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The Terror Route: Azerbaijan – Caucasus – the rest of Russia
We’ll refrain of examination essence genesis of Islamic extremism and terrorism in this article; it’s well-known. We are more interested in another aspect of this problem: ideological and material support, which terrorists are generously supplied with. As well as the ways of their penetration into Russian Federation.
Azerbaijan Republic is the main and almost the only transit country through which Russia supplied by funds and radical Islamic literature; there is a visa-free regime between these countries. The fact demonstrating the mutual trust between two CIS members is used by the radical Islamist structures operating on both sides of the border for radicalization Muslim believers. In this case so-called traditional Islam not only does not prevent this phenomenon, but in some cases is active, albeit apparently hidden radicalism conduit.
Here are two confirming the aforesaid examples. In the interview, given to the "REGNUM” information agency by Mufti of North Ossetia Alania Ali Hadji Evteev is openly proud of being follower of destroyed (by Russian special agencies) terrorists. "Anzor Astemirov, Musa Mukozhev – they were my teachers, I went to them with questions”, confessed Mufti. Generally, all interview of Ali Hadji Evteev are imbued with the spirit of extremist Islam.
Another example. At the end of February this year Russia FSB officers inspected chain stores "Sunna”, selling religious literature in Dagestan Republic. During inspection was seized from sale large amount of literature promoting radical Wahhabism noted that over last two years in Dagestan at least to 10 times increased the number of stores selling religious literature. Notable, that "Sunna” stores are the property of Sheikh ul – islam of Azerbaijan Republic Allah Shukur Pashaza-Zade, who combined business with the terrorism propaganda. Interesting fact, senior religious official spreading the Wahhabi literature is the head of Azerbaijani Shias (Wahhabism, or Salafism, is ultra-radical trend in Sunni Islam). Finally, pay attention to the fact that these two years Dagestan became one of the most "hot spots” in Russia.
How it started?
First Azerbaijani leader, who turned to Islamic terrorists "services”, was Heydar Aliyev, the President (1993-2003) and the father of the current President of this republic. In effort to win in the aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, H. Aliyev actually made a bet on terrorists. He invited/recruited more than three thousand mujahideen from Afghanistan, supporters of the terrorist organization’s leader "Hizb-i-Islami” Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who at the beginning of 2007 declared to the reporters of Pakistani television, that his fighters rescued Osama bin Laden and his assistant Ayman Al-Zawahiri in 2001 from the US troops. Under H. Aliyev in Azerbaijan, "to the war with infidels” arrived (later became whole world widely known) terrorists and murderers: Khattab, Sh. Basayev, Doku Umarov, Salman Raduyev and others. There were many mercenaries from Arab countries, Turkey, and some CIS countries. At that time, H. Aliyev’s experiment has not answered at all: terrorists accustomed "to fight” with innocent civilians, in open battle were not distinctive. However, they managed to create pseudo-underground religious cells; most of them not only operate to this day in Azerbaijan, but also provide active assistance to their accomplices in Caucasus.
Despite the fact that NKR leadership repeatedly appealed to the international community to draw attention to the terrorist activities of official Baku, and to the fact that Azerbaijan is the state-accomplice of the Islamic terrorism, first began in the late ninetieth of the last century. The cause of it became the tragic events, in August 1998 when were exploded US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. Then, in the course of the investigation was found that fax message with the order to blow up US embassy in Kenya was sent from Azerbaijan (Terrorist attack against US embassy in Kenya was led from Baku. – Azerbaijani newspaper "Echo”, August 18th 2001.).
In the course of investigation US intelligence officials arrested in Azerbaijan the chief of military operations of the "Islamic Jihad” terrorist organization Ahmed Salam Mabrouk, and after a while two more activists of this group – Hafiz Mabrouk and Yasser al-Sirri. Also was proved that in Azerbaijan dug one of the most murderous Islamic terrorist groups: "Djeyshullah”, included by U.S. State Department in the list of 39 the most dangerous extremist groups of the world.
At the same time FBI arrested for bombings of US embassies, Al Qaeda member Ahmed al Fadl, revealed during the interrogation that his organization started its activity in Azerbaijan. Soon, in Europe was arrested Ibrahim Eydarus, Head of Al Qaeda Azerbaijani branch, who took direct part in bombing of US embassies.
Washington has included Azerbaijan in the list of the states, where Al Qaeda cells operate. To unreliable states on terrorism, where operate international terrorist training centers, Azerbaijan was added by Canada recommended to its consular offices issuing entry visa to Canada pay special attention to the citizens of Azerbaijan Republic, and also "to those who at least once have been there”. In October 2002 State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs officially classified Azerbaijan to the list of states; where terrorist organizations are active and threatening the safety and life of foreigners. Official London recommended to its citizens to do not travel to Azerbaijan, since "the threat of terrorist attacks on foreigners is very high there”.
Significant, that the day before terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11th 2001, US Congressional Research Service published special document on Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda activity in Azerbaijan. This document was compiled on the basis of investigation on terror attacks of US embassies in the capitals of Kenya and Tanzania. Also was revealed a fact, that Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden more than 60 times called to Azerbaijan before the terrorist attacks.
Finally, approximately at the same time V. Putin brought Heydar Aliyev to claim the fact that members of Islamic terrorist organizations developing and committing terrorist acts in Russia feel free in Azerbaijan. At that time, there was a question of visa regime introduction between Russia and Azerbaijan.
How does it work?
In early May of this year at the customs post "Yarag-Kazmalar” in Dagestan, Azerbaijani citizen coming by bus from Baku to Russia, had been seized over 14 kg of hydrochloric acid in ampoules and 3 kg of mercury nitrate. Azeri presses "prudently” announced the consignment "toxic substances”. Meanwhile, as hydrochloric acid and mercury nitrate are widely used by terrorists for production of explosives (explosives production methods from these chemical compounds are listed even on the Internet). The fact that the criminal imported to Russia both of these chemical compounds simultaneously indicates his terrorist plans.
On May 9th in Derbent were destroyed 2 terrorists, one of them, Sadulla Piroglanov is a citizen of Azerbaijan. Both of the terrorists were accused on committing terrorist attack on Derbent bus station. The head of Russian Federal Security Office of Dagestan Vyacheslav Shanshin told to reporters: "during the inspection in the house of terrorists were found the components of improvise explosive devices (IED), identical to parts and fragments found after the attack at the Derbent bus station. According to officials one of the killed terrorists gathered IED and the other one had to deliver it to the place of attack”. We already know what IED consists of, same as, where the components of "infernal machine” come from.
In 2006 the chief of MNS Eldar Makhmudov in the interview on 87th -anniversary of Azerbaijani secret services admitted: "plans of neutralized "Al Qaeda Caucasus” group on recruiting Azeri girls in the troop of suicide bombers became the worst possible discovery for us in recent years”. Notable at this point the fact that President Ilham Aliyev in the same year speaking on the opening ceremony of 33rd sessions of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) stated: "Islamic countries should not accept the fact that Islam sometimes identified with the terrorism, and join efforts to combat such tendencies”.
4 years past and now the former Deputy Minister of National Security Ministry of Azerbaijan Sulhaddin Akper commenting on "Echo” newspaper message about the murder of terrorist Azerbaijani citizen; said: "In Azerbaijan today there are some radical (Islamic – L.M.-Sh.) organizations recruiting young people”. Further he added: "And if we compare this situation with 1992-1993, today the possibilities of radical (Islamic – L.M.-Sh.) religious structures in Azerbaijan increased, they don’t advertise themselves”.
Both Eldar Mahmudow ans Sulhaddin Akper as officials of National Security Ministry boggle in desire to submit their work. In Azerbaijan to this day and with much greater intensity trained suicide-bombers for attacks in Russia, and radical organizations recruiting young men exist in Azerbaijan not from "today”, as S. Akper attempts to present.
Yulia Yuzik, the author of "Brides of Allah”, recognized expert on suicide-bombers wrote in her book: "Baku, Azerbaijan – center of everything. Wahhabism, ideological training of Chechen women suicide-bombers, terrorist funding from abroad. I know this from people I communicated with throughout the year; different people, both from "this”, and "that” side”. In fact, well-known that suicide-terrorists -Zara Murtazalieva and Zulihan Elihadzhieva were trained in Azerbaijan. And this is only the visible part of the bloody iceberg!
From the indictment in the case of Zara Murtazalieva "Zara Murtazalieva, is an active member of gangs, leading to fight with federal forces, having trained at the camp of the suicide terrorists near Baku, Azerbaijan Republic in September 2003 arrived in Moscow on purpose to organize terrorist attacks…”
The personal diary of Zulihan Elihadzhieva (suicide-terrorist exploded herself along with people around her in the queue in front of the ticket offices at the rock festival in Tushino) describes her travel to Baku with her stepbrother Zhage, with whom Zulihan had criminal liaison. In Baku lover/brother, with the help of other criminals, certain Hasan and Yusuf, recruited Zulihan in suicide-killers (http://www.rosbalt.ru/print/180150.html)
In Azerbaijan (particularly in Karadag district of Baku, as well as in Shaki and Cuba districts of Azerbaijan Republic) there are some "worship houses” where potential terrorist-killers pass psychological and "technical” trainings. This "work” is managed by the former "emir” of Shalinsky district of Chechnya Kuri Dombaev who is in the list of wanted in Russia. Gamet Suleymanov leads the overall activity of Wahhabi structures in Azerbaijan, his "headquarter” is in Baku: Ismail Hidayatzade Street, Building 4, apartment 49. However, in Azerbaijan there are 76 Wahhabi mosques, four of them are in Baku.
In Wahhabi madrasah (Islamic schools) of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Pakistan and other states, learn more than four thousand young Azeri, more than a thousand of them are there by official channels. The initial task of this "Army of Islam” is rejection of Dagestan from Russia and provoke of "national liberation” movement in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. Additional purposes are predictable: to pull down Russia as "hostile to Islam” state.
