Caucasus

[Casey]

Russians battle N Caucasus gunmen

Russian security forces have stormed an apartment building in Nalchik, in the southern Kabardino-Balkaria republic.
The security forces had been besieging a group of suspected Islamic militants hiding in the block since Saturday.

An unknown number of the alleged militants were killed when a firefight broke out and the security forces set off poison gas.

This is the latest in a series of confrontations with alleged extremists in the republic close to Chechnya.

On Saturday, police arrested three other suspected militants in Nalchik.

Last month, security forces killed seven people they said were linked to Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev during a two-day battle in the same city.

In the last few years, Islamist militants have conducted numerous attacks in the North Caucasus, the most notorious being the seizure of a school in the town of Beslan, North Ossetia.

The three-day siege of the school, where the attackers held more than 1,000 hostages, ended in a bloodbath, with 330 people dead and hundreds wounded.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4281231.stm

[Petronas]

One of Al Qaeda leaders killed in Ingushetia
21.02.2005, 10.43

MOSCOW, February 21 (Itar-Tass) -- Abu Dzeit, a native of Kuwait, who was one of the high-ranking representatives of Al Qaeda in the Northern Caucasus, has been killed as a result of a special operation, staged in Ingushetia by a local branch of the Federal Security Service (FSB). The special operation, whose purpose was a physical destruction of Abu Dzeit, was staged in one of the populated localities of Ingushetia, Sergei Ignatchenko, head of the FSB public relations centre, told journalists at a briefing on Monday.

http://itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1763126

[NYC]

ABKHAZ PRIME MINISTER ESCAPES ASSASSINATION

Aleksandr Ankvab escaped uninjured late on 28 February when unidentified gunmen opened fire on the motorcade in which he and his deputy, Leonid Lakerbaya, were driving from Sukhum to Gudauta, Reuters and Georgian media reported the following day. Ankvab's car was hit by numerous bullets, but he was travelling in another vehicle with Lakerbaya. President Sergei
Bagapsh convened an emergency meeting on 1 March with Interior
Ministry officials, Caucasus Press reported. The Abkhaz government
condemned the attack in a 1 March press release as an attempt to
sabotage reforms announced by the new leadership and to prevent the
crackdown Ankvab has pledged on corruption and economic crime. On 28
February, Bagapsh gave newly appointed Interior Minister Colonel Otar
Khetsia, the former Sukhum police chief, six months to improve law
and order in Abkhazia, Caucasus Press reported. LF

[NYC]

GEORGIA SENDS MORE PEACEKEEPERS TO IRAQ. A further 550 Georgian
servicemen flew to Iraq on 1 March to join the 300 already serving
there, Georgian media reported. The Georgian military personnel will
guard UN facilities in Iraq. LF

[Casey]

Mar 9 2005 1:15PM
N. Caucasus armed groups main source of terrorism in Russia - minister

MOSCOW. March 9 (Interfax) - Illegal separatist groups operating in the North Caucasus are the main source of terrorism in Russia, said Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev.

"About 90% of all terrorist attacks occur here in the North Caucasus," the minister said.

He announced that the operations of 149 companies were suspended in Russia in 2004 due to the authorities' suspicion that they were involved in financing terrorism. "In total, 426 criminal cases were initiated last year on charges of financing terrorist groups," said Nurgaliyev.
http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=10757615

[Atlas]

Georgia outlaws Russian military bases

ISN Security Watch (11/03/05) - The Georgian parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution outlawing Russian military bases in separatist regions of the Caucasus republic, setting a 15 May deadline for their withdrawal in a bold move that could provoke a strong reaction from Moscow.

The resolution, which was approved unanimously, calls on Georgian authorities to take a number of measures if no agreement is reached with the Russian side for a withdrawal from the military bases before 15 May.

The measures include a halt to issuing entry visas to Russian military servicemen and an assessment of the total debt owed by Russia for the use of the bases. The parliament has also instructed the Environment Ministry “to assess the damage to the ecology caused by the functioning of the Russian military bases".

The Russian military bases are located in the largely Armenian-populated Akhalkalaki region and in Batumi, on Georgia’s border with Turkey. An estimated 3’000 Russian soldiers are stationed at the bases.

Georgia’s parliamentary speaker, Nino Burjanadze, said that the adoption of the resolution was meant as a strong signal that neither the parliament nor the authorities would back down over the issue.

Parliamentarian Giga Bokeria, the resolution’s co-author, call the unanimous vote in parliament “historic”, saying it was the first time that Georgia had demonstrated a unified position on the issue.

However, though unified, not everyone was at ease with the resolution. Givi Targamadze, head of parliament's defense committee, said he feared that declaring the Russian bases illegal might prompt a negative reaction from Moscow and could lead to retaliatory moves.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Viacheslav Sedov said on Thursday that the resolution was “counterproductive” in solving the problem of withdrawal of the Russian bases from Georgia. Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency quoted Sedov as saying that "ultimatums” would not solve the problem.

Earlier on Thursday, General Anatoly Mazurkevich, chief of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Department for International Cooperation, estimated that Russia would need three to four years to withdraw from its bases in Georgia.

"This is the official position of the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry and we are planning to adhere to it in the course of upcoming negotiations [with Georgia]," Mazurkevich said.

The US has also stepped up pressure on Moscow to dismantle its military bases in Georgia. Speaking at a US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on the “Future of Democracy in the Black Sea Area”, US officials criticized Russia for dragging its feet on the issue.

John Tefft, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, accused Russia of being “critical of the programs the EU is pursuing under its Neighborhood Policy to create a string of well-governed states on the EU's border and that in the Black Sea region, which explicitly includes Georgia and Ukraine”. He said Russia defined stability as “the preservation of the status quo, with regimes it knows well". Tefft said Russia had been slow to close its remaining bases in Georgia and remove its troops from Transdnestria, for the same reason.

(By Giorgi Vashakidze and Susanne Gentz in Tbilisi)

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=10925

[Mike_001]

Georgians are just afraid that Russians will start bombing the terrorist training and supply bases they have on their territory.

[NYC]

Georgia outlaws Russian military bases

ISN Security Watch (11/03/05) - The Georgian parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution outlawing Russian military bases in separatist regions of the Caucasus republic, setting a 15 May deadline for their withdrawal in a bold move that could provoke a strong reaction from Moscow.

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=10925

Interesting

[Casey]

2005-03-14 20:50 * RUSSIA * DAGHESTAN * ANTI-TERROR * OPERATION *
DAGHESTAN: FEDERALS KEEP ON FIGHTING BESIEGED BANDITS

MAKHACHKALA, March 14 (RIA Novosti) - Federal rangers are besieging bandits in a private house in the center of Khasavyurt, Daghestani town close to the Chechen border. The operation started seven hours ago.

"Two paramilitaries stay blocked at 26 Pobeda Street. They have small arms, and are shooting back at the besiegers. We know they have hand-grenades and suicide terrorist belts," Novosti heard on the telephone from the town police board.

There were three in the house initially. One eventually surrendered. His identity is kept secret in investigation interests.

The rangers have not yet started storming the house. The entire locality was been blocked, said our informant.

The bandits were blocked at about one this afternoon. They refused to surrender, and launched armed resistance. No police and civilian casualties have been reported. As far as police know, the bandits belong to a gang led by one Jarah, Arab mercenary and rights-hand man of Abu Havs, an Al Qaida functionary, added our informant.

http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=5461089&startrow=1&date=2005-03-14&do_alert=0

[Casey]

2005-03-14 15:46 * RUSSIA * SPECIAL OPERATION * MERCENARIES *
SPECIAL OPERATION AGAINST JARAKH'S BANDIT GROUP CONDUCTED IN DAGHESTAN

GROZNY, March 14 (RIA Novosti) - Federal forces conducted a special operation in the village of Batash-Yurt in the Khasavyurt district of Daghestan (a republic in the North Caucasus, neighboring with Chechnya) aimed at elimination of a bandit group led by Arab mercenary Jarakh, officials from the regional operative headquarters of the anti-terrorist operation in the Northern Caucasus (ROH) told RIA Novosti.

"Recently, we received operative information indicating that militants from a bandit group, led by Arab mercenary Jarakh, were hiding in one of the houses," ROH sources reported.

Jarakh is a close aide of Al Qaeda functionary Abu Havs. Together with Aslan Maskhadov, he personally participated in the planning and implementation of an attack on a village of Avtura in the Shalinsky district in July 2004.

His subordinates were involved in the killing of police officers in Chechnya and Daghestan, and also in terrorist acts against local population.

During a special operation, bandits offered armed resistance. Two of them were killed in a skirmish with a federal forces unit.

Operatives found weapons, various documents and personal possessions of the bandits at the site.

At present, an operative group is attempting to establish identities of the bandits. A criminal case has been filed and an investigation is under way, ROH sources reported.

http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=5460650&startrow=21&date=2005-03-14&do_alert=0

[Petronas]

Besieged rebels escape Russian troops in Caucasus
Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Two besieged guerrillas slipped through hundreds of Russian troops in a small town near rebel Chechnya on Tuesday, local media reported. The siege, which lasted almost all of Monday, was the latest sign of the Chechen war spreading into other Muslim regions in the North Caucasus, which Russian officials say is increasingly the target of international militant groups. The rebels' escape will be a major humiliation for special forces who brought up armored vehicles and, at one point, managed to set fire to the house where the gunmen were holed up.

"Unfortunately the individuals we were looking for were not there (inside the house). With the advantage of the residential area and their good knowledge of the region, they seem to have managed to escape," a police spokesman in the town of Khasavyurt told state television. Khasavyurt is a few kilometres (miles) from Chechnya in the republic of Dagestan and is known as a place often used by Chechen rebels to relax from the war. "Search operations are being conducted. Many houses are being checked with an aim of finding these people or others," the police spokesman said.

Several similar sieges in towns near Chechnya over recent months have ended with government troops using massive force, including tanks, helicopters and bazookas, to flatten houses where a handful of militants had gone to ground. Dagestan rebels say they form a united front with the Chechen guerrillas, and one group has pledged allegiance to new Chechen head Abdul-Khalim Sadulayev, who assumed the leadership after veteran rebel Aslan Maskhadov was killed a week ago.

Maskhadov's death has not halted rebel attacks on Russian forces and news agencies reported on Tuesday that two soldiers had been wounded in a bombing in Grozny. On Tuesday, rebels claimed to have downed a helicopter which crashed last week with the loss of 15 soldiers' lives. Government officials are investigating and initially said the helicopter may have come down after hitting power lines. But local media have also quoted sources saying bullet holes were found in the downed aircraft.

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=8372

[NYC]

U.S. EXTENDS NEW AID TO GEORGIAN POLICE... In a special ceremony,
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and U.S. Ambassador to
Georgia Richard Miles signed an agreement on 18 March on the terms of
a new $4 million U.S. aid program for Georgian law enforcement
agencies, Civil Georgia and Rustavi-2 television reported. The U.S.
aid will be used to purchase advanced communications equipment and to
fund special operations and training for the Georgian Interior
Ministry, the Prosecutor-General's Office, and Justice Ministry. RG

...AND TO GEORGIAN COAST GUARD. The United States also announced on
18 March that it will provide additional aid to the Georgian Coast
Guard, Civil Georgia reported. The $160,000 in U.S. aid is to be
provided under the Georgian Border Security and Law Enforcement
Program and will finance the construction of a modern radar post in
the village of Anaklia on the Black Sea coast. The new radar station,
to be supplemented by another station to be constructed in Adjara
next month, will be linked to another monitoring facility near the
port of Supsa and will provide the Coast Guard an expanded
surveillance network of Georgian territorial waters. RG

[NYC]

Time for another revolution already?

GEORGIAN LEADERS' POPULARITY PLUMMETS. Separate opinion polls
commissioned by the Georgian leadership and by the opposition Labor
Party both registered a sharp decline in the popularity of the
former, Caucasus Press reported on 1 and 4 April. A poll of 1,800
respondents commissioned by the government and undertaken by the
Gorbi Research Institute found that President Saakashvili's
popularity rating has fallen from 63 percent in 2004 to 38.2 percent
at present. Parliament speaker Nino Burdjanadze was the
second-most-popular politician, with 7.1 percent support, followed by
Labor Party Chairman Shalva Natelashvili (5.4 percent) and former
Communist Party of Georgia First Secretary Djumber Patiashvili (1.6
percent). Education Minister Aleksandr Lomaya's popularity has fallen
in the wake of the dispute and hunger strike by medical college
students (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 9, 14, 21, and 23 March 2005), while
a majority of respondents said that Tbilisi Mayor Zurab
Chiaberashvili, Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, Energy Minister
Niko Gelauri, and Economy Minister Kakha Bendukidze are all the wrong
men for their jobs. A second poll commissioned by the Labor Party
revealed an even steeper decline in Saakashvili's popularity,
Caucasus Press reported. Of a total 3,036 respondents, only 14.4
percent said they would vote for Saakashvili if presidential
elections were held now, while 21.5 percent favored Labor leader
Natelashvili. In a hypothetical parliamentary election, 21.6 percent
of respondents would vote Labor and 16.1 percent for the National
Movement-United Democrats alliance forged by Saakashvili and
Burdjanadze. LF

[NYC]

GEORGIAN INTERIOR MINISTER ANNOUNCES BAN ON DEMONSTRATONS DURING
VISIT OF U.S. PRESIDENT. Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili
announced on 14 April that all demonstrations and public rallies are
to be banned during next month's visit by U.S. President George Bush,
the Caucasus Press and Civil Georgia reported. The interior minister
made the announcement after learning of plans by opposition Labor
Party leader Shalva Natelashvili to stage a demonstration in front of
the Georgian parliament to coincide with the Bush visit to Tbilisi on
10 May. The Labor Party leader has been increasingly active in
confronting President Mikheil Saakashvili in recent weeks and has
openly challenged the Georgian president to a televised debate (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 6 April 2005).RG

[Petronas]

US investigates Georgia 'grenade'
Wednesday, 11 May, 2005, 00:43 GMT 01:43 UK

The US says it is investigating reports that a device - described as a possible hand grenade - was thrown towards President Bush as he visited Georgia.
It landed 30m (100 feet) away from where Mr Bush spoke to a huge crowd in Tbilisi but did not detonate, according to the Georgian authorities. It is unclear whether the device contained explosives. The US Secret Service said it was made aware of Tuesday's incident after Mr Bush had left the ex-Soviet republic.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4535187.stm

[Petronas]

Russians hunt Wahhabis
(05.14.05, 22:19)

Russian forces on Saturday began an operation against suspected Wahhabi Muslims in the restive southern Caucasus regions, the Interior Ministry said. The operation took place at an apartment building in the city of Cherkessk, in Russia's southern Caucasus regions, the ministry said.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3085233,00.html

[Petronas]

'Grenade man:' I'd target Bush again
Monday, December 5, 2005

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- The trial has opened of a man accused of trying to assassinate U.S. President George W. Bush and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in May. Vladimir Arutyunian is also accused of killing a policeman in a shootout before his arrest in July. He faces life in prison if convicted in Tbilisi city court.

The two presidents were addressing a rally of thousands in Tbilisi from behind a bulletproof barrier when a grenade, wrapped in a cloth, landed about 100 feet (30 meters) away. It did not explode; investigators said it apparently malfunctioned. No one was hurt. Arutyunian acknowledged that he threw the grenade in the direction of the tribune and said that he would try again to kill Bush if he had the chance. He has refused to testify before the court and demanded the presence of rights monitors. "The verdict is preordained," he said Monday. "I demand that the international organization Human Rights Watch be present."

Arutyunian, 27, has been unemployed save for odd jobs since leaving school early. He lived with his mother Angela, who sells plastic bags at a Tbilisi market. Investigators say they found explosives, toxic compounds and detective literature including Day of the Jackal, a book about an assassination attempt against French President Charles de Gaulle, in the basement of Arutyunian's residence. Arutyunian also had a Kalashnikov assault rifle and a Russian military uniform, though there is no record of his serving either in the Georgian or Russian military. Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili told journalists that Arutyunian "acted as an individual terrorist. He was not tied with the special services of any other country."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/12/05/georgia.bush.ap/index.html

[Ono]

FSB: Alleged Al-Qaeda Leader Killed In North Caucasus

16 December 2005 -- The head of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) confirmed today that an alleged Al-Qaeda leader in southern Russia has been killed.

Nikolai Patrushev told reporters that Saudi-born Abu Omar al-Seif was killed in the Northern Caucasus republic of Daghestan last month.

Al-Seif's death had earlier been reported by Russian media but had not been officially confirmed.

The FSB says al-Seif arrived in the Northern Caucasus 10 years ago on the orders of Osama bin Laden. It says he ran the Al-Haramein Islamic Foundation as a cover for setting up a terrorist network in Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Daghestan. Al-Seif also allegedly acted as a counsellor to Chechen separatist rebels.

Patrushev today said security forces killed more than 300 suspected militants in sweep operations in the Northern Caucasus this year.

(Interfax/RIA-Novosti/ITAR-TASS)

http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/news/2005/12/sec-051216-rferl01.htm

[Petronas]

Suicide bomber blows himself up in southern Russia
Thu Dec 29, 2005 5:28 AM ET

MAKHACHKALA, Russia (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up in southern Russia on Thursday, but there were no other casualties, witnesses said. The man blew himself up in the Muslim region of Dagestan near a gathering of people mourning a security services officer who was killed two days ago, they said. Local media reported that no one else died in the blast in the town of Makhachkala, main city of the region that borders Chechnya.

The bomber's body was torn apart by the blast. One of his detached hands still held the remote control apparatus about the size of a mobile phone that he had used to detonate his bomb. Other body parts, including his head, lay nearby. "The person blew himself up. He is dead," regional interior minister Adilgerei Magomedtagirov was quoted as saying by local media.

The mourners had gathered at a house near Makhachkala's central mosque to remember Magomedrashid Gazimagomedov, the son of a deputy interior minister, who was shot dead by gunmen on Tuesday. It was not clear, though, whether the suicide bomber's action was linked to the mourning ceremony or Gazimagomedov's death. Islamist rebels frequently battle police in Dagestan, which borders Chechnya and has been rocked by an overspill of violence from its neighbors' 11-year war against Russian troops.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-12-29T102841Z_01_FLE936458_RTRUKOC_0_US-RUSSIA-BOMBER.xml&archived=False

[Petronas]

Russia / Georgia / Armenia (Country threat levels - 4 / 4 / 3): Explosions hit pipelines and four pylons of a high-voltage power line running through southern Russia on 22 January 2006, cutting natural gas and electricity supplies to Georgia and Armenia. The blasts hit two pipelines in the southern Russian region of North Ossetia and a power line in the Karachayevo-Cherkessia region. Authorities stated that it will take several days to a week to repair or replace the damaged components. Russian officials have blamed the blasts on pro-Chechen insurgents, while some Georgian officials have suggested that they were deliberate actions on the part of Russia to destabilize Georgia. Russian officials have denied the allegations, and an investigation into the incident has been launched. In the mean time, Georgia has begun receiving gas and electricity supplies from Turkey and Azerbaijan, including some supplies from Russia that have been diverted through Azerbaijan. Georgian officials have warned, however, that rolling blackouts are expected in Tbilisi over the next several days.

AIR SECURITY International - HOT SPOTS 1/23/2006

[Casey]

Shamil' Of basayev: "we will restore our free Islamic state!"

Chechnya / Europe & Russia
Date: Apr 20, 2006 - 07:00 AM
By the editorial staff IA daymohk was received videoobrashcheniye of the Vice- premier of Chechen government, military Amira GKO - MSH chri Of shamilya Of basayeva. Agency gives the possibility to become acquainted with the content of this appearance in the translation from the Chechen language the readers. Video file it is possible to skachat' here.
http://www.daymohk.info/rus/video/shamil.wmv


In the name of Allah of gracious and merciful!

Praise to Allah, to the Lord it is world! Peace and blessings to the envoy of Allah and to associates to all his, and Moslems!

To assalamu of alaykum VA of rokh'matullakh.Ii VA to barokatukh.Iu!

Today, on the favor of Allah, our jihad intensively continues! It began shityu 200'-oy yr, and for the already seventh yr, ceasing not on the day, continues this war. Our mujahadeen with the honor are passed through all adversities of this war.

We could be prepared well for this winter and pass it. , this winter was somewhat more difficultly by the way. Thus, is today narrower the fifth of February, but still everywhere lies by snowdrifts snow. Winter was severe. However, the mujahadeen, on the favor of Allah, without the large problems lived it. And, praise to Allah, we hope so to live and remaining time.

And the main thing that is good, this that that earlier in the shelters they used predominantly firewood, and Russians from the helicopters and by razvedgruppami calculated the tracks of the activity of the mujahadeen for the smoke of bonfires. But now we were stored up by gas tanks and was conducted gas heating in the shelters. Therefore in the daytime, and to at night more easily prepare food and to support with heat- in the shelters. This is lightening in our life.

War shooting do not cease. True, in winter war a little calms down, since in winter there are no such great possibilities. We also anywhere do not hurry, jihad continues. And we do not know, when war ends - today or tomorrow. Allah according to his favor itself will determine the period of the victory, when time arrives. But we, once war began, we do everything in order to draw nearer victory.

Furthermore, especially into this yr war will be enlarged on everything to the Caucasus, Inwa- Allah! Combat structures are everywhere established, discipline is strengthened. Everywhere occur the revival of Islam, its strengthening.

Even on the fact that make Putin and its dog Of kafyrov, we sees, how position in Russian occupiers is heavy. Putin and this Of lyulya-Kafyrov attempt to their own way inject something of their shariat, shutting the opened by them casino, ob"yavlyaya war to alcoholic beverages, against prostitution, and this it is done not of the love for Islam and not because of the desire of the purification of the country and people, all this they see.

They simply attempt to avert although so Moslems from the holy war against infidels, to sow doubts. So that the people would think that they also do not interfere with pray, living purely, they forbid alcoholic. However, this all that they make, this nothing else but "porosyach'i plays".

This they made even earlier. For example, even Soviet regime created the so-called shariatskiye regiments. Even in the times of Nikolai TO THE II Chechens they declared, that they will permit establishing the shariat, provided they remained under the rule of Russia. The same spoke Bolsheviks. However, having a little gotten stronger, they destroyed all Islamic scientists. Also on entire Rusne they attempt to deceive Moslems, for example in Tatarstane they promise a certain freedom to Moslems in order to deceive Moslems and to obtain respite.

But nothing in them will come out, Insha-Allakh.I. Since jihad with each day is strengthened and is enlarged. So and 0 0N throughout the world Moslems wake up and raises head.

And at the same time we see that the Moslems still be in lamentable state. Already the fact that in Europe these enemies of Allah laughed to extend caricatures to the God prophet, attests to the fact that the Moslems are still weak. But we see that it occurs: Moslems do not sit by obedient slaves, idly, as it was earlier, and are not collected so to sit, Insha-Allakh.I. Today before each musul'maninom the debt to leave to the way of jihad and to carry out the command of Allah. And, that who did not say, jihad is today required for all Moslems, this farz-ayn.

Because someone is dissatisfied by someone in our camp, it does not have a right to sit house. If someone is not contented by someone, it must make a jihad itself.

I would want to say to my compatriots: Allah says in the Koran that he with those, who are patient in the adversities, in the need. And the prophet of Allah (s.a.s.) he did say that the best gift from Allah - this is patience, and which can be better than this gift?

If is sufficient patience and durability, Insha-Allakh.I, victory after us. On the favor of Allah, it remained already a little time, as we will drive away from our earth of these enemies of Allah and their servants, hypocritical dogs. And they will answer completely for everything. And we, with the aid of Allah, will drive away them from entire of the Caucasus. Then we will restore our free Islamic state, and, with the aid of Allah, povedem him along the way of Islam. And let Allah will help us in this, and he will not deprive of us its favor and of aid!

About Allah, strengthen in the patience entire our Islamic community (ummu), give to us forces to pass along your direct method!

To allakh.Iu Akbar!

the Vice- premier of Chechen government,
Military Amir GKO - MSH chri Of shamil' Of basayev

IA daymohk


19-04-2006 06:05

Шамиль Басаев: «Мы восстановим наше Свободное Исламское Государство!»



В редакцию ИА DAYMOHK поступило видеообращение Вице-премьера чеченского Правительства, Военного Амира ГКО - МШ ЧРИ Шамиля Басаева. Агентство предоставляет читателям возможность ознакомиться с содержанием данного выступления в переводе с чеченского языка. Видеофайл можно скачать здесь.


Во имя Аллаха милостивого и милосердного!

Хвала Аллаху, Господу миров! Мир и благословение посланнику Аллаха и сподвижникам его, и всем мусульманам!

Ассаламу алайкум ва рохьматуллахIи ва барокатухIу!

Сегодня, по милости Аллаха, наш Джихад интенсивно продолжается! Начался 2006-ой год, и уже седьмой год, не прекращаясь ни на день, продолжается эта война. Наши моджахеды с честью проходят сквозь все невзгоды этой войны.

Мы смогли хорошо подготовиться к этой зиме и пройти ее. К слову сказать, эта зима была немного труднее. Так, сегодня уже пятое февраля, но еще везде лежит сугробами снег. Зима была суровая. Однако моджахеды, по милости Аллаха, без больших проблем прожили ее. И, хвала Аллаху, мы надеемся так же прожить и остальное время.

И главное что хорошо, это то, что раньше в блиндажах пользовались преимущественно дровами, и русские с вертолетов и разведгруппами вычисляли следы деятельности моджахедов по дыму костров. А теперь мы запаслись газовыми баллонами и провели газовое отопление в блиндажах. Поэтому и днем, и ночью легче готовить еду и поддерживать тепло в блиндажах. Это облегчение в нашей жизни.

Боевые действия не прекращаются. Правда, зимой война немного стихает, так как зимой нет таких больших возможностей. Мы тоже никуда не спешим, Джихад продолжается. И мы не знаем, когда война закончится – сегодня или завтра. Аллах по своей милости Сам определит срок Победы, когда придет время. А мы, раз война началась, делаем все, чтобы приблизить Победу.

Кроме того, особенно в этот год война расширится по всему Кавказу, Инша-Аллах! Везде установлены боевые структуры, укрепляется дисциплина. Везде идет возрождение Ислама, его укрепление.

Даже по тому, что делают Путин и его пес Кафыров, мы видит, насколько тяжело положение у русских оккупантов. Путин и этот Люля-Кафыров пытаются по-своему внедрять что-то из своего шариата, закрывая открытые ими же казино, объявляя войну спиртным напиткам, против проституции, и это делается не из любви к Исламу и не из-за желания очищения страны и народа, все это видят.

Они просто пытаются отвратить хоть так мусульман от газавата, посеять сомнения. Чтобы люди подумали, что они тоже не мешают молиться, жить чисто, запрещают спиртное. Однако это все, что они делают, это не что иное как «поросячьи спектакли».

Это они делали и раньше. Например, даже Советская власть создавала так называемые шариатские полки. Даже во времена Николая II чеченцам заявляли, что разрешат установить Шариат, лишь бы они остались под властью России. То же самое говорили и большевики. Однако, немного окрепнув, они уничтожали всех исламских ученых. Также по всей Русне они пытаются обмануть мусульман, например в Татарстане они обещают некоторую свободу мусульманам, чтобы обмануть мусульман и получить передышку.

Но ничего у них не получится, Инша-АллахI. Ибо Джихад с каждым днем укрепляется и расширяется. Так же и по всему миру мусульмане пробуждаются и поднимают голову.

И в то же время мы видим, что мусульмане все еще находятся в плачевном состоянии. Уже то, что в Европе эти враги Аллаха посмели распространить карикатуры на Божьего Пророка, свидетельствует о том, что мусульмане еще слабы. Но мы видим, что происходит: мусульмане не сидят покорными рабами, сложа руки, как было раньше, и не собираются так сидеть, Инша-АллахI. Сегодня перед каждым мусульманином долг выйти на путь Джихада и исполнить повеление Аллаха. И, что бы кто не говорил, Джихад сегодня обязателен для всех мусульман, это фарз-айн.

Оттого, что кто-то недоволен кем-то в нашем стане, он не имеет права сидеть дома. Если кто-то кем-то не доволен, он должен сделать Джихад сам.

Я хотел бы сказать моим соотечественникам: Аллах говорит в Коране, что Он с теми, кто терпелив в невзгодах, в нужде. И пророк Аллаха (с.а.с.) сказал, что лучший подарок от Аллаха – это терпение, и что может быть лучше этого подарка?

Если у нас хватит терпения и стойкости, Инша-АллахI, победа за нами. По милости Аллаха, осталось уже немного времени, как мы прогоним с нашей земли этих врагов Аллаха и их прислужников, лицемерных собак. И они ответят сполна за все. И мы, с помощью Аллаха, прогоним их со всего Кавказа. Потом мы восстановим наше Свободное Исламское Государство, и, с помощью Аллаха, поведем его по пути Ислама. И пусть Аллах поможет нам в этом, и не лишит нас Своей милости и помощи!

О Аллах, укрепи в терпении всю нашу исламскую общину (умму), дай нам силы пройти по Твоему прямому пути!

АллахIу Акбар!

Вице-премьер чеченского Правительства,
Военный Амир ГКО – МШ ЧРИ Шамиль Басаев

ИА DAYMOHK


19-04-2006 06:05
http://www.daymohk.info/cgi-bin/mod-perl/orsi3/index.cgi?id=22816;section=1

[Petronas]

Militancy Reportedly Rising Outside Chechnya
Russia; August 25, 2006

The head of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) says militants are becoming more active in southern Russian republics neighboring Chechnya. Nikolai Patrushev attributed the change to successes scored by security forces against militants in Chechnya itself. He says that over the past seven months, militants carried out 18 "terrorist" acts in Ingushetia and 11 in North Ossetia, twice as many as in the same period of 2005.

He also said 163 Chechen militants have so far laid down their arms under a proposed amnesty, a number that he described as "significant." Earlier this year, Patrushev proposed an amnesty for all militants who laid down their arms by August 1. Chechen officials later proposed the offer be extended to January 1, 2007.

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/08/e39f8e98-dc57-40ae-a4bf-8d6fbcc044c5.html

[Petronas]

Four police officers killed in Russian school blast
18 July 2007 1714 hrs

MAKHACHKALA, Russia: At least four police officers were killed on Wednesday when a bomb went off in the playground of a school in southern Russia, a local interior ministry spokeswoman said. "There was an explosion at 7:40 am (0340 GMT) in the town of Kizilyurt on the territory of middle school number 7 during training exercises," the spokeswoman, Angela Martirosova, told AFP.

"Four people were killed, three were injured. They were all police officers," said Martirosova, adding that the blast occurred in the school playground.

Russian schools are currently on summer holiday but the buildings can be used for additional classes during the summer. Classes usually start later than the time of the attack. Attacks against security officers are frequent in Dagestan, the southern Russian province where Kizilyurt is located and which borders war-ravaged Chechnya. The attacks are often claimed by separatist rebels and Islamist extremists.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/288907/1/.html

[Petronas]

Blast kills Russian Muslim cleric
Saturday, July 28, 2007

MAKHACHKALA: A senior Muslim cleric and his brother were killed when their car was blown up overnight in the southern Russian province of Dagestan, the region’s top prosecutor said on Friday. Chief prosecutor Igor Tkachev told reporters at the scene in the regional capital Makhachkala that the “deputy mufti of the Muslim religious leadership”, Kurbanmagomed Ramazanov, and his brother Abdulla had been killed. A third person in the car was injured by the blast, which was caused by a bomb attached to the vehicle, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Dagestan is a restive Muslim province on Russia’s Caspian Sea shoreline. On its western side it neighbours the war-torn Chechnya.

While it is frequently the scene of attacks by Islamic militants, law-enforcement authorities did not say who they considered responsible for Thursday’s attack. But the head of the Coordinating Centre of Muslims in the North Caucasus, Magomed Albogachiyev, said the attack was part of a systematic push to kill law-enforcement officials and religious leaders to destabilise the region. “It is to someone’s advantage to destabilise the situation. They don’t want stability and peace in the Caucasus,” RIA Novosti news agency quoted him as saying on Friday.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\07\28\story_28-7-2007_pg7_53

[Petronas]

Suicide bomber blows up minibus in south Russia
Wednesday, October 24, 2007

MAKHACHKALA: A suspected suicide bomber blew herself up in a minibus taxi and wounded five passengers on Tuesday in the southern province of Dagestan, neighbouring restive Chechnya, police said. The minibus exploded at around 0700 GMT around 100 metres (yards) from a police post. It was halfway from the town of Khasavyurt, west of the regional capital Makhachkala. “Apparently a young woman wrapped in a suicide-bomber’s belt was responsible for the blast,” the officer said. He said the suspected bomber was the only casualty. Three of the five wounded people were rushed to hospital with severe injuries. Russia has put down large-scale rebel resistance in Chechnya, the scene of two bloody separatist wars since 1994. But violence, blamed by Russian officials on radical Islamic groups, has poured out into neighbouring provinces. Reports of attacks on officials and the Russian military, as well as operations by security forces against “terrorists” come almost weekly from Dagestan, east of Chechnya, and Ingushetia, Chechnya’s western neighbour.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\10\24\story_24-10-2007_pg4_12

[Petronas]

Iranian-Backed Terrorists on Trial in Azerbaijan
as Terror Arrests Ramp Up
October 2007

The trial of 16 Muslim men accused of treason began
on October 8 in Baku. As members of the Northern
Mehdi Army, the suspects and their leader, Said
Dadasbeyli, allegedly received training and funding
from the Quds Force of Iran in order to replace the
secular government of Azerbaijan with an Islamic
one. Azeri prosecutors also accused Dadasbeyli’s
group of providing information about the U.S. and
Israeli embassies in Baku to Iranian intelligence.
Despite the attention the case has garnered nationally
and abroad, the trial is being conducted behind closed
doors due to its potential impact on Azerbaijan’s foreign
affairs. In recent months, Baku has not only been
delicately balancing relations with Iran, but also with
Russia and the United States. In September, Azerbaijan
received President Ahmadinejad just days before
hosting a high-level Russian and U.S. delegation to
examine the suitability of the Qabala radar station for
the missile defense system. To further complicate
matters, Michael Hayden, the director of the Central
Intelligence Agency, visited Baku during the first
week of October for talks that were suspected to have
included Iran.

Although President Aliyev supports a statesanctioned
form of Islam, Azerbaijan has recently
seen a growing number of Islamic extremist groups
operating within its borders. On October 11, the National
Security Ministry launched a manhunt in Sumgayit
for a terror suspect who was planning to attack a
chemical production facility. As a result of this threat,
police presence was increased and several chemical
facilities were cordoned off. In another incident, authorities
detained several heavily armed Wahabi militants
who were, according to the ministry, planning to
attack the U.S. embassy in Baku. This threat so
alarmed officials that the U.S. embassy, the nearby
British embassy, and the office of a large oil company
were temporarily closed.

For over five years, analysts and political scientists
have warned of the danger associated with the growing
Wahabi influence in Azerbaijan. According to an
unconfirmed terror monitor estimate, the number of
Wahabis reached as high as 10,000 by the end of
2006. Novruz Mamedov, the head of the presidential
external relations department, ironically commented
that although Wahabis do not pose a great threat to
Azerbaijan, their complete absence would be better
for the oil-rich Caspian nation.

http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/ttu_0710.pdf

[keith]

Reviving a Forgotten Threat: The PKK in Nagorno-Karabakh

By Anar Valiyev

The decades-long war between the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish army has had a significant impact on Azerbaijani politics. Being a staunch ally of Turkey and suffering from problems of separatism and terrorism itself, Azerbaijan has always expressed its full support for the counter-terrorist actions of its neighbor and has even offered its assistance. The recent escalation of the conflict in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq has not left the Azerbaijani establishment passive. This time, however, the conflict has directly affected the interests of Azerbaijan. The reason is the alleged decision of the PKK’s leadership to move its bases from the Qandil mountain range in Iraqi Kurdistan to the Armenian-occupied regions of Nagorno-Karabakh (Azeri Press Agency, December 18; UPI, November 30; Today’s Zaman, November 30). Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani press has carried reports about the possible creation of a Kurdish autonomous district in the Armenian-occupied Lachin and Kelbajar regions (Day.az, December 3). While some analysts consider the prospect of establishing a new Kurdish state in the Caucasus as mere fiction, other experts do not deny the possibility of such a scenario developing. Before moving to an analysis of the current situation, it is worthwhile to look at the historical aspects of the problem.

Red Kurdistan

The idea of establishing a Kurdish state in Azerbaijan is not new. After the Bolsheviks seized power in Azerbaijan in 1920, the idea of using Kurdish nationalism to spread proletarian revolution over the Middle East occupied the minds of the Soviet leadership. In 1923 the communist government of Azerbaijan decided to establish Kurdistanskiy district (referred to as “Red Kurdistan”), encompassing Kelbajar, Lachin and part of the Gubatli region. Lachin city was chosen as the administrative capital of the new district. Soviet authorities hoped that the creation of a Kurdish district would serve as an inspiration for oppressed Kurds in the Middle East. In the case of a possible separation of Kurdish areas from Iran or Turkey, it would have been easy for Soviet authorities to “accommodate” or unite them with an already existing Kurdish district. Later, however, the Soviets abandoned this idea, abolished Kurdish autonomy and deported most of the Kurds to Kazakhstan and Central Asia [1].

The Kurdish factor entered Azerbaijan’s politics again after the end of World War II. With the fall of the short-lived Kurdish Mahabad Republic in northwestern Iran, the backbone of its army, led by Iraqi Kurd Mustafa Barzani, entered Azerbaijan and became “guests of honor” of the autocratic leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, Mir-Jafar Bagirov. The Soviet Azerbaijani government was trying to use Barzani’s group as a pawn by sending them back to Iran to start guerrilla warfare in Iranian Kurdistan. The Soviet authorities, however, dropped this idea later when Barzani’s desire to create a Kurdish kingdom for himself became apparent [2]. The “Independent Kurdistan” scenario was reanimated again in the early 1990s. After finishing the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian forces captured Lachin and six other districts of Lower Karabakh, including areas constituting the former “Red Kurdistan.” In 1992 the Armenian-backed but unrecognized government in Karabakh announced the establishment of a Kurdish republic with its capital in Lachin. Using the Kurdish card, Armenian authorities were trying to show that not only was the Armenian minority fighting for independence from Azerbaijan, but the Kurdish minority was as well. However, this last attempt to revive the Kurdish issue failed again because of several reasons. First, due to the ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories, most of the Muslim Kurdish population had already fled to other regions of Azerbaijan. Second, by creating a Kurdish state in the region, Armenian authorities would have contradicted the basic Armenian argument in the Karabakh war: that Karabakh belonged historically to Armenia.

Kurdistan in Karabakh

Azerbaijan has not been directly involved in Turkey’s conflict with the PKK, instead limiting their assistance to information-sharing. After the launching of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, PKK activities in Turkey began to endanger this economically lucrative regional project. In October Murat Karayılan, leader of the PKK’s military wing, announced that “since pipelines that cross Kurdistan (southeastern Turkey) provide the economic resources for the Turkish army's aggression, it is possible the guerrillas will target them” (Fırat, October 19). With the BTC pipeline crossing through territory in which the PKK operates, the possibility of such an attack cannot be discounted. An attack of this sort would send a shock wave all over the Caucasian region and would result in Azerbaijan being less attractive to foreign investors.

Earlier this month, both Turkish and Azerbaijani sources started to express their concerns about a possible relocation of PKK bases from northern Iraq to Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the Turkish press, intelligence reports revealed that the PKK planned to move ten of its camps from northern Iraq’s Qandil mountain range to Armenian-occupied areas of Karabakh. The reports also said that a number of PKK gunmen had visited 12 Kurdish villages in the Karabakh region and asked the villagers to help them. The newspaper also revealed that a fighter who had escaped from the PKK camp and surrendered to Turkish forces had given important information on the organization’s plan to move its camps to Karabakh. Allegedly, the PKK bases would be located in the cities of Shusha, Fizuli and definitely Lachin (Today’s Zaman, November 30).

The Azerbaijani establishment did not act with surprise at the news of a possible PKK relocation to Nagorno-Karabakh. Already in April 1998, the Turkish press was reporting that Armenia had seven PKK camps in its territory (Turkish Daily News, April 16, 1998). Azerbaijan’s minister of defense stated in 1999 that up to 200 Kurdish terrorists were being trained in the Lachin region of occupied Azerbaijan (Obshchaya gazeta, February 12, 1999). For several years Azerbaijan’s authorities have collected and reported information concerning the settlement of Armenians and Kurds from the Middle East in the Karabakh region. During the recent visit of the Turkish president to Azerbaijan, both sides discussed the issue of a possible PKK relocation to Azerbaijan and the establishment of new Kurdish settlements in Karabakh (Day.az, December 3). Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov stressed that, if necessary, Baku might consider counter-terrorist measures against PKK bases in Nagorno-Karabakh (Zerkalo, December 11).

For a long time experts in international relations have warned that non-recognized territories can become rogue states—sources of terrorism and criminal activities. These territories are de facto independent but not bound by any international treaties. They have their own armies, law enforcement, and political institutions, but a lack of financial viability may force them to earn money through weapon sales, drug-trafficking and hosting insurgent training camps. Karabakh, for example, remains one of the most militarized areas in the world. The PKK’s decision to move to Karabakh is rational, well thought-out and could benefit both sides. Karabakh is the only territory in the Middle East and Caucasus that is immune from any military action by Turkey. Most of the countries of the region would hardly risk hosting the PKK for fear of the wrath of Turkey’s military. Even for Armenia it would be suicidal to establish PKK camps on its territory. Yerevan would need to give explanations to the world community and could have sanctions imposed on it. But Karabakh is a different story; the Turkish army is unlikely to chase PKK terrorists there. Any Turkish military activity in that area would involve the Armenian troops deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian participation in a conflict would automatically bring Russia into the conflict as the guarantor of the security of its southern ally. Russian involvement in a conflict with a member of NATO is a nightmare scenario for the international community.

Conclusion

The PKK will not be considered an alien element in Karabakh. Many Armenian terrorist organizations—including the notorious Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA)—cooperated successfully for a long time with the PKK. In April 1980 both organizations held a press conference in Sidon, Lebanon, where they issued a joint declaration on fighting against Turkey. Later, ASALA members, including guerrilla leader Monte Melkonian, took part in the 1988-1994 war against Azerbaijan.

The Karabakh separatist government could benefit from the relocation of PKK bases on its territory. First, hundreds of Kurdish families would move to Karabakh, allowing Karabakh authorities to bolster the region’s diminishing population. Second, Karabakh authorities would get hundreds—if not thousands—of experienced guerrilla fighters. Should Azerbaijan decide to begin a war to recover its lost territories, its army would need first to fight through PKK-controlled areas before reaching Karabakh’s heartland.

The establishment of PKK safe haven in Lachin and Kelbajar could be the first step in the creation of a Kurdish state. There is already a Kurdish minority of 60,000 people in Armenia who hope that Armenia may grant them autonomy [3]. The PKK has all the features of a government and could take such responsibility. The idea of a Kurdistan in the Caucasus was met with great sympathy in Iraqi Kurdistan, where calls were made for direct relations with such a region. Iraqi Kurds believe the emergence of another “Kurdistan” could be a counter-balance to Pan-Turkism in the region [4].

On December 17, the Russian press reported that Seyvan Barzani, the PKK representative in France, threatened that in case of a Turkish invasion into northern Iraq, Kurds would start military actions in Azerbaijan (Utro.ru, December 17). It is very difficult to predict how the situation will evolve, but one can be sure that the introduction of a new nationalist-terrorist element in a volatile region like the Caucasus would play a severely negative role. While Azerbaijani and Armenian authorities are trying to reach peace accords over Karabakh, the PKK factor could significantly undermine the entire process. If all peace initiatives are exhausted and Baku begins to view conflict as the only means of regaining lost territory in Nagorno-Karabakh, the presence of the PKK could be used by Azerbaijan’s hawks as yet another argument in favor of war.

Notes

1. For detailed information about Red Kurdistan please refer to Daniel Muller, “The Kurds of Soviet Azerbaijan 1920-1991” in Central Asian Survey (2000), 19(1), 41–77.

2. See Anar Valiyev, “Kurds in Azerbaijan: A Threat or Game the Powers Play,” Central Asia and Caucasus, 2(8) 2001, 115-22.

3. Paul Goble “Windows on Eurasia: Armenia’s Kurds Get in the Way of any Karabakh Solution,” http://windowoneurasia.blogspot.com/2007/12/window-on-eurasia-armenias-kurds-get-in.html

4. Alexei Baliyev, “Kurds and Karabakh” (in Russian), Russky Predprinimatel Foundation Monitor, www.rpmonitor.ru , December 11, 2007.



Find this article at:

http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373866

[Petronas]

Suspected militant in southern Russia blows himself up and also kills police officer
2007-12-26 20:02:45 -

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia (AP) - A suspected militant detonated a hand grenade when police tried to arrest him in a southern town on Wednesday, killing himself and a police officer, officials said. When police came to arrest a resident of the town of Cherkessk in the province of Karachayevo-Cherkessia on suspicion of links with militant groups, he fired his Kalashnikov rifle at them. The man was wounded in the ensuing skirmish, and detonated a hand grenade when police came close, the regional branch of Russia's Interior Ministry said in a statement. A police officer died in the explosion and the suspect later died of wounds at a local hospital, it said. ...

http://www.pr-inside.com/suspected-militant-in-southern-russia-blows-r362732.htm