When asked by Human Rights groups why Bush would meet General Shamanov, a figure responsible for at least one known massacre in Chechnya, the White House
LAMELY told the American People…
Wait for it…
…
…
He didn’t know the guy was a murderer.
news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070405/pl_ … general_dc
[quote]“The president was unaware of the allegations made against Gen. Shamanov,” he said. “In light of these allegations, the staff should not have recommended the photo opportunity.”
New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch has accused Shamanov, now retired, of being in charge of a Russian battalion blamed for attacking the Chechen village of Alkhan-Yurt in December 1999, killing 17 civilians.
Signatories of the letter included several prominent Russian human rights campaigners.
One of the signatories, Tatyana Lokshina, met Bush and told him about rights abuses in Chechnya when the U.S. president visited Russia for a Group of Eight summit last year.[/quote]