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bismark17
03-16-2007, 07:34 PM
I was fortunate to attend some great training yesterday put on by John Giduck. He is the author of a great book, Terror at Beslan that should be mandatory reading for anyone in L.E. or concerned with Security. His presentation was outstanding and very relevant to my day-to-day job as a Crime Analyst. He packed a great deal of information into a 1 day course and didn’t just re-hash what was in the book but built upon it. Anyone with an opportunity to attend his training should jump on it. You will not be disappointed.

http://www.antiterrorconsultants.org/training_acad.htm is a link to his company.

I have no affiliation with his company! :)

Robal2pl
03-19-2007, 06:40 PM
Interesting...

I wonder what was influence of Beslan on SWAT/HRT units TTPs'. My masters' thesis [I've just started writing] will be devoted mostly Polish LE special units after 1990 ,but I belive that Beslan and Dubrovka - large, complicated hostage situation mark bing change in ways how hostage situations should be dealt

Regards,
Robal2pl

Jedburgh
03-20-2007, 02:58 PM
Giduck has been milking that cow for a long time. Those who are better qualified to critique the event don't do the training circuit gig. There are also a few issues with his bio. Not that his piece is worthless, but him and his work needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Sarajevo071
03-20-2007, 03:39 PM
I just wonder, do John Giduck mentioning how afoul Russian SF and police performed (with absolutely no regards for life of they own civilians) and that Russian own inquiry blamed Russian “volunteers” and SF for attack and some killings? Russian forces performances in this siege and that in NorDost Theater is just amazingly bad…

Sarajevo071
03-20-2007, 03:55 PM
“Nord-Ost” - Investigation Unfinished

The book was published with assistance from “Terrorism Victims Support Fund”
Non-Commercial Organization.
Moscow, April 26, 2006


INTRODUCTION
“The Committee admits the seriousness of the situation with hostages and cannot help being concerned about the results of rescue operation in Dubrovka Theater. The Committee notes that various attempts to investigate the situation are sill being made, but it must express its concern about the absence of independent and unbiased estimation of the facts related to the kind of medical care given to hostages after their release, and to the killing of persons who had captured the hostages. The Committee appealed to the member-state [Russia] to ensure independent and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the rescue operation in Dubrovka and have its results published, and, if required, to initiate criminal proceedings and pay compensation to the victims and their family members”
(extract from the Statement of the UN Human Rights Committee approved at its 79th session, October 2003).


This report is related to one of the most tragic events in the history of present-day Russia – the hostage taking at Theatrical Center in Dubrovka (TC) in the city of Moscow.

The authors’ purport is not to exculpate the terrorists - their guilt is obvious and undisputable. Nevertheless, this tragedy has once again revealed the attitude on the part of the Russian authorities towards human rights both in the course of the rescue operation, and in the way how investigation into the terrorist act was held, as well as in the course of court proceedings on cases initiated by the injured and affected persons in defense of their rights and interests.

The purpose of this report is to sum up the data resulting from the examination of criminal case documents related to this terrorist attack which were made available to the authors, and testimonies given by the victims, witnesses of this event, human rights activists and journalists.

The goal of the authors was to show the results they got after summarizing factual material, to analyze the validity of various versions of grounds for the special operation, to give legal opinion on the performance of the authorities in the course of the operation, and to let the readers know the most significant, from the authors’ point of view, opinions and estimates related to those events.

...


Microsoft Word Document (33 Pages)
http://pravdabeslana.ru/nordost/dokleng.doc

Robal2pl
03-20-2007, 06:17 PM
What "Special Forces" do You mean?
There was only 40 of them - advisors sent from Alpha, Vympiel and Vitiaz units. All others were soldiers form infantry, or militia officers, or simply armed citizens of Bieslan (mostly hostages' relatives).
10 operators were killed in action, mostly when they were trying to pull the children out of gym...

mmx1
03-20-2007, 08:45 PM
Giduck has been milking that cow for a long time. Those who are better qualified to critique the event don't do the training circuit gig. There are also a few issues with his bio. Not that his piece is worthless, but him and his work needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Are there better open sources available?

Stan
03-20-2007, 09:04 PM
Hey Sarajevo !


The Committee appealed to the member-state [Russia] to ensure independent and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the rescue operation in Dubrovka and have its results published, and, if required, to initiate criminal proceedings and pay compensation to the victims and their family members”

I don't disagree with the fact that the operation was handled inappropriately and the innocent victims suffered a great deal. The government sent her troops in and expected results. Soldiers they were. Yes, gas is a bit harsh, but they used what they had and I am sure they were instructed to do so. If they never went in and all the victims were later killed, the government would still be at fault. Seems there was no alternative. Or was there ?

The Estonians reaction was neutral. Actually, most said 'if they gas their own, so what ?'

Hard to argue that one !

Robal2pl
03-20-2007, 09:21 PM
The gas was used to prevent detonation of explosives carried by "Black Widows" (Chechen version of female suicide bombers). The gas wasn't to kill, but to incapitate them give some time to operators. All hostages were alive when the building was seized by SF. They started dying when they were transported to the hospitals. All medical support totally failed - not the CT operation.

slapout9
03-20-2007, 11:38 PM
Couple of points. It was not a gas. It was a powerful narcotic used in medicine as an anesthesia delivered in an aerosol form to increase the rapid reaction in order to incapacitate the terrorist. Robal2pl is dead on when he said It was the medical personnel. By not having enough medication on hand to bring them back once they had been put under. If the medical personnel had done this it would have ended up as one of the best mass HRT's ever done.

Below is a link that discusses this operation along with others of this kind.

"Offensive use of chemical technologies by US Special Operations in GWOT"

http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/aupress/Maxwell_papers/Text/mp37.pdf

Robal2pl
03-21-2007, 11:33 AM
Ok, i got Your point.
But this situation was more complicated that this what can be found in some scources, including the one you mention.
On the auditorium, when suicide bombers were located, assault teams were shooting them in heads. More, there were some places where aerosol did not reach (couple of hostages tried to escape on their own)
But on the other places in the buliding (higher ones - narcotic was appiled only in lower ones) there was a series of heavy gunfights, even MGs and genade launchers were used.
There is a couple of others elements - like planning and executing entire operation almost without radio communictaions (all channels and frequencies were jammed to prevent remote detonation of explosives)
So form the tactical point of viev, it was one of the best HR operations.
Russians spent a lot of time, after crisises in Budionnovsk and Piervomaiskoie, preparing for such scenario.

Had there been field hospital deployed,and evacuation routes to other hospitals cleadred, there would be many less killed.

Sarajevo071
03-21-2007, 02:24 PM
I am sorry for the delay here.

Now, when I stop laughing on this outrages comment, I will be “rude” and ask you to read something that’s is NOT written by official Russian military or police-or they cronies-before claiming things like this and responding to my post with facts!

Example -that document that I posted here…

Also (my thanks to slapout9 for posting this document) you can read that where on page 15 is stated:


“The Moscow public health department announced that many of the hostages suffocated as a direct result of the fentanyl. Of the 128 hostages reported killed, only ONE was shot by the terrorists—the others died due to the effects of the aerosol.”

But Robal2pl say on this:
“So form the tactical point of viev, it was one of the best HR operations.”

What!?

Again:


“Doctors at the hospitals were never informed of the chemical agent used and could not properly diagnose any of the victims.”

So, when Robal2pl and slapout9 claim that is medical personnel fault that hostages died, one need to say that is NOT true! Especially when one know that paramedics was stopped by police on the way to the theater for 10-15min (stated in document I posted).

Idea to blame help, which was not informed and also delayed, instead of those who actually pump aerosol agent is at least irresponsible.

My point of how BAD and irresponsible Russian forces are and how low concern do they have for they own civilians is again confirmed on page 16 of that report where is said:


“Irregardless of the large numbers of hostages involved in this situation, FSB Al’fa’s intent of using a nonlethal agent was LESS focused on their rescue and more so on killing the Chechen terrorists.

This vendetta stemmed from past encounters when Chechen fighters defeated the elite unit in hostage-taking scenarios…”

Simply put, it was Russian Al’fa vendetta against Chechen fighters and CIVILIANS paid price.


“Urine and blood samples from several of the German hostages examined by a German toxicology professor showed an EXTREMELY high concentration of anesthetics.

Loss of consciousness from fentanyl occurs at the lowest effective dose—for 50 percent of a given population, around .011 milligram (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight.

The lethal dose of fentanyl for 50 percent of a given population occurs at 3.1 mg per kg of body weight.

Although there are no facts available showing how much fentanyl was used
in the raid, it is safe to assume that a high concentration was required to effectively render everyone unconscious.

Additionally, the FSB Al’fa had no prior training in administering calmative agents in this type of environment, implying that hostage safety was NOT a high priority.

…effects of using this unconventional method (fentanyl) killed 50 times more of FSB Al’fa’s own people than did the hostage takers.”

Again…

IF Russians didn’t use leather dose of that agent MANY civilians would live.

IF Russians wanted to secure hostages safety they will drag negotiations and be concentrated on RELEASE of hostages instead of killing Chechens.

Yes… “Great” tactical decision and “the best” HR operations.

Almost “good” like using tanks and artillery in hostage rescue operation in Pervomaiskaya, when even hostages start running away with they Chechen captures AWAY from Russian “liberators” and they artillery fire. Same with Budyonnovsk.

IF you read document I posted here you will find way different (official) picture that you seam to have. This report coming from Russian sources and people PERSONALLY involved in crisis and they you will see how much you are wrong…

They you can read that NO hostages were shoot and NO one tried to escape prior to attack (like you just say)!

Russian authorities LIED in Theater siege. They lied in Beslan to. And that was my whole point… They lied and they were to blame for ALL butchered rescue. But, why to listen me!? Just read commission reports from Moscow and Beslan and listen Russian people accusing Russian government, police and army.

Also I advice you to read interviews with Chechen commanders posted here and learn more about what happened in Pervomaiskaya and Budyonnovsk.

slapout9
03-21-2007, 03:25 PM
Hi Sarajevo, I had a problem downloading the document you posted yesterday so I did not read it. My fault completely. I have now downloaded and printed out a copy. I will read it and respond later.

Robal2pl
03-21-2007, 04:22 PM
There is one matter : we seem to talk about two things.

The assault itself is one matter - do some research on hostage situations and you'll see how difficult Nod-Ost was. Show me another operations where 417 operators magaged to prevent blowing entire building up and killing hostages (Chenens planned to execute hostages - that's the way the decision was made).
The lack of medical support is other problem, we all know that it was done wrong.
If You and others say that Russian wanted simply "kill'em all" - they colud do this at once when they arrived.
Piervomayskaya and Budionnovsk. There wasn't even CT operations - simply, there was a total chaos with generals from all branches, MPs, goverment officials and finally Alpha and Vitizaz wich commanders' arguments noone wanted to listen...Of course media after in course and after those events were full of "experts" who blamed Spetsnaz - maube because it sounds good in TV...and it couldn't harm one politican or another
Alpha's vendetta...sorry but I don't buy it. Simply.
Authorites lied (Cynic would add - wich one never lie?) but, simply to be fair one cannot tell simply "all was wrong, and thay's all".

Sarajevo071
03-21-2007, 05:35 PM
Hi Sarajevo, I had a problem downloading the document you posted yesterday so I did not read it. My fault completely. I have now downloaded and printed out a copy. I will read it and respond later.

Np. Slapout9.

Just another look on same theme but from non-official side and some better details, I believe.

Sarajevo071
03-21-2007, 05:36 PM
There is one matter : we seem to talk about two things.

The assault itself is one matter - do some research on hostage situations and you'll see how difficult Nod-Ost was. Show me another operations where 417 operators magaged to prevent blowing entire building up and killing hostages (Chenens planned to execute hostages - that's the way the decision was made).
The lack of medical support is other problem, we all know that it was done wrong.
If You and others say that Russian wanted simply "kill'em all" - they colud do this at once when they arrived.
Piervomayskaya and Budionnovsk. There wasn't even CT operations - simply, there was a total chaos with generals from all branches, MPs, goverment officials and finally Alpha and Vitizaz wich commanders' arguments noone wanted to listen...Of course media after in course and after those events were full of "experts" who blamed Spetsnaz - maube because it sounds good in TV...and it couldn't harm one politican or another
Alpha's vendetta...sorry but I don't buy it. Simply.
Authorites lied (Cynic would add - wich one never lie?) but, simply to be fair one cannot tell simply "all was wrong, and thay's all".

But… Seams to me you still didn’t read that Doc. Please do. They are saying things there about explosives and real intentions of hostage takers.

Like you can see, I am avoiding to say my own opinion (it just my opinion and everyone have one) but rather using they (people who was there) words.

I mention Pervomaiskaya and Budyonnovsk like another example of careless Russian attitude toward they own civilians… I can find you more examples from war in Grozny.

I don’t intend to change your opinion about Russians. Just wanted to give you answer why I am thinking this way. I have my answers, proofs and I believe that they are truthful.

That’s all.


cheers

Stan
03-21-2007, 07:37 PM
Hi Sarajevo !


3.2.1. Refusal to negotiate so as to minimize the number of hostages

To justify the use of force to resolve the situation, the authorities later asserted that the terrorists had put forward technically impossible terms. However, it is evident from the investigation materials that the problems arose for the sole reason that no authorized persons or professional negotiators had been invited to the process.


I often wondered, do the Russians have professional negotiators for such law enforcement situations ?

They have in the past always employed their military assets, not their police. I understand the reasons and I have nothing against that scenario, but military forces are not normally trained for hostage negotiations. This was a strike team and I doubt negotiations were ever part of the original equation.


3.2.2. Use of a "special means" without estimation of its effect on human life and without necessary medical aid facilities

As has been said above, special services used a special agent “to neutralize terrorists” in the situation that made it impossible to provide immediate medical aid and control individual dosage each hostage received.


I agree, the government authorized the use of this 'special agent' without considering the after affects and what would be needed immediately for the victims. But again, they employed special operations forces who probably had no intention nor idea what the outcome would require. Their concern was the terrorists IMHO !

What do ya think ?

Regards, Stan

slapout9
03-21-2007, 11:30 PM
Hi Guys, Just finished reading the report. Here is a quote form the report.

3.2.3 Organization of Medical Aid from the second paragraph

According to the conclusion made by the Commission, the excessive number of victims was caused by the negligence of officials responsible for providing medical aid to the injured.




I think this is the same conclusion that I and Robal2pl came to. The Commission was called the "Union of Right Forces" it included medical,counter terror, and eyewitnesses to the rescue attempted.

Sarajevo071
03-22-2007, 03:23 AM
Hi Sarajevo !
I often wondered, do the Russians have professional negotiators for such law enforcement situations ?

They have in the past always employed their military assets, not their police. I understand the reasons and I have nothing against that scenario, but military forces are not normally trained for hostage negotiations. This was a strike team and I doubt negotiations were ever part of the original equation.

Helo Stan

I have no clue about they negotiators. I would like to think they do, but. Even in Beslan, going in SCHOOL military and SF used flamethrowers and tank fire!? I would think you don't need to have train negotiators to tell you not to fire tank rounds on the school. Go in tactical with overwhelming force and take them down. Simple.


I agree, the government authorized the use of this 'special agent' without considering the after affects and what would be needed immediately for the victims. But again, they employed special operations forces who probably had no intention nor idea what the outcome would require. Their concern was the terrorists IMHO !
Exactly my (humble) opinion. No much regard for the civilians. I could be wrong, but don't they supposed to save civilian life and rescue hostages!? I mean they are Hostage Rescue teams, right?

Sarajevo071
03-22-2007, 03:28 AM
Hi Guys, Just finished reading the report. Here is a quote form the report.

3.2.3 Organization of Medical Aid from the second paragraph

According to the conclusion made by the Commission, the excessive number of victims was caused by the negligence of officials responsible for providing medical aid to the injured.


I think this is the same conclusion that I and Robal2pl came to. The Commission was called the "Union of Right Forces" it included medical,counter terror, and eyewitnesses to the rescue attempted.

And I was looking on:

3.2.2. Use of a "special means" without estimation of its effect on human life and without necessary medical aid facilities

3.3.1. Incompleteness of investigation and discrepancies in the statements made by Public Prosecutor’s Office

3.3.2. Falsification of the forensic medical examination of the reasons of death of hostages

Hm. OK. I understand what you saying and I do agree that they weren’t ready. But my point is that they could not be ready since they didn’t know what is going on, when, which agent is used, how much (Alfa used to much), and when they start coming on scene some of them was stopped and delayed, organization of triage was non-existent for the same reasons… If you watch that BBC documentary “Terror in Moscow”, you can hear narrator saying something like:

“There was not enough stretches or doctors. Sleeping hostages all ready fighting for breath was carried out with heads rolled back, arms and legs faced up in the air. Dozens simple choked on they own vomit… Or swallow they tongs. They were plenty of antidotes to the gas, but too few medics to give a jabs. Hostages died in they seats, on the front steps of the theater on the floor of the city buses that were sent to ferry them to the hospitals…” (You just need to see how they soldiers carried them out, dragging or over the shoulders and stacking them up outside, and you will understand.)

See, for me those who have tactical command, organizational responsibilities and power of decision and to order other what to do, where to be and how to behave are responsible! In my mind, you can not blame fireman for coming to late to extinguish the fire and paramedics to save people who got burned in house where you started the fire. By the law and by natural order of things, you are to blame. Not them. But, I could be wrong again.

Instead to wait, organize everything, negotiate in meantime, give them some and get some people out. Remember, Chechens did not kill anyone there and all the time they were saying that they want to talk. Those two hostages was shoot by accident and when they release them they was sure to point out multiple times to live hostage to tell police that they were not to blame for that shooting.

Ultimately, I think we all arguing right thing only from different perspectives.

....

“But those women have families, children… They told us their husbands and brothers had been killed. What would I have done in they shoes? I think I’d done the same as them. Now I carry on for my little boy’s sake. But if he’d died too and I was left with no-one I think I, too, would have strapped on a bomb-belt and gone to blow my self up.”
(Very interesting commentary by Russian woman hostage, on the end of BBC documentary movie putting in perspective this and that "Suicide bombings" talk...)

Jedburgh
01-15-2008, 04:47 PM
RFE/RL, 14 Jan 08: Russia: Court Charges Beslan Victims' Group With 'Extremism' (http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/01/c2f7d98e-af21-447b-a7b7-346855c6dbf1.html)

....Why authorities might seek to shut down Voice of Beslan is obvious. Russian officials have shown little compunction about using the extremism legislation to crack down on their critics. What is less clear, however, is why the charges come from Ingushetia, rather than Moscow -- and more than two years after the text's publication.

Some see the case as a product of the ongoing tensions between North Ossetia's Christian population and the mainly Muslim Ingush following an interethnic conflict in 1992 that killed about 200 people and displaced tens of thousands.

But Marina Litvinovich, who runs Truth of Beslan (http://www.pravdabeslana.ru/english.htm), an information website dedicated to the case, rejects this scenario. "I closely follow the activities of the Voice of Beslan committee," she says. "Its representatives never allowed themselves any comments against the Ingush people and never raised the question of the involvement of Ingush in the hostage taking."

Whatever the motive behind the extremism charges against Voice of Beslan, stoking regional tensions in the North Caucasus will not work to the Kremlin's benefit......

Valin
07-15-2009, 12:18 PM
Perspectives on Terrorism (http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php?option=com_rokzine&view=article&id=70&Itemid=54)
Mariya Y. Omelicheva



For over a decade, Russia has struggled with persistent domestic insurgency and terrorism. The country has experienced a multitude of terrorist and militant attacks, and the turn of the century was marked by a series of high-profile terrorist incidents involving a large number of civilian casualties. In response to this threat, Russian authorities adopted extensive counterterrorism legislation, established and modified institutions responsible for combating terrorism, and streamlined the leadership and conduct of counterterrorist operations. According to recent statements by the present Kremlin administration, the terrorist problem in Russia has finally receded, and the war on separatism had been definitively won. Yet, the daily reports on the shoot-outs and clashes between insurgents and Russia’s security forces cast serious doubts on these official claims. Despite the signs of a slow normalization of life in Chechnya, the security situation remains tense there, and terrorist incidents and guerilla attacks have spread into the broader Southern region previously unaffected by terrorism.

davidbfpo
07-15-2009, 02:11 PM
Valin,

Not an area I watch, however this might help, although a summary: http://www.iiss.org/events-calendar/2009-events-archive/july-2009/islamic-radicalisation-in-the-north-caucasus/

You refer to one speaker's article, perhaps the other speakers writings can be found? I know Cerwyn Moore has written on this area: http://www.polsis.bham.ac.uk/about/Staff/Moore.shtml

davidbfpo

Stan
07-15-2009, 04:38 PM
I would have to echo David's remarks.

In my skeptical opinion, contemporary Russia has yet to clearly defined terrorism. They seem to have no distinction between terrorism or other violent/political crimes.

Estonia believes that the current calm in Chechnya is largely due to the the skill of President Kadyrov and has little to do with Russian counterterrorism policy.

I tend to agree with that belief but willing to entertain more links :D

davidbfpo
07-17-2009, 10:11 AM
The death of another human rights activist has been reported; the link is to an article written by Amnesty International's General Secretary (contains a link to a report on the region): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/5843412/The-murder-of-Natalia-Estemirova-is-a-dire-warning.html

davidbfpo

Valin
07-17-2009, 01:27 PM
The death of another human rights activist has been reported; the link is to an article written by Amnesty International's General Secretary (contains a link to a report on the region): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/5843412/The-murder-of-Natalia-Estemirova-is-a-dire-warning.html

davidbfpo

The Bear is back...if the Bear ever really went away.

There's A Bear In the Woods (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHO4M_Tar7A)

Dayuhan
07-30-2009, 12:02 PM
For over a decade, Russia has struggled with persistent domestic insurgency and terrorism...

Over a decade? I'd have said for several centuries... Russia's Chechen problem goes back a fair way.

If "COIN literature" is ever established as a genre, Leo Tolstoy's short novel The Raid - an account of a raid on a Chechen village, based on experiences during his service in the Czar's army - will be a genre classic!

Stan
07-30-2009, 03:56 PM
Indeed somewhat more than a decade... Chechnya in 1922, 1929 and 1940 for starters and yet again in 1944 with Stalin.

:rolleyes:


Over a decade? I'd have said for several centuries... Russia's Chechen problem goes back a fair way.

If "COIN literature" is ever established as a genre, Leo Tolstoy's short novel The Raid - an account of a raid on a Chechen village, based on experiences during his service in the Czar's army - will be a genre classic!

Dayuhan
07-31-2009, 05:12 AM
The Bear is back...if the Bear ever really went away.


Bears hibernate... and when they do, they wake up hungry. The analogy may be strained, but then again it may not be!

George L. Singleton
07-31-2009, 07:35 PM
In the early 1980s when I was writing my paper for USAF Command and Staff College we were focused on the fact then that the Soviet High Command in any then Fulda Gap scenario was presumed to have major loyalty and difference in languages problems with troops out of the Chechen area of the then USSR who were a part of their attack force for their side of Fulda Gap.

The history of Russian problems in the Chechen area from 1922 forward speaks for itself. Long term problems with their Muslim population there, akin to the uncooperative and self seeking break away Pashtuns (a subset by no means all of the Pashtuns for sure) in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Kevin23
03-29-2010, 08:29 AM
At least 37 people have been killed in a suicide bombing in Moscow that occurred this morning at 07:56 AM, according to BBC's Russian sources

Here is a link to the story,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8592190.stm

Tukhachevskii
03-29-2010, 03:25 PM
Women suicide bombers 'kill 38' in Moscow Metro attacks (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7079821.ece)

and

FSB Suspects North Caucasus Link In Deadly Moscow Bombings (http://www.rferl.org/content/Moscow_Metro_Rocked_By_Explosion/1996130.html)

and

Why have the Moscow bombers struck now (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7080115.ece)

and

No Time to Count the Dead, Only to Save the Injured (http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/no-time-to-count-the-dead-only-to-save-the-injured/402750.html)


However, as Robert Amsterdam (http://www.robertamsterdam.com/) points out;

It is certainly not difficult to conceive that the double terrorist bombing committed on the Moscow metro this morning was orchestrated by militant Muslim groups from Chechnya, Dagestan, or Ingushetia (or another part of the North Caucasus). Further, it seems irrelevant to question it given the claims of responsibility (or at least applause) already posted on kavkazcenter.com.

Still, it is strange how the FSB reached the conclusion:

The chief of the FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, told President Dmitry Medvedev: "Body parts belonging to two female suicide bombers were found...and according to initial data, these persons are linked to the North Caucasus."

I am just curious how a body part displays its geographic point of origin ... was it a tattoo, physical typology, bomb technology, or article of clothing which is unique to the area? In an earlier report I had read (and cannot find now), Bortnikov talked about DNA testing of the body parts and amazingly fast test results ... which of course made me think about the FSB's proposal to fingerprint and DNA catalog the entire population of Chechnya.

This isn't to suggest the entertainment of crass conspiracy theories, but more an observation of the Kremlin's habits in terms of disaster management - provide as little official information as possible to the public. I recall the Madrid train bombings of 2004 which were initially pinned upon the separatist group ETA, but later revelations of Al-Qaeda carrying out the attacks cost the ruling party its election and resulted in the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq.

The Kremlin most likely jumped to the right and obvious conclusion, but there was still a jump.

bourbon
03-29-2010, 04:37 PM
One of the bombs was at Lubyanka Station underneath Lubyanka Square which is currently home to FSB’s HQ, and was previously the HQ for the KGB.

omarali50
03-29-2010, 07:30 PM
This slate piece (http://www.slate.com/id/2249122/) made me remember a more serious article about female members of jihadi terrorist cells, written by someone in Europe, cannot recall the title. It was about how they are trying to assert their "agency" and can become much more than the usual image of the submissive Muslim woman by joining these cells....does anyone know what article I am talking about?

JPS
03-29-2010, 08:06 PM
Shamil Basayev keeps paying dividends for the Caucasus Emirate.

davidbfpo
03-29-2010, 10:44 PM
This slate piece (http://www.slate.com/id/2249122/) made me remember a more serious article about female members of jihadi terrorist cells, written by someone in Europe, cannot recall the title. It was about how they are trying to assert their "agency" and can become much more than the usual image of the submissive Muslim woman by joining these cells....does anyone know what article I am talking about?

Try following this link (which has appeared before on a thread n Suicide Bombing IIRC): http://www.iiss.org/conferences/counter-terrorism-series/female-suicide-bombing-and-europe/?locale=en

Sounds like the work you seek is Dr Anne Speckhard of the Free University, Brussels; IIRC has her own website. Good luck.

gh_uk
03-30-2010, 08:05 AM
Anne Speckhard (US Academic) has written fairly extensively on this. Probably the best articles of hers on the subject are:

Speckhard, A, and K Ahkmedova. "The Making of a Martyr: Chechen Suicide Terrorism." Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 29, no. 5 (2006): 429-92, available @: http://www.annespeckhard.com/publications/Making_Martyr.pdf

and

Speckhard, A, and K Akhmedova. "Black Widows: The Chechen Female Suicide Terrorists." Female Suicide Terrorists (2005).
available @:
http://www.uwed.uz/library/files/black_widows.pdf

There's also a reasonably good book by Rosemarie Skaine called, orignally enough, 'Female Suicide Bombers (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Female-Suicide-Bombers-Rosemarie-Skaine/dp/0786426152/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269936102&sr=8-1)'.

kaur
03-30-2010, 09:37 AM
Russian newspaper "Kommersant" says that approximately 20 female bombers are on the run.

At present time their search is going on in Ingushetia.

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1345549

Tukhachevskii
03-30-2010, 10:02 AM
In an article written by Anne Speckhard (www.annespeckhard.com/publications/Suicide_Terrorism-Genesis_of-Encyclopedia_of_Stress.pdf) she makes the following observation which, IMO, is usually ingnored when suicide bombing is discussed (usually in favour of the usual suspects like economic disenfranchisement, poverty, ignorance, self-destructive thanatos drives, et al)...

Sucide terrorism is a tactic that is...In endless supply if the terror group's constituent population supports the use of this tactic.(p.5)

Link is broken for some reason; the article can be "googled" as Genesis of Suicide Terrorism in the Encyclopedia of Stress.

davidbfpo
03-30-2010, 10:48 AM
In the wake of coordinated suicide attacks on the Moscow subway system on March 29, 2010, START has compiled background information on terrorist activity related to this attack....(at the end) These data were collected and compiled from the Global Terrorism Database (www.start.umd.edu/gtd).
The GTD contains information on more than 80,000 terrorist incidents that have occurred around the world since 1970.

Link:http://www.start.umd.edu/start/announcements/2010March_Moscow%20subway.pdf

Tukhachevskii
03-31-2010, 09:52 AM
Dagestan has also been subject to twin bombings two days after Moscow (is there something about the No.2 I am missing here? Or is it pure coincidence?) It appears from initial reports that the perpetrators had similar targetting priorities to the Moscow group with Interiro Ministry and FSB facilities being targetted (could also have been a school). Perpetrators also enacted deception and security measures (apparently) by impersonating police/militsia officers. It is more likely the second bomber was ordered to cause as much havoc and destruction at whatever target the first managed to attack which see here:

Explosion In Dagestan Causes Casualties (www.rferl.org/content/Explosion_In_Daghestan_Causes_Casualties/1998370.html)

also

Putin's anti-terror policies as President are under fire following Moscow Metro bombings (www.rferl.org/content/In_Wake_Of_Metro_Bombings_Putins_War_On_Terror_Is_ Under_Fire/1998111.html)

meanwhile

Families mourn for 39 victims of blast (www.rferl.org/content/Moscow_Mourns_39_Victims_Of_Metro_Blasts/1997511.html)

bourbon
03-31-2010, 01:47 PM
Perpetrators also enacted deception and security measures (apparently) by impersonating police/militsia officers.
They frequently do this. One particularly ugly example was during the 2004 raid on Nazran in Ingushetia which killed around 100 law enforcement officers (they mostly spared the traffic police). They set up a roadblock dressed as local law enforcement and checked motorists documents; any responding law enforcement officers were executed.

Local police in Dagestan are thoroughly penetrated by the rebels, and corruption is rife. The bomber may well have even been an actual policeman.

davidbfpo
04-01-2010, 10:55 PM
Thanks to Raf at FreeRadicals Dr Cerwyn Moore has written a short commentary on the Moscow bombings: http://icsr.info/blog/Dr-Cerwyn-Moore-on-Moscow-Bombings

He concludes:
The recent attacks in Moscow clearly result from recent federal successes in the low-intensity conflict which has beset the region since 2007. Whilst federal authorities have repeatedly claimed major successes, indicating that the insurgency was all but defeated, wide-scale poverty in the region, corruption and hard-line policies by Kremlin – repeated in recent days in statements by Vladimir Putin (which are, incidentally, eerily reminiscent of statements he made prior to the outbreak of the second Russo-Chechen War) - appointed strongmen, and apparatchiks have helped to radicalise a generation of new fighters willing to undertake ‘smertniki’ operations or suicide attacks.

Dayuhan
04-02-2010, 03:49 AM
Seeing this in the news...


Addressing Russians' fears of a new wave of terror attacks, President Dmitry Medvedev made a surprise visit to Dagestan, where suicide bombers killed 12 Wednesday, and called for "crueler" measures against terrorists...

"We have torn off the heads of the most odious bandits, but clearly this was not enough," he said. Calling for expanding the range of measures against terror, he said, "They need to be not just more effective, but harsher, crueler."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303395904575158000699679186.html?m od=WSJ_WSJ_US_World

Doesn't exactly sound like American COIN theory... I have to wonder if the translations are accurate, and how it translates to tactics on the ground, and what the consequences will be...

Tukhachevskii
04-02-2010, 02:31 PM
Doku Umarov (http://www.rferl.org/content/News_Profile_Who_Is_Doku_Umarov/1999886.html)...has claimed responsibility for the Moscow attacks (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/world/europe/01dagestan.html) (intriguingly the piece makes no direct mention of him claiming responsibility for the attacks in Dagestan). If his group was behind it it could be intended as a message following the assasination of Said Buryatsky (http://www.jamestown.org/programs/ncw/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=36146&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=24&cHash=608662edaf) earlier last month. Althout it is more likely that Umarov merely whiches to re-assert/assert his authority over the traditionally independant minded jamaats. Given that his authority may have diminished for lack of activity (or the perception of activity) the jamaats may have spun out of his (nominal) control and upped the ante off their own bat.

On a related note the Russian armed forces have revived the concept of armoured (http://www.jamestown.org/programs/ncw/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=36077&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=24&cHash=8bf2fa32e6) trains in an effort to stem growing attacks on the railways infrastructure in the Chechnya region;


A review of recent attacks on railway infrastructure gives some sense of the growing problem:

• One person was killed in an explosion on railroad tracks near the Dagestani capital of Makhachkala on February 10. The bomb appears to have gone off prematurely, narrowly missing an incoming freight train carrying 20 tankers full of jet fuel .

• Militants fired two shots from a grenade launcher at militia quarters in the railway station at Nazran (Ingushetia) on February 2 (Chechenpress, February 2).

• Federal Security Service (FSB) forces in Dagestan announced the killing of a veteran Egyptian jihadist who had targeted railway infrastructure in the North Caucasus. Mahmud Muhammad Shaaban was killed in a shootout on February 2 (RIA Novosti, February 3).

• A cargo train including oil tankers was derailed by an explosion in Nazran on January 4 (Caucasian Knot, January 4).

• On November 30, 2009, a bomb went off under the Tyumen-Baku train in Dagestan, damaging the locomotive (The Moscow Times, December 1, 2009; ITAR-TASS, November 30, 2009).

• The Nevsky Express running between Moscow and St. Petersburg was derailed by a reported explosion on November 27. The FSB estimated seven kilograms of explosives were used (RIA Novosti, November 28). Though the Caucasus mujahideen claimed the explosion was carried out under the orders of their amir Dokka Umarov, elements of the police and many observers questioned the ability of the rebels to conduct such an operation. The mujahideen’s message included threats to carry out further attacks on rail lines and other Russian infrastructure.

• An explosion damaged the rail line between Makhachkala and Baku and set fire to a locomotive on November 26, 2009 (ITAR-TASS, November 26).

• A landmine blew up a section of rail in Makhachkala as a locomotive passed over on October 25 (Interfax, October 25).

• A section of the Baku-Rostov rail line near Makhachkala was destroyed by a bomb blast on October 12.

• A sapper was killed by an explosion on the rail line south of Makhachkala on July 2. The bombing occurred as a repair crew arrived to fix track destroyed earlier that day in another explosion (RIA Novosti, July 2, 2009).

Tukhachevskii
04-02-2010, 02:43 PM
...Medvedev makes a surprise visit (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8598164.stm);

We must deal sharp dagger blows to the terrorists; destroy them and their lairs," Mr Medvedev said. "The list of measures to fight terrorism must be widened. They must not only be effective but tough, severe and preventative. We need to punish".

While Dagestan’s president, Magomedsalam Magomedov (http://www.russiaprofile.org/resources/whoiswho/alphabet/m/Magomedov), sends mixed messages (http://rt.com/Politics/2010-03-31/link-dagestan-moscow-blasts.html).


“[There was] a chance for terrorists to return to a peaceful life, but they have not taken it,” Magomedov said. “We will continue eliminating them until we eradicate them all. However, this does not mean that we will only use methods of force,” Magomedov added.

And...in Chechnya the internal situation slides further into the centre-periphery/patron-client dolldrums with the Chechen parliament criticising (http://www.rferl.org/content/Chechen_Legislators_Target_Federal_Envoy/2001071.html) Medvedev's man, Aleksandr Khloponin (http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100119/157614801.html), who was appointed Plenipotentiary Representative (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Administration_of_Russia#Presidential _Envoys_to_Federal_districts_of_Russia) to the North Caucasus if only because...

it would have been both a fitting moral gesture and one of "political literacy" if Khloponin had acknowledged the devastation inflicted on Chechnya by making it the first of the North Caucasus republics he visited in his new official capacity. In fact his first visit was to North Ossetia.

...but also because...

rumors that have been circulating in Grozny for some weeks. Those rumors predict the imminent appointment to Khloponin's staff of two highly controversial figures: former Grozny Mayor Bislan Gantamirov and Interior Ministry Colonel Akhmed Khasambekov.

bourbon
04-02-2010, 04:14 PM
I have to wonder if the translations are accurate,
Per the NYT (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/world/europe/02moscow.html):

"The Russian word that Mr. Medvedev used for “harsher” can also be translated as “crueler” or “severer,” and varying translations were published during the course of Thursday by English-language news media."

and how it translates to tactics on the ground, and what the consequences will be...
"Rape, murder! It's just a shot away. It's just a shot away"
- Gimme Shelter, Rolling Stones

bourbon
04-02-2010, 04:26 PM
Doku Umarov (http://www.rferl.org/content/News_Profile_Who_Is_Doku_Umarov/1999886.html)...has claimed responsibility for the Moscow attacks (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/world/europe/01dagestan.html) (intriguingly the piece makes no direct mention of him claiming responsibility for the attacks in Dagestan). If his group was behind it it could be intended as a message following the assasination of Said Buryatsky (http://www.jamestown.org/programs/ncw/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=36146&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=24&cHash=608662edaf) earlier last month.
Umarov stated the metro attacks were in retaliation for an incident on February 11 (http://www.rightsinrussia.info/home/hro-org-in-english-1/chechnya/war-crimes---2010) where civilians gathering wild garlic were killed or executed by members of the FSB; the bodies were also reportedly mutilated and showed signs of torture.

davidbfpo
04-07-2010, 05:15 PM
A political context commentary:
The attacks, carried out by two female suicide bombers with apparent ties to radical Muslim groups, have highlighted the danger of the Islamist extremism that is a common threat for Russia and the West today but they have also been a troubling reminder of the threat Russians face from their own government.

Link:http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/04/07/political_implications_of_the_moscow_terror_bombin gs_105081.html

bourbon
05-01-2010, 05:01 PM
State Department to leave Chechen rebel group off terror list (http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/04/29/state_department_to_leave_chechen_rebel_group_off_ terror_list), by Josh Rogin. ForeignPolicy.com: The Cable, April 29, 2010.

The State Department's update of its annual list of official terrorist groups is imminent, but the group that just attacked Moscow won't be on the list.

The Caucasus Emirate, which has been waging a jihad against the Russian government, is led by Doku Umarov, who calls himself the "emir of the North Caucasus." He was previously President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, but dissolved that Republic and established the Emirate in its place in 2007 in order to impose sharia law in his territory.

Umarov declared all the way back in 2007 that his group was expanding its struggle to wage war against the United States, Great Britain, and Israel. Last month, he released a video claiming credit for the suicide attacks in Moscow in March that resulted in the deaths of 39 people.

Jedburgh
06-11-2010, 05:01 PM
NDC, 10 Jun 10: The Moscow Metro Bombings and Terrorism in Russia (http://www.ndc.nato.int/download/downloads.php?icode=199)

The terrorist attacks in Moscow on 29 March that killed 40 and injured over 100, and the subsequent attacks in Dagestan and Ingushetia highlight a serious problem in Russia. The Russian authorities, led by President Medvedev, quickly responded by promising the swift pursuit and destruction of the terrorists, the review and improvement of anti-terrorism procedures and enhancement of social and economic measures to address the causes of terrorism in the North Caucasus. Two criminal cases were opened with the charges of terrorism, and an operational and investigation group established, initially comprised of 30 people drawn from the Investigative Committee of the General Procurators Office (SK) and the Federal Security Service (FSB). Moscow also linked the attacks to the international context, noting both the international training and preparation of the terrorists and thus the need for international cooperation to address the issue......

davidbfpo
06-17-2010, 05:49 PM
A curious article:
On April 9 2010, after explosions in the Moscow metro killed 39 people, rumours were circulated of 1,000 ‘black widows’ who had been recruited by the militants. When the press published the names of 22, Tanya Lokshina of Human Rights Watch found that she knew some of these dangerous women : a seamstress whose real crime was being a human rights worker, a pious young mother whose husband had been tortured in the ‘6th Department’.

Link:http://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/tanya-lokshina/black-widows-of-dagestan-media-hype-and-genuine-harm

bourbon
06-24-2010, 05:03 PM
State Department to leave Chechen rebel group off terror list (http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/04/29/state_department_to_leave_chechen_rebel_group_off_ terror_list), by Josh Rogin. ForeignPolicy.com: The Cable, April 29, 2010.
U.S. Designates Chechen Militant Umarov As A 'Terrorist' (http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Designates_Chechen_Militant_A_Terrorist/2080775.html), RFE/RL, 24 June 2010.

The United States has designated Russia's most-wanted militant leader as a terrorist.

The State Department on June 23 said the listing, approved by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, would block the assets of Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov and sanction individuals or companies doing business with him.

The announcement -- seen as another sign of improving ties between Washington and Moscow – comes ahead of talks between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, in Washington today.
Bargaining chip?

kaur
01-24-2011, 05:14 PM
24 January 2011 Last updated at 17:06 GMT

Moscow bombing: Carnage at Russia's Domodedovo airport


Moscow's Domodedovo airport has been rocked by a bomb explosion that an airport spokesman says has killed 35 people.

More than 100 people were injured - 20 of them critically - by the blast, which reports suggest was the work of a suicide bomber.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12268662

Stan
01-24-2011, 07:25 PM
24 January 2011 Last updated at 17:06 GMT

Moscow bombing: Carnage at Russia's Domodedovo airport

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12268662

Hey Kaur,
We just finished clearing up the Tallinn airport following a bomb threat (http://www.delfi.ee/news/paevauudised/110_112/tallinna-lennujaamale-tehti-pommiahvardus.d?id=39036897) this evening. One wonders however, if some sort of sick solidarity now exists in Estonia. At least our pathetic threat mongers fortunately remain with little more than empty words and worthless deeds.

The death toll now according to ETV is at 35 and growing with a purported trail of evidence leading directly to the Northern Caucasus region.

Stay Safe, Stan

motorfirebox
01-24-2011, 08:07 PM
So: Chechnya or Dagestan?

Stan
01-24-2011, 08:51 PM
So: Chechnya or Dagestan?

If you mean I need to give you a SWAG, then I guess it's an ethnic Russian or Muslim national, not a Chechen, Ingushetian or Dagestian rebel.

Too easy to bark about Chechnya when your quasi boss and PM has staked his political reputation on quelling the current rebellion in the North (again).

It wasn't long ago that Putin accused Estonia of providing "blond and blue-eyed" female snipers to fight along side the Chechnians :rolleyes:

Stan
01-25-2011, 06:30 PM
Hey Kaur,
We just finished clearing up the Tallinn airport following a bomb threat (http://www.delfi.ee/news/paevauudised/110_112/tallinna-lennujaamale-tehti-pommiahvardus.d?id=39036897) this evening. One wonders however, if some sort of sick solidarity now exists in Estonia. At least our pathetic threat mongers fortunately remain with little more than empty words and worthless deeds.

We've nabbed our impostor and he's firmly behind bars (http://www.delfi.ee/news/paevauudised/110_112/politsei-tabas-lennujaamale-pommiahvarduse-tegemises-kahtlustatava.d?id=39058409). At least his actions were not set on sympathizing with Chechnya; he's just another fruit cake calling in bomb threats following the evening news (using his own telephone for the traced call :rolleyes: )

davidbfpo
01-30-2011, 02:22 PM
Opens with:
a photograph of the man suspected of masterminding the deadliest attack on an airport anywhere in the world has nonetheless shocked the nation.

Staring out from the front pages of their newspapers this weekend is not the usual dark-skinned, heavily-bearded Islamist terrorist they have come to expect and fear but an ethnic Russian who looks like millions of Russians' brothers, sons or husbands.

Ends:
Sergei Arutyunov, an expert at Russia’s Academy of Sciences, said poverty was driving people to convert and that southern Russia was a fertile recruiting ground. People are frustrated and are therefore looking for alternative ideologies,” he said. “Our civilisation is in crisis.

Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8290410/Moscow-airport-bombing-why-a-terrorist-mastermind-is-sending-chills-down-spines.html

Stan
01-30-2011, 05:44 PM
We just had this discussion yesterday during shift changes... as if an otherwise normal person stressed out with a starving family is incapable of blowing up an airport :rolleyes:

Regardless of who's in charge and how ruthless the governing power is, or claims to be, individuals are far more capable than movies could ever portrait.

Check out Slap's 5 rings (jungle rules for you Africa hands and for the rest of you, Maslow's hierarchy of needs).

Kevin23
05-22-2011, 05:48 AM
As the following piece points out, while all attention seems to be focused on the Eurozone bailouts for Ireland, Portugal, and maybe even Spain. Another similarly fashioned bailout is in the process of occurring in Eastern Europe for Belarus, a nation led by an autocratic President who is an ally of Russian PM Vladimir Putin. And whose country he has led since the breakup of the USSR, still maintains most of the old Soviet trappings such as a mostly Socialist command economy, and an undemocratic society where the political status quo is maintained by the state KGB whose name and habits haven't changed from the time of the Soviet Union.

Therefore, due to the kleptocratic and antiqued nature of the Belorussian economy, the state find's it's bankrupt and consistently dependent on big brother to the east. Which leaves Belarus turning to Russia and other better off autocratic former Soviet states for emergency economic assistance in the form of a bailout.

It will be interesting to see where this leads, as the Russians are supposedly demanding a number of concessions from the Belorussian political leadership for this to move forward.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/world/europe/20briefs-Belarus.html

http://drezner.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/05/20/dont_go_changing_belarus

davidbfpo
11-24-2011, 12:01 PM
A short BBC report that opens with:
Once it was Chechnya, today it is the republic of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea that is the most explosive place in Russia - and in Europe. There are bomb attacks almost daily, shootouts between police and militants, tales of torture and of people going missing.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15824831

Sounds horribly similar to many other places, nearly all off our "radar".

SWJ Blog
01-05-2015, 11:39 PM
The Lesson of Russian Jihad (http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/the-lesson-of-russian-jihad)

Entry Excerpt:



--------
Read the full post (http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/the-lesson-of-russian-jihad) and make any comments at the SWJ Blog (http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog).
This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.

OUTLAW 09
04-03-2015, 05:52 PM
Great site for those interested in Russian terrorism issues.

This week’s Top Extremism- and Terrorism-Related Stories in Russia http://extremistrussia.com/2015/04/03/top-extremism-and-terrorism-related-stories-in-russia-28-march-3-april-2015/ …

davidbfpo
08-12-2016, 08:26 PM
Recommended by a "lurker" and rather optimistic given the insurgency in the Caucasus, even if that is "contained":http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160805/1043976484/russia-domestic-terrorism-lessons.html

It ends with - no, not a hint at influencing Europe:
Ultimately, Naryshkin emphasized that unfortunately, there are never any guarantees of complete safety against terrorism. Nevertheless, given the series of measures Russian security services have at their disposal, Russians can look confidently toward the professionalism of the security services to protect against the threat. European countries, meanwhile, may just have something to take away from the Russian experience.

davidbfpo
03-10-2017, 08:54 AM
A strange criminal case in Russia:
On 14 February 2017, a trial against two alleged “terrorists”, Artur Panov and Maksim Smyshlyaev, opened in the North Caucasus District Military Court. The prosecution claimed that before prior to arrest in December 2015, Panov, an underage Ukrainian citizen, planned to organise a series of explosions in Rostov-on-Don and manufactured an explosive device with which to carry them out. Maksim Smyshlyaev, a Russian student, supposedly offered to help him, providing him with advice on the best way to plan and carry out terrorist acts.Somehow the case has ended up with prosecuting Maksim with:
...a new definition of terrorism — here, it’s the desire to dissuade a terrorist from carrying out any terrorism.Link:https://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/igor-gukovsky/rostov-red-army-faction?

Artur Panov the aspiring terrorist appears to have mental health issues; now where have we heard that CT investigations have found that too?:wry:

mirhond
03-31-2017, 12:17 PM
A strange criminal case in Russia

A common thing those days - recent anti-everything law amendments allow to prosecute anyone as extremist\separatist\enemy of the state for SMS, single (re)post or even holding an invisible posters

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/oleg_leusenko/26655385/2979765/2979765_original.jpg

davidbfpo
04-07-2017, 10:58 PM
An assessment by two UK-based SME after the St. Petersburg Metro bombing; it also looks at who might have been behind the attack:https://theconversation.com/russias-domestic-terrorism-threat-is-serious-sophisticated-and-complex-75869? (https://theconversation.com/russias-domestic-terrorism-threat-is-serious-sophisticated-and-complex-75869?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20 for%20April%207%202017%20-%2071455394&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20f or%20April%207%202017%20-%2071455394+CID_d3b7d877ea4b447dc7f3447052195075&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=Russias%20domestic%20terrorism%20threat%2 0is%20serious%20sophisticated%20and%20complex)

davidbfpo
04-21-2018, 12:38 PM
Worth adding for the stats:
What is the largest Muslim city in Europe? It is Moscow. In 2015, Vladimir Putin, inaugurating Moscow’s Cathedral Mosque, which can accommodate 10,000 worshippers, reminded congregants that Islam is enshrined in Russian law as one of the nation’s “founding religions” (the others are Christianity, Buddhism and Judaism). Islam arrived in Russia before Christianity, and the country’s Muslim population grew with its imperial expansion.......Muslims today account for up to 15 per cent of Russia’s population.
Link:https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/book-review-russia-s-muslim-heartlands-reveals-diverse-population-1.723230