Chechen leader imposes strict Islamic code

[Laworkerbee]

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k141/laworkerbee/02chechen550.jpgShopping for a head scarf in the Chechen capital. Ramzan Kadyrov is imposing Islamic values in an effort to blunt the appeal of separatists and shore up his power.

GROZNY, Russia:

The president of Chechnya emerged from afternoon prayers at the mosque and with chilling composure explained why seven young women who had been shot in the head deserved to die.

Ramzan Kadyrov said the women, whose bodies were found dumped by the roadside, had "loose morals" and were rightfully shot by male relatives in honor killings.

"If a woman runs around and if a man runs around with her, both of them are killed," the bullnecked Kadyrov told journalists in the capital of this Russian republic.

The 32-year-old former militia leader is carrying out a campaign to impose Islamic values and strengthen the traditional customs of predominantly Muslim Chechnya, in an effort to blunt the appeal of hard-line Islamic separatists and shore up his power. In doing so, critics say, he is setting up a dictatorship where Russian laws do not apply.

Some in Russia say Kadyrov's attempt to create an Islamic society violates the Russian Constitution, which guarantees equal rights for women and a separation of church and state. But the Kremlin has given him its staunch backing, seeing him as the key to keeping the separatists in check, and that has allowed him to impose his will.

"Kadyrov willfully tries to increase the influence of local customs over the life of the republic because this makes him the absolute ruler of the republic," said Yulia Latynina, a political analyst in Moscow.

Kadyrov's bluster suggests how confident he is of his position. "No one can tell us not to be Muslims," he said outside the mosque. "If anyone says I cannot be a Muslim, he is my enemy."

Few dare to challenge Kadyrov's rule in this southern Russian region of more than a million people, which is only now emerging from the devastation of two wars in the past 15 years. The fighting between Islamic separatists and Russian troops, compounded by atrocities on both sides, claimed tens of thousands of lives and terrorized civilians.

Kadyrov describes women as the property of their husbands and says their main role is to bear children. He encourages men to take more than one wife, even though polygamy is illegal in Russia. Women and girls are now required to wear head scarves in schools, universities and government offices.

Some Chechen women say they support or at least accept Kadyrov's strict new guidelines.

"Head scarves make a woman beautiful," said Zulikhan Nakayeva, a medical student whose long dark hair flowed out from under her head covering, her big brown eyes accentuated by mascara.

But many chafe under the restrictions.

"How do women live in Chechnya? They live as the men say," said Taisiya, 20, who asked that her last name not be used for fear of retribution. She was not wearing a head scarf while shopping in central Grozny, which she said was her way of protesting.

Most women now wear head scarves in public, though the scarves rarely fully cover their hair and in some cases are little more than colorful silk headbands. Women who go out without a head scarf tend to tuck one into their bag for use where head scarves are required.

Many people suspect Kadyrov is branding the seven November slayings honor killings to advance his political agenda. He said the women were planning to go abroad to work as prostitutes, but that their relatives found out about it and killed them.

Few Chechens appear to believe that.

"If women are killed according to tradition, then it is done very secretly to prevent too many people from finding out that someone in the family behaved incorrectly," said Natalya Estemirova, a prominent human rights activist in Grozny.

Estemirova said two of the women were married, with two children each. Their husbands held large funerals and buried them in the family plot, which would not have happened if the women had disgraced their families, she said.

Kadyrov's version has also been contradicted by federal prosecutors in Moscow, who have concluded that relatives were not involved. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is continuing. Kadyrov's office refused to comment on the investigators' conclusion.

The Moscow newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that some of the women had worked in brothels frequented by Kadyrov's men. Many Chechens say they suspect the women were killed in a police operation. The truth of the killings may never be known, given how much Kadyrov is feared.

Rights activists fear that Kadyrov's approval of honor killings may encourage men to carry them out. Honor killings are considered part of Chechen tradition. No records are kept, but human rights activists estimate that dozens of women are killed every year.

Rest of the article can be found here http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/02/europe/chechen.php

Time to find a new Stooge Moscow.

[Jobu]

Putin weak.

[Mikhael]

Damn... and there was a time (many years ago) that i supported chechen fight :roll:

Well russians need to make a surge

[Hyde]

How can he do that if russian federal law is above republics law?

[Henry's Fork]

How can he do that if russian federal law is above republics law?

Something tells me, laws only apply some of the time, and to some of the people, in that part of the world.:-(

[Snoshi]

How can he do that if russian federal law is above republics law?

"Gornye" zakony are above the federal law in that region..

[Gunbird]

Damn... and there was a time (many years ago) that i supported chechen fight :roll:

Well russians need to make a surge

Russia backs him.

No surge here, buddy. If I understand you correctly.

[TR1]

Kadyrov's time will come. Unfortunately that region needed, and still needs a strong man of his type.

[eugenlitwin]

its clear violation of Russian Constitution, just wander how Moscow´ll take it

[Laworkerbee]

its clear violation of Russian Constitution, just wander how Moscow´ll take it

Moscow has to take it, for now, there are not a lot of alternatives to Kadyrov out there right now.

[Mr.K]

Just like Dow Jones looks like Chechnya is going back to 1996 era ,ruled by a twised vision of islam and an ak-47.
Separatist or pro-russian their leader ends up being koran thumping man with an assault rifle.
Mind you there is a vid with Kadyrov one of his buddies and two topless party girls.

Gasp! there are chechen women with "loose morals"?

[eugenlitwin]

Kadyrov's time will come. Unfortunately that region needed, and still needs a strong man of his type.

you mean a corrupt (in all possible ways) clan leader?
http://paradoxoff.com/files/2009/01/ramzan-kadyrov-cars-1.jpg

http://paradoxoff.com/files/2009/01/ramzan-kadyrov-cars-9.jpg

more herep-) http://paradoxoff.com/ramzan-kadyrov-cars.html

[Mr.K]

you mean a corrupt (in all possible ways) clan leader?
http://paradoxoff.com/files/2009/01/ramzan-kadyrov-cars-1.jpg

http://paradoxoff.com/files/2009/01/ramzan-kadyrov-cars-9.jpg

more herep-) http://paradoxoff.com/ramzan-kadyrov-cars.html

Yes that's exactly what he means, and he knows what he's talking about since he's from the region. And i tend to share his point of view.
People of caucasus, that were not "russified" are very "proud ", and think they are above the law.
Kadyrov is the type of the authority figure they fear and therefore respect. He has guns, he has cash and he's violent. Every "noxchi" dream.

The only bad thing is, those cars are paid by the Kremlin, such seems to be the price of peace in Chechnya.

[-Julik- 4.GdKp]

"Gornye" zakony are above the federal law in that region..

Indeed,i see more problems to come in the near future...

[Mikhael]

Did he really said that ???


I've already killed who I should have killed. And I will kill all of those standing behind them, as long as I myself am not killed or jailed. I will be killing as long as I live... Putin is a beauty. He thinks more about Chechnya than about any other republic. When my father was murdered, he [Putin] personally came down and went to the cemetery. Putin stopped the war. Putin should be made president for life. Strong rule is needed. Democracy is an American invention... Russians never obey their laws. Everyone stole, and only Khodorkovsky is in jail.

If yes Kadyrov is a psychopathic retard with gay love towards Putin i see :roll:

[TR1]

Ever consider that something might be changed or lost in translation?

[sepheronx]

Did he really said that ???



If yes Kadyrov is a psychopathic retard with gay love towards Putin i see :roll:

My lord, he does view Putin as a god.

But yeah, he is crazy. But until someone comes to take his place, he will continue to reign in terror.

[Henry's Fork]

Democracy is a American invention.

You learn something new everyday.

[intelligenzija]

looks like a little saudi arabia in southern russia

[Hyde]

"Gornye" zakony are above the federal law in that region..

Then there is something wrong in russia...federal law should never be up to discusssion, and the number one federal law should be to guarantee all human rights and humanity and stuff..with this move he just abandoned something which is No1 (or at least top 10) in the lawbooks of most of europe.

[Cedan]

Then there is something wrong in russia...federal law should never be up to discusssion, and the number one federal law should be to guarantee all human rights and humanity and stuff..with this move he just abandoned something which is No1 (or at least top 10) in the lawbooks of most of europe.

Russia don't care, Kadyrov is the price of stability in Chechnya and Russia is ok with that. Can't really blame them either.

[Mikhael]

Ever consider that something might be changed or lost in translation?


yes probably more about raping beheading and killing p-)


I truly inderstand that Russia need a strong leader in Chechnya but not a psychpathic murderer who maybe loves russia and putin (gay love or not) but when he die and he will(probably assasinated for things he is doing) **** will hit the fan in chechnya again.

[eugenlitwin]

Yes that's exactly what he means, and he knows what he's talking about since he's from the region. And i tend to share his point of view.
People of caucasus, that were not "russified" are very "proud ", and think they are above the law.
Kadyrov is the type of the authority figure they fear and therefore respect. He has guns, he has cash and he's violent. Every "noxchi" dream.

The only bad thing is, those cars are paid by the Kremlin, such seems to be the price of peace in Chechnya.

are you sure? whats about kidnappings, oil/arm smuggling, etc? anyway couple of more years and he´ll get his place here: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0921295.html

PS
In October 2007 Russian media reported that the Chechen parliament was going to take legal action for slander and character defamation against opposition leader Garry Kasparov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry_Kasparov) who had previously referred to Ramzan Kadyrov as a "Bandit". The day after the website Kasparov.ru announced that Kasparov wrote to Russia's public prosecutor about threats he received from official representatives of the Chechen Republic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chechen_Republic).
Chechen Parliamentary Speaker Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov told journalists "Garry Kasparov must be put in jail, However, if we do not manage to achieve the desired result through federal laws, we will resort to other measures. The Caucasus allows for this, and the Caucasus has its own laws, and Kasparov will be punished for such liberties. He must be in jail, and if not, we will punish him anyway".

[Mr.K]

My lord, he does view Putin as a god.

But yeah, he is crazy. But until someone comes to take his place, he will continue to reign in terror.

Of course he views him as god. One day you're a good for nothing thug, the next day you get appointed as president and get to have a lifestyle portrayed in movies, video games and rap videos.
You'd view Putin as God as well.


are you sure? whats about kidnappings, oil/arm smuggling, etc? anyway couple of more years and he´ll get his place here: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0921295.html

PS
In October 2007 Russian media reported that the Chechen parliament was going to take legal action for slander and character defamation against opposition leader Garry Kasparov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry_Kasparov) who had previously referred to Ramzan Kadyrov as a "Bandit". The day after the website Kasparov.ru announced that Kasparov wrote to Russia's public prosecutor about threats he received from official representatives of the Chechen Republic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chechen_Republic).
Chechen Parliamentary Speaker Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov told journalists "Garry Kasparov must be put in jail, However, if we do not manage to achieve the desired result through federal laws, we will resort to other measures. The Caucasus allows for this, and the Caucasus has its own laws, and Kasparov will be punished for such liberties. He must be in jail, and if not, we will punish him anyway".

Russia sends a lot of funds for "reconstruction" of Chechnya , there is corrpution in Chechnya, you can figure out the rest.
I'm not denying the kidnapings part. Like I said, Chechnya went back to 1996.

[lauris71]

Then there is something wrong in russia...federal law should never be up to discusssion, and the number one federal law should be to guarantee all human rights and humanity and stuff..with this move he just abandoned something which is No1 (or at least top 10) in the lawbooks of most of europe.
Although it is formally in Europe, there is probably little to do with Europaean law textbooks in Chechnya. And if you try to force your laws through by guns, there will be another bloody mess...
I am willing to bet, that the situation with human rights in Chechnya at moment is near infinitely better, than during these two chechen wars and brief islamic republic between them. So there has been some progress in region after all.
Putin & co probably do not care much about Kadyrov, but until they have workable plan how to replace him with someone else without much bloodshed, they will keep him. The hope being, that if the standard of living of people rises, they will probably seek someone more moderate themselves. But the action has to be come from chechens (with possible FSB help, of course)- they are proud nation and do not accept externally imposed leader.
Ruling empire is fine art. Apply too much force - and they start to seek independence. Give then independence - ant there will be islamic emirate, much worse than current thiefdom. Sucks to be moderate chechen of course - but at least they still have some protection under federal law and can move freely to other parts of Russia. Not so easy, if they would live in independent Caucasian emirate.
But if Russia manages to solve this and make Chechnya into "normal" republic eventually, then hats off for them ;-)

[Laworkerbee]

Ruling empire is fine art. Apply too much force - and they start to seek independence.

Comrade Stalin and his cattle cars would laugh at your weakness.

[TR1]

Comrade Stalin and his cattle cars would laugh at your weakness.

damn cali pinko

[Flamming_Python]

I don't think anyone short of Stalin will be able to sort out the mess in the Caucasus. As much as it's undesirable, there are simply no alternatives to Kadyrovism for the time being. On a side note i'll love to see a showdown between Kadyrov and Kasparov. One has brawn and guns, and the other has brains and American support :)

[Kilgor]

"he may be a bastard, but he's our bastard"..

[sepheronx]

I don't think anyone short of Stalin will be able to sort out the mess in the Caucasus. As much as it's undesirable, there are simply no alternatives to Kadyrovism for the time being. On a side note i'll love to see a showdown between Kadyrov and Kasparov. One has brawn and guns, and the other has brains and American support :)

American support in Chechnya means diddly squat. Chechnya last I checked, is part of Russia.

[CPL Trevoga]

Ok, Kadyrov did not "impose" some crazy Islamic code. Traditionally people there are more conservative in Chechnya than in Sweden for example. In Russia, woman needs to cover her head when going to the church, so in cultural context of Russia, it not something unusual.

What I found strange is that some women were killed and the authorities tried to blame the customs of the land, but it wasn't the case.

[Andarius-Militarius]

According to an American professor (a self-proclaimed Russia expert) teaching at the University or Tartu, Estonia, Chechnya is already independent. :-(

There are solutions for problems like this, but unfortunately common law and political correctness God forbid it.

[delio]

Unfortunately, customarily regarding women as mere objects seem to be well ingrained in Chechnya and its environs. The Soviet Union tried with all its might to banish these practices and failed -- as with this article, one can see they are still all too common -- which mean they'll likely endure well into the future.

There was an extensive article about one horrific facet of it in the Canadian press some months ago. Notice the nonchalant comments from actual government officials, ..

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showpost.php?p=3325988&postcount=12

Russia's Chechnya imposes Islamic dress code - Female civil servants must wear Islamic headscarves or be fired (http://in.*******.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-29471920070911)



GROZNY, Russia (*******) - Female civil servants must wear Islamic headscarves or be fired, the maverick head of Russia's Chechnya region said on Tuesday, an edict that may put him at odds with his secular masters in Moscow.

The Kremlin installed 30-year-old Ramzan Kadyrov as Chechnya's president to crush a decade-old separatist insurgency, but some observers say he has turned the region into a private fiefdom where Russian laws are flouted.

Russian law separates the state from religion and gives both sexes equal rights. But Kadyrov, who this year made a pilgrimage to Muslim holy sites in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia, said Chechnya had different traditions.

"I know everyone will say, 'Ramzan declares (rigid Islamic) sharia law'. But I reply that I am a Muslim, I respect Chechen traditions, and I am proud of this," Kadyrov, son of a Muslim cleric, told a meeting of local officials.

"I repeat once again -- women must either wear headscarves, or they should not work (for state institutions)," he said. "You may say I make unlawful statements, but I will not back down."

Kadyrov said he had been "literally shocked seeing our young women walking around in T-shirts and miniskirts in our city (Chechen capital Grozny)".

A keen amateur boxer who kept a lion as a pet, Kadyrov said women were the root of all crime committed in Chechnya because they were inviting men to have *** with them.

Families often declare blood feuds on men they believed have dishonoured their daughters, and in some cases they also kill their daughter for bringing shame on the family. "This only complicates the work of the police," Kadyrov said.

Kadyrov's hardline policies and the cult of personality he has built around himself make many Russian officials uneasy, but they are unlikely to take any action against him.

Russian President Vladimir Putin came to office seven years ago pledging to defeat Chechen separatists and he personally awarded Kadyrov Russia's highest honour for his work in stamping out the insurgency.Kidnap-a-Bride, Marriage The Caucasus Way (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=133186)





Rage or Romance?


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...ageRequested=1 (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080424.wbrides04262/BNStory/Front/home/?pageRequested=1)

April 26, 2008 at 1:35 AM EDT
GROZNY, Chechnya — Amina Edieva's abductor stalked her like a seasoned predator. He approached the slender, raven-haired 18-year-old student on a Grozny side street, hoisted her off the ground in a tight bear hug and dragged her into a waiting car.

She screamed, kicked and scratched at the man, but he brought three male friends, a driver and two backup abductors to ensure she couldn't escape. More young men in a second vehicle trailed, on the lookout for witnesses who might try to halt the brazen afternoon capture.

But Ms. Edieva knew that no Chechen would rescue her that September day nearly three years ago. Well versed in Chechnya's bride-abducting traditions, she understood she was caught up in a centuries-old ritual in which her captor, a suitor she had frequently rebuffed, was going to force her to marry him.

"I told him I hated him," she said, but he smiled.

"It doesn't matter if you love me or hate me," he told her calmly. "I want you, and you are going to be my wife."

Across Chechnya and neighbouring Ingushetia, violent bride abductions are staged nearly every week in the mountain-ringed, southern Russian republics known as the North Caucasus; during the spring wedding season, it can happen every day. Young women are snatched from bus stops, on their way home from school and sometimes out of their own yards. A shocking video with clips of men dragging screaming young women, their books, purses and cellphones sent flying, is a popular YouTube posting.

Authorities in the two restive republics routinely turn a blind eye to the violent practice, preferring to depict it as a romantic tradition, often staged by the starry-eyed young couples themselves.

Some claim the practice has a fairytale quality and many young women dream of being abducted by a handsome man.

"It's a sign that [a man] really loves her," said Mariyat Muskeeva, a cultural liaison officer with the Chechen local government. "If a woman can tell her children that their father kidnapped her, it's a great love story."

Most women interviewed across Chechnya and Ingushetia disagreed, saying they felt no affection from the men who stalked them and shoved them into waiting cars. Others said the custom has no place in modern society.

"The government wants to deny this is a problem," said Ms. Edieva, who eventually left her husband after a tense eight-month marriage. "They treat it as a normal thing."

There are no hard statistics on how many women are seized each year in Chechnya and Ingushetia, but human-rights organizations say it is in the thousands. Locals estimate that about half of all marriages begin with abductions.

During the Soviet era, Chechnya and Ingushetia were a single, autonomous republic, and the two cultures revolve first around the tightly knit, patriarchal families, followed by loyalty to the local clan.

Chechens, in particular, are proud of the region's non-Russian identity. In interviews, when asked why bride abduction persists in the 21st century, many replied: "It is our tradition."

Chechen magazine editor Lula Jumalaeva also noted that two wars have left a dire shortage of men. Unmarried women have no status in the society and many are desperate to marry, she said. With so few men, their odds are low of securing husbands of their choosing. If seized, they may feel pressure to marry the captor, especially if his family is suitable.

Family disputes, crimes and most social issues are settled by religious leaders and clan elders, not state authorities. Blood feuds and vigilante justice are common.

It is said that these strong family networks and disciplined religious brotherhoods helped Chechens survive three successive national tragedies, including the Stalin-ordered deportations of almost 400,000 Chechens to Kazakhstan in the 1940s, followed by two brutal wars with Russia in 1994 and 1999.

Women's roles in these tradition-bound societies are largely submissive and they perform the lion's share of household tasks. They are expected to act demurely in the presence of men and to eat at separate tables.

"In our society, we don't like girls who don't obey the rules and who have been touched," said Khamid Gabayev, 79, an elder in the alpine village of Vashendoroy in southern Chechnya. As he spoke, two women bustled around him, one pouring tea, the other cleaning his muddy shoes.

Ms. Muskeeva, the Chechen cultural liaison officer, said bride abductions are expressions of the passionate nature of North Caucasian men and women. "The kidnapping marriages are stronger than other marriages."

But Ms. Edieva barely knew her real-life captor and she was dating another man she longed to marry.

In the first minutes after she was grabbed, her mind flipped though the list of abduction rules most Chechen women know by heart: If she did not escape before morning, there would be no chance of avoiding the forced marriage.

If an unmarried Chechen woman spends a night in a man's house, she is considered to be his wife. If he touches her before marriage, she is thought to be tainted.

"I was about to faint," Ms. Edieva said in a recent interview at her parents' Grozny home. "He had already touched me. I was afraid that if my boyfriend found out, he would never see me again."

The speeding car drove past a military checkpoint manned by Chechens and Russians. The Chechen soldiers would not blink an eye, but she screamed out to the Russian soldiers. No one helped.

For nine hours, Ms. Edieva was held captive, pressured by a crowd of her abductor's relatives, who gathered at his home.

"There were nine men standing around me in a circle," she said. "I was screaming that I will die if I spend the night here. But they were laughing at me."

Just before 1 a.m., she found a cellphone and called home, but her mother was reluctant to rescue her. After she pleaded with an older brother, relatives took her home. Her mother and sister told her she was silly for resisting the match.

The next day, under pressure from her mother and grandfather, she gave in and agreed to marry her abductor, a man she identified only as Aslambeck.

Nine days later, Ms. Edieva, her makeup smudged by tears, was married in a traditional Chechen ceremony where she stood alone in a corner for hours at the groom's house, forbidden to speak or sit until the elders left.

Today, as a divorced young woman in a traditional Muslim culture, her marriage prospects have narrowed. She could marry a divorced man, or become a second wife, neither of which appeal to her.

Back home at her parents' house, Ms. Edieva has not re-enrolled in university and spends hours watching TV. She loves to try on bridal gowns and watch wedding videos.

Her future, she said, is ruined.

"Chechen traditions, they're all about what the parents want," she said bitterly.

Despite the official line that bride abduction is largely stage-managed by the young lovers themselves, scores of young Chechen and Ingush women told similar stories of abductions followed by hours of agonizing negotiations, often with complicit relatives.

Ms. Muskeeva said she doubted these stories, insisting that few Chechen women are forced to marry.

"If a girl doesn't want marriage, if the man's family doesn't want the marriage, if there is no mutual agreement, there is no marriage," she said.

During the interview, her boss, Isa Askhagov, entered the room and described how he captured his wife years ago. The two were dating and planned to marry, but she wanted to first finish medical school. He snatched her on her way home from classes. She was angry at first but he allowed her to finish her studies and today they have five children.

"It's like a play that's acted out," Mr. Askhagov said. "Chechen girls grow up in strict families. A girl wants a real man she can respect."

Of all the Chechen and Ingush traditions, the rules governing courtship and marriage are among the most strict.
Physical contact between an unmarried couple is forbidden. "Dates" normally consist of two people meeting in a public space for a conversation. A man must keep a distance of at least a metre from his female companion.

Chechen and Ingush women are rarely seen in public without head scarves and they never wear pants.


For many young Chechen men, the lack of physical intimacy is unbearable. Umar Makhauri abducted his 16-year-old bride, Malika Makhaeva, outside her grandparents' village house 34 years ago.


He said he had been overcome with desire. "I needed her and so I kidnapped her. I was young and my blood was boiling."

His family and friends supported the abduction and helped lure Ms. Makhaeva from her grandparents' house.
Now 57, he regrets what he did, admitting it caused his wife a lifetime of emotional pain.
Mr. Makhauri's midlife regrets have cost him little, though. He later took a second wife, a Grozny lawyer with whom he now lives part of the week.

His first wife and five of their six children, meanwhile, live outside Grozny in a large family compound. She said she has "never had a day of happiness" with her husband, adding she stayed in the marriage to keep custody of her children.

According to Chechen tradition, children of a divorced couple live with the father.

Ms. Makhaeva said the heartbreak of her marriage left more emotional scars than both wars combined. "My husband has a full life, with his family here and a second wife. I don't.

"And there was another boy I was in love with … ," she added, her voice trailing off.





http://images.theglobeandmail.com/archives/RTGAM/images/20080424/wbrides04262/02brides_500big.jpg

Chechen Heda Beckova, 26, was kidnapped from a refugee barracks in Ingushetia, in Russia's
North Caucasus region. Its neighbours are Chechnya and North Ossetia.



"It's a sign that [a man] really loves her," said Mariyat Muskeeva, a cultural liaison officer with the Chechen local government. "If a woman can tell her children that their father kidnapped her, it's a great love story."





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIYG8...ageRequested=3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIYG8adhNiw&eurl=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080424.wbrides04262/BNStory/Front/home/?pageRequested=3)





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqPf9hnazxs

[NineLine]

I don't give a crap what happens in Chechnya...as should most Americans. It's not our business and I'm just glad that places like that don't exist in the US. Yes I said it.

[TR1]

I don't give a crap what happens in Chechnya...as should most Americans. It's not our business and I'm just glad that places like that don't exist in the US. Yes I said it.

You go girl.

[Laworkerbee]

You go girl.

I LoL'ed rofl

[NineLine]

You go girl.

No homo.....

[gosciu555]

Rest of the article can be found here http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/02/europe/chechen.php

Time to find a new Stooge Moscow.

Totally misleading title. Should be Chechen leader uses Islamic Code to cover up for political crimes. Like people said, "he's a psycho but at least he's our psycho." People like him tend to crumble away or at least are forced to "tone down" their antics as people grow tired of him and living conditions/standards improve.

[Laworkerbee]

Totally misleading title.

Take it up with the International Herald Tribune..

[gosciu555]

Take it up with the Los Angeles Times.

The LA Times types the title into your Title box? :roll:

Good try smartass.

[Laworkerbee]

The LA Times types the title into your Title box? :roll:

Good try smartass.

Click on the link ****tard


Chechen leader imposes strict Islamic code (http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/02/europe/chechen.php) and the article is from the International Herald Tribune.

Now you were saying?

[Meatwad]

The LA Times types the title into your Title box? :roll:

Good try smartass.

Harden the fvck up. It's a freaking title.....

[gosciu555]

Click on the link ****tard


Chechen leader imposes strict Islamic code (http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/02/europe/chechen.php) and the article is from the International Herald Tribune.

Now you were saying?

I see you're a little slow. Let me explain it to you. The title of this thread is...


Take it up with the International Herald Tribune...
I was just commenting, you had to make it all personal.

[Laworkerbee]

I see you're a little slow. Let me explain it to you. The title of this thread is...

I was just commenting, you had to make it all personal.

Personal? I could care less what you think so there is no chance of this being personal.

Your whining because I didn't modify the original articles title because it doesn't fit your worldview. Modifying titles to fit ones political or personal views can get a user in trouble around here and it is looked down upon.

Choke yourself.

[F16]

The only bad thing is, those cars are paid by the Kremlin, such seems to be the price of peace in Chechnya.
Some of them are stolen, penal code doesn't apply there as well.

[1curious]

are you sure? whats about kidnappings, oil/arm smuggling, etc? anyway couple of more years and he´ll get his place here: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0921295.html

PS
In October 2007 Russian media reported that the Chechen parliament was going to take legal action for slander and character defamation against opposition leader Garry Kasparov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry_Kasparov) who had previously referred to Ramzan Kadyrov as a "Bandit". The day after the website Kasparov.ru announced that Kasparov wrote to Russia's public prosecutor about threats he received from official representatives of the Chechen Republic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chechen_Republic).
Chechen Parliamentary Speaker Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov told journalists "Garry Kasparov must be put in jail, However, if we do not manage to achieve the desired result through federal laws, we will resort to other measures. The Caucasus allows for this, and the Caucasus has its own laws, and Kasparov will be punished for such liberties. He must be in jail, and if not, we will punish him anyway".
very interesting..never heard this before.

Although it is formally in Europe, there is probably little to do with Europaean law textbooks in Chechnya. And if you try to force your laws through by guns, there will be another bloody mess...
I am willing to bet, that the situation with human rights in Chechnya at moment is near infinitely better, than during these two chechen wars and brief islamic republic between them. So there has been some progress in region after all.
Putin & co probably do not care much about Kadyrov, but until they have workable plan how to replace him with someone else without much bloodshed, they will keep him. The hope being, that if the standard of living of people rises, they will probably seek someone more moderate themselves. But the action has to be come from chechens (with possible FSB help, of course)- they are proud nation and do not accept externally imposed leader.
Ruling empire is fine art. Apply too much force - and they start to seek independence. Give then independence - ant there will be islamic emirate, much worse than current thiefdom. Sucks to be moderate chechen of course - but at least they still have some protection under federal law and can move freely to other parts of Russia. Not so easy, if they would live in independent Caucasian emirate.
But if Russia manages to solve this and make Chechnya into "normal" republic eventually, then hats off for them ;-)
+1
The little I saw and heard of him, Kadyrov does not strike me as the smartest chap around. But obviously his loyalty to Kremlin is
the only reason he's still on the top.

[Andarius-Militarius]

I don't give a crap what happens in Chechnya...as should most Americans. It's not our business and I'm just glad that places like that don't exist in the US. Yes I said it.

The United States does not have ethnic enclaves. Well it did once with native americans but the genocides in the 19th century ensured that a chechnya-style scenario would never happen.

[Flamming_Python]

Totally misleading title. Should be Chechen leader uses Islamic Code to cover up for political crimes. Like people said, "he's a psycho but at least he's our psycho." People like him tend to crumble away or at least are forced to "tone down" their antics as people grow tired of him and living conditions/standards improve.

I think that this is what will happen in due course. Chechnya is growing economically quite rapidly, and that will bring social change. There is also the fact that Chechnya is not isolated from the rest of Russia. Many Chechens go to other regions to work and in many cases end up settling down there, where Chechen traditions and customs don't apply and things like this are freely written about and discussed. This will also accelerate social change as Chechen society begins to absorb more aspects of the more general Russian/post-Soviet society of the rest of Russia.

I remember that I read somewhere not too long ago, that the reason why Kadyrov is pushing through these Islamic laws and reforms, is to weaken the appeal of Islamic opposition and insurgency in Chechnya. If he can convince the religious & radically-minded segment of the population that he is serious about his religion, he can win their loyalty. He is also offering amnesty to many leading figures of the Chechen insurgency living abroad, such as Ahmed Zakayev and Timur Mutsuraev inviting them to come back to Chechnya; in the case of Zakayev seemingly contradicting Moscow who wants him in jail. I'd again interpret this as trying to gather as much support as possible and weakining the opposition to him. Then again, there is another article I read which theorises that Kadyrov is gathering support to gear up for a third war with Russia. I view this as somewhat unlikely, but it just shows that you can never know.

[Cedan]

By Fred Burton and Ben West

As Umar Israilov, a 27-year-old Chechen political refugee living in Vienna, Austria, returned home on foot after grocery shopping Jan. 13, he spotted two men standing outside his apartment building — one of whom had a gun. Upon spotting the men, Israilov dropped his groceries and fled down Leopoldauer Street in the Floridsdorf neighborhood of Vienna, dodging cars and pedestrians. But the gunman managed to wound Israilov, halting his flight. The two men then approached him in a side alley, where the armed man shot Israilov twice in the head, killing him.
One man has been detained in connection with the killing, which a Stratfor source alleges was carried out by organized criminal assets in Vienna at the behest of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov and with Kremlin approval. Israilov was an outspoken critic of Kadyrov and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Because of this, Israilov had frequently expressed concerns for his safety and that of his family.
Before seeking asylum in Austria, Israilov fought during the Second Chechen War against Russian forces, which captured him in 2003. Afterward, he served as one of Kadyrov’s bodyguards, a position that gave him a front-row seat to the activities of Kadyrov, who at that time led the militia of his father, then-Chechen President Akhmed Kadyrov. (Ramzan Kadyrov became Chechen president in 2007, three years after his father’s assassination.) Israilov and the younger Kadyrov had a falling-out in 2004, after which Israilov said his former boss tortured him using electric charges.
Israilov fled to the West shortly thereafter, first seeking asylum in Poland and later obtaining asylum in Austria. Once in Europe, he often spoke out against Ramzan Kadyrov, filing complaints about his alleged torture with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, and talking to reporters from The New York Times about his experiences. While allegations that Kadyrov and his associates committed torture were not new, Israilov’s former position in Kadyrov’s circle set him apart as a dissident — and marked him as a security risk to his former employers due to his firsthand knowledge of how Kadyrov operates. Israilov reportedly told police in Vienna that he felt threatened and asked for extra security.
Austria has long been a popular place for political asylum-seekers who are facing threats due to their political views; providing adequate protection for all of these dissidents is impossible. Israilov further endangered himself by maintaining a relatively high profile due to his court filings and conversations with journalists. (He might have sought publicity in a bid to support himself and his family financially.)
Chechnya, Russia and the Israilov Killing

According to Israilov’s father, in June 2008 a Chechen visited the younger Israilov, showing him a hit list of 300 Chechens who oppose Kadyrov. Ramzan Kadyrov is well-known for not tolerating detractors, allegedly having ordered the deaths of dissenters before. While spokesmen for Kadyrov have distanced the Chechen president from the Israilov killing, saying the latter did not pose a significant threat to Chechnya, Israilov’s killing could well have been intended as an example to other Chechen dissidents who felt safe abroad. While Chechen dissidents routinely die or disappear under murky circumstances in their country, this is the first time a vocal Chechen dissident has been slain abroad. The brazen nature of Israilov’s killing in particular suggests an effort to highlight the vulnerability of exiled Chechen dissidents.
According to Stratfor sources, agents were not sent from Chechnya to carry out this operation. After getting permission from Moscow for the Israilov killing — Russia keeps a tight grip on Chechnya, so Moscow would interpret a unilateral assassination abroad as subversive — Kadyrov allegedly mobilized organized criminals in Austria to carry out the deed. While it is not clear exactly which organized criminal faction carried out the killing, the man detained in connection with the killing was a Chechen who has lived in Austria for several years under the name Otto Kaltenbrunner. While he has not been charged with anything, the getaway car was registered in his name — suggesting the involvement of Chechen organized crime, which has a strong presence in Russia and Europe as well as in the Caucasus.
As major fighting in the Second Chechen War wound down from 2005 to 2007, many of the militants who had fought the Russians disbanded and fled the country. These soldiers, highly trained and accustomed to using violence to get their way, had limited options beyond putting their skills to use with the various Chechen organized criminal factions (http://www.stratfor.com/chechnya_militants_hire_relocation_must/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email) that thrived in postwar Chechnya. Chechen gangs are prized for their high level of training and brutality (http://www.stratfor.com/geopolitical_diary/geopolitical_diary_russias_secret_chechen_weapon/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email), abilities that have proved very valuable to criminal groups in Russia, the Caucasus and Europe.
The high degree of professionalism in the Israilov killing tends to support the existence of a Chechen organized criminal angle. This professionalism includes the audacity of Israilov’s killers, who attacked in broad daylight on a busy street. It also includes their ability to kill Israilov (himself a militant trained under Kadyrov) without any significant struggle or collateral damage. Moreover, at least a low level of surveillance must have been carried out on Israilov’s residence to confirm that he lived there and to establish his schedule so the attackers could wait for him.
The Chechen leadership has a relationship with Chechen organized crime because of the military and security service background of many Chechen criminals, and because Kadyrov led these militias during the Russo-Chechen wars of the 1990s. Such a relationship could be called on in commissioning a killing in Vienna.
Using hired guns from Austria would allow any foreign entity that ordered the killing to distance itself from the crime. Even if Austrian police managed to track down and initiate a prosecution of those who carried out the killing, arranging the extraditions of suspects from Russia would be virtually impossible without Moscow’s cooperation. Russia has not cooperated with British authorities investigating the killing of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 (http://www.stratfor.com/u_k_puzzling_polonium_210_attack/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email), for example, and the investigation has turned into a political skirmish in an already-tense relationship between the two countries. Attempting to pursue the Israilov case with Russia probably would bring a similar outcome for Austria: inconclusive findings and weakened relations with a Russia that is asserting itself much more than it did in 2006.
Suspicions of Moscow’s involvement in the assassinations of Russian dissidents by various means have become common in the past three years. Russian organized criminal groups, as well as the Russian domestic security and intelligence service, the FSB, are the most likely culprits behind the increase in high-profile assassinations (http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/russia_and_return_fsb/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email) of Russian dissidents over the last few years. Many of the assassinations have been connected to the issue of Chechnya and alleged human rights abuses there.
The Chechen wars are a sensitive issue for both Russians and Chechens. Those who stir up tales of past offenses by either side are seen as undermining the stability in Chechnya that has come about because of the ongoing alliance between Putin and Kadyrov. The suspicious deaths of individuals (followed by their date of death) who fall into this category include:


Anna Politkovskaya (http://www.stratfor.com/geopolitical_diary_curious_politkovskaya_case/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email), October 2006. A prominent journalist and critic of the Kremlin, Politkovskaya was in the process of publishing a series condemning the government’s policy in Chechnya. She was shot in the head in her apartment building.
Alexander Litvinenko (http://www.stratfor.com/russia_west_and_espionage_game/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email), November 2006. Litvinenko was a former KGB agent who had defected to the United Kingdom and published books on the internal workings of Putin’s FSB networks, and he was critical of the new Russian state. He was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210.
Ivan Safronov, March 2007. Safronov was a journalist who criticized the state of the Russian military and was accused of leaking military affairs to foreign parties. He allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of his apartment building, though some reports say a person behind him forced him out of the building.
Oleg Zhukovsky, December 2007. Zhukovsky was an executive of the VTB bank, which at the time of his death was being taken over by the state so the Kremlin could handpick its senior officers to oversee many strategic state accounts. Zhukovsky allegedly performed the feat of committing suicide by being tied to a chair and thrown into his swimming pool, where he drowned.
Arkady Patarkatsishvili, February 2008. A wealthy Georgian-Russian businessman, Patarkatsishvili was extensively involved in Georgian politics. Patarkatsishvili died in the United Kingdom of coronary complications that resembled a heart attack. His family and many in Georgia have accused the FSB of involvement, however, saying the FSB has many untraceable poisons at its disposal.
Leonid Rozhetskin, March 2008. Rozhetskin was an international financier and lawyer who held stakes in strategic companies, like mobile phone giant MegaFon. He disappeared while in Latvia after losing Kremlin backing by selling his assets to multiple parties, including some government ministers who are former FSB agents.
Paul Klebnikov, July 2008. The editor of Forbes’ Russian edition, Klebnikov was shot dead in Moscow as he was heading into a subway station. The driver of a stolen car that pulled out of a parking lot and drove toward Klebnikov fired four shots before fleeing the scene.
Ruslan Yamadayev (http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20080925_russia_chechen_assassination/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email), September 2008. Yamadayev was a Chechen military leader and former member of the State Duma. He was shot in his Mercedes as it was stopped at a red light near the Kremlin in Moscow.
Stanislav Markelov, January 2009. A prominent Russian lawyer who had prosecuted an army colonel convicted of murdering a Chechen woman, Markelov was shot dead along with a journalist in broad daylight on a Moscow street near the Kremlin. He was also involved in the case of Anna Politkovskaya.

Vienna, City of International Intrigue

Vienna has long been a key battleground for international disputes between competing countries’ security and intelligence operatives. No stranger to international intrigue and attacks, the Austrian capital has had a reputation for assassination plots, intelligence gathering and foreign operatives conducting missions against dissidents who thought they were safe living in a Western city in an otherwise peaceful country.
In one example of this tradition, Iranian agents linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security shot and killed three members of a Kurdish delegation conducting negotiations with the Iranian leadership in 1989. Similarly, many cases of espionage between the United States and the Soviet Union unfolded in Vienna, including the cases of Marine Sgt. Clayton Lonetree and Felix Block, who passed information to the Soviets when he was second-in-command at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna. The Israilov case is thus probably only the latest in a long tradition of foreign intrigue.
Austria’s central location between the former Warsaw Pact countries of Czechoslovakia and Hungary and NATO countries of Italy and West Germany, along with Vienna’s official neutrality, made Austria a natural Cold War battleground. The Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States all focused intelligence-gathering capabilities there. And as Cold War battle lines are redrawn (http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20080917_militant_possibilities_new_old_front/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email) with Russia’s resurgence, the significance of places like Vienna re-emerges. Considering that these activities only began to slacken less than 20 years ago, old intelligence networks could be put into operation again with relative ease.
The blurring of the line between Russian intelligence agents and organized crime (http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/organized_crime_russia/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email) that occurred during the 1990s means that Russia still has a considerable network around the world, though now, elements of this network also are engaged in criminal activities. This network must be considered when looking at cases like that of Israilov.
Significantly, Austria is home to the largest Chechen refugee population in Europe. An estimated 20,000 Chechens — not all of them legal residents — live in the Central European country; many of them fled the bloody Chechen wars with Russia. In general, ethnic organized criminal outfits flourish among immigrants or refugee populations because they can offer illegal immigrants services that they cannot get from the state. They also flourish there because they can use the immigrant community to operate with more secrecy. This is because many immigrant communities live apart from the indigenous population, often in separate neighborhoods, speak a different language and generally stick together in opposition to their host country’s police services. Additionally, family bonds (intensified when around strangers) strengthen ties within immigrant communities, allowing for the kind of secrecy that lets organized crime thrive.
The establishment of a strong Chechen presence in Austria, along with a pre-existing Russian presence, means that Chechnya and Russia have a long reach in the country. Considering the organized crime-FSB nexus, the increase in politically motivated murders of Russian dissidents and how Moscow most likely was pleased with Israilov’s demise, Russian assets in Vienna could well have been involved in the murder. While Russia is broadly suspected of killing dissidents abroad in recent years, Chechnya is not known to have carried out attacks in the European Union before — meaning the Israilov killing will send chills down the spines of exiled Chechen dissidents.

--

Somewhat related article from Stratfor on Kadyrov, stability in Chechnya and political opposition to Kadyrov's regime abroad

[gosciu555]

Personal? I could care less what you think so there is no chance of this being personal.

Your whining because I didn't modify the original articles title because it doesn't fit your worldview. Modifying titles to fit ones political or personal views can get a user in trouble around here and it is looked down upon.

Choke yourself.

Yeah whatever. You think I care what you think? I don't about the stupid title. I was just saying. You're the one that got confrontational. End of story. ****tard.

[Teymuraz]

Kadyrov likes his bentleys, ferraries, laborghinies e.t.c. He is definately happy that about 90% of annual budget of Chechna is funded from federal budget and that these are the money he can use to buy bentleys, ferraries, laborghinies, while at the same time rebuilding Chechna and creating some jobs whithout doing anything but controlling the cash flows.

Since he is happy with that, and there is no formidable force to push him off, i am very much sure there will be no 3rd Chechen war in close future...but there is a problem...crysis=less money in federal budget=less money in Chechnya budget=he wont be happy, but still less money is better then no money at all and a perspective of loosing it all to live in mountains and being a target for spetsnaz.

[Mr.K]

"It's a sign that [a man] really loves her," said Mariyat Muskeeva, a cultural liaison officer with the Chechen local government. "If a woman can tell her children that their father kidnapped her, it's a great love story."








Seems like life in chechnya revolves around stealing, be it a TV, a goat, a '95 bmw or a woman.
This is almost as retarded as the russian "He beats me because he loves me".

[eskachig]

The little I saw and heard of him, Kadyrov does not strike me as the smartest chap around. But obviously his loyalty to Kremlin is the only reason he's still on the top.I doubt that Kadyrov is dumb, you simply don't survive in that environment unless you're cunning and shrewd. He certainly comes across a bit thick headed, but maybe that's his mask.


Back home at her parents' house, Ms. Edieva has not re-enrolled in university and spends hours watching TV. She loves to try on bridal gowns and watch wedding videos.Damn, that's sad as hell.

[Papenheims]

Seems like life in chechnya revolves around stealing, be it a TV, a goat, a '95 bmw or a woman.
This is almost as retarded as the russian "He beats me because he loves me".

Actually the Russian saying "He beats me because he loves me" is true. It was first attested in primary source Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii (Notes on Muscovite Affairs) - written by Sigismund von Herberstein - an Austrian envoy in the court of Vasili III in 16th century.

[Mr.K]

Actually the Russian saying "He beats me because he loves me" is true. It was first attested in primary source Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii (Notes on Muscovite Affairs) - written by Sigismund von Herberstein - an Austrian envoy in the court of Vasili III in 16th century.

What are you trying to prove? I'm not saying its not true, i'm saying it's retarded.

[Papenheims]

What are you trying to prove? I'm not saying its not true, i'm saying it's retarded.

Sorry, I misunderstood. :oops:

[Flamming_Python]

By Fred Burton and Ben West

As Umar Israilov, a 27-year-old Chechen political refugee living in Vienna, Austria, returned home on foot after grocery shopping Jan. 13, he spotted two men standing outside his apartment building — one of whom had a gun. Upon spotting the men, Israilov dropped his groceries and fled down Leopoldauer Street in the Floridsdorf neighborhood of Vienna, dodging cars and pedestrians. But the gunman managed to wound Israilov, halting his flight. The two men then approached him in a side alley, where the armed man shot Israilov twice in the head, killing him.
One man has been detained in connection with the killing, which a Stratfor source alleges was carried out by organized criminal assets in Vienna at the behest of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov and with Kremlin approval. Israilov was an outspoken critic of Kadyrov and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Because of this, Israilov had frequently expressed concerns for his safety and that of his family.
Before seeking asylum in Austria, Israilov fought during the Second Chechen War against Russian forces, which captured him in 2003. Afterward, he served as one of Kadyrov’s bodyguards, a position that gave him a front-row seat to the activities of Kadyrov, who at that time led the militia of his father, then-Chechen President Akhmed Kadyrov. (Ramzan Kadyrov became Chechen president in 2007, three years after his father’s assassination.) Israilov and the younger Kadyrov had a falling-out in 2004, after which Israilov said his former boss tortured him using electric charges.
Israilov fled to the West shortly thereafter, first seeking asylum in Poland and later obtaining asylum in Austria. Once in Europe, he often spoke out against Ramzan Kadyrov, filing complaints about his alleged torture with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, and talking to reporters from The New York Times about his experiences. While allegations that Kadyrov and his associates committed torture were not new, Israilov’s former position in Kadyrov’s circle set him apart as a dissident — and marked him as a security risk to his former employers due to his firsthand knowledge of how Kadyrov operates. Israilov reportedly told police in Vienna that he felt threatened and asked for extra security.
Austria has long been a popular place for political asylum-seekers who are facing threats due to their political views; providing adequate protection for all of these dissidents is impossible. Israilov further endangered himself by maintaining a relatively high profile due to his court filings and conversations with journalists. (He might have sought publicity in a bid to support himself and his family financially.)
Chechnya, Russia and the Israilov Killing

According to Israilov’s father, in June 2008 a Chechen visited the younger Israilov, showing him a hit list of 300 Chechens who oppose Kadyrov. Ramzan Kadyrov is well-known for not tolerating detractors, allegedly having ordered the deaths of dissenters before. While spokesmen for Kadyrov have distanced the Chechen president from the Israilov killing, saying the latter did not pose a significant threat to Chechnya, Israilov’s killing could well have been intended as an example to other Chechen dissidents who felt safe abroad. While Chechen dissidents routinely die or disappear under murky circumstances in their country, this is the first time a vocal Chechen dissident has been slain abroad. The brazen nature of Israilov’s killing in particular suggests an effort to highlight the vulnerability of exiled Chechen dissidents.
According to Stratfor sources, agents were not sent from Chechnya to carry out this operation. After getting permission from Moscow for the Israilov killing — Russia keeps a tight grip on Chechnya, so Moscow would interpret a unilateral assassination abroad as subversive — Kadyrov allegedly mobilized organized criminals in Austria to carry out the deed. While it is not clear exactly which organized criminal faction carried out the killing, the man detained in connection with the killing was a Chechen who has lived in Austria for several years under the name Otto Kaltenbrunner. While he has not been charged with anything, the getaway car was registered in his name — suggesting the involvement of Chechen organized crime, which has a strong presence in Russia and Europe as well as in the Caucasus.
As major fighting in the Second Chechen War wound down from 2005 to 2007, many of the militants who had fought the Russians disbanded and fled the country. These soldiers, highly trained and accustomed to using violence to get their way, had limited options beyond putting their skills to use with the various Chechen organized criminal factions (http://www.stratfor.com/chechnya_militants_hire_relocation_must/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email) that thrived in postwar Chechnya. Chechen gangs are prized for their high level of training and brutality (http://www.stratfor.com/geopolitical_diary/geopolitical_diary_russias_secret_chechen_weapon/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email), abilities that have proved very valuable to criminal groups in Russia, the Caucasus and Europe.
The high degree of professionalism in the Israilov killing tends to support the existence of a Chechen organized criminal angle. This professionalism includes the audacity of Israilov’s killers, who attacked in broad daylight on a busy street. It also includes their ability to kill Israilov (himself a militant trained under Kadyrov) without any significant struggle or collateral damage. Moreover, at least a low level of surveillance must have been carried out on Israilov’s residence to confirm that he lived there and to establish his schedule so the attackers could wait for him.
The Chechen leadership has a relationship with Chechen organized crime because of the military and security service background of many Chechen criminals, and because Kadyrov led these militias during the Russo-Chechen wars of the 1990s. Such a relationship could be called on in commissioning a killing in Vienna.
Using hired guns from Austria would allow any foreign entity that ordered the killing to distance itself from the crime. Even if Austrian police managed to track down and initiate a prosecution of those who carried out the killing, arranging the extraditions of suspects from Russia would be virtually impossible without Moscow’s cooperation. Russia has not cooperated with British authorities investigating the killing of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 (http://www.stratfor.com/u_k_puzzling_polonium_210_attack/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email), for example, and the investigation has turned into a political skirmish in an already-tense relationship between the two countries. Attempting to pursue the Israilov case with Russia probably would bring a similar outcome for Austria: inconclusive findings and weakened relations with a Russia that is asserting itself much more than it did in 2006.
Suspicions of Moscow’s involvement in the assassinations of Russian dissidents by various means have become common in the past three years. Russian organized criminal groups, as well as the Russian domestic security and intelligence service, the FSB, are the most likely culprits behind the increase in high-profile assassinations (http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/russia_and_return_fsb/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email) of Russian dissidents over the last few years. Many of the assassinations have been connected to the issue of Chechnya and alleged human rights abuses there.
The Chechen wars are a sensitive issue for both Russians and Chechens. Those who stir up tales of past offenses by either side are seen as undermining the stability in Chechnya that has come about because of the ongoing alliance between Putin and Kadyrov. The suspicious deaths of individuals (followed by their date of death) who fall into this category include:


Anna Politkovskaya (http://www.stratfor.com/geopolitical_diary_curious_politkovskaya_case/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email), October 2006. A prominent journalist and critic of the Kremlin, Politkovskaya was in the process of publishing a series condemning the government’s policy in Chechnya. She was shot in the head in her apartment building.
Alexander Litvinenko (http://www.stratfor.com/russia_west_and_espionage_game/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email), November 2006. Litvinenko was a former KGB agent who had defected to the United Kingdom and published books on the internal workings of Putin’s FSB networks, and he was critical of the new Russian state. He was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210.
Ivan Safronov, March 2007. Safronov was a journalist who criticized the state of the Russian military and was accused of leaking military affairs to foreign parties. He allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of his apartment building, though some reports say a person behind him forced him out of the building.
Oleg Zhukovsky, December 2007. Zhukovsky was an executive of the VTB bank, which at the time of his death was being taken over by the state so the Kremlin could handpick its senior officers to oversee many strategic state accounts. Zhukovsky allegedly performed the feat of committing suicide by being tied to a chair and thrown into his swimming pool, where he drowned.
Arkady Patarkatsishvili, February 2008. A wealthy Georgian-Russian businessman, Patarkatsishvili was extensively involved in Georgian politics. Patarkatsishvili died in the United Kingdom of coronary complications that resembled a heart attack. His family and many in Georgia have accused the FSB of involvement, however, saying the FSB has many untraceable poisons at its disposal.
Leonid Rozhetskin, March 2008. Rozhetskin was an international financier and lawyer who held stakes in strategic companies, like mobile phone giant MegaFon. He disappeared while in Latvia after losing Kremlin backing by selling his assets to multiple parties, including some government ministers who are former FSB agents.
Paul Klebnikov, July 2008. The editor of Forbes’ Russian edition, Klebnikov was shot dead in Moscow as he was heading into a subway station. The driver of a stolen car that pulled out of a parking lot and drove toward Klebnikov fired four shots before fleeing the scene.
Ruslan Yamadayev (http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20080925_russia_chechen_assassination/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email), September 2008. Yamadayev was a Chechen military leader and former member of the State Duma. He was shot in his Mercedes as it was stopped at a red light near the Kremlin in Moscow.
Stanislav Markelov, January 2009. A prominent Russian lawyer who had prosecuted an army colonel convicted of murdering a Chechen woman, Markelov was shot dead along with a journalist in broad daylight on a Moscow street near the Kremlin. He was also involved in the case of Anna Politkovskaya.

Vienna, City of International Intrigue

Vienna has long been a key battleground for international disputes between competing countries’ security and intelligence operatives. No stranger to international intrigue and attacks, the Austrian capital has had a reputation for assassination plots, intelligence gathering and foreign operatives conducting missions against dissidents who thought they were safe living in a Western city in an otherwise peaceful country.
In one example of this tradition, Iranian agents linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security shot and killed three members of a Kurdish delegation conducting negotiations with the Iranian leadership in 1989. Similarly, many cases of espionage between the United States and the Soviet Union unfolded in Vienna, including the cases of Marine Sgt. Clayton Lonetree and Felix Block, who passed information to the Soviets when he was second-in-command at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna. The Israilov case is thus probably only the latest in a long tradition of foreign intrigue.
Austria’s central location between the former Warsaw Pact countries of Czechoslovakia and Hungary and NATO countries of Italy and West Germany, along with Vienna’s official neutrality, made Austria a natural Cold War battleground. The Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States all focused intelligence-gathering capabilities there. And as Cold War battle lines are redrawn (http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20080917_militant_possibilities_new_old_front/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email) with Russia’s resurgence, the significance of places like Vienna re-emerges. Considering that these activities only began to slacken less than 20 years ago, old intelligence networks could be put into operation again with relative ease.
The blurring of the line between Russian intelligence agents and organized crime (http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/organized_crime_russia/?utm_source=TWeekly&utm_campaign=none&utm_medium=email) that occurred during the 1990s means that Russia still has a considerable network around the world, though now, elements of this network also are engaged in criminal activities. This network must be considered when looking at cases like that of Israilov.
Significantly, Austria is home to the largest Chechen refugee population in Europe. An estimated 20,000 Chechens — not all of them legal residents — live in the Central European country; many of them fled the bloody Chechen wars with Russia. In general, ethnic organized criminal outfits flourish among immigrants or refugee populations because they can offer illegal immigrants services that they cannot get from the state. They also flourish there because they can use the immigrant community to operate with more secrecy. This is because many immigrant communities live apart from the indigenous population, often in separate neighborhoods, speak a different language and generally stick together in opposition to their host country’s police services. Additionally, family bonds (intensified when around strangers) strengthen ties within immigrant communities, allowing for the kind of secrecy that lets organized crime thrive.
The establishment of a strong Chechen presence in Austria, along with a pre-existing Russian presence, means that Chechnya and Russia have a long reach in the country. Considering the organized crime-FSB nexus, the increase in politically motivated murders of Russian dissidents and how Moscow most likely was pleased with Israilov’s demise, Russian assets in Vienna could well have been involved in the murder. While Russia is broadly suspected of killing dissidents abroad in recent years, Chechnya is not known to have carried out attacks in the European Union before — meaning the Israilov killing will send chills down the spines of exiled Chechen dissidents.

--

Somewhat related article from Stratfor on Kadyrov, stability in Chechnya and political opposition to Kadyrov's regime abroad

Pretty BS article, it attempts to tie in all the killings of the Putin and Medvedev years, not to mention organised crime in Europe, into one big Kremlin master plot, while giving no evidence whatsoever; it's simply speculation presented as fact. This reminds me of the theory propogated by some US hawks during the 80's that all the terrorist movements in the world, from the PLO to the Provisional IRA, secretly took their orders from Moscow.

If this is seriously the sort of material that Western politicians, foreign policy makers and political scientists read and are influenced by when it comes to their dealings with Russia, then I am seriously worried.

Not only is the analysis a mess, so are the established facts:

1. It was very much in the Kremlin's interest to keep Patarkatsishvili alive; seeing as not so long before he was murdered he decided to denounce Saakashvilli, fund opposition TV stations in Georgia (that were later raided and taken over by the Georgian government) and raise the possibility of running for president of Georgia himself or at least support an opposition candidate against Saakashvilli. I'm surprised this death got a mention in this article; as the richest Georgian in the world (now former) his political importance, wealth & influence was of immensely more than Politovskaya & Litvinenko combined, but in stark contrast to those his death barely registered as a blip in the Western media. I'm not so surprised that the blame is now being twisted onto the Kremlin; considering the rest of this article. As for his familly blaming the FSB, I have never heard of it. If memory serves me correct he expressed his fear that he will soon be killed shortly before he was killed; but he didn't mention Russia at all, if anything it was his fellow Georgians he was afraid of.

2. Klebnikov was not assassinated in 2008, actually it happened 4 years earlier in 2004, shortly after he published an article naming the 100 Richest Russians (guess who didn't want to be shown to be on that list - that's right all of them :D). Such an elemental mistake casts doubt onto all the rest of the accounts of deaths and the dates of their occurance; although I must confess that I don't have the knowledge or motivation to double check all the details in this article. Secoundly, it was once again quite unadvantageous for the Kremlin to have Klebnikov killed. He was a writer and although he did point fingers and write about various corrupt individuals, businessmen and politicians, he was most famous for his immense critisism and written works on Berezovsky and his activities, a figure who of course is an enemy of the Kremlin. Beyond oligarchs, Klebnikov never expressed much of an interest in big-time politics, presidents and leaders, but was AFAIK quite pro-Kremlin if anything.

3. The assassination of Ruslan Yamadayev certainly did not help the Kremlin one bit; considering his pro-Russian orientation, his brother Sulim's commandment of the pro-Kremlin Chechen GRU 'Vostok' battallion, and the possibility that both of their services would come in very handy should Kadyrov decide to rise up against Moscow at some time in the future.

4. The case of Markelov is pretty murky, as is that of Politovskaya's. While I could make a reasonable arguement for both of them that the Kremlin was unlikely to have been involved in their deaths, I think that so much has been said about these killings already and I simply don't want the hassle of repeating everything p-)

[eugenlitwin]

what’s funny here, it looks like Russians don´t have generals with balls anymore, look Kadyrov´s bandits bit, humiliate federal soldiers , make short film, show it to many friends/family members..., and there is no reaction from Russian war-generals, no one of them is tough enough to jump on a tank smash/make coal-dust out of Kadyrov´s nest with all cars and sabresand carpets, the very next day he’d have been hero in Russia and many other countries.

[Red_Rage]

what’s funny here, it looks like Russians don´t have generals with balls anymore, look Kadyrov´s bandits bit, humiliate federal soldiers , make short film, show it to many friends/family members..., and there is no reaction from Russian war-generals, no one of them is tough enough to jump on a tank smash/make coal-dust out of Kadyrov´s nest with all cars and sabresand carpets, the very next day he’d have been hero in Russia and many other countries.


Commanders displaying their bravado happened on numerous occasions during the First War and initial stages of Second war. Results? Lots of botched careers...

Politicians run wars, and [for now] politicians want an appearance of nice and quiet Chechnya, where "good" Chechens that "won" are actively coopearating with federal forces. That means stripping rights from federal forces and giving "free pass" for everything to Kadyrovtsy. Army is pretty disgusted by it, many consider it below an officer's honor to serve and cooperate with that scum. But when it comes to Chechen wars, noone listened to the Army much...

[Lokos]

what’s funny here, it looks like Russians don´t have generals with balls anymore, look Kadyrov´s bandits bit, humiliate federal soldiers , make short film, show it to many friends/family members..., and there is no reaction from Russian war-generals, no one of them is tough enough to jump on a tank smash/make coal-dust out of Kadyrov´s nest with all cars and sabresand carpets, the very next day he’d have been hero in Russia and many other countries.

Yes, of course, the Russians have no more balls - feel free to insult them, denigrate them, spit on them and assume their cowardice. Nothing bad could ever result from that. Ever. Because, clearly, they are cowards.

L.

[Flamming_Python]

Yes, of course, the Russians have no more balls - feel free to insult them, denigrate them, spit on them and assume their cowardice. Nothing bad could ever result from that. Ever. Because, clearly, they are cowards.

L.

I don't he think he meant it in that tone. And he does have a point...

[TR1]

what’s funny here, it looks like Russians don´t have generals with balls anymore, look Kadyrov´s bandits bit, humiliate federal soldiers , make short film, show it to many friends/family members..., and there is no reaction from Russian war-generals, no one of them is tough enough to jump on a tank smash/make coal-dust out of Kadyrov´s nest with all cars and sabresand carpets, the very next day he’d have been hero in Russia and many other countries.
WHat a moronic post. You can criticize the Russian actions in Chechnya for lacking many things, but heavy handedness is NOT one of them. Looks like Russian generals had too many balls in 95 and 99, when they had no qualms about liquidating villages suspected of harboring rebels, or causing many many needless deaths among their own army.

[eugenlitwin]

I don't he think he meant it in that tone. And he does have a point...

it was very strange comment from L.
i do have a point

[Rictor]

Frankly, I can't think of a ruler I would less like to live under than Kadyrov.

The worst of all possible worlds: warlord, mafia thug, autocratic tyrant, corrupt businessman and now fundamentalist. I truly pity the people of Chechnya, especially the women.


WHat a moronic post. You can criticize the Russian actions in Chechnya for lacking many things, but heavy handedness is NOT one of them. Looks like Russian generals had too many balls in 95 and 99, when they had no qualms about liquidating villages suspected of harboring rebels, or causing many many needless deaths among their own army.

Liquidating villages = bad.
Liquidating warlord gangsters = good.

See the difference?

[Zeev]

"he may be a bastard, but he's our bastard"..

Henry Kissinger?

[TakeIt]

The next day any military man takes such action(drive a tank, smash/burn/kill) without order, he would be court-marshalled and Russia would have another little uprising in Chechnya. So proposing something like that is simply retarded.

[Hollis]

I see you're a little slow. Let me explain it to you. The title of this thread is...


I was just commenting, you had to make it all personal.


You now have 30 days in which to read and figure out what the forum rules mean.

H.

[TR1]

Frankly, I can't think of a ruler I would less like to live under than Kadyrov.

The worst of all possible worlds: warlord, mafia thug, autocratic tyrant, corrupt businessman and now fundamentalist. I truly pity the people of Chechnya, especially the women.



Liquidating villages = bad.
Liquidating warlord gangsters = good.

See the difference?
federal army was very non-selective when separating between the two.

[Laworkerbee]

federal army was very non-selective when separating between the two.

Armies have always had problems separating the "fish from the sea" so to speak.

[ting]

Pretty BS article, it attempts to tie in all the killings of the Putin and Medvedev years, not to mention organised crime in Europe, into one big Kremlin master plot, while giving no evidence whatsoever; it's simply speculation presented as fact. This reminds me of the theory propogated by some US hawks during the 80's that all the terrorist movements in the world, from the PLO to the Provisional IRA, secretly took their orders from Moscow.

If this is seriously the sort of material that Western politicians, foreign policy makers and political scientists read and are influenced by when it comes to their dealings with Russia, then I am seriously worried.

Not only is the analysis a mess, so are the established facts:

1. It was very much in the Kremlin's interest to keep Patarkatsishvili alive; seeing as not so long before he was murdered he decided to denounce Saakashvilli, fund opposition TV stations in Georgia (that were later raided and taken over by the Georgian government) and raise the possibility of running for president of Georgia himself or at least support an opposition candidate against Saakashvilli. I'm surprised this death got a mention in this article; as the richest Georgian in the world (now former) his political importance, wealth & influence was of immensely more than Politovskaya & Litvinenko combined, but in stark contrast to those his death barely registered as a blip in the Western media. I'm not so surprised that the blame is now being twisted onto the Kremlin; considering the rest of this article. As for his familly blaming the FSB, I have never heard of it. If memory serves me correct he expressed his fear that he will soon be killed shortly before he was killed; but he didn't mention Russia at all, if anything it was his fellow Georgians he was afraid of.

2. Klebnikov was not assassinated in 2008, actually it happened 4 years earlier in 2004, shortly after he published an article naming the 100 Richest Russians (guess who didn't want to be shown to be on that list - that's right all of them :D). Such an elemental mistake casts doubt onto all the rest of the accounts of deaths and the dates of their occurance; although I must confess that I don't have the knowledge or motivation to double check all the details in this article. Secoundly, it was once again quite unadvantageous for the Kremlin to have Klebnikov killed. He was a writer and although he did point fingers and write about various corrupt individuals, businessmen and politicians, he was most famous for his immense critisism and written works on Berezovsky and his activities, a figure who of course is an enemy of the Kremlin. Beyond oligarchs, Klebnikov never expressed much of an interest in big-time politics, presidents and leaders, but was AFAIK quite pro-Kremlin if anything.

3. The assassination of Ruslan Yamadayev certainly did not help the Kremlin one bit; considering his pro-Russian orientation, his brother Sulim's commandment of the pro-Kremlin Chechen GRU 'Vostok' battallion, and the possibility that both of their services would come in very handy should Kadyrov decide to rise up against Moscow at some time in the future.

4. The case of Markelov is pretty murky, as is that of Politovskaya's. While I could make a reasonable arguement for both of them that the Kremlin was unlikely to have been involved in their deaths, I think that so much has been said about these killings already and I simply don't want the hassle of repeating everything p-)

I agree regarding the quality of Stratfor, however there was a story on Norwegian TV on the 15. of february about Umar Israilov. His father lives in Norway and is being protected by the PST(police security service).

It is hinted that Israilov was killed because of a case he filed against Kadyrov in Strasbourg(european court or something). His father intends to pursue the case.

http://www1.nrk.no/nett-tv/indeks/159833

Heres a link to the piece. It is in Norwegian, but the talking with his father is in Russian.


My impression is that Kadyrov is concerned about these human rights cases against him and is doing all he can to stop them. Weather the kremlin is involved is an open question.

My thinking is that Kadyrov is unsure of what kremlin plans are for him in the future and is in part trying to make himself look irreplacable, while at the same time trying to minimize the international stigma he causes the kremlin if he were to be found guilty of these charges.

The murder of Ruslan Yamadayev could be an indication of him trying to remove any competition for his job.

[12oclock]

Eastern Europe=cluster****

[MZKT]

Frankly, I can't think of a ruler I would less like to live under than Kadyrov.

The worst of all possible worlds: warlord, mafia thug, autocratic tyrant, corrupt businessman and now fundamentalist.

Well at least one thing is lacking here. A "wahhabism-spreading border-villages-raiding slave-trafficking terrorist regime", like the Ichkreria-governemnts 92-95 and 96-99 were.

So he is not really the worst considering that previous regimes were far worse.

[Zeev]

Eastern Europe=cluster****

What a dumb and pejorative comment.

Think before post.

[Indiana Jones]

Armies have always had problems separating the "fish from the sea" so to speak.
You ought to familiarize yourself with the conduct of the campaign. More often than not, attempts at 'seperation' were not made in the first place, predictably alienating large portions of the populace from the federal effort.

The ongoing existence of Kadyrovs fiefdom casts a very unfavourable light on the governance of the Russian federation.

[Laworkerbee]

You ought to familiarize yourself with the conduct of the campaign. More often than not, attempts at 'seperation' were not made in the first place, predictably alienating large portions of the populace from the federal effort.

The ongoing existence of Kadyrovs fiefdom casts a very unfavourable light on the governance of the Russian federation.

It was a general statement; I'm not, nor have I claimed to be knowing too much on the tactics the Russians used in their Chechyan campaigns.

I'm simply stating that any army historically has had a really tough time sorting out the G's from the civilians.