Maskhadov Tries To Contact Putin Through Jordan's King

But according to Interfax news agency, Maskhadov's emissary, former Housing Minister M. Azayev, failed to have an audience with Jordan's authorities. Interfax says, quoting competent sources, that Maskhadov tried to start summit talks. He expected that Abdallah II would pass the message to Putin during their meeting in Moscow. Despite the support from Jordan's Chechen community the attempt turned out to be futile. Aslan Maskhadov, a guerrilla commander, was elected as Chechnya's separatist president in 1997. His presidential term expired in January this year, but he remains the most notorious Chechnya's pro-independence leader. Russia withdrew its troops from Chechnya in 1996, but the army returned in September 1999, after incursions by Chechen rebels into neighbouring Dagestan and the deaths of some 300 people in apartment bombings that Russian officials blamed on rebels.