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Russia
Rooskies Want Their Special Forces Guys Back, or else...
2004-03-13
Thanks to Aaron Weisburd
TWO Russians who are being held in Qatar in connection with the bombing that killed an exiled Chechen militant have confessed that they are members of Russia’s special security forces, according to diplomatic sources. Under interrogation, the men also told the Qataris that the bomb used to kill Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev last month was smuggled into the tiny Gulf state after being sent from Moscow through the diplomatic bag into Saudi Arabia.

Qatar has promised to put the two men on trial but has come under enormous pressure from Russia to release them instead. Moscow would be hugely embarrassed by any trial if it revealed that its agents were instructed to assassinate Mr Yandarbiyev, and even more so if it were shown that the bomb had been brought in through the diplomatic bag. Russia’s appeal for joint international action against Chechen terrorism would be severely compromised as a result. So desperate is the Kremlin to forestall any trial that it is understood to have threatened to send special forces to mount an operation to spring the men from prison and take them back to Russia.
"Pressure", Russian Style
Pressure on Qatar has also been increased by the arrest of two Qatari citizens who are being held by the FSB security service in Russia. The two men have been identified as Nasser Ibrahim Saad al-Madhihiki, an official with the Qatari greco-roman wrestling team, and Ibrahim Ahmad Nasser Ahmad. A third man, Ibad Akhmedov, is a Belarussian who apparently has Qatari citizenship and was detained at the Sheremetyevo-2 international airport in Moscow but later released. The Russians are clearly hoping to swap the two men for the detained security officials held in Qatar. The Qataris appear embarrassed by the affair, and have refused to comment further on the case. But Western diplomats say that the authorities appear determined to go ahead with a trial.
Guess we may get to see Russian special ops in action soon.
The Qataris have been outraged by the killing of Mr Yandarbiyev, whom the Russians hold responsible for masterminding the Moscow theatre siege which killed around 120 hostages and several Chechen rebels on 23 October, 2002. Most victims died after Russian special forces stormed the building to free about 800 people who had been held hostage for more than two days.
Ummm... That's a true statement, as far as it goes. But if they hadn't stormed the building, all of the 800 would have died when the hostage takers boomed.
Mr Yandarbiyev briefly took over as Chechen president in 1996 after the death of Dzhokhar Dudayev in an explosion. He was also seen as a key figure behind the 1999 incursion by Chechen rebels into the neighbouring Russian region of Dagestan. A Russian Foreign Ministry official yesterday denied that there had been an escalation of the dispute between Russia and Qatar. He told The Times: “I haven’t heard of any such threatening language.” A spokesman for the FSB, the KGB’s successor, declined to comment yesterday. But this month Sergei Ivanov, Russia’s Defence Minister, made it clear that Russia would do everything in its power to get its detained citizens back. He told reporters in Paris: “The State will use all available instruments to release the Russian citizens illegally detained in Qatar.” Mr Ivanov did not elaborate, but last October he announced that Moscow would use preventive military force in case of a “direct threat” to Russian citizens.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s new Foreign Minister, said on Wednesday that Moscow’s position remained unchanged. “We are expecting an appropriate response from Qatar. No evidence has been received so far proving the guilt of these two Russian citizens,” he said. The dispute has fanned conspiracy theories and nationalist rhetoric in the run-up to the presidential elections in Russia on Sunday. Some media reports have suggested that the security services had the tacit approval of the CIA to assassinate Mr Yandarbiyev. Others have accused the CIA of tipping off Qatari Intelligence about Russian involvement in the killing.
Spooks, this make sense?
Dmitry Rogozin, co-leader of the nationalist Rodina bloc, and deputy Speaker of parliament, has called openly for the use of military force to persuade Qatar to free the Russian agents.
Posted by:badanov

#9  Pfft. So far (unless I've missed something) the only arguments I've heard of this so-called "animal" being a terrorist, are the ones that strive to put every Chechen separationist in the same bag. Like it or not Maskhadov is not the same as Basayev.

I've got every reason to believe that Putin is as bad as Basayev, though.

And I'm betting that the reason the Russians are so pissed off about this, is that these special agents may know about even more operations. First they start by confessing the killings of Chechen politicians, who knows if they won't then confess of the killing of *Russian* liberal politicians - two of Putin's most vocal opponents were murdered KGB-style. Or even assassination attempts in the Balkans? Who knows...
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2004-3-13 11:17:05 PM  

#8  I agree with Traveller that we should pressure the Gut-Tar-ees to turn these guys loose.
We would have tracked this animal to the ends of the Earth and snuffed him by any means possible, or at least we should have.
It won't make Pooty love us, but it could make us some friends in the FSB, always a handy thing to have.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2004-3-13 11:00:26 PM  

#7  I was thinking of military opponents, not civilians.
Posted by: Mr. Davis   2004-3-13 9:55:22 PM  

#6  
"And the last successful Russian military operation was when? April 29, 1945?"

Actually, the last one with considerable blood being spilt was probably Budapest, 1956. (I discount the crushing of the Prague Sping in 1968).

I still, however, have hope for Checyna. Remember, this is the same war, just being fought on many fronts.

Not that it matters, but several people took me to task when this story first broke and I fingered the killing of Yandarbiyev to be a FSB opperation.

No matter...if it comes to an actual attack on Qatar, I would hope that after some hand wringing, the US will secretly back Russia.

Of course, with Qatar, the United States has a real problem with our main base being there.
Posted by: Traveller   2004-3-13 9:40:10 PM  

#5  Rooskies Want Their Special Forces Guys Back, or else...

more shit could blow up in Qatar.
Posted by: tu3031   2004-3-13 9:21:15 PM  

#4  Qatar, unfortunately.
Posted by: Rafael   2004-3-13 9:18:01 PM  

#3  Pooty has a problem now. Any hint of plausible deniability is long gone. And the last successful Russian military operation was when? April 29, 1945? They couldn't even get two submarine missle launches off properly with Pooty and TV around a year after the Kursk. Get ready for Desert One to look good.

And whose side will the U. S. be on in Russia v. Qatar?
Posted by: Mr. Davis   2004-3-13 8:45:55 PM  

#2  I honestly don't see the Russian problem here. There answer should be..."Of Course we killed him, and if we can find any more acomplices, we will kill them also."

I know Moscow reasonably well, and while it is far fom my favorite city...I like Russians and the Moscow Theater take over left me very unhappy.

Russia should just kill anyone involved...(said as a true and believing liberal).

Be Good,
Posted by: Traveller   2004-3-13 8:34:26 PM  

#1  "Hey Vlad, I think they're holding them at the Al-Jizz HQ. I'd hit there first!"
Posted by: Frank G   2004-3-13 7:46:49 PM  

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