Comment from a readerThis is a good analysis of the situation which has been in Chechnya since 1994 - the start of the Russo - Chechen war, but the author does have some mistakes which stem probably out of his political preferences. Also, the author does omit the fact that the events in Chechnya were in many way orchestrated by Russian Secret Services and that it was Maskhadov who kept falling for the Russian bait for years.
For example, when Islamic Regiment of Special Assignment was formed in Chechnya it was Basaev who asked Maskhadov not to arm those people. Still hundreds of the light arms were handed out to them. Its commander was Baraev Arby. When a fall out between Arby and Aslan took place, Maskhadov armed Sulim Yamadaev, Baraev's rival in Gudermes. That arming different factions with opposite views served well its goal: two forces clashed in Gudermes. But it should be kept in mind that it was Kadirov who in both cases egged on Aslan to do it. kadirov was the best buddy of Aslan and having lived his whole life in Chechnya he, Kadirov was more familiar with the Chechen mentality and thus could manipulate Aslan. When Maskhadov was appointing Sulim Yamadaev a commander of Gudermes defense , it was Basaev again who told Aslan no to do it as Sulim was not reliable. Aslan went his own way. As a result of Sulim's actions (his treason) Gudermes was abandoned almost without a fight.
Concerning money supply to the Chechens: a lot of money is coming to the Chechens from different sources, primarily from rich Chechens who are living abroad as well. There are way to make money inside Chechnya as well. Russians are good clients as they sell the arms real cheap. The emergence of intifada in Palestine and now the start of war in Afghanistan has shifted the interest of the Muslims from Chechnya elsewhere.
Foreigners: there are probably about 50 of them all in all. As far as I know most of them are Turks. Taleban and Chechnya: we both were and are victims of Russian aggression and therefore we had the same foe and sympathy with each other's struggle. Should that surprise anybody? It was not Taleban which wiped out about 20 percent of the Chechens and it was not the Chechens who wiped out over a million afghans in the eighties. The Chechens were not helped by the west in the first war, unlike Russia which has received billions of dollars of aid in the first war from the west. I am sure that a lot of the money went to sponsor the war. Did it make the Chechens to look towards the west with hope? is the situation any different now. All in all, the situation in both Chechnya and Afghanistan is an outgrowth of the Russian behavior in the region. in Chechnya, the western lip service to Russia which is not doing anything to stop the war breeds more ground for people like Hattab to become heroes. Although many people are tired of the war and wish peace at any cost but the lives of more people. However, the young men in Chechnya see in him a hero and it is the youth ready to fight on and win the war.
I just pray with the end of the war Chechnya will have some form of assistance from the world and therefore will escape from foreign manipulation which will put it on the list of terrorist countries. Russia would love it.
Also, the raid into Daghestan to help the locals there was carried out with one more purpose: to bring together two factions - Jammaa and other detachments. It was one of Shamils goals in the face of the looming Russian invasion. Daghestan served that goal well. Commanders who fought against Jama'a in Gudermes such as Israpilov, Ismailov, Abdulhadjiev, Hatuev and Djambulat joined Jama'a after the Daghestan invasion. They all of a sudden realized that they were manipulated into fighting each other. Those who did not join Jama'a lost their enmity towards them and visa versa.
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