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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Ties between Caucasus rebels and al Qaeda strengthening |
| 2011-09-30 |
| Al Qaeda is providing the Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus with increasing amounts of money and other forms of support, according to a report by a DC think tank. Underestimating the danger posed by the Caucasus Emirate "only increases our vulnerability to attack", said author Gordon Hahn, adding that global and U.S. national security were also under threat. "Al Qaeda has played an important role in proselytising jihadism and providing financial, training and personnel support to the mujahideen in Chechnya and the Caucasus," said Hahn, a senior researcher at the U.S. Monterey Institute for International Studies. Al Qaeda's online magazine Ansar al Mujahideen began appearing in Russian last year, adding to the dozen or so Russian-language sites affiliated with the insurgency. These sites increasingly carry statements of support from top terrorists such as Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, who inspired al Qaeda in Iraq and is now imprisoned in Jordan, Hahn said in the report. Citing Spanish police who nabbed a Moroccan man last year accused of being the webmaster of the al Qaeda magazine, Hahn said: "The website was already being used to raise money for terrorists in Chechnya as well as Afghanistan." There has also been an increase in the number of militants killed by Russian security forces whom authorities say come directly from al Qaeda. Hahn pointed to the arrest by Czech police of eight individuals in Prague suspected of plotting attacks in the North Caucasus as possible evidence of ties to al Qaeda. Police said the group, which included a Chechen and Dagestanis, had trained in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He emphasised repeated calls by Doku Umarov, Russia's most wanted man, for the Caucasus Emirate to be brought into global jihad, most recently in February. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #3 Now I wonder. Were I to ask some Russian "why Russia sells nuclear tech to Iran?", would his answer be as well formulated as #2? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-09-30 08:27 |
| #2 I think the old "hammer and anvil" hasn't really succeeded over the last 200 years, with regards to the Chechens. It's simple, the resistance to Russia stems not from Islam, but from the spirit of the people to be free of Russia. Chechens are not Arabs, different culture. The west, through inaction, allowed Russia to strategically isolate Chechnya after the Chechens kicked the crap out of the Russian army, twice. As a result of this isolation, Chechens were forced to pursue whatever source of financing they could to continue their seperatist movement against Russia, hence the influence of radical islam. Not justifying, just pointing out the obvious. It is in the best interest of the west to bring Chechnya and the Caucasus as a whole closer. |
| Posted by: j_efe101 2011-09-30 03:01 |
| #1 In return for Russia's cooperation for the USAs Afghanistan campaign, we should help the Russians eradicate AL-qaeda from the Caucuses. A hammer-n-anvil sort of operation. Both parties win and we are no longer dependent on the Pakis for supplies into Afghanistan. We run logistics and let the Russians do the 'dirty work' they are so good at. |
| Posted by: Mikey Hunt 2011-09-30 01:44 |