Moscow, June 20: Rebels in Russia's breakaway republic of Chechnya have contacts with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, France's top anti-terrorism judge told a newspaper here. "The ties between Chechens and al-Qaeda have existed for a long time," Jean-Louise Bruguiere told the Izvestia Daily. "After the liquidation of the bases in Afghanistan, the Caucasus began to be transformed into bases for Islamic terrorists." Prior to the al-Qaeda organized September 11, 2001 attacks in the united states, which killed more than 3,000 people, the network ran a series of training camps in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. It lost them following the subsequent US-led offensive which toppled the Taliban rule.

In the interview, Bruguiere said that in addition to Chechnya, the areas most susceptible for extremist bases are neighboring Russian Republics of Ingushetia and Ossetia, as well as formerly Soviet-ruled Georgia.

Bruguiere said French authorities had in December neutralized Chechnen-linked groups who were planning attacks against Russian targets in France. Bureau Report