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Bandar-controlled terrorists threaten Russia
Saudi spymaster Bandar bin Sultan
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/10/28/331726/saudiled-terrorists-threaten-russia/
Mon Oct 28, 2013 10:47AM GMT
By Yusuf Fernandez
Related Interviews:
'US, KSA both want Syria regime change'
`Corrupt Al Khalifa rule must end'
During his recent visit to Moscow, some weeks ago, Saudi intelligence
chief Bandar bin Sultan told Russian President Vladimir Putin that
Saudi-controlled militants in the Caucasus will not disrupt the Winter
Olympic Games in Sochi only if Russia backed away from its support for
Syria. Putin reportedly rejected the proposal.
`We know that you have supported the Chechen terrorist groups for a
decade. And that support, which you have frankly talked about just
now, is completely incompatible with the common objectives of fighting
global terrorism that you mentioned', Putin is said to have answered.
There are good reasons for Bandar and the Saudi ruling family to be
angry at Russia (and lately at the US, too). Saudi Arabiaīs plans
against Shiites and the Axis of Resistance in the Middle East have
been undermined by Russian policies in Syria, Iran and elsewhere.
Bandar planned to overthrow Bashar al Assad in Syria through a US
attack and the action of terrorist groups there, to isolate and
destroy Hezbollah and to push Washington into a confrontation with
Tehran.
However, Bandar clearly misunderstood Russia, Iran and Hezbollah and
their determination to support their Syrian ally and to defeat his
plans. Russia deployed a powerful fleet in Eastern Mediterranean and
made it clear that it was willing to support and protect Syria.
Therefore, Bandar could try to take revenge on Russia through his
terrorist tools. This is of course insane, but his threats to Russia
(and now to the US) are themselves evidence of his insanity and
stupidity and led the world public opinion to understand that the
Saudi regime itself is a real problem for the region and the world.
Extremist groups and the Olympic Games
Terrorist groups tied to Saudi Arabia and other countries have been
operating in the North Caucasus for years. According to Syria's Grand
Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, who recently visited the Islamic
University of Moscow, `there are around 2,000 extremists from Russia
fighting in Syria.' He said that `among the fighters, there are people
from Chechnya and Dagestan in the Caucasus as well as those of
Tatarstan in central Russia'.
According to the Lebanese daily As Safir, which quoted the director of
the Russian site Qafqaz Ozil, Gregory Chavidov, `the Russian
extremists have gained experience in the war in Syria. They have
learned to fight in cities. Up to now, the terrorists in the Caucasus
did not enjoy such experience. And when they return home and organize
their ranks, they will certainly represent a major threat.' He added
that `Sochi is seriously exposed to attacks by extremist groups who
took part in street battles in Syria, in spite of all measures taken
to ensure security for the Olympic Winter Games.'
The ringleader of the terrorists in the Russian Caucasus Doku Umarov
threatened last July to disrupt the Olympic Winter Games, promising
that he would try by all means to prevent the games from taking place.
Umarov has reached a deal with Emir Salautdin, who controls North
Caucasus militants in Syria, for those militants to return to Russia
to fight under his command. Umarov has proclaimed the North Caucasus
an independent state, calling it Imarat Kaukaz (The Caucasus Emirate).
The Russian expert said that `if the Russian militants return to the
country, responding to Umarov's call, it would represent a serious
concern.'
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed concern
over the return of Russian militants who are currently fighting
against Syrian forces. He wrote in a recent article published in the
New York Times, `We cannot but be concerned about the presence of
hundreds of extremists from Western countries and even Russia, who are
fighting Syria. Who can assure us that these people, with their
experience in Syria, will not come back to our country? This is a real
threat to us all.'
The Russian President called on the country's Muslim leaders to work
together with state authorities in order to counter these radical
movements. `Radical movements, which have never been popular among
Russian Muslims seek to weaken our state and to create foreign-managed
conflicts in the Russian territory', he said.
Putin has set up a clear policy, which aims at combating extremist
groups wherever it is possible and necessary, with no concerns for
other factors. The current civil war in Syria is considered by the
Russian president a continuation of his fight in Chechnya and this is
a message easily understandable by the majority of Russians.
Putin has ordered Russian intelligence agencies to step up their
efforts in Northern Caucasus and has issued a decree reducing the
freedom of movement and assembly near the Sochi resort. `Despite the
obvious positive changes, the situation in the North Caucasus is
improving too slowly,' Putin said. `Terrorist threats, uncertainties
regarding safety have not been permanently eradicated'.
The Russian concern has been fuelled by the terrorist attack on
October 22 in Volvograd. Six people were killed and 37 were injured -
some of them critically - after a female suicide bomber, Naida
Asivalova, from Dagestan, set off a bomb on a bus in Volgograd,
central Russia.
Recently, a Russian citizen, Sergei Gorbunov, was also captured by
`extremist militants' in Syria, who threatened to `slaughter' him if
Russia and Syria did not exchange him through the Red Cross for a
native of Saudi Arabia named Khaled Suleiman. He was reportedly taken
hostage by militants from the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (Army of
Emigrants and Supporters). This group is led by Abu Omar al Chechen
and is manned by volunteers from the Caucasus.
On the other hand, Bandar's claims that Saudi Arabia controls Chechen
terrorist groups has also raised new questions about the April 15
Boston Marathon bombing. The Tsarnaev brothers, who allegedly carried
out the attacks, had close family links to Chechen extremist groups in
Russia. The elder brother, Tamerlan, traveled to the region to contact
such groups.
Threats from Afghanistan
The Caucasus is not the only region where extremist groups are acting
against Russia. While NATO forces are preparing the pull-out of their
troops from Afghanistan, Moscow is increasingly concerned that this
fact will increase the threat for Russia and its allies in Central
Asia. It already happened in the 1980s, when the CIA and Bandar
supported `Muyahideen' who were fighting against Soviet troops in
Afghanistan as a part of a more comprehensive plan to spread the
extremist ideology within the boundaries of the Soviet Union and thus
create problems and weaken the latter.
Russia recently announced that it would reinforce its military
contingents in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan ahead of the US withdrawal.
The head of Russian GRU military intelligence agency, Igor Sergun,
said that the current situation in Afghanistan was `a serious
challenge to international stability'.
Russia maintains some big military bases in Central Asia and around
7,000 Russian soldiers are deployed there. Seven hundred soldiers are
stationed in Kyrgyzstan, especially in the Kant air base near the
capital, Bishkek. In Tajikistan, Russian land forces of the 201st
Motorized Rifle Division have their own base and both countries have
started negotiations on the use of the Ayni air base by Russian
military, too. However, Russian experts consider that the existing
network of Russian bases is not sufficient to protect Tajikistanīs
long border with Afghanistan in the case of a conflict.
The governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have been fighting
against the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which is supported
by the Taliban. After suffering heavy losses in the Afghan war, the
IMUīs activities are now limited to the south of Tajikistan, although
there are also reports pointing to the presence of this group in other
Central Asian republics.
YF/NN
Yusuf Fernandez is a journalist and the secretary of the Muslim
Federation of Spain. He started to work for Radio Prague. He has been
editor of several Islamic sites in Spanish and English and is
currently editor of the Spanish site of Al Manar. He has also
published articles in leading Spanish newspapers. More articles by
Yusuf Fernandez
Saudi spymaster Bandar bin Sultan
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/10/28/331726/saudiled-terrorists-threaten-russia/
Mon Oct 28, 2013 10:47AM GMT
By Yusuf Fernandez
Related Interviews:
'US, KSA both want Syria regime change'
`Corrupt Al Khalifa rule must end'
During his recent visit to Moscow, some weeks ago, Saudi intelligence
chief Bandar bin Sultan told Russian President Vladimir Putin that
Saudi-controlled militants in the Caucasus will not disrupt the Winter
Olympic Games in Sochi only if Russia backed away from its support for
Syria. Putin reportedly rejected the proposal.
`We know that you have supported the Chechen terrorist groups for a
decade. And that support, which you have frankly talked about just
now, is completely incompatible with the common objectives of fighting
global terrorism that you mentioned', Putin is said to have answered.
There are good reasons for Bandar and the Saudi ruling family to be
angry at Russia (and lately at the US, too). Saudi Arabiaīs plans
against Shiites and the Axis of Resistance in the Middle East have
been undermined by Russian policies in Syria, Iran and elsewhere.
Bandar planned to overthrow Bashar al Assad in Syria through a US
attack and the action of terrorist groups there, to isolate and
destroy Hezbollah and to push Washington into a confrontation with
Tehran.
However, Bandar clearly misunderstood Russia, Iran and Hezbollah and
their determination to support their Syrian ally and to defeat his
plans. Russia deployed a powerful fleet in Eastern Mediterranean and
made it clear that it was willing to support and protect Syria.
Therefore, Bandar could try to take revenge on Russia through his
terrorist tools. This is of course insane, but his threats to Russia
(and now to the US) are themselves evidence of his insanity and
stupidity and led the world public opinion to understand that the
Saudi regime itself is a real problem for the region and the world.
Extremist groups and the Olympic Games
Terrorist groups tied to Saudi Arabia and other countries have been
operating in the North Caucasus for years. According to Syria's Grand
Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, who recently visited the Islamic
University of Moscow, `there are around 2,000 extremists from Russia
fighting in Syria.' He said that `among the fighters, there are people
from Chechnya and Dagestan in the Caucasus as well as those of
Tatarstan in central Russia'.
According to the Lebanese daily As Safir, which quoted the director of
the Russian site Qafqaz Ozil, Gregory Chavidov, `the Russian
extremists have gained experience in the war in Syria. They have
learned to fight in cities. Up to now, the terrorists in the Caucasus
did not enjoy such experience. And when they return home and organize
their ranks, they will certainly represent a major threat.' He added
that `Sochi is seriously exposed to attacks by extremist groups who
took part in street battles in Syria, in spite of all measures taken
to ensure security for the Olympic Winter Games.'
The ringleader of the terrorists in the Russian Caucasus Doku Umarov
threatened last July to disrupt the Olympic Winter Games, promising
that he would try by all means to prevent the games from taking place.
Umarov has reached a deal with Emir Salautdin, who controls North
Caucasus militants in Syria, for those militants to return to Russia
to fight under his command. Umarov has proclaimed the North Caucasus
an independent state, calling it Imarat Kaukaz (The Caucasus Emirate).
The Russian expert said that `if the Russian militants return to the
country, responding to Umarov's call, it would represent a serious
concern.'
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed concern
over the return of Russian militants who are currently fighting
against Syrian forces. He wrote in a recent article published in the
New York Times, `We cannot but be concerned about the presence of
hundreds of extremists from Western countries and even Russia, who are
fighting Syria. Who can assure us that these people, with their
experience in Syria, will not come back to our country? This is a real
threat to us all.'
The Russian President called on the country's Muslim leaders to work
together with state authorities in order to counter these radical
movements. `Radical movements, which have never been popular among
Russian Muslims seek to weaken our state and to create foreign-managed
conflicts in the Russian territory', he said.
Putin has set up a clear policy, which aims at combating extremist
groups wherever it is possible and necessary, with no concerns for
other factors. The current civil war in Syria is considered by the
Russian president a continuation of his fight in Chechnya and this is
a message easily understandable by the majority of Russians.
Putin has ordered Russian intelligence agencies to step up their
efforts in Northern Caucasus and has issued a decree reducing the
freedom of movement and assembly near the Sochi resort. `Despite the
obvious positive changes, the situation in the North Caucasus is
improving too slowly,' Putin said. `Terrorist threats, uncertainties
regarding safety have not been permanently eradicated'.
The Russian concern has been fuelled by the terrorist attack on
October 22 in Volvograd. Six people were killed and 37 were injured -
some of them critically - after a female suicide bomber, Naida
Asivalova, from Dagestan, set off a bomb on a bus in Volgograd,
central Russia.
Recently, a Russian citizen, Sergei Gorbunov, was also captured by
`extremist militants' in Syria, who threatened to `slaughter' him if
Russia and Syria did not exchange him through the Red Cross for a
native of Saudi Arabia named Khaled Suleiman. He was reportedly taken
hostage by militants from the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (Army of
Emigrants and Supporters). This group is led by Abu Omar al Chechen
and is manned by volunteers from the Caucasus.
On the other hand, Bandar's claims that Saudi Arabia controls Chechen
terrorist groups has also raised new questions about the April 15
Boston Marathon bombing. The Tsarnaev brothers, who allegedly carried
out the attacks, had close family links to Chechen extremist groups in
Russia. The elder brother, Tamerlan, traveled to the region to contact
such groups.
Threats from Afghanistan
The Caucasus is not the only region where extremist groups are acting
against Russia. While NATO forces are preparing the pull-out of their
troops from Afghanistan, Moscow is increasingly concerned that this
fact will increase the threat for Russia and its allies in Central
Asia. It already happened in the 1980s, when the CIA and Bandar
supported `Muyahideen' who were fighting against Soviet troops in
Afghanistan as a part of a more comprehensive plan to spread the
extremist ideology within the boundaries of the Soviet Union and thus
create problems and weaken the latter.
Russia recently announced that it would reinforce its military
contingents in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan ahead of the US withdrawal.
The head of Russian GRU military intelligence agency, Igor Sergun,
said that the current situation in Afghanistan was `a serious
challenge to international stability'.
Russia maintains some big military bases in Central Asia and around
7,000 Russian soldiers are deployed there. Seven hundred soldiers are
stationed in Kyrgyzstan, especially in the Kant air base near the
capital, Bishkek. In Tajikistan, Russian land forces of the 201st
Motorized Rifle Division have their own base and both countries have
started negotiations on the use of the Ayni air base by Russian
military, too. However, Russian experts consider that the existing
network of Russian bases is not sufficient to protect Tajikistanīs
long border with Afghanistan in the case of a conflict.
The governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have been fighting
against the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which is supported
by the Taliban. After suffering heavy losses in the Afghan war, the
IMUīs activities are now limited to the south of Tajikistan, although
there are also reports pointing to the presence of this group in other
Central Asian republics.
YF/NN
Yusuf Fernandez is a journalist and the secretary of the Muslim
Federation of Spain. He started to work for Radio Prague. He has been
editor of several Islamic sites in Spanish and English and is
currently editor of the Spanish site of Al Manar. He has also
published articles in leading Spanish newspapers. More articles by
Yusuf Fernandez