Posted on 09/15/2013 7:32:53 PM PDT by TexGrill
The Kremlin has a new problem on its hands: battle-hardened jihadists who have acquired experience in Syria and elsewhere bringing their militant fervor back home to the Northern Caucasus.
Recognition that hundreds of jihadists are ready to return will certainly influence Moscow's policies. Kremlin folk might have to reconsider their tactics; not only their tactics - but their tacit "outsourcing" of jihadists to other parts of the world.
Dokku Umarov, jihadi leader in the North Caucasus of the southern Russian provinces of Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria, has reportedly agreed to a deal with Emir Salautdin, who controls North Caucasus fighters in Syria, for those militants to return to Russia to fight under his command. Umarov has proclaimed the North Caucasus an Islamist state, calling it Imarat Kavkaz, which means "Caucasus Emirates".
Encouragement for jihadis to take up arms elsewhere was hardly Moscow's invention. Variants on that policy have been well practiced by the United States and its allies in the Middle East. During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Saudis, - following the US's bidding - implied that it was honorable to fight infidels in Afghanistan, provided they were not American.
(Excerpt) Read more at atimes.com ...
Putin will just “go all Old Testament” on them.
Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 est.) note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy of over seven decades of Soviet rule
Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)
Religions: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%
At the same time, and unknown to the Israelis, the Soviet Union mounted a disinformation campaign pushing Egypt to join Syria against Israel. At that time, the Soviets were providing military and economic aid to both Syria and Egypt. On May 13, 1967 a Soviet parliamentary delegation visited Cairo and informed the Egyptian leaders that Israel had concentrated eleven to thirteen brigades along the Syrian border in preparation for an assault within a few days, with the intention of overthrowing the revolutionary Syrian Government. This was a complete fabrication designed by the Soviets to destabilize the Middle East. Similar false information may have been given to Egypt by the Soviets as early as May 2.
Just who was doing the "bidding", us or the Saudis?
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