As the frequency and ferocity of the suicide bombings by foreign jihadis in Iraq has increased, there has been a decline in the frequency and ferocity of similar bombings in Chechnya. Usually well-informed religious sources in Pakistan say that it is due to the fact that under the instructions of Osama bin Laden’s International Islamic Front (IIF), whose activities are now co-ordinated by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET), many foreign jihadis operating in Chechnya, including some Jordanians and Saudis of Chechen origin and six members of Pakistan’s Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), have proceeded to Jordan from where they are co-ordinating the activities of the jihadis in Iraq. They also say that Saudi Arabia and Jordan — and not Syria and Iran — are emerging as the rear bases for the Iraqi jihad and warn of a destabilisation drive in Jordan shortly similar to the ones in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
| I'm surprised that hasn't started yet. Al-Tawhid's putative reason for existence is to overthrow the Jordanian government... |
The jihadis want to teach a lesson to the Jordanian Government for its perceived support to the USA and Israel and for training the police officers of the US-UK occupation regime in Iraq. According to them, most of the Chechen members of the IIF, who had earlier taken shelter in the Waziristan area of Pakistan, have also since gravitated towards Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq, leaving their Pakistani wives and children back in Waziristan. They are being taken care of by the LET and the Taliban. Jordan has an estimated Chechen population of about 15,000, practically all of them Jordanian nationals. Many of them serve in the Government, including in the Armed Forces, the intelligence agencies and the palace guards.
| Why'd I just have a flashback to some very bad literature, featuring cleft-chinned, muscular heroes who infiltrated the palace guard and... did stuff? |
In the past, the Chechen community had remained very loyal to the royal family and won its trust and confidence. From 1999, the Russian Government started alleging that foreign jihadi terrorists, including some holding Jordanian, Saudi and Pakistani nationalities, had arrived in Chechnya and were helping the local terrorists. Incidents of suicide terrorism in Chechnya increased after the arrival of these foreign jihadis. Moscow also alleged that the contingent of foreign jihadis was led by Ibn al-Khattab (since reported dead), a Jordanian national.
| I think he was born in Soddy Arabia, of a Jordanian family. Pop lives in Khobar, in the Eastern Province. |
Following this, the Jordanian authorities strongly advised the people of Chechen origin living in their territory against extending any support—moral or material—to the Chechen terrorists. They were also worried that the Jordanian nationals fighting against the Russian troops might later return to Jordan and turn against the royal family. There is now a danger of these fears proving true. |