Chechnya: Republic of Contrasts (RT Documentary)

WNU Editor: A look at Chechnya from a Russian perspective.

Chechen President Blames America For Boston Marathon Bomb Suspects' Acts Of Terror

Chechen President Blames AMERICA For Boston Bomb Suspects' Acts Of Evil Because Of 'Immoral Upbringing' -- Daily Mail

* Suspects may have attacked US because of its relationship with Russia
* Chechen militants have long history of attacking Russia, but never West
* Expert says aftermath of 2004 Beslan school siege sparked hatred for West

Chechnya's Russian-backed president has hit out at America for killing one of the suspected Boston Marathon bombers and blamed the US for moulding them into terrorists.

Chechen-born Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died from gunshot wounds and possible blast injuries after a fierce gun battle rocked the Watertown area of Boston hours after a police officer was shot dead at the nearby MIT campus.

His 19-year-old brother, Dzhokha, fled the shoot out and is on the run, reportedly having strapped explosives to his body.

But President Ramzan Kadyrov, a former Chechen rebel himself, told US authorities that 'any attempt to draw a connection' between Chechnya and the brothers was 'futile'.

Read more ....

My Comment: See the above video .... this Chechen leader has a zero tolerance policy towards Chechen rebels.

Update: Chechen President Says American Upbringing to Blame -- Weekly Standard

Inside The Deadly Russian Region Of Chechnya And Dagestan That The Boston Marathon Bombers Use To Call Home

(Laris Karklis/The Washington Post)

Inside The Deadly Russian Region The Tsarnaev Family Used To Call Home -- Pssport/Foreign Policy

As new details emerge about the two brothers suspected of carrying out the Boston Marathon bombings, we're learning that the Tsarnaev family briefly lived in Makhachkala, the capital of Russia's Dagestan region near Chechnya, before moving to the United States in 2002. The Associated Press says it's spoken to the suspects' father, who is in Makhachkala ("My son is a true angel," he declares). And here's the AP on the suspect who is still at large:

Read more ....

More News On Chechnya And Dagestan

9 questions about Chechnya and Dagestan you were too embarrassed to ask -- Washington Post
Chechnya and Dagestan: troubled corners -- Global Post
Chechnya. Kyrgyzstan. The Caucasus. -- Slate
Chechnya, Dagestan, and the North Caucasus: A Very Brief History -- Smithsonian Magazine
Chechnya region is known as cauldron of Islamic militancy -- New York Daily News
Ties between Islamic extremist groups and Chechnya well-documented -- FOX News
Chechen Conflict Spawns Terrorism -- Voice of America
Troubled North Caucasus region still scene of conflict -- CNN
Boston Bombing Suspects Put Chechnya in Spotlight -- National Geographic
Russia's Caucasus have seen decades of war, terror -- SFGate/AP
Russia’s Caucasus: Breeding Ground for Terror -- Time/AP
Islam and Chechyna -- World Policy Blog
Chechens' Violent History Includes 'Black Widows,' Attacks on School, Theater -- ABC News
Major Chechen attacks in Russia -- Alert Net
Chechnya: What its militants are fighting for -- Mercury News/AP
What to Read Now on Chechnya The best background info on the Boston suspects -- Lydia Depillis, New Republic

So Much For Freedom Of The Press In Chechnya

Photo: Ramzan Kadrov with Vladimir Putin. Wikipedia

Chechen Newspaper Shut Down After Reporter Asks Putin A Question -- The Guardian

Leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, orders closure of paper after taking disliking to question asked by reporter in Moscow

When Chechen journalist Bilkhi Dudaeva stood up and asked Vladimir Putin a question during the president's annual press conference on Thursday, she probably thought she was doing her homeland proud.

Instead, Dudaeva's newspaper was shut down by the end of the marathon question-and-answer session, having caught the ire of Ramzan Kadyrov, the ruthless leader of Chechnya.

Dudaeva introduced herself to Putin as a journalist from the newspaper "Kadyrov's Path," eliciting laughter from a group of reporters well versed in the Chechen leader's powerful cult of personality.

Read more ....

My Comment: Life is also tough for Putin's political opponents.

Violence Continues In Chechnya

Soldiers Killed In Chechnya Bombing -- Al Jazeera

Interior ministry troops among the dead after suspected bombers strike outside Russian region's capital Grozny.

A suicide bombing in Chechnya has killed four people and injured three others in the latest violence in the Russian region.

Two officers and a soldier died in the explosion on Monday when their armoured vehicle travelling between the garrison town of Khankala and the capital, Grozny, made a stop, Vasily Panchenkov, a spokesman for the interior ministry troops, said.

"They got out of the vehicle. A blast took place," he said, adding that a civilian was also killed.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Suicide Attack In Chechnya

Four Confirmed Dead in Grozny Suicide Blast -- RIA Novosti
Bomb blast hits Chechen capital, several people killed -- RT
Blast kills four in Russia's volatile Chechnya -- Reuters
Four killed in Chechnya suicide attack -- AFP
Russian soldiers killed in Chechen 'suicide' blast -- BBC
Russia's war in the Caucasus -- Tom Parfitt, The Telegraph
Caucasus forgotten -- Gazetta.ru editorial

Islamic Honor Killings Return To Chechnya

Chechen Women In Mortal Fear As President Backs Islamic Honor Killings -- Washington Times

ACHXOY-MARTAN, Chechnya — Chechnya's government is openly approving of families that kill female relatives who violate their sense of honor, as this Russian republic embraces a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam after decades of religious suppression under Soviet rule.

In the past five years, the bodies of dozens of young Chechen women have been found dumped in woods, abandoned in alleys and left along roads in the capital, Grozny, and neighboring villages.

Read more ....

My Comment: These crimes were unfathomable when Chechnya was a part of the former Soviet Union .... and now .... with strong political and military support from Moscow .... this horrid crime is returning.

Hello To The New Chechnya

Kadyrov's Rule Inspires Fear In Chechnya -- Seattle PI/AP

GROZNY, Russia -- The brightly lit avenues, imposing new mosque and glitzy shopping malls in Chechnya's once bomb-scarred capital mean nothing to Raisa Turluyeva, whose son disappeared after being seized by black-uniformed security forces.

To Turluyeva, 40, the rule of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov is even more frightening than the past wars between separatist fighters and Russian troops that left Grozny in ruins.

Read more ....

Update: The Islamic Republic of Chechnya -- Foreign Policy

My Comment: My friends and family back in Russia tell me that the fear in Chechnya is even more pervasive than what is reported. In addition .... the fact that a good number of Chechens now live abroad is testament to what they are fleeing from.

Islamist Suicide Attack On Chechen Parliament Kills Six With Many Wounded

Six Dead In Islamist Suicide Attack On Chechen Parliament In Grozny -- The Telegraph

At least six people are feared to have been killed in a suicide attack by suspected Islamist militants on two goverment buildings in the Chechen capital Grozny.

Initial reports said a small group of three or four gunmen burst into government buildings, opening fire with automatic weapons.

Unnamed law enforcement sources told Russian news agencies that two of the militants had blown themselves up, killing four security guards.

Read more ....

More News On Islamist Suicide Attack On Chechen Parliament In Grozny

Deadly attack on Chechen parliament raises fears of new violence (Wrapup) -- RIA Novosti
Militants storm Chechen parliament in deadly standoff -- AFP
Six dead as Russian special forces repel suicide attack on Chechen parliament -- The Telegraph
Armed Militants Storm Chechnyan Parliament Buildings in Deadly Attack -- ABC News
Chechnya parliament attacked; 6 dead -- UPI
Gunmen Dead After Attack on Chechen Parliament -- New York Times
Militants Attack Chechen Parliament -- Wall Street Journal
Chechen parliament works as usual after gunmen's attack -- Xinhuanet
Chechen troops 'eliminate' rebels in bloody battle for parliament -- London Evening Standard
All terrorists in Chechen parliament attack ‘eliminated’ (Update 3) -- RIA Novosti
Chechen Parliament Attack Steps Up Pressure on Putin Loyalists -- Bloomberg Businessweek

Militants Fail To Assassinate Chechen President. 19 Killed, Many Wounded

Islamist Rebels Launch Deadly Attack On Chechen President's Village

At least 19 people including five civilians die as insurgents strike against pro-Moscow leader Ramzan Kadyrov

At least 19 people were killed today after Islamist rebels launched an audacious attack on the heavily defended residence of Chechnya's pro-Kremlin president, Ramzan Kadyrov.

Chechen officials said that 12 insurgents and two guards were killed after the rebels slipped into Tsentoroi, Kadyrov's home village, also known as Khosi-Yurt, in the early hours of this morning . Russian TV reported that five civilians had also been killed in fierce fighting.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Attack In Chechen President's Village

12 suspected rebels killed in Chechnya: president -- AFP
Chechen militants killed 5 police in Kadyrov's home village -- RIA Novosti
Kadyrov's native village attackers eliminated -- RIA Novosti
Police defeat Caucasus Emirate assault on Chechen president's hometown -- Long War Journal
Rebels attack Chechen leader's home -- Al Jazeera
Chechen Leader’s Village Is Attacked -- New York Times
19 dead in shootout in Russia's Caucasus -- AP
Chechen president fights militants in home village -- CNN
Militants Strike Kadyrov's Home Village -- Moscow Times
In Chechnya, A Blood Feud Ends—and a Despot Digs In -- Time Magazine

Peace Talks In Chechnya?

Chairman of the Chechen Parliament and representative of the Kadyrov government, Dukhvakha Abdurakhmanov, during a press conference in Oslo, Norway Friday July 24, 2009. The Chechnya Peace Forum has mediated the first talks for political stability in eight years in the latest move to resolve the conflict in Chechnya. (AP Photo/ Morten Holm / SCANPIX)

Chechen Gov't, Separatist Leaders Meet For Talks -- Yahoo News/AP

OSLO – A Chechen separatist leader and a senior representative of the regional government said Friday they have met for talks to bring stability to the war-scarred Russian region. It was the first such contacts between the two sides in eight years.

Rebel envoy Akhmed Zakayev and Dukuvakha Abdurakhmanov, chairman of the Chechen regional parliament, gave few details about the meetings in the Norwegian capital. They also remained tightlipped when asked whether the talks had yielded any concrete results.

Read more ....

More News On Chechnya

Talks with Chechen separatist leader to continue in London -- RIA Novosti
Chechen official talks peace with separatist Zakayev -- Washington Post/Reuters
Chechen separatist leader may announce return from exile - paper -- RIA Novosti
Police officer killed, another wounded in N. Caucasus -- RIA Novosti
“Russia cannot allow collapse of power in the Caucasus” – Medvedev -- RT News

My Comment: Chechnya is to Russia what Northern Ireland was to Britain. A low level insurgency that shows no sign of letting up. For Great Britain, peace was "somewhat" resolved among all the parties in Northern Ireland after decades of conflict, imprisonment, and hardship. Chechnya has experienced worse .... but it appears that some of Chechnya's leaders are now looking for a solution to a conflict that s been going on for over 15 years. This is just a first step .... what comes after that is patience and more talk.

After 10 Years, Russia Declares End To Chechnya 'Operation'

Pro-Moscow strongman Ramzan Kadyrov (L) could increase his
control over the region's security. Photo AFP

Russia Ends Chechnya War - But The Killings
Continue -- Times Online

The Kremlin has bought "peace" in the turbulent republic by supporting a squalid dictatorship accused of involvement in torture and murder

It has been a long and brutal struggle but Russia has finally declared an end to its war against separatists in Chechnya.

The fighting may be over but the killings continue. The Kremlin has bought “peace” in this turbulent southern republic by supporting the squalid dictatorship of Ramzan Kadyrov, a figure repeatedly accused of involvement in torture and murder. The former rebel, who switched sides to support Vladimir Putin, rules Chechnya with an iron fist and brooks no challenge.

Read more ....

More News On Chechnya

Russia 'ends Chechnya operation' -- BBC
Russia declares end to Chechnya 'operation' -- CNN
Russia lifts security regime in Chechnya -- Reuters
Russia ends 10 year Chechnya anti-terror operation -- AFP
Russia ends Chechnya operation -- Al Jazeera
Counter-terrorism operation ends in Chechnya -- RIA Novosti
Russia ends Chechen security operation -- CBC
Security Regime in Chechnya Lifted -- Moscow Times
Chechen problem far from over -- BBC
Investigation resumes into 2004 death of first Chechen president -- RIA Novosti

Slain Exile Detailed Cruelty Of The Ruler Of Chechnya

Umar S. Israilov’s funeral Jan. 22 in Vienna. He accused Chechnya’s president of torture.
Josef Polleross for The New York Times

From The New York Times:

Umar S. Israilov saw the men who had come to kill him. They confronted him in the neighborhood where he lived in hiding in Vienna. He must have sensed their intentions, because he ran.

For more than two years, Mr. Israilov, a Chechen in exile, had formally accused Russia’s government of allowing a macabre pattern of crimes in Chechnya. Even by the dark norms of violence in the Caucasus, his accusations were extraordinary.

A rebel fighter turned bodyguard of Ramzan A. Kadyrov, Chechnya’s current president, Mr. Israilov had access to the inner ring of Chechen power. Mr. Kadyrov’s career has been sponsored by Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who as president lifted him from obscurity with unwavering Kremlin support.

Read more .....

My Comment: Welcome to the new Russia, and the people who now rule it. If I was a Russian, I will be very afraid. If I was someone who lives outside (like Europe) .... I should be concerned.