Russia admits Mujahideen remain strong in Caucasus

Publication time: 20 August 2009, 10:46

Mujahideen remain a strong challenge to

Russian authorities in the North Caucasus,
the Russian president said Wednesday —
reversing months of Kremlin assurances
that stability was returning to the restive
North Caucasus.

President Dmitry Medvedev called for new

measures to "radically" improve the
situation in the region, where Mujahideen
have fought two wars in Chechnya since 1994 and still mount regular attacks against “law
enforcement” in neighboring regions.

"Some time ago, we got an impression that the situation regarding terrorism in the
Caucasus has significantly improved," Medvedev said at a meeting with security officials in
the southern city of Stavropol. "Regrettably, recent events have shown it's not the case."

On Monday, Mujahideen staged the region's worst attack in years, ramming a truck
through the Nazran “police headquarters” in Ingushetia and detonating a massive amount
of explosives. The death toll from the attack reached 25 on Wednesday, after four more
bodies were removed from the wreckage. Of the more than 160 people injured, 70 are still
hospitalized, Ingushetia's deputy leader Ruslan Tsechoyev said.

The bombing unraveled Kremlin claims that it has managed to bring calm and prosperity to
the region.

It also stoked new fears that Ingushetia, located west of Chechnya, has become the
region's main battleground. An officer of the Federal Security Service was shot to death
Wednesday in his car near Nazran, according to the federal prosecutor's Investigative
Committee in Ingushetia.

Medvedev called Wednesday for tougher measures to fight militants.

"We must continue to fight them without ceremony and liquidate them without any
emotions or hesitation, or we won't succeed," Medvedev said.

He also warned officials they could lose their jobs if they failed to properly protect their
men. Medvedev had fired Ingushetia's top police official after Monday's attack, saying he
failed to take safety precautions that could have reduced the number of victims.

Kavkaz Center
''Gang kills seven in Russian sauna''
Publication time: 16 August 2009, 23:29 

"Russian police are hunting gunmen who

killed seven women at a sauna and four
policemen at a checkpoint in the troubled
southern region of Dagestan. In Thursday's
attack ... at least 15 gunmen opened fire on
a traffic police checkpoint on the edge of
Buynaksk. ... They went on to attack a
sauna at a nearby health complex, killing
seven women workers there." This report
was published by BBC News.
According to the New York Times, "more than 20 people were killed in violent clashes in
Russia's North Caucasus region in the last two days, including a mysterious attack on
seven women in a sauna, underscoring the Kremlin's continued struggles to bring the
volatile area under control."
It seems apparent, that two of the most respected international news media "don't
get it" once again regarding reporting from North Caucasus.
Well, let's start from the sauna. Generally in Russia and especially in Caucasus, a sauna is
not "a building equipped for a Finnish-style hot steam bath", as an English dictionary may
inform us.
A sauna in Caucasus is the place where the world's oldest profession is practised. Don't
mince words - it is a whorehouse, a brothel.
Further on, the Dagestani "police", the so-called law enforcement agency, is a bottomless
swamp of violence, terror and corruption. The militia on Nevsky Prospect, which frequently
rob money from tourists, are harmless Sunday-school pupils in comparison with their brute
North Caucasian colleges.
In Buynaksk, the mentioned sauna is situated less than 200 meters from the slain militia's
police station. Without doubts, we may assume that this militia offered the whorehouse the
"roof" for a percentage of the women's income. Maybe we should call them pimps? Well,
they were shot only some dozen of meters from the "sauna" - if they were being on the
spot for collecting of commissions or getting "treatment" we can leave unsaid.
This basic knowledge tells us, that the "militant gang" were out for killing some criminals in
uniform, as well as their clients or subordinates, those "women working in the health
complex".
The attack is "mysterious" only for an observer physically located on the other side of an
ocean, or mentally even more distant from reality in their relying on Russian news sources
in Caucasus reporting.
For an observant reporter, this militant action towards police and sauna workers (i.e.
criminals and whores), didn't appear as a surprise. The mouthpiece of the North
Caucasian resistance, the news agency and web portal Kavkaz-Center, published already
in beginning of August a "Message to the pimps and owners of saunas", a warning letter
from an action group of Moslems in Shamilkala (Machachkala) to those engaged in
whorehouse business.
The militia, which truthfully may only be described as an organized crime organization, has
likewise been under fire from the fighters. This attack killed two birds with one stone, so to
speak.

For a person living in a civilized society, such acts of violence look quite undue and
inappropriate. The problem is, however, that North Caucasus isn't a place of civilized life.
It's a domicile of state terrorism, committed by an obsolete form of colonialism rule.
Before the Russian army entered the mountainous area some 400 years ago, North
Caucasus had quite a peaceful life and history, especially compared with nearby Europe.
In the beginning, the social order was maintained by blood feud and an unwritten code of
conduct - the Adat in Chechnya, Aqeabz in Abkhazia and Khaabdze among Circassians.
Later on, the unwritten code was replaced or completed by Shariah Law and Islamic
morale. Entering from the North, the occupiers brought with them a baggage of brutality,
ruthlessness, genocides, corruption, immorality and indifference for the rule of law.
The root of the present turmoil in North Caucasus is to be found in these "gifts" of the
Russians to the indigenous peoples of North Caucasus. People don't want to live as
subordinates to a foreign power, which unfortunately is offering no decent order and no
rule of law. This state of the nation force people to the ultimate step of taking up arms, in
order to grant themselves and future generations a better life.
Analyzing the attack of the headline, the chief editor of the Dagestani newspaper
"Chernovik" (Черновик, Draft) finds the reason for this situation in the corruption in
Dagestan. According to Nadir Isayeva, when people can't change the situation within the
present legal order, they start to act as part of an alternative legal framework - the Shariah
Law, she told to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot".
"It is when ordinary people as well as representatives of the Spiritual Administration of
Dagestan are raising questions and are calling authorities to address the issue of
prostitution, which has widely spread under the disguise of saunas (this has been a big
topic in public's discussion in 2005) and authorities fail to produce any solutions, that an
alternative dimension appears with its own laws in place", told Isayeva.
"According to the canons of the current legislation these attackers are outside of the legal
framework. They believe themselves to be living in accordance with the laws of Islam and
Shariah. That is exactly why they are being called "illegal armed groups"."
"These people exist in an alternative legal framework, in which there is such a term as
criminal sentencing", says Isayeva.
Isayeva believes that what is happening in Dagestan does not fit into the official version of
events.
"There is a need to acknowledge that there is a parallel perception of the world, to find the
reason for its existence. Otherwise, if one is going simply to call the situation using some
words which do not explain anything, like "banditry" or "looting", then the situation is bound
to repeat", believes chief editor of the "Chernovik".
A commentary of Nadir Isayeva on the radio station "Echo Moscow" states that the sauna
incident is not to be compared with banditry, but has to do with the struggle of local
population for morality, and the fighters regard themselves to be performing legal actions.
Additionally, she said that "people basically support these actions of militants". Her
statement has caused an outcry in Dagestan.
Recall also that a "Chernovik" is the subject of prosecution in Dagestan with charges of
extremism, i.e. the normal accusation against those who express opinions other than the
official truth.
During the first 6 months this year, more than 30 policemen and military personnel have
been killed in Dagestan. The unrest, which earlier occurred mainly in the mountainous
areas nearby Chechnya, have during last years spread all over Dagestan.
Mikael Storsjö
Helsinki, Finland
For Kavkaz Center

Photo capture:
The Buynaksk "health complex".
Kommersant 15.8.2009
Photo: Bashir Aliyev / NEWSTEAM
U.S. military trainers arrive in Georgia to help train Georgian troops
Publication time: 16 August 2009, 08:17 

A group of US Marines will arrive in Georgia to help train its troops for a mission
alongside coalition forces in Afghanistan, the US Embassy said Friday.
The move is likely to vex neighboring Russia, which has strongly spoken out against US
military assistance to Georgia.
The US Embassy said in a statement that the training will focus on skills necessary for the
troops to operate in Afghanistan. It said that a Georgian battalion is set to deploy to
Afghanistan next spring.
The Embassy described Georgia's offer to send troops to Afghanistan as "a vital
contribution to the mission of bringing stability and security to Afghanistan."
The training program will start Sept. 1 and no weapons will be provided to the Georgians
as part of the training, it said.
The Embassy didn't say how many US Marines will arrive in Georgia, but Georgia's
Deputy Defense Ministry Gela Berdzenishvili put their number at 85.
Berdzenishvili told reporters Friday that the first group of about 170 Georgian servicemen
will be sent to Afghanistan in November. More will be deployed later following a tour of
training in France.
The United States helped train Georgian troops for their mission in Iraq before last
August's war between Russia and Georgia.

Kavkaz Center
Scandal: Zakayev's pro-Israel lobby!
Publication time: 4 August 2009, 11:48 

Chechnya Peace Forum, which arranged

the "negotiations" with Kadyrov's
representatives in Norway, defines itself
as a London-based human rights NGO.
Investigations show this perception to
be quite modified truth.

Chechnya Peace Forum is not an

organization - it is just a media project,
established by a media and lobbying
agency in the United Kingdom, Champollion Communications Consultancy. According to
SpinProfiles, Champollion is placed in the category "Lobbying firms: Israel lobby".
Champollion do promote many Jewish and pro-Israel media outlets, but the company has
also handled Berezosky's media manipulating efforts, for example "International
Foundation for Civil Liberties" (IFCL).
According to Chompallion's web site, "we established the Chechnya Peace Forum in
London to act as a focal point of global campaigning activity", and "we are honoured to be
playing a key part in the effort to establish peace, reconciliation and human rights in one of
the most barbaric and victimized parts of the world". This phraseology is put into action by
supporting Kadyrov's rule in Chechnya, which sounds quite weird in real world but
probably is innovative in media business.
Chechnya Peace Forum has its official office in the premises of Champollion, and the
"organization" is in fact a private limited company, consisting just of Ivar Amundsen and his
poor wife. All the activities, such as arranging venue and media campaign for Zakayev's
negotiations with Kadyrov's lackey Abdurakhmanov, is handled by the staff of
Champollion. Chechnya Peace Forum itself has been listed as being a part of the
neoconservative propaganda network in Europe. Part of this network "have sought to
promote their anti-Muslim 'Eurabia' discourse, through alliances with the European far-
right", according to Neocon Europe.

Well, what is then Champollion doing for Zakayev? Let's have a look at their web site:

•- "We offer our clients trusted strategic advice, with a strong focus on understanding
and refining their message". The strategic advice seems to be luring Zakayev into
Kadyrov's camp. The refined message implies recognition of Kadyrov's rule as legitimate,
as Russia stands behind him and Russia is so big (sic)! The Baltic countries and Finland
probably didn't ever understand how big is Russia, but they are all free and independent
today.
•- "We know how to establish, run and manage campaigns - and have a first-rate
track-record of media delivery and successfully lobbying decision-takers". Is Kadyrov
lobbed, or is it all just about manipulating Western media to believe that evil can be fought
by joining the evil? Poor Natasha Estemirova, she erroneously believed that wickedness
can be opposed only by truth. By advices of Champollion and Amundsen, she would have
joined Kadyrov and still be living in prosperity, with nothing else to fear but the Judgement
Day.
•- "Handling all areas of a media operation: generating news ....". Generating news,
does it imply creating news, such that Zakayev stopped the armed resistance to Russian
army and it's puppets, beginning on August 1st?
Using a high-profile media consultant is an expensive adventure. As the "euroichkerian
government" of Zakayev has no cadres, no staff, hardly no supporters and no working
organization - he has been compelled to hire outside consultants to do the job. Rumours
tell that Berezovsky has abandoned Zakayev - his diminishing importance makes it difficult
to get a proper "return on investment" on the subsidiaries.
Zakayev was lucky to find another business man, helping him with expensive flat and cost
of children in English private schools together with youngsters of London's Russian
oligarch colony. Ivar Amundsen came in handy, but there are costs involved in having
depraved friends.
Ivar Amundsen has publicly been advocating for "Chechen traditions of culture and
religion". This means propagating for a "secular and democratic society", and accusing all
Chechens believing in Sharia Law for "fundamentalism, extremism and terrorism". Some
basic knowledge of Chechen history would made him understand that he hereby
dissociates himself from such Chechen leaders as Dudayev, Yandarbiyev, Maskhadov,
Sadulaev and Umarov, just to mention all the leaders of Ichkeria. But in manipulated
media, he and Champallion give Zakayev the epithet "Maskhadov continuation
government".
Apparently, Amundsen does not know that Maskhadov imposed full Sharia rule in
Chechnya in February 1999, in November he proclaimed a state based on Sharia, with all
laws confirming to the Koran and Sharia? And the "secular democrat" Zakayev - he was, in
February 1999 by president Maskhadov, appointed chairman of the "State Commission on
the Development of a Sharia Constitution"!
Well, a talented actor can change his role according to place and audience. Today a
credible Hamlet, tomorrow a convincing Caligula; yesterday promoting Islam, today being
a secular democrat, and tomorrow (without any doubts) supporting Kadyrov's "traditional
Islamic values". Unfortunately, for a politician such behaviour is called flip-flopping or
simply opportunism.
Amundsen's private business has raised serious doubts about how deeply he understands
the values Chechens stand for. His has credentials as the major Norwegian bootlegger, i.e.
business owner and chairman of the 'The Association of Norwegian Wine and Spirit
Suppliers'. This organization sells 70 % of all alcohol in Norway. Among other things,
Amundsen has been propagating for reduced alcohol taxes and an increase of Norwegian
alcohol consumption from 9 liters to 10-12 liters pro person, as in France and Germany.
When Human Rights activist speak about European values, they normally have other
measures in their mind. Amundsen's motivation is probably businesslike - maybe the
person who stopped the war of Russia against Checnya 1st of August, maybe he also has
power to grant his friend monopoly of alcohol business in Chechnya? Chechens believing
in Islam don't drink, but in Amundsen's and Zakayev's view of their future, there will always
be enough Russians around.
Anyway, it's apparent that Amundsen has already become a ballast for Zakayev in the view
of all true Chechens, and it's likely that he will be washed overboard as soon as Zakayev's
Faustian bargain with Kadyrov has been closed. "Chechens shall not kill Chechens" is a
good slogan created by Champillion, but who believes the "negotiations" are about
stopping kadyrovtsy from killing and terrorising Chechen civilians?
No, the negotiations are about house and car - Mucuraev got as a present a house in
Djokhar and a a jeep «BMW X-5». Zakayev is the euroichkerian leader, possessing the
phone number to both Amundsen and Saralyapov, he deserves a bigger house and a
better car!
Picture caption: The Janus face of Amundsen - a bootlegger promoting his business.
Source Verdens Gang, Norway.
Mikael Storsjö,
Helsinki, Schmelsinki
Finland
For Kavkaz Center
Trepashkin: FSB murder unit still in work
Publication time: 2 June 2009, 11:19

Mikhail Trepashkin, a Moscow-based

journalist and former FSB colonel, tells in an
interview in the Finnish newspaper Helsingin
Sanomat that the FSB unit specialized in
assassinations is still working. Trepashkin's
colleague Aleksandr Litvinenko, who was
poisoned in London in 2006, has revealed
that he was employed by this special unit.

"This unit still exists, and the same people

are still working there", Trepashkin told the newspaper.
In a book published together with Juri Felshtinsky, Litvinenko told that he had been a
member of this secret assassination unit. The unit belonged to URPO, the Directorate of
Analysis and Suppression of Criminal Organizations, which is a secret organization as
well. The Directorate was said to be abolished after the revelations of Litvinenko and
Trepashkin.
Trepashkin was jailed 2003-2007 due to illegal possession of a handgun and later also for
revelation of state secrecies. Many human rights organizations appealed at that time for
Trepashkin. Allegedly, one reason for the detention of Trepashkin was his investigations in
the Moscow Bombings in 1999, which seem to have been orchestrated by FSB itself in
order to establish Casus Belli, a reason to start a war.
Litvinenko was poisoned in London by radioactive polonium. In their investigations,
Scotland Yard wanted to interview Trepashkin but the request was denied by Russian
authorities. The main suspect of the murder, Andrey Lugovoy, also refused interrogations.
Lugovoy is nowadays a member of the State Duma of Russia. The Duma has also another
member with an internatonal warrant for murder, Adam Demilkhanov, who is suspect of the
murder of Sulim Yamadaev in March 2009..
According to Trepashkin, the assassination unit existed already in 1996. Trepashkin also
tells that the unit reports directly to the Chief of FSB. Vladimir Putin was Chief of FSB
before Yeltsin appointed him his successor as President of the Russian Federation.
According to a law enforced in 2006, Russia may commit "counter-terrorist actions" also
abroad. Predominantly, this stands for a licence to kill people in opposition to the present
rulers of the Kremlin.
"Members of this unit have been visiting Boston, in order to find out Felshtinsky's dwelling
place and his movements", Trepashkin tells. About his own security he says that he "is as
afraid as anybody else".
Trepashkin took part in a seminar organized by Finrosforum, the Finnish-Russian Civic
Forum. The annual seminar discussed this year political prisoners in Russia, the situation
of ethnic and religious minorities and issues connected to the colonization of North
Caucasus. Among the speakers were Fatima Tlisova, who gave a speech about the
Circassian Genocide, and Islam Tumsoev who spoke about the North Caucasian struggle
against the invaders during last centuries and still today.

Mikael Storsjö
Helsinki
KC
Zhovkhar got refugee status in Finland
Publication time: 17 July 2008, 22:39 

The well known Chechen folk music singing

group Zhovkhar applied for refugee status in
Finland last September. Recently, the Finnish
Refugee Authorities granted all 17 members
of the group permanent residence status.

When the group decided to ask for asylum, the

puppet authorities in Chechnya reacted very
harshly. The minister of culture of the puppet
regime called personally to several members of
the group asking them to come back, and he
told publicly that the group had been fooled to ask for asylum. The main reason for these actions
was the plan to arrange an "international" culture event in Dzhokhar (Grozny) with as much as
3.000 invited guests, and the Zhovkhar group was planned to have the main performance. Due to
Zhovkhar turning aside, the whole event was cancelled.
In Finland, almost all Chechen refugees are granted residence permit, getting also possibilities to
the social and economical benefits. The chief of the Finnish Immigration Service has publicly
announced, that a Chechen coming from Chechnya by definition is in need of protection, and will
be granted refugee status and residence permit.
Mikael Storsjo, who arranged the Zhovkhar group to Finland confirms this information.
 There is in our news media some information about Kadyrov's Potemkin villages, but it
does not fool people who are informed. Chechnya is regarded as "the worst of the worst"
regarding human right situation all over the world.
Finland has recently accepted also to take care of some Chechen refugees from Poland, although
the Dublin agreement allows Finland to send them back to Poland. Storsjo tells about the reason:
 Poland does not have the resources or will to take care of the refugees that have to escape
Russian oppression. Finland gives the refugees a decent life; a roof, money to buy food and
education for their children. I hope more Chechens would find their way to Finland, here
you are welcome.
Mikael Storsjo was in June the major organizer of FINROSFORUM, the Finnish-Russian Civic
Forum. Chechnya and Caucasus was one main topic of this meeting. Among the speakers were
Anzor Maskhadov (the son of Chechnya's assassinated president), Mairbek Vachagaev (envoy of
Maskhadov, nowadays a doctor and writer about North Caucasian issues), Magomed Yevloev
(owner of web site ingushetiya.ru) and Ruslan Badalov (chair of the Chechen Committee of
National Salvation in Nazran).
 We had a very good conference. Many people of knowledge shared their experiences with
us. It gave new inspiration to continue work for the decolonialisation of Caucasus. There
were some doubts about Amir Dokka Umarov's proclamation of the Caucasian Emirate last
year, and some odd people as Zakaev tried to do his best in saving his own position.
Nowadays it seems for me that the idea of Caucasus as an entity under the leadership of
the Amir is quite accepted, tells Storsjo.
 I am very sorry about the situation when "Chechens have to kill Chechens", as some former
freedom fighters complain situation of today. On the other hand, I know that the freedom of
Finland was built upon good Finns putting the bad ones aside. Marshal Mannerheim once
said during our freedom war, that a people who can't get their freedom themselves is not
worth freedom. I think this applies to the Chechen nation and all suppressed peoples in
Caucasus as well. Don't wait for foreign help - do it yourselves!

Department of international information,

Kavkaz Center
Democracy a la Caucasus
Publication time: 27 December 2007, 17:27 

The frauds in the Russian parliamentary

elections December 2 were more obvious
than ever before. Garry Kasparov made a
statement that these elections were the
"dirtiest" in the nation's history, and he
added "The fact is, they're not just rigging
the vote. They're raping the democratic
system". The pre-election harassments of
the opposition and the complete governance
of Kremlin in the media were not enough to
secure the victory in figures big enough for
those in power.
The allegations include a disproportionate share of absentee ballots used in polling places,
voting numerous times by visiting different polling stations, ballot stuffing and machinations
involving electronic ballot counting machines, campaigning at polling centers, voter bribery,
and ballots in the ballot box before voting began. Not surprisingly, the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly and other European
organizations stated that the elections were ‘not fair'.
The opposition has filed a big number of complaints to the Central Election Commission,
using evidence such as video recording of a local electoral commission voting on behalf of
soldiers in the election zone No 730 in Moscow.
Nevertheless, the chairman of the Central Election Commission, Vladimir Churov, told
Russian television he knew of "no serious violations in the course of polling day". And
Putin thanked the Commission for the "highly professional work" done during the
campaign season of the State Duma elections.

Absurdity in Caucasus
According to a proverb, there are differences in degree also in the hell. In these elections,
the real face of Russian "democracy" is shown in Caucasus. Here the lackeys are so
eager to please their Kremlin masters, that the puppets' actions are like a Christmas
present to those being critical to the Russian Potemkin village of democracy.
In Chechnya, an outlandish 99.2 % voter turnout was registered, and 99, 4 % of Chechen
votes went to Putin's ruling party United Russia! Kadyrov stated that "this is an answer to
the question of confidence in us", not noting how absurd and totally ludicrous the results
are for the legitimacy of the Russian parliament. Apparently, the Mujahideen came down
from the mountains in order to vote for Putin? According to independent observers, the
real voting turnout in Chechnya was some 15-20 %, and mostly just state workers were
taking part, as reported by Chechnya Weekly.
The rest of Caucasus was not left very far behind Chechnya. The official turnout numbers
were similarly "impressive" - 98 % in Ingushetia, 97 % in Kabardino-Balkaria and 94 % in
Karachaevo-Cherkessia and 92 % in Dagestan.

Ingushetiya.ru reveals the fraud

The proprietor Magomed Yevloev of the Ingushetiya.ru website announced that only 6-8 %
of Ingushetia's eligible voters turned out for elections. The Ingush puppet president Murat
Zyazikov replied in an interview in Kommersant, that such accusations are "nonsense,"
adding that the turnout was "massive".
However, ingushetiya.ru didn't leave the contradictory views just to the level of a war of
words. The web site started a campaign of collecting testimonies by Ingush people under
the motto "I didn't vote".

The participants file complaints to the Attorney-general of Ingushetia, stating:

I have not participated in the elections to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of
Russian Federation, on December 2, 2007. Now it has become known, that someone at
the polling station with my disapproval has got a ballot paper and used it for voting, which
constitutes a flagrant violation of my constitutional rights and election laws.
I ask you to conduct an investigation upon this fact and to take steps to bring those guilty
of the falsification to the responsibility provided by law
The statement is signed and includes the passport number of the complainant.
There are 163.000 people entitled to vote in Ingushetia. Officially 98 % of these voted.
However - by December 23 ingushetiya.ru had got 57 898 complaints, which is 36 % of all
voters in Ingushetia! And the campaign is still continuing.
Musa Evloev, the chairman of the Ingush election commission calls this campaign "real
stupidity and nonsense" and advice the protesters "it is better to go and get prepared for
the New Year".
If there won't be established any proper investigation about the fraud, the complainants
plan to bring this issue to the European Court of Human Rights. If this is legally possible,
we might face a very interesting situation within a few years - an ECHR verdict outlawing
the Duma elections, and demanding the Russian government to pay compensation to the
complainants.
President Zyazikov and his puppet government has had strained relations to
ingushetiya.ru already for some time. Zyazikov has made several unsuccessful attempts to
eliminate the web site, using charges such as "incitement of racial hatred" etc. The director
and owner of the site, Magomed Yevloyev, has also accused Murat Zyazikov for attempted
murder:
"I knew that Zyazikov would go to any lengths to close the site. The fact alone that he
ordered my assassination says a lot. I am telling Murat Zyazikov that the sum of US ,000
paid for my assassination was voluntarily handed over to me by the would-be killer, and it
has been used for the good of the people of Ingushetiya - with it were bought some of the
computers as part of the charitable programme ‘People's Computer'."

Mikael Storsjo
Helsinki, Finland
Kavkaz Center
Rewriting history in Russia
Publication time: 26 December 2007, 12:17 

Rewriting history in order to fit present

needs is a temptation few authoritarian
regimes seem to be able to resist.
Another inevitable consequence of
authoritarian exercise of power is the
necessity of indoctrinating the
population and especially unresisting
youth.

Thus, what we can expect in Putin's Russia

is a new history book for schools. In August, a history handbook for teachers titled "A
Modern History of Russia: 1945-2006″ was presented at a conference for high school
teachers where president Vladimir V. Putin spoke.

"History of Russia. 1945-2007"

Now these plans have matured into further action, despite criticism from both domestic
scholars and foreign observers. On Wednesday, December 26th, the Ministry of Education
and Science will consider and adopt a new list of textbooks for teaching in schools next
school year. Among them is the "History of Russia. 1945-2007 ". This textbook is set up
following the history handbook mentioned above. According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta
25.12.2007 the new textbook is a shortly abridged version of the handbook, supplemented
with teaching about the infamous "sovereign democracy". All events during last eight years
are interpreted from the perspective of official propaganda.
Some examples: The abolition of direct elections of governors is justified by "lack of
effective executive power in crisis situations", demonstrated the school seizure in Beslan.
In the Yukos affair, the authors believe, "oligarchs finally buried hopes to preserve its
control of the Russian state". Further, "in 2004, after the Yukos case the federal income
taxes and charges, compared to 2003, increased immediately 133.8%".
Nothing is mentioned about the sad truth that FSB killed almost all the victims in Beslan
(as well as in Dubrovka). Nothing about how manifold the number of oligarchs has
increased, and that the fortune of the new Russian billionaires has grown several 100
times during the Putin regime. Also, the impact of the rising oil price is conveniently
forgotten, as well as the well-grounded conclusion that the authoritarian economy has
destroyed a considerable part of the revenues of petrodollars. (Foreign Affairs: The Myth of
the Authoritarian Model). And you might also question, how effective the executive power
in Ingushetia has been since Murat Zyazikov was appointed president of the republic (well,
this FSB general was appointed through a fraudulent election before the "reform" which
made such farces unnecessary).
About the "sovereign democracy" the textbook authors argue: "Most of today's countries
deliberately delegated part of its sovereignty to international structures, or other states,
having received security assurances in return and economic benefits." And just a few
pages later is an example of such a state: "After the overthrow of Shevardnadze in late
2003, and Saakashvili's victory in the presidential elections in early 2004, Georgia has
become a country totally dependent on the United States."

Stalin portrayed as hero

Other pearls of the new Russian history writing are found in an article in the Finnish
newspaper Helsingin Sanomat describing the new handbook. The article is presented here
in a moderated version, with some quotations from the article "Yes, a Lot of People Died,
but ..." in New York Times 12.8.2007.
According to the new handbook, the administration of Stalin had many of the
characteristics of the traditional despotism of the days of Ivan the Terrible and Peter the
Great. Stalin's administration also "solved the problems of the modernisation of the state
through the concentration of power and repression".
The handbook portrays Stalin not as an extraordinary monster, but as a strong ruler in a
long line of autocrats going back to the czars.
Thus, just like Chancellor Bismarck who united German lands into a single state by "iron
and blood," Stalin was reinforcing his state by cruelty and mercilessness. Strengthening
the state, including its industrial and defensive might, he considered one of the main
principles of his policy. According to the handbook, indirect evidence of this can be found
in the memoirs of his daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva. Every time he looked at her dress he
always asked the same question, making a wry mouth: "Is this foreign-made?" and always
cracked a smile when I answered, ‘No, it was made here, locally."
Thus, Stalin followed Peter the Great's logic: demand the impossible from the people in
order to get the maximum possible. ... Consequently, the result of Stalin's purges was a
new class of managers capable of solving the task of modernization in conditions of
shortages of resources, loyal to the supreme power and immaculate from the point of view
of executive discipline....
Once a modern industrial foundation was achieved in this way, "the character of Soviet
society began to change, and the result of this development was the acceptance of the
democratic values characteristic of developed states".
Stalin is described as the "most successful" of the Soviet leaders, and his severe
measures are understood as a way to turn Russia into a great power.
There is a chapter on Stalin's terror in the history textbook, which focuses on the period
between 1935 and 1937. The book mentions 800,000 executions and 18 million who were
locked up in camps, but it does not give the total sum of the victims of the terror which
continued until the 1950s.
The book sees the forced collectivisation of agriculture as an unavoidable step toward an
industrialised state. The destruction of the "kulaks", and the Ukrainian famine and its
million victims are not mentioned at all.
Concerning the year 1940 the book notes that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania "joined the
Soviet Union", (voshli v sostav). In this connection it is not mentioned that the Red Army
occupied the Baltic countries, that their leaders were imprisoned, and that the occupier
organized "elections".
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939 is mentioned in the book without legal or historical
assessments. On the contrary, the policies of the Western powers are seen to be partly to
blame for the events, and "many experts" are said to be of the opinion that "the Soviet
Union had no option but to agree to a pact with Hitler". By doing so Stalin managed to
improve the country's security.
Finland rejected proposals by Soviet diplomats to move the border for the sake of the
security of Leningrad. The Soviet Union would only have taken "the prosperous area of
Vyborg in return for another area twice as big in Kostamuksha".
The handbook does not forget to put forward the false flag operation in Mainila, which was
refused by Russian historians already in the 1990s. According to the handbook, the Soviet
Union began the war against Finland on the pretext that the Finnish side had opened fire.
Anyway, the writers concede the patriotic fighting spirit of the Finns, the slow progress of
the Red Army, and the massive losses.
The Finnish chain of fortifications, the Mannerheim Line, was difficult to breach, and in
addition, "Britain and France were beginning preparations to attack to help Finland. .....
Even Germany openly showed sympathy toward Finland."
On the 1990s the book notes that the declarations of independence by the Soviet republics
"did not yet mean that they wanted to disengage from the Soviet Union". The handbook
quotes president Vladimir Putin as saying that the dissolution of the Soviet Union was the
"greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century".

Stalin popular still today

Well, in the West, Stalin is remembered for the numbers of his victims, about 20 million,
largely his own citizens, executed or allowed to die in famines or the gulag. They included
a generation of peasant farmers in Ukraine, former Bolsheviks and other political figures
who were purged in the show trials of the 1930s, Polish officers executed at Katyn Forest,
and Russians who died in the slave labor economy. Stalin's crimes have been tied to his
personality, cruelty and paranoia as well as to the circumstances of Russian and Soviet
history.
But do the Russians need this new history writing in schoolbooks for children? Isn't the
authoritarian media enough to convince the people about the blessings of Stalin, strength
and autocracy? That is implied by an opinion poll conducted in February 2006 by Public
Opinion Fund. As to what people think of Stalin, we can judge by this:
If we speak as a whole of the role of Stalin in Russian history, was he positive or negative?
Positive: 47 percent; negative: 29 percent; did not answer: 24 percent.
If Nazi-Germany would be described only in terms of building autostradas, stabilized
economy, strengthening the national character, etc. - maybe the German chancellor Adolf
Hitler would get as high ratings also today? Maybe higher - after all Hitler killed much less
people than Stalin.

Mikael Storsjö
Helsinki, Finland
Kavkaz Center
The legitimacy of power in ChRI
Publication time: 22 November 2007, 15:52 

The government's legitimacy of power is a

key issue in present discussion around the
governmental bodies of Chechen Republic
of Ichkeria. It would be much more difficult
for us "outsiders" to support ChRI and the
armed resistance without having our
sympathy grounded on views about
legitimacy.

The legitimacy of ChRI statehood itself is not

a subject of discussion. But recently some people have made attempts to change the
governmental structure of ChRI, while they until now have unequivocally supported Majlis-
ul-Shura (State Defense Committee) and Umarov as the legal president of a legitimate
ChRI.

A legitimate power in a country must be based upon the legislation, the constitution being
most important. Every independent sovereign state has a constitution (well, the UK has a
different system, based upon statue law and case law). In this confusing situation that has
arisen through activities of Zakayev and his allies, it's good to have a close look at the
constitutional basis of ChRI. As it is easily shown, a dividing line between
"constitutionalists" and "emiratists" is a very artificial one, having no foundation in
happenings during the last few years.

The Constitution of ChRI

In ChRI there is a valid constitution, adopted in duly order 12.3.1992. The wording in
English can be found on the web site of International Constitutional Law (ICL).
The parliament has made two amendments; 11.11.1996 and 3.2.1997. The amendments
seems to be mainly in Article 4, where is stated that the state religion of Chechnya is
Islam, but the article also states freedom of religion. This amended Constitution is found in
Russian on chechen.org web page, and a fairly good computer translation to English can
be found here on links http://tinyurl.com/yw2pef or http://tinyurl.com/22yq3n.
A combined emergency session of the ChRI Parliament and Government was arranged in
Grozny 23.9.1999, as a consequence of the Russian attack on Chechnya. Two weeks
later, 5.10.1999, martial law was introduced on the entire territory of the CRI. In the middle
of October, the State Committee of Defense was created, akin to a war office and being
the supreme body of power in Chechnya.
An emergency joint session of the State Committee on Defense, Council
of National Security, the Cabinet and Parliament of the Chechen Republic of
Ichkeria was held 5.6.2000. This meeting decided to "give the President of ChRI all
necessary additional powers of the supreme executive and legislature powers." This
meeting decided further "to count any decisions of all state structures, authorities and
control systems of ChRI valid only after the approval of these decisions by the President
and the State Committee on Defense of ChRI."
In summer 2002 there was made some further amendments to the Constitution, based
upon Maskhadov's decree in February 1999 upon a Sharia reform and martial law. The
decision was made by Great Majlis Shura, a constitutional assembly representing all
branches of authority. Nota Bene - in the common decision was stated, that this amended
Constitution acts to the end of the war and the adoption of a new Constitution. More
information about these amendments can be found here.
Whether to call the decision of 2002 as a "constitution" or not is not essential - it was
clearly a decision according to the martial law, which will expire after martial law is lifted
and situation is normalized. I can't see any reasons to engage in hairsplitting regarding this
issue.
All those people now attempting seizure of power to the "parliament" have accepted above
mentioned procedures to be constitutional till this moment, during more than 8 years
already. If the martial law and the State Defense Committee suddenly are declared illegal -
don't these usurpers realize, that they simultaneously declare their own activities and titles
during last years null and void?
The hypocrisy is totally unveiled - suddenly there are other legal bodies of the ChRI, and
the "parliament" can't accept Abdullaev as vice president, "since nobody introduced this
proposal to the Parliament of the ChRI." Well, nobody either introduced Sadulaev to the
non-existing parliament - was he also an illegal vice president and subsequently an illegal
president? Was Dokku Umarov also an illegal vice president, as he was appointed by the
State Defense Committee in June 2005? No parliament session was held regarding any of
these nominations, even less there was "approval by majority of votes of the member's of
the Parliament" (article 75).
Following quotations show that Zakayev still in January 2006 fully accepted the role of the
State Defense Committee and the succession of the presidency, the change in ideas came
later on.
"[The decision in summer 2002] was in actual fact the practical implementation of the
clause on the State Defense Committee in the Chechen Constitution, which delegates the
SDC the highest executive power at the time of war. This act was also supported by a
special statement issued by President Maskhadov (Shaheed, insha Allah!). President
Abdul-Salim Sadulaev is elected President in accordance with the Constitution, which is a
base of his legitimacy as President."
"I shall remind, that under initiative of Aslan Maskhadov, with it is conducted also consent
GKO - MSH CHRI, the supreme body of authority a wartime in territory of the country,
Abdul-Khalim Sadulaev the post of vice-president of the Chechen State has held. And after
destruction of Aslan Maskhadov, in full conformity with Constitution of CHRI, has begun
performance of the duties of the President of the country."
The idea of establishing a State Defense Committee in autumn 1999 was, in fact Zakaev's
as this quotation of a speech 2.10.1999 shows: "Zakayev asked the Chechen leadership
to declare a "holy war on the infidels" in the republic, impose martial law and create a state
defense committee". This was, apparently, a good idea at that time and during the next 8
years to follow?
One more quotation, in December 2001 Zakaev strongly defended the President's right to
choose vice president: "As for my opinion on these decrees on cadres, I should say that
Chechen President Maskhadov is authorized by the constitution to dismiss or demote."

Violations of the Constitution

The constitution has indeed been violated in words and deeds in the history of ChRI, even
before the war and Martial Law demanded shorter procedures. Maskhadov made a decree
in February 1999, according to which Sharia law was introduced and the lawmaking
activity of the parliament was suspend. Furthermore, Maskhadov created a "State
Commission on the Development of a Sharia Constitution" which was chaired by Akhmed
Zakayev, at that time Minister of Information, Culture and Communications. Apparently, the
constitution wasn't that sacred among some people earlier as it seems to be today, when
the "constitutional crisis" apparently is a pseudo-event hiding the real issues behind this
concept.
Also remember Zakayev's "Manifesto" in July 2006, where he publicly argued that the
status (=independency) of ChRI may be a subject of negotiations with Russia, i.e. "talks
without prior conditions". Zakayev's initiative at that time caused an outcry among people
(constitutionalists?) who wanted the Constitution to be sacred and above negotiations with
the enemy.
The former Chechen vice president Vakha Arsanov was dismissed from his post by a
decree of President Aslan Maskhadov on the 31st August 2001, apparently in conflict with
the constitution, if there wouldn't have been common decisions about Martial Law and
State Defense Comittee. Arsanov run on the same ticket as Maskhadov in the presidential
elections in January 1997. Arsanov actually survived Maskhadov by a couple of months,
but apparently in captivity. Arsanov himself did not accept the dismissal, but no
"consitutionalist" raised his voice at that time, Zakaev instead applaused it. Those who
suffer from a lack of principles can easily change their mind, of course; occasionally even
many times before the end of the day.

The Legitimacy of the ChRI Parliament

The parliament was elected in January and February 1997. The legitimacy was a bit
questionable already from the very beginning. 63 seats were to be filled in elections
27.1.1997. The voting turnout was big enough to elect only 5 members of parliament - the
58 remaining seats were to be filled in a second round of parliamentary elections. The
second round 15.2.1997 got only 27 additional valid deputies; altogether there were only
32 deputies out of 63 elected yet. The Central Election Commission of the ChRI anyway
affirmed the election of deputies in 11 more constituencies, despite is was contradictory to
the Law. This was caused by political expediency, as the republic did not have the
resources to fund an additional campaign of parliamentary by-elections. The new
composition of the parliament could not begin work in the absence of a quorum (42
deputies).
Somehow the "parliament" has complemented itself - according to one list of members
there are 63 members. Nota Bene - only 32 elected according to law, and 20 not elected at
all! Some of the names we now see in the press behind decrees, such as Dokka Amagov,
have got his "authority" from some unknown source.
There are some 8-10 deputies still reachable in the West. But it seems apparent, that the
"parliament" after increasing itself also has taken steps to reduce itself!
The worst indictment against this "parliament" is the very undemocratic way some of its
members have taken command; issuing "parliamentary decrees" without having consulted
even the few deputies available outside ChRI. Ahyad Idigov, Chairman of the Parliament's
Committee on Foreign Affairs, has in public requested how it's possible for the chairman of
the "parliament" to issue decrees without even requesting other members, such as Idigov
himself and many other deputies as well! In his statement, Idigov asks Chechen patriots to
unite around president Umarov and calls the actions of Saralyapov a constitutional coup!
The nonchalance and carelessness about basic democratic rules and the constitution itself
seems almost unimaginable - do they really think that international community will give any
kind of legitimacy to this body, the Saralyapov "parliament"?
Unfortunately, the parliament of ChRI has lost its constitutional authority already in 1999.
The elected Chairman of the parliament, Ruslan Alikhadzhiev, stated already in autumn
1999 that "the present conditions demand the concentration of power in the hands of the
State Defense Committee and the government". He knew, of course, that there was no
quorum anymore, thus the parliament could not handle it's duties as a governmental body.
After 1999 many deputies, chairman Alikhadzhiev among them, has been killed or died. A
handful of deputies are "available" in the West, but the great majority has really changed
side to the occupiers and their puppets.

Already in October 2002, 14 Members of the Parliament met a Moscow envoy in Chulgi-
Yurt, a meeting which was condemned by the ChRI leadership. Well, things got even
worse - Akhmat Kadyrov organized a meeting for ChRI deputies in Moscow in autumn
2003, where "42 of the 43 deputies who are still alive today" decided to impeach Aslan
Maskhadov. According to analyst of Prague Watchdog, " ....if not all of the 42 deputies
sided with Moscow, then a significant number surely did. Therefore it must be assumed
that this number greatly exceeds those who sided with Maskhadov (although, neither party
has publicized a precise list of "their" deputies).

Saralyapov may continue to declare decrees in the name of the "parliament", but his
legitimacy could hardly be weaker or more non-existent. Even the Russian PR show in
order to impeach Maskhadov and dismiss him from office in September 2003 was a more
serious attempt than Saralyapov's present ego-trip!

Umarov's presidency and the Caucasus Emirate

Some debaters argue that Umarov's video message should be regarded as an "automatic
resignation" from the presidency. I do have an opposite opinion. I have also seen that
there are a few impartial observers that share my opinion. The interpretation of Umarov's
statement is ambiguous enough to exclude any kind of automatic disregard of the
constitutional rules of dismissing a president, however convenient such a trick might be.
Andrei Smirnov's analysis in his article in Jamestown Foundation is quite convincing. The
main point is - "the idea of the Caucasian Emirate is not new and has a quite long history.
The rebel leaders in the North Caucasus understand that they can win only if they unite
the whole Caucasus, but history shows that it is possible only on a religious basis".
In another analysis Smirnov says: "At first glance, Dokka Umarov's statement sounds
rather radical, but that is only at first glance. First, one cannot see here any declaration of
a "Caucasian Emirate," as Zakayev puts it. Dokka Umarov calls himself Amir of the
Caucasian Mujahideen and says that all rebels in the Caucasus should obey him, but
there is nothing new in this declaration. Umarov became Caucasian Amir at the same time
as he became the president of Ichkeria after the death of his predecessor". Further, "in his
speech, Umarov does not mention the word Emirate at all. Moreover, Umarov says nothing
about the end of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria."
Mayrbek Vachagaev, Maskhadov's former chief of staff and spokesman, writes: "It needs
to be underscored that nothing significant has yet happened ...... Since nothing has
officially occurred, there is still no real issue to be discussed."
No cold shiver runs down my back when I hear the word "Emirate". The word does not
have to imply a religious dictatorship forced upon the other North Caucasian republics -
these people are not Taliban although Islamic believers. The Emirate might very well mean
the same as a confederation of Moslem states from the Black Sea to the Caspian. The
basic concept does not determine whether a specific republic wants to join or not - but the
Balkars or Adyghes that now take part in the Chechen fight for freedom do have right to
dream about freedom for their own nation as well? Decisions about choosing a secular
Islamic government or a stricter Sharia based society - that belongs to the future. In order
not to exaggerate differences between different persons in ChRI government, maybe it's
good to remind ourselves that all ChRI presidents from Dudaev to Umarov seems to have
been supporters of some kind of a Sharia based society. The Sharia reform was declared
by Djohar Dudaev already in March 1995. Nobody has argued for a pure secular
statehood, as in Turkey, as far as I can remind myself, not even Zakaev.
But the focus should be kept clear in mind - just now it's about getting the Russians out
from Caucasus; anything will be a better solution than the present one. The present
dispute with all overtones does not promote the decolonization of Caucasus.
I think that a much more far-reaching decision than any talk about some Emirates was the
decision to export the war to the other republics, which was decided already during
Maskhadov's time. It's not just about Chechens fighting against Russians in Ingushetia or
Dagestan - it is about involving a growing number of people from other republics to this
fight. As the fight for freedom is common, having no borders between the republics, it is
also quite reasonable to dissemble that the result shall be common to some extent? It's
quite OK for me to call that idea an Emirate, and such an idea is not in conflict with the
sovereignty of ChRI, I suppose.
One further thing - Umarov's talk about common enemies with other suppressed
Moslems, that Moslem land shall be deliberated also outside Caucasus and that all infidel
laws are invalid - isn't that some kind of quite common Islamic rhetoric? Only some
ingrained Islamophobe would draw conclusions about starting terrorism towards civilians,
joining Talibans in Afghanistan and Al-Qaida in Iraq from such a statement.

Consequences of this mess

It's a bit premature to consider the consequences of this present mess, but I'm afraid that it
will hurt the Chechen issue quite badly. This split among the ChRI leadership has gone a
bit too far in order to make it possible to smooth things over.
It is an attempt to coup d'état - that cannot be denied after witnessing how a handful of
people declare that they have seizured the power and dismissed the established
governmental structure. President Umarov can hardly leave the situation as such. In order
to maintain authority and ensure governmental efficiency he has to dismiss the disloyal
people. I suppose that many able of such will recite Hamlet's words "And thus the native
hue of resolution; is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought", but I fear it's already too
late after this long and harsh campaign against the President to return home.
If the split continues, we will see a divided Diaspora and circle of supporters in Europe,
while the military command in Caucasus most probably can maintain the discipline of the
troops; another outcome would be most disastrous. What will be the role of Zakayev in
such a situation? In order to negotiate, you must be able to offer the other side something.
Without commanding the fighting troops, there is quite small negotiating power available.
As Sadulaev truthfully said in June 2005: "This war can be stopped only with the war."
One disgusting feature of this actual dispute is the accusations thrown towards the alleged
opponents. Accusations about a "Russian plot" and 500 million dollars given to Udugov
lack credibility, such can be forgotten. The same applies to similar accusations against
Mayrbek Vachagaev, Maskhadov's former spokesman, who was declared to have been
bought by FSB as he didn't condemn Umarov in the present witch-hunt. It's a bit worse to
accuse compatriot Chechens for paving the road to the second war, although we all know
that the real casus belli wasn't the apartment bombings in 1999 neither the Dagestan
incident, but a decision that was made in the Kremlin long time before. Stepashkin has
admitted that the decision about a new war was made in Kremlin in March 1999, but very
much circumstancial evidence tells us that Russia never had idea to keep the Khasavyurt
treaty, it was just about recovering their breath before taking revenge.
The worst thing is, however, accusing big parts of the Chechen Resistance of being Al-
Qaida linked, liable to "terrorism", influenced by "wahhabism" and "radical islamistic" ideas.
Believe me, Yastrzhembsky will quote many recent documents and statements in
future ....... why to help the Russians by such harsh exaggerations in internal disputes? I
hope people engaged in ChRI activities would follow the guiding rule "My country, right or
wrong" in their public appearance, also when there are differences of opinion.

Mikael Storsjo
Helsinki, Finland

Kavkaz Center
Chancellor of Justice in Sweden denies Russian request to stop Kavkaz-Center
Publication time: 16 October 2006, 08:22 

The Russian efforts to stop the freedom

of expression and maintain a news
blockade on independent reporting from
Caucasus have experienced a new
setback. The Chancellor of Justice in
Sweden has denied a Russian request to
stop Kavkaz Center, which today
operates also in Sweden.

In May this year, the prosecutor Håkan

Roswall seized the Kavkaz Center's servers, in order to start investigations about
instigation of violence. The prosecutor's measures were caused by a request from the
Russian Embassy in Stockholm. However, Kavkaz Center maintained to reopen the web
site within a few days on new server hardware, and brought the case into court. The first
result of these court proceedings came a couple of week ago, when the Stockholm city
court allowed Kavkaz Center's representative 1250 Euro as compensation for costs. Also,
the prosecutor has given the confiscated servers back to Kavkaz Center.
•- This money will be used to invest in even more robust server equipment, tells
Mikael Storsjö who has maintained Kavkaz-Center's servers. Our new server may thus be
regarded as a gift to Kavkaz Center from the government of Sweden.
•- Anyway, we are going to continue the court proceedings in the Court of Appeal.
Seizing our servers was a crime, and obvious reasons related to common order demands
us to get the guilty persons convicted.
The Chancellor of Justice is the sole authority in Sweden who may concern himself with
matters regarding freedom of expression. In June, Kavkaz-Center was granted a certificate
stating that the web site has so-called constitutional protection under the Constitutional
Law of Freedom of Speech. Hence, ordinary prosecutors or any police have no right to
concern themselves with any measures against the web site.
Then the Russian Embassy in Stockholm recently filed a new request to the Chancellor of
Justice, asking him to stop the web site. The request was accompanied by translations into
Swedish of many web pages in Kavkaz-Center.
Last week the Chancellor made his decision not to start any kind of preliminary
investigations in this case. The Chancellor Göran Lambertz stated in his decision, that "the
content of these texts cannot, according to my opinion, be regarded as instigation of
violence or racial agitation".
Further, the Chancellor states that crime stipulations in the Constitutional Law of Freedom
of Speech, even if such crimes were present, would have the aim to protect the common
order in Sweden. Thus Lambertz states, that "instigations [in the press] of crimes in Russia
or racial agitation directed against people living there is consequently not punishable
here".
The Russian efforts to stop Kavkaz Center have led to a blind alley in Sweden. This is a
true victory for the Freedom of Expression, and obliges us to continue our independent
news service in order to cover events in the Islamic world, Caucasus and Russia, with a
special focus upon events in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (C.R.I.).

Kavkaz Center
Department of International Information
Olympic Games on the soil of Genocide?
Publication time: 3 July 2006, 12:37 

Last year Moscow lost the contest of hosting

the Summer Olympics in 2012. According to
the chairman of Russia's Olympic Committee,
Leonid Tyagachev, the decision was not a
sports question, but a political question. He
pointed out the conflict in Chechnya as a
major reason for Moscow's loss.

Unfortunately, Tyagachev hasn't learnt his

lessons yet. The Russian olympic boss, who is the ski coach of Putin and a frequent
tamada (table chairman) at his family parties, is today involved in promoting Sochi for the
winter Olympics in 2014. This idea is completely absurd - it's like planning to celebrate
Olympic Games in Auschwitz or Treblinka.
The Circassian people don't have the lobbying force of Jews or Armenians. Accordingly,
the Genocide of the Circassians is almost a forgotten crime against humanity. The
Holocaust Industry has quite far succeeded in defining genocide as crimes against Jews,
but many people also know about the Genocide of Armenians in Turkey 1915-18. Still, the
Circassian Genocide is both proportionally and in absolute numbers much more horrifying
than the fate of Armenians some 50 years later.
Once upon the time, the historical Circassia was a great nation of Caucasus. Prior to the
tsarist imperial conquest, Circassia covered an area bigger than 55.000 square kilometers
east of the Sea of Azov and south of the river of Kuban - an area almost twice as big as
Armenia today. The indigenous people of Circassia were in excess of two millions, more
numerous than the Swedes at the middle of the 18th century. This people had a very long
history on their ancient land, it was a nation of high cultural and social structure. The
Circassians enjoyed strong trading ties already with the ancient Greeks, especially with the
Athenians. Circassians even participated in the Olympic Games during classical times!
The Circassians fought against Russian conquest during a century, from 1763 to 1864.
After the defeat of Imam Shamil in 1859, the Russians were able to concentrate their
military forces upon Circassia. This led to a huge massacre and forced deportation of the
people. The magnitude of brutality and evilness was unforeseen in human history. The
great majority, more than 90 percent of the people of Circassian descent, were forced to
live in exile. But those who managed to escape were lucky - at least one million
Circassians were killed, and the number of victims of this Genocide was probably even
more than 1½ million.
During the desperate fight for the future existence of their people, the leaders of the
Circassian tribes gathered at the place where now stands the Black Sea resort of Sochi
and appealed for help from the Ottomans and Britains. This appeal was totally in vain. The
civilized world of those days didn't respond more than it does to Chechen appeals in our
time.
Now Putin plans to organize Olympic Games on this soil of Genocide. On the web page
http://www.sochi2014.com of his campaign for Sochi is mentioned that the town is a "city
of diverse ethnic origins with one-third of the population of non-Russian nationality". In
1864 exactly 100 percent were non-Russians, but this people were killed in order to
arrange Lebensraum for the invaders. It's not possible to kill 1-1½ million people in a few
years without extensive cruelty. Let's cite the Russian historian Berzhe who was an eye-
witness of the deportation in the harbor of Novorossiysk:
"The late, inclement and cold time of year, the almost complete absence of means of
subsistence and the epidemic of typhus and smallpox raging among them made their
situation desperate. And indeed, whose heart would not be touched on seeing, for
example, the already stiff corpse of a young Circassian woman lying in rags on the damp
ground under the open sky with two infants, one struggling in his death-throes while the
other sought to assuage his hunger at his dead mother's breast? And I saw not a few such
scenes."
The Olympic Father, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, would turn over in his grave if he knew
about the attempts of present Russian leadership to arrange Olympic Games upon the
graveyards of a people who sent their best sons already to the ancient Olympic Games.
The Olympic ideals are based upon high principles, i.e.
"to contribute to building a peaceful and better world .... in the Olympic spirit, which
requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play".

Let's also remind of the "sacred truce" from the first known ancient Games when it was
read and stated:
"May the world be delivered from crime and killing and freed from the clash of arms."
Russia is today a country in war. The colonial war in Caucasus did neither start nor stop by
the final solution in Circassia. In present time the Empire is committing Genocide against
the Chechen people and practicing a harsh policy of oppression against all other
Caucasian peoples. The idea of arranging Olympic Games in Caucasus, on Circassian
land, is cynical and grotesque.
The applicant city Sochi is located in a war zone, a part of the Caucasian Front of the on-
going second Chechen war. The distance to Nalchik in Kabardino-Balkaria is some 250
km, to Kislovodsk in Karachay-Cherkessia some 200 km, to Maikop in Adygeya some 100
km, and to the mainland of Chechnya about 400 km, just to mention a few of recent battle
fields in Caucasus. The planned ski contest area of Krasnaya Polyana is some 10 km and
the Sochi-Adler Airport only 5 km from the border to Abhazia, a region belonging to
Georgia but presently occupied by Russia. The Russian attempts to incorporate Abhazia
might soon even escalate into an armed clash.
Thus, the security issues of Caucasus should be a major concern among those who plan
to bring athletes of the world to the scene. The entire Caucasus is burning today and ready
to explode. The reasons can be found in the destructive Russian politics in the region. The
colonial warfare in Caucasus is characterized by top-level corruption, economic
mismanagement, massive police brutality, political and religious oppression and constant
violations of human rights. The uprising of the indigenous Islamic peoples of Caucasus is a
natural and justified consequence. Even Dmitrii Kozak, Putin's representative to the
Southern Federal District, has predicted a sharp rise in radicalism and extremism and
emergencing of "a macro-region of sociopolitical and economic instability" encompassing
the entire North Caucasus and parts of Stavropol Krai.
The short victorious war that Yeltsin started in Chechnya 1993 has been far more
disastrous for Russia than the Russo-Japanese war that von Plehve started in 1904.
The Russian society is quite sick today. The Freedom House rating changed last year to
the level "not free". On the Corruption Perceptions Index Russia is placed at position 126
among 159 countries - well below countries such as Zimbabwe, Nepal and Mongolia.
The life expectancy of Russian men is the lowest in Europe, only some 58 years
In spite of immigration from CIS countries, Russia's population has been sliding down
during the last decade, and with present trends the population could drop down below 100
million by 2050, less than Egypt and Vietnam.
The economic growth has been quite high in Russia during recent years, but it is more due
to price increase of raw material exports than increase in productivity. The economy has
characteristics of a developing country, not of a super power.
The present Russian leadership has apparently an irresistible temptation to build up a new
Potemkin scene in the South, this time in shape of Olympic Games. Russia plans to invest
12 billion dollars in the games of Sochi, money desperately needed for health care of the
"lumpen proletariat" and in order to take care of tens of thousands of St.Petersburg street
children. On the other hand, there is a lot of oil money in Russia today. The problem is that
the money is so unequally distributed.
Forbes report about a boom in the number of Russian billionaires in dollar. Roman
Abramovich is far from the only loyal oligarch in the vicinity of Kreml.
This is the ugly background of the Russian campaign for Olympic Games in Sochi 2014.
However, this situation creates also a genuine opportunity to inform the world about the
genocidal and colonist features of Russian politics in Caucasus.
The 114 members of IOC (International Olympic Committee) should all be addressed with
complete and versatile information about the background and reality of Russian presence
in Caucasus well before the IOC session in Guatemala City in July 2007. Also, they should
all be informed about what kind of religious and ethnical cleansing may be expected
among the regional population if Sochi would be elected.
Probably the election of Sochi as candidate city is only a consolation prize to Russia, a
great sports nation, anticipating the final decision in favour of Salzburg. Anyway, it's an
opportunity for Russians to consider if Caucasus is an area important enough to degrade
Russia to a second-class member of the world community.
The eight time zones east of Ural covers the major part of Russian territory with a sharply
diminishing population - there is Lebensraum and natural resources enough, without any
obstinate aboriginal people. Regarding Caucasus, maybe it's soon time to realize the good
idea of "Security in Exchange for Independence"?

For Kavkaz-Center

Mikael Storsjö
Helsinki, Finland