The North Caucasus: Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia

[George L. Singleton]

automatic weapons and grenade launchers vs. snipers.

Can you explain your interpretation of an "inferred" new style of combat with snipers now being noted by you?

[bourbon]

Sniper attacks are a rarity in Ingushetia. Running a check in World News Connection, there are no reports of sniper attacks in Ingushetia prior to May 2008. Three policemen are wounded in three different shootings in May. Several events occur from October to December, with at least 2 killed. On January 11 there are two sniper incidents, with one wounded and an MVD squadron commander killed. For February, on the 10th one highway patrolman shot at a checkpoint, February 16 one MVD engineer wounded, Kaur's article notes 3 events on the 18th.

This info is just what I could pull of the newswire, so it is far from accurate. But most attacks in Ingushetia have been of the bombing and automatic weapon/grenade variety. I imagine the fog is pretty bad this time of year in Ingushetia, that can't help much. I don't recall seeing many recent reports of snipers elsewhere in the North Caucasus. One notable incident is the assassination of the mayor of Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia last fall. Ossetian Jamaat claimed responsibility, but you never know.

[George L. Singleton]

A "trained or schooled" sniper is a cut above a suicidal or non-suicidal terrorist.

Who do you think is training these snipers?

[Ken White]

Sniper. The internet trains many...

[bourbon]

According to the Russian’s, foreigners - Arabs and Turks mostly - travel from cell to cell in the North Caucasus in an advisory role. Could be Chechen’s who can no longer operate at home. It also could just be one specialist who travels from republic to republic, the Caucasus Emirate likes to shift the locus of the insurgency. The Russian’s will likely try to blame the Georgian’s somehow, which could true. As Ken notes, it could also be the internet.

The assassination in Vladikavkaz could have been related to business, politics, organized crime, or a combination thereof. I don’t know much about the incident, other than that it was a good shot.

[kaur]

Here are three artcles in Russian about assassinations in Nort Ossetia. Use Google translator. First one is about mayor of Vladikavkaz.

http://newsru.com/russia/10feb2009/zaderzh.html
http://newsru.com/russia/17dec2008/vladkill.html
http://newsru.com/russia/31dec2008/pagiev.html

[kaur]

Ludmila Alekseyeva, the head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, said yesterday that she was surprised various media outlets on Friday had reported that the Russian interior ministry directive allowing militia units to use lethal force against anti-government demonstrators was something new.
In fact, she said in an interview carried on Radio Liberty, this order was issued by Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov in December 2002, and the dean of Russia’s human rights community said that she was grateful that the militia had not acted on this order during the intervening period, at least outside of the North Caucasus (www.ingushetia.org/news/18452.html).

http://windowoneurasia.blogspot.com/...-on-using.html

[Kevin23]

According to the Russian’s, foreigners - Arabs and Turks mostly - travel from cell to cell in the North Caucasus in an advisory role. Could be Chechen’s who can no longer operate at home. It also could just be one specialist who travels from republic to republic, the Caucasus Emirate likes to shift the locus of the insurgency. The Russian’s will likely try to blame the Georgian’s somehow, which could true. As Ken notes, it could also be the internet.

The assassination in Vladikavkaz could have been related to business, politics, organized crime, or a combination thereof. I don’t know much about the incident, other than that it was a good shot.

Bourbon just curious,

Weren't snipers pretty active in the fighting in Chechnya? If so wouldn't this most likely corralate with the incidents regarding snipers in Ingushetia?

[davidbfpo]

On the FP link:http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...ias_secret_war

davidbfpo

[bourbon]

Weren't snipers pretty active in the fighting in Chechnya? If so wouldn't this most likely corralate with the incidents regarding snipers in Ingushetia?

Have there been sniper attacks in Chechnya lately, is that what you are asking? I don't know. The insurgency has been more active in Ingushetia and Dagestan the last few years, when Chechnya cooled down a bit.