave him education, which gave him rank. He is a vile little toad, who defends the scoundrels who want to destroy Russia."
Interior Minister Viktor Yerin and counterintelligence chief Sergei Stepashin sat silently on either side of Grachev during the speech, both looking highly uncomfortable.
Yushenkov welcomed R--he's stand Monday, saying that he was "envious" of a country where a politician was so quick to defend a respected fighter for human rights.
Kovalyov wryly called Grachev's attack "flattering," and added that he had already spent time in prison as an enemy of the people -- during the Soviet era.
Yushenkov said he was amazed at the silence on Grachev's remarks from the defense minister's "bosses," a clear reference to President Boris Yeltsin, which he found to be proof of the "highest amorality of power" in Russia.
He told reporters he would ignore the attack on himself, saying he was "ready to hear whatever from whomever if it helps to save one human life."
Communist deputy Vladimir Volkov on Monday proposed passing a resolution to condemn Grachev in the Defense Committee and then to bring it before the whole Duma. The Women of Russia faction has already put a motion of no confidence in Grachev on the agenda for Wednesday.
Virtual open season has now been declared on Grachev, who is said to be deeply unpopular in the army and has only survived in his job through his personal support of Yeltsin.
Georgy Kondratyev, one of three deputy defense ministers suspended last week and a former colleague of Grachev's from Afghanistan, pulled no punches in a television interview shown Sunday.
He said the three men had not been consulted on the Chechen operation and were now being scapegoated for its failure.
"They did not listen to us, they removed us and when we started to talk we became unwelcome," Kondratyev said, referring to himself and his two colleagues.
He pulled out a photo album showing himself and Grachev planning a mission in Afghanistan and asked rhetorically whether the defense minister had forgotten all that was learned during that war about the need for planning.
Kondratyev said the taking of the Presidential Palace in Grozny was "not a victory" and the war was likely to drag on for a long time.
"It's blasphemy to raise a flag over Dudayev's palace, it's not the Reichstag," Kondratyev said.
"As a professional I understand it is not armed bands who are fighting, it is the Chechen people. The men have taken up arms to fight for their homes, fight for their land, fight for graves, the graves of their ancestors who are buried there."
Military analyst Vladimir Lopatin said Monday he expected Grachev would be sacked some time "in the first quarter of 1995," when the war in Chechnya had quieted down a little.
He said the demotion of the three ministers was a symptom of a general crisis in the Defense Ministry.
Reformers wanted to wrest away some of the defense minister's immense powers.
"The traditional power struggle in the Defense Ministry, which began in 1991, is continuing," Lopatin said.
"It hasn't stopped for a single day, but as a result of the Chechen crisis it has become more acute and come to the surface. It is the obvious result of the hidden contradictions in the ministry. And it will end in the resignation of the minister, who has discredited his post."
Yeltsin's chief of staff, Sergei Filatov, one of a handful of liberals remaining in the Kremlin, openly rebuked the defense minister for his attacks on Kovalyov and fellow liberal State Duma deputy, Sergei Yushenkov.
"It's unacceptable to give other people such public assessments," Filatov told a press conference. "It's a bad sign. Besides, Europe reacts painfully to criticism of Kovalyov."
German Defense Minister Volker R--he, in the sharpest rebuke yet over the war in Chechnya, earlier told the German newspaper Bild that Grachev's comments Friday night were "unacceptable slander." He said his Russian counterpart would not be welcome for a security forum in Munich in February.
"I do not expect the Russian defense minister to come to Germany as had originally been planned in connection with the European Security Forum in Munich," R--he said.
R--he's words were later backed up by Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who said that "no one could approve" of Grachev's comments about Kovalyov.
Grachev's spokeswoman Yelena Agapova said she had received no official word from Bonn and could not comment on R--he's remarks.
Grachev was shown on Ostankino television Friday night at a press conference giving a rambling monologue on the theme of patriotism. "Eighteen-year-old boys have been dying for Russia, they have been dying with smiles on their faces and we should raise a monument to them," he said.
In contrast he said Kovalyov, the former dissident and Yeltsin's human rights monitor was "an enemy of Russia, a traitor." Grachev described Yushenkov, the chairman of the parliamentary defense committee, as "a vile little toad (gadyonysh), who slanders the army, which gave him education, which gave him rank. He is a vile little toad, who defends the scoundrels who want to destroy Russia."
Interior Minister Viktor Yerin and counterintelligence chief Sergei Stepashin sat silently on either side of Grachev during the speech, both looking highly uncomfortable.
Yushenkov welcomed R--he's stand Monday, saying that he was "envious" of a country where a politician was so quick to defend a respected fighter for human rights.
Kovalyov wryly called Grachev's attack "flattering," and added that he had already spent time in prison as an enemy of the people -- during the Soviet era.
Yushenkov said he was amazed at the silence on Grachev's remarks from the defense minister's "bosses," a clear reference to President Boris Yeltsin, which he found to be proof of the "highest amorality of power" in Russia.
He told reporters he would ignore the attack on himself, saying he was "ready to hear whatever from whomever if it helps to save one human life."
Communist deputy Vladimir Volkov on Monday proposed passing a resolution to condemn Grachev in the Defense Committee and then to bring it before the whole Duma. The Women of Russia faction has already put a motion of no confidence in Grachev on the agenda for Wednesday.
Virtual open season has now been declared on Grachev, who is said to be deeply unpopular in the army and has only survived in his job through his personal support of Yeltsin.
Georgy Kondratyev, one of three deputy defense ministers suspended last week and a former colleague of Grachev's from Afghanistan, pulled no punches in a television interview shown Sunday.
He said the three men had not been consulted on the Chechen operation and were now being scapegoated for its failure.
"They did not listen to us, they removed us and when we started to talk we became unwelcome," Kondratyev said, referring to himself and his two colleagues.
He pulled out a photo album showing himself and Grachev planning a mission in Afghanistan and asked rhetorically whether the defense minister had forgotten all that was learned during that war about the need for planning.
Kondratyev said the taking of the Presidential Palace in Grozny was "not a victory" and the war was likely to drag on for a long time.
"It's blasphemy to raise a flag over Dudayev's palace, it's not the Reichstag," Kondratyev said.
"As a professional I understand it is not armed bands who are fighting, it is the Chechen people. The men have taken up arms to fight for their homes, fight for their land, fight for graves, the graves of their ancestors who are buried there."
Military analyst Vladimir Lopatin said Monday he expected Grachev would be sacked some time "in the first quarter of 1995," when the war in Chechnya had quieted down a little.
He said the demotion of the three ministers was a symptom of a general crisis in the Defense Ministry.
Reformers wanted to wrest away some of the defense minister's immense powers.
"The traditional power struggle in the Defense Ministry, which began in 1991, is continuing," Lopatin said.
"It hasn't stopped for a single day, but as a result of the Chechen crisis it has become more acute and come to the surface. It is the obvious result of the hidden contradictions in the ministry. And it will end in the resignation of the minister, who has discredited his post."
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