27 May 2011
Edited and Written by Gordon M. Hahn (unless otherwise indicated)
IIPER accepts outside submissions
CONTENTS:
RUSSIA
- CAUCASUS EMIRATE FINALLY PLACED ON U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
- DAGESTAN VILAIYAT RENEWS DECLARES LOYALTY BAYAT TO CE AMIR UMAROV AND APPOINTS SENIOR NAIB
- CE DAGESTAN VILAIYAT’S MAIN WEBSITE CEASES PUBLICATION AMIDST SCANDAL
- KOSOLAPOV RE-EMERGES AHEAD OF PEAK JIHADI FIGHTING SEASON
- MORE EVIDENCE OF JIHADISM IN ASTRAKHAN
- CHECHNYA NATIVE DOUKAEV INDICTED FOR TERRORISM
* IIPER is written and edited by Dr. Gordon M. Hahn unless otherwise noted. Research assistance is provided by Seth Gray, Leonid Naboishchikov, Anna Nevo, and Daniel Painter.
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CAUCASUS EMIRATE FINALLY PLACED ON U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
The U.S. State Department has finally placed the Caucasus Emirate (CE) on its list of specially designated international terrorist organizations after balking last year, as IIPER reported, on an already belated decision to do so and opting for placing only the CE’s amir Dokku ‘Abu Usman’ Umarov on the list.[1] The text of the announcement is as follows:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
For Immediate Release May 26, 2011
2011/833
Media Note
Designation of Caucasus Emirate
The Secretary of State has designated North Caucasus-based Caucasus Emirate (Imarat Kavkaz, IK) under Presidential Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists, terrorist organizations or acts of terrorism. This action will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance to the group.
Imarat Kavkaz uses bombings, shootings and attempted assassinations to provoke a revolution and expel the Russian government from the North Caucasus region.
In December 2009, investigators identified a May 15, 2009 suicide bombing outside the Chechnya Interior Ministry as being organized under Doku Umarov, IK’s senior leader. Since its attack against a Russia high-speed rail train in November 2009, IK has continued to threaten the Government of Russia. In addition to its attack on the high-speed Nevsky Express, IK also claimed responsibility for the January 2011 bombing at the Domodedovo airport that killed 36 people.
Umarov was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 in June 2010 and listed at the United Nations 1267 al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee on March 10, 2011. “The designation of Caucasus Emirate is in response to the threats posed to the United States and Russia,” said Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the Department of State’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism. “The attacks perpetrated by Caucasus Emirate illustrate the global nature of the terrorist problem we face today. We stand in solidarity with the Russian people in our condemnation of these deplorable terrorist acts.”
This designation represents just one phase of the United States Government’s response to the threat posed by Caucasus Emirate. The action taken today against IK supports the U.S. effort to degrade the group’s ability to mount attacks on Russian interests. We are determined to eliminate the group’s ability to direct violent attacks and to disrupt, dismantle and defeat IK’s network.[2]
IIPER waits to see if this will lead to changes in U.S. government policy regarding its government-funded media organizations, such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL), which has produced not a few articles praising Caucasus Mujahedin, including the very CE and its amir Umarov. In one of the most striking examples, RFERL’s chief Caucasus correspondent Liz Fuller heaped praise last year on the Caucasus Emirate’s ‘fatherly’ amirs with a warmth entirely inappropriate for objective ‘journalism’ no less when writing on U.S. government-funding about wanton killers:
If these young men (the CE’s younger mujahedin) have not become the callous brutes Khasbulatov anticipated, much of the credit must surely lie with the older commanders who were fathers before they became fighters, and have since assumed the role of father figures to the younger generation of insurgents: the natural-born pedagogue Abdullayev; Tarhan; Mansur; and even Umarov, seen receiving a filial embrace from Hadji-Murat at the very end of this clip.”[3]
This ode was written on the same day that two CE mujahedin carried out suicide bombings in Gubden, Dagestan killing, wounding tens of Muslims and only three weeks after another bomber trained by the CE ‘fathers’ had detonated his suicide belt in Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, killing 25 and wounding 180 civilians.
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DAGESTAN VILAIYAT RENEWS DECLARES LOYALTY BAYAT TO CE AMIR UMAROV AND APPOINTS SENIOR NAIB
Days after CE amir Dokku ‘Abu Usman’ Umarov appointed ‘Salikh’ Ibrakhimkhalid Daudov as CE Dagestan Viliayat (DV) amir, Daudov declared the bayat (loyalty oath to an amir or vali) to Umarov and appointed as his first naib Abu Mukhammad, who had just been appointed and remains the amir of the DV’s Central Sector succeeding Daudov. Daudov himself was DV amir ‘Khalid’ Israpil Velidhzhanov’s second naib and simultaneously DV Central Sector amir.
The announcement contained some biographical information on Daudov. He was said to be a native of Gubden and to have went to jihad with his entire family in 2007. As noted in IIPER, No. 40, his wife was the suicide bomber who accidentally detonated her suicide belt in southeastern Moscow on New Year’s Eve while preparing it for a mission to attack the Red Square celebration. Two of his sons are said to have been martyred without reference as to how. A third son is said to be fighting alongside his father, the DV amir.[4]
These decisions were made at a shura of the DV’s Central Sector, Daudov’s videotaped statement during the shura is posted on the DV’s new official website VDagestan.info.[5]
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CE DAGESTAN VILAIYAT’S MAIN WEBSITE CEASES PUBLICATION AMIDST SCANDAL
What had been the DV’s main website, JamaatShariat.com, announced on May 12th that it was ceasing publication on instructions from the DV’s command to do so.[6] This occurred one day after the publication on its site and on the 7Kanal.com of an interview given to Rabbi Avraam Shmulevich by the JamaatShariat.com’s editor-in chief Sayid and his deputy Umm Ataia.[7] The DV’s command announced on another of its two remaining sites, VDagestan.info, which was declared to be henceforward the DV’s official site, that it had “lost control” over JamaatShariat.com.[8] The likely reason for the closure was the contact made with a Jewish rabbi.
The article contained some interesting admissions and information from the Dagestani mujahedin, including Ataia’s quotation from a statement first made by CE amir Dokku ‘Abu Usman’ Umarov: “Our enemy is not only Russia but also America, England, Israel and all who carry out war against Islam and Muslims.” Ataia said that the Taliban’s leader “Mullo Muhammed Omar deserves that all mujahdin, including those fighting in the North Caucasus declared a loyalty oath to him” and that this issue was raised when the declaration of the CE was being decided. He gave a wide-ranging, detailed description of the CE’s explicitly Salafist ‘tawhidism.’ Sayid called for the liberation of “Al-Quds” (Jerusalem).[9]
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MORE EVIDENCE OF JIHADISM IN ASTRAKHAN
A jihadi cell from Astrakhan is suspected of preparing a terrorist attack on May 9th Victory Day. They were detained on May 7th in their attempts of preparing to commit a terrorist attack during the celebrations of Victory Day, celebrating victory over fascism in the ‘Great Patriotic War as it is called by Russians and other post-Soviet peoples. The group included one ethnic Russian and two “residents of republics of the North Caucasians” and was planning attacks similar to those which occurred against police in Astrakhan in July and August 2010.[10] “Weapons, ammunition, scopes, binoculars, containers with metal balls, Wahhabi literature and camouflage” were confiscated.[11] In the early hours of May 9th a group of SpetsNaz (special forces troops) were fired upon in the village of Solyanka in Trusov Dustrict, Astrakhan. The shots came from a passing car in which the female driver apparently fired a non-lethal pistol. It is unclear whether this incident was tied to jihadis or the uncovered May 9th plot.[12] Kavkaz tsentr reported that the cousin of Andrei Antonov, an ethnic Russian Muslim killed the previous evening when he tried to detonate an explosive device when SpetsNaz approached him. The cousin was found to possess “extremist literature.”[13]
On May 13th Russian security forces carried out a broad search and detention operation targeting 12 addresses in Astrakhan and allegedly uncovering “an extremist organization ‘Dzhamaat’.” Two brothers with the last name Avdonin, who were residents of Astrakhan and members of the organization, allegedly possessed “extremist literature” and were proselytizing radical Islamist views in Astrakhan’s Central Mosque. These arrests were said to be separate from arrests made on May 7th.[14]
Astrakhan is a predominantly ethnic Russian region, but it has large Tatar and Dagestani minorities.
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KOSOLAPOV RE-EMERGES AHEAD OF PEAK JIHADI FIGHTING SEASON
CE-tied but ethnic Russian mujahed Pavel Kosolapov issued an article in response to the elimination of Al Qa`ida’s Osama bin Laden on the website of the Azerbaijan mujahedin Milleti-Ibrahim.com on May 10th. Russian authorities want Kosolapov for his alleged involvement in the 2007 bombing of the Nevskii-Express train that runs between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Kosolapov could have been involved in the 29 November 2009 attack on the same line which killed 40 and wounded over 100.[15]
Despite the conspiracy theory-laden rant that is his most recent article, Kosolapov’s re-emergence should raise red flags among counter-terrorism specialists, since he is expert in designing explosives, the peak jihadi season is getting underway, and there have been a spate of jihadi incidents recently involving ethnic Russians from the New Year’s Eve Moscow plot and twin suicide bombings by the ethnic Russian couple Vitallii Razdobud’ko and Maria Khorosheva in Gubden, Dagestan to the accidental detonation of a bomb in the apartment of their acquaintance Viktor Dvorakovskii, who along with another ethnic Russian and two North Caucasians are wanted by Russian law enforcement and are suspected of planning an attack (see Gordon M. Hahn, “Fourth Suicide Bombing of 2011, Third in Dagestan,” IIPER, No. 40).
At about the same time, three other ethnic Russians apparently working with two separate Islamist/jihadist organizations were uncovered in Astrakhan is suspected of preparing a terrorist attack on May 9th Victory Day. One was involved in planning a terrorist attack for Russia’s Victory Day, celebrating the victory over Nazi Germany.[16] Kavkaz tsentr reported that an Andrei Antonov, an ethnic Russian Muslim was killed the next day when he tried to detonate an explosive device when SpetsNaz approached him. Antonov’s cousin was arrested on May 9th and was allegedly found to be in possession of “extremist literature” (see more below).[17]
Kosolapov could be based in Azerbaijan, since all of his articles appear on the website of the Azerbaijani mujahedin first, or he my be working with ethnic Russian suicide bombers and other mujahedin elsewhere independently or in a unit mentioned several years back called the Rus al-Muvakhiddun on CE websites.
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CHECHNYA NATIVE DOUKAEV INDICTED FOR TERRORISM
Danish prosecutors have indicted the Chechen Lors Doukaev who, as reported by IIPER last year, was arrested in Denmark last September after he accidentally detonated in a Copenhagen hotel a letter bomb he was allegedly preparing in order to carry out an attack on the Danish newspaper known for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Doukaev received cuts on his face in the balst, but no one else was injured. Denmark Prosecutor Joergen Steen Soerensen said Lors Doukayev had wanted to “seriously frighten the population” and destabilize the country. The bomb was filled with steel pellets and contained triacetone triperoxide, which terrorists used in bombs that killed 52 people in London in 2005. [18]
Doukaev is a boxer born in Chechnya currently residing of Belgium and was arrested in a park near the hotel shortly after the small blast. Danish intelligence has concluded that Doukaev was operating alone. He faces a possible life sentence. His trial is set to start May 16.[19]
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Footnotes
[1] See http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/05/164312.htm.
[2] See http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/05/164312.htm.
[3] Liz Fuller, “Chechnya’s Youngest Insurgents,” RFE/RL, 14 February 2011, http://www.rferl.org/content/blog/2308952.html.
[4] “Valii Dagestan Amir Salikh obnovil baiat Amiru IK Dokku Abu Usmanu i naznachil zamestitelya,” Kavkaz tsentr, 13 May 2011, 13:55, http://www.kavkazcenter.com/russ/content/2011/05/13/81518.shtml.
[5] “Shura Tsentral’nogo Sektora Vilaiyata Dagestan,” VDagestan.info, 12 May 2011, 19:51, http://vdagestan.info/?p=942.
[6] “Informatsionnoe izdanie ‘DSh’ prekrashaet deyatel’nost’ v interbet-seti,” JamaatShariat.com, 12 May 2011, 15:24, http://www.jamaatshariat.com/eng/19/1577.html#comments.
[7] Interview with JamaatShariat.com’s editors in Ravvin Avraam Shmulevich, “’Nash vrag ne tol’ko Rusnya, no i Amerika, Angliya Izrail’ – vse, kto vedet voinu protiv Islama i musul’man’,” 7Kanal.com, 11 may 2011, www.7kanal.com/article.php3?id=282307 and “’Nash vrag ne tol’ko Rusnya, no i Amerika, Angliya Izrail’ – vse, kto vedet voinu protiv Islama i musul’man’,” JamaatShariat.com, May 2011, http://www.jamaatshariat.com/-mainmenu-29/14-facty/1573–l-l-r.html.
[8] “Ofitsial’noe uvedomlenie komandovaniya VS Vilayata Dagestan Imarata Kavkaz,” VDagestan.info, 13 May 2011, 15:32, http://vdagestan.info/?p=826.
[9] Interview with JamaatShariat.com’s editors in Ravvin Avraam Shmulevich, “’Nash vrag ne tol’ko Rusnya, no i Amerika, Angliya Izrail’ – vse, kto vedet voinu protiv Islama i musul’man’,” 7Kanal.com, 11 May 2011, www.7kanal.com/article.php3?id=282307 and “’Nash vrag ne tol’ko Rusnya, no i Amerika, Angliya Izrail’ – vse, kto vedet voinu protiv Islama i musul’man’,” JamaatShariat.com, May 2011, http://www.jamaatshariat.com/-mainmenu-29/14-facty/1573–l-l-r.html.
[10] “Oblava na ‘dzhamaata’ v Astrakhani – zaderzhany dva chlena ekstremistkoi organizatsii,” Newsru.ru, 14 May 2011, 9:23 and 18:31, http://www.newsru.ru/russia/14may2011/dj.html.
[11] “Astrahanskuyu bandy zapodosrili v podgotovke terakta na 9 maya,” Lenta.ru, 8 May 2011, http://lenta.ru/news/2011/05/08/band2/.
[12] “Sotrudniki spetsnaza obstrelyany v Astrakhani, napadavshii zaderzhan,” Ast-News.ru, 9 May 2011, 17:38, http://www.ast-news.ru/node/4000 and “Astrakhan: V noch’ 9 maya atakovana gruppa politseiskogo spetsnaza,” Kavkaz tsentr, 9 May 2011, 12:48, http://www.kavkazcenter.com/russ/content/2011/05/09/81398.shtml.
[13] “Astrakhan: V noch’ 9 maya atakovana gruppa politseiskogo spetsnaza,” Kavkaz tsentr, 9 May 2011, 12:48, http://www.kavkazcenter.com/russ/content/2011/05/09/81398.shtml.
[14] “Oblava na ‘dzhamaata’ v Astrakhani – zaderzhany dva chlena ekstremistkoi organizatsii,” Newsru.ru, 14 May 2011, 9:23 and 18:31, http://www.newsru.ru/russia/14may2011/dj.html.
[15] Pavel Kosolapov, “ZAZA (Zloradnyi Analiz Zanimatel’noi arifmetiki),” Milleti-Ibrahim.com, 10 May 2011, 12:20, http://milleti-ibrahim.com/ru/2010-08-18-14-24-52/447-2011-05-10-13-03-14.html and Kavkaz tsentr, 10 May 2011, 15:07, http://www.kavkazcenter.com/russ/content/2011/05/10/81441.shtml.
[16] “Oblava na ‘dzhamaata’ v Astrakhani – zaderzhany dva chlena ekstremistkoi organizatsii,” Newsru.ru, 14 May 2011, 9:23 and 18:31, http://www.newsru.ru/russia/14may2011/dj.html.
[17] “Astrakhan: V noch’ 9 maya atakovana gruppa politseiskogo spetsnaza,” Kavkaz tsentr, 9 May 2011, 12:48, http://www.kavkazcenter.com/russ/content/2011/05/09/81398.shtml.
[18] “Denmark Charges Chechen With Terrorism,” Moscow Times, 3 May 2011, http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/denmark-charges-chechen-with-terrorism/436217.html, citing the Associated Press.
[19] “Denmark Charges Chechen With Terrorism,” Moscow Times, 3 May 2011, http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/denmark-charges-chechen-with-terrorism/436217.html, citing the Associated Press.
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ABOUT IIPER
Islam, Islamism and politics in Eurasia report (IIPER) is a project of the Monterey Terrorism and Research and Education Program (MonTREP) at the Monterey Institute for International Studies (MIIS), Monterey, California. It focuses on all politically-relevant issues involving or bearing on Islam and ethnic Muslim communities in Russia and Eurasia writ large. All issues of IIPER can be found at http://www.miis.edu/academics/faculty/ghahn/report.
IIPER is compiled, edited and, unless indicated otherwise, written by Dr. Gordon M. Hahn. Dr. Hahn is Senior Researcher at the Monterey Terrorism Research and Education Program and Visiting Assistant Professor, Graduate School of International Policy Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California. He is also a Senior Researcher, Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies (CETIS), Akribis Group and Analyst/Consultant for Russia Other Points of View – Russia Media Watch, http://www.russiaotherpointsofview.com. He teaches courses on both politics and terrorism in Russia and Eurasia at MIIS. Dr. Hahn is the author of two well-received books, Russia’s Islamic Threat (Yale University Press, 2007) and Russia’s Revolution From Above (Transaction, 2002) as well as numerous articles on Russian, Eurasian and international politics.
IIPER welcomes submissions of 1,500-6,000 words on any aspect of Islamic politics in Eurasia and financial contributions to support the project. For related inquiries or to request to be included on IIPER’s mailing list, please contact gordon.hahn@miis.edu or gordon-hahn@sbcglobal.net.
For additional information, please contact:
Dr. Gordon Hahn
Senior Researcher and WMD Terrorism Database Manager
Monterey Terrorism Research and Education Program (MonTREP)
460 Pierce Street
Monterey, CA – 93940 USA
Tel: (831) 647-3535 Fax: (831) 647-6522
Email: gordon.hahn@miis.edu