RUSSIA: CHECHNYA: RUSSIAN AND CHECHEN COMBINED POLICE EFFORT

Russian/Nat A high-ranking Russian officer in the Chechen capital, Grozny, has said preparations have started for the pullout of some Russian troops from the ruined city. Russian officers have also begun talks on setting up joint military police commands with their Chechen counterparts. The Russian news agency Interfax said participants in this joint force will enter Grozny on Saturday evening after taking an oath in the eastern village of Starye Atagi. Despite the tanks, there is an uneasy calm in the Chechen capital. The present cease-fire, which took effect on Friday, has, for the time being at least, created a lull in the conflict after some of the heaviest fighting in the 20-month war. Chechen troops were out on the streets Saturday -- but there was no sound of sporadic fighting. Chechens are now waiting and hoping that the latest moves towards peace will hold. Preparations have begun for the pullout of some Russian troops to bases on the outskirts of Grozny and nearby villages. The rebel leaders were also due to meet with Russian officers to discuss creating joint military police commands to monitor a cease-fire and preserve order. A Russian general -- who refused to give his name -- said that the meeting would be taking place in Starie Atagy, a village to the east of Grozny. SOUNDBITE: In front of us is a convoy of vehicles that is heading out towards to Starie Atagy where we'll be organising amongst ourselves joint patrols. SUPER CAPTION: Russian General (refused to give name) Under the joint command plan -- signed by the Russian national security chief Alexander Lebed and the separatist chief of staff Aslan Maskhadov -- troops from both sides will be chosen to perform functions ranging from cease-fire monitoring to crime prevention in the capital. There is some dispute over whether or not the police force will have powers to enforce the cease-fire. The Russian news agency Interfax said they would have a "purely police function" but other sources said that their role would be more hands-on in enforcing the ceasefire. The most recent burst of fighting in Grozny came after rebels overran the city on August 6 -- more than 400 Russian soldiers died in the ensuing battles. Across the battered capital are the remnants of two weeks of brutal battle. And the psychological scars -- this woman was reunited with her son, a Chechen rebel. It was this month's battle that led to the present tentative moves towards peace after the Russian national security chief Alexander Lebed flew in to the capital to avert the Russian commander's threats of a full-scale bombardment. Today (Saturday) there was jubilation on the streets of Grozny. But in Znamyenskoye -- 70 kilometres to the north east of Grozny -- there are more victims from this latest eruption in the conflict. Tens of thousands of civilians fled the city earlier this week in response to the Russian commander's ultimatum. Over 2-thousand are now living in this tent city. They are hoping that the steps towards peace will hold -- and that they will soon feel safe enough to return to their battered homes. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/bf019a4e3e5aff3f56b947ad3eacc9b4 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork