48 Killed in Attacks on Russia Government

[dusty64]

Jun 22, 7:03 AM (ET)

By YURI BAGROV

(AP)


CHERMEN, Russia (AP) - Thousands of troops streamed into a southern Russian city on Tuesday in pursuit of suspected Chechen rebels who set fire to police and government buildings and killed 48 people, three of them high-ranking regional officials, in a series of brazen overnight attacks.

The militants' foray into the province of Ingushetia underscored the Russian military's failure to defeat separatists in neighboring Chechnya after five years of fighting, and raised new fears that violence could spread to other parts of southern Russia.

The attacks also came amid preparations for an August election to replace Kremlin-backed Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, who was killed last month in a bomb attack that was seen as a significant blow to President Vladimir Putin's efforts to bring some stability to warring Chechnya.

Shortly before midnight Monday, about 100 fighters armed with grenades and rocket launchers seized the regional Interior Ministry in Nazran, the largest city in Ingushetia, and attacked border guard posts there and in two villages near the border with Chechnya, Karabulak and Yandare, regional emergency officials said.


Russian authorities sent in reinforcements shortly after dawn Tuesday. The anti-terrorism troops and soldiers moved into Nazran through the border village of Chermen in neighboring North Ossetia, in a long column of armored personnel carriers and army trucks.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040622/D83C13VO0.html

[StClone]

1. Bush told Putin

That he had information that the Chechen rebels were planning attacks on Russian cities.

[dusty64]

2. I'm wondering if the fact putin

and chimp have given each other passes on their war crimes is the reason they are covering the asses of the other.

[Hand]

3. "Bring 'em on!" Cried the KGB Klown...

And they did...

[Aidoneus]

4. Welcome to the start of a bad summer, Vlad

I don't expect AP or the like to catch on to such subtleties (they'll ask Putin's media reps for their view, and that's about the end of it), but I am told that this was rather more an Ingush-based operation rather than Chechen as the story goes. In the last few months in particular, decades in general, the heavy-handed approach of the Kremlin's army in the region has greatly alienated many among the Ingush (in particular, or anyone else nearby in general). Many of them have taken towards acts against the army and other official institutions in support of, and sometimes independent of, the Chechen resistance next door.

It is interesting how such a large unit may continue to move freely, attack so boldly, move away with light, if any, losses and a large supply of weapons. I guess the war isn't going as well as Putin's people tell themselves (and anyone that will listen) that it is.

The local pro-Putin Interior Minister is reportedly among the dead, which are said to number 70+ now. Putin will vow and the occupation forces next door will indescriminately round up and torture (maybe even blow up with a grenade) anybody within reach, like usual, and I suspect that will not make the wire reports.

What is also interesting is that some sections of the Ingush capital itself were under the control of militants before+after.

[Aidoneus]

5. 'A second Chechnya'

'A second Chechnya'

The Russian military is being blamed for the former safe haven of Ingushetia's sudden descent into violence, writes Nick Paton Walsh

Through the white noise of the cassette, the chilling, deadpan voice of an officer in the local security services is just about audible: «We had a direct order so we cut off their car, dragged him and his driver from it and bundled them into our minibus».

The voice is allegedly a secret recording of an officer in the local branch of the Russian federal security service (FSB) confessing his role in the kidnapping of Rashid Ozdoyev to the victim's relatives.

The tape, played to Guardian Unlimited, purports to provide rare evidence of the involvement of the Russian authorities in the tide of violence and abductions that has spiralled out of control and spread across the border from war-torn Chechnya into the neighbouring, peaceful republic of Ingushetia.

But the tape carries a far more sinister message: the FSB's apparent target was not the ordinary choice of Russian victim - a rebel sympathiser or 'terrorist' suspect - but a senior aide to the state prosecutor of Ingushetia who was charged with investigating abuses by Russian forces.

Ingushetia was the safe haven to which Chechen refugees fled during a decade of violence. Yet in the last few months at least 40 people have been abducted, mostly taken from their homes by «masked men in camouflage», a description reminiscent of the brutal conduct of Russian troops in Chechnya.

The human rights group Memorial calculates that the rate of abductions here, relative to the population, is higher than its troubled neighbour's.

--snip--

originally in the Guardian, don't have it on hand.. another link:--
http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/article.php?id=2895

[dusty64]

9. Before this I

had never even heard of that before.

[jmcgowanjm]

6. kick

[jmcgowanjm]

7. This is the biggest news of the day

The Pan Muslim Uprising:

And it was 200 fighters
And the Interior
Ministry of Ingushetia is on fire
And the Action is continuing-
An Armored column coming into
Ingushetia has been attacked,

These guys were so good at destroying
armored columns.


http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4A7B86E1-AC94-4858-96D3-C53B62A17FC7.htm

[bemildred]

8. There seems to be stuff going on in Dagestan too.

Although no much for details so far.

[jmcgowanjm]

10. yes, and here's something else in middle Asia

http://russiajournal.com/news/cnews-article.shtml?nd=43807

[bemildred]

14. That is probably partly letting everybody know Russia

is still a global player, and the Central Asian stuff
is, well, about Central Asia. It would be interesting to
know what the former Soviet SSRs in Central Asia think
about the doings in Afghanistan, Sinkiang, Iraq, and the
Caucasus. That area has been a real donnybrook politically
for thousands of years.

[jmcgowanjm]

16. I found that link looking for Russian naval activities

in lieu of US 10 carriers underway.

Now that Bushco has done a 180 on giving fuel
oil to North Korea, I don't know
what's happening, but I know that something's
going down. This troop/ship movement
is fabulously expensive. It can't last another
month w/o standdown or increased war footing.

Saudi invasion while we're retreating from Iraq?
Comets?

[bemildred]

17. I don't know what's up either, but you can see things crumbling.

The Korea thing appears to be an admission of the defeat of previous
US policy there and - I am guessing - presages a decline in US
hegemony in that area. It will never be said outright, of course,
but the locals are now working out their own arrangements, perforce,
since the US cannot guarantee "security" in the area any longer;
we are much too busy and lack the economic clout we once had and the
players there are much stronger than fifty years ago.

The carriers is a different issue, very hard to tell what is up.
Money means nothing at this point, IMHO, but otherwise one can
only speculate on the information publicly available, and I'd
rather not. From what I can tell this administration considers
wasting money both a duty and an honor.

[jmcgowanjm]

19. we are much too busy and lack the economic clout

Saying this, bemildred, Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
is the 1st thing that came to mind. It could be a direct quote
From Imperial Terminus to the outer galaxy.

" Reinforcements wlll not be forthcoming."

With you,
James

[bemildred]

20. We could use a "mule" here about now.

God, that was a long time ago.
:hi:

[dArKeR]

11. Toll climbs in Russian rebel attacks

Vladikavkaz, Russia — Ninety-two people were killed and 125 wounded in night-time attacks on the Russian republic of Ingushetia earlier this week, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported, citing the regional government.


Sixty-seven of the dead were members of law-enforcement agencies, ITAR-Tass said.


The regional branch of Russia's Federal Security Service received information about the movements of an armed group in cars about 30 minutes before the start of attacks late Monday night, ITAR-Tass quoted the deputy of the regional FSB branch, Andrei Konin, as saying.


”But we did not expect such an extent, simultaneous attacks on 15 sites,” Mr. Konin was quoted as saying.

http://theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040623.wruss0623/BNStory/International/

[jmcgowanjm]

23. Vietnam/Afghanistan-Chechnya/Iraq

The Koran states that nobody can read what is in the hearts
of others, or judge them as a believers or disbelievers. Even
if their hearts are cut open, it is not possible to know if a
person is a believer or not. Knowledge in this
matter
belongs only to God himself. This should be understood
as meaning that Islam expressly forbids killing for
religious reasons.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) recommended good
treatment for hostages and prisoners during the past
Islamic wars. He said: “You should not kill an old man, a child,
or a woman. You should not cut a tree or destroy a
hurch...”. Murdering and killing is outside of Islamic morals
and principles, which are inviolable.

http://s023.dyndns.org/kawther/K20040622A.html

I’m only suggesting you go back to your law books and, for
your own good, get a good grip on why Saddam Hussein
is behind bars when it now turns out he doesn’t seem to
have done anything wrong.

http://www.wanniski.com/showarticle.asp?articleid=3643 

Cheney to Sen. Leahy, "Fuck You!", I love when the Vice talks
dirty in public.

See ya tomorrow,
James

[Aidoneus]

12. 'Attackers were Ingushetians…'

Ingushetia.ru edition published what the witnesses of the night battles in Ingushetia have told. The reporter had a conversation with one of the traffic police officers in Ingushetia, who was detained by the fighters and who witnessed the events at the Ekazhevo intersection in the city of Nazran, where most of the pro-Russian policemen and officers of Prosecutor’s Office were killed. Here is his story:

«It was about 9:30 PM when I heard shots fired near the Ekazhevo intersection, I headed there in a patrol car. I thought shots were fired just in the air as usual. At the checkpoint I was stopped by armed persons with masks on. I flashed my police badge. They started screaming and shooting under my feet. Then they tied my hands up with duct tape and shoved me into a traffic police trailer. All of them were speaking Ingushetian language».

«’We are not killing traffic police officers or security guards. We are only killing operatives, prosecutors and judges, who are kidnapping and killing Ingushetians and who sold themselves out to Russian secret services’, one of the militants said. By their voices I could tell they were young guys. Right before my eyes they stopped a car with to persons inside, who said they were from Criminal Investigations Department. The officers were shot on the spot and their bodies were laid next to each other. I saw how they stopped a white Mercedes. Prosecutors Belan Oziyev, Muharbek Buzurtanov and two young guys, I think they were investigators from the Prosecutor’s Office, were in the Mercedes. After the militants found out they were from the Prosecutor’s Office, all of them were dragged out of the car and shot dead. Each one of them was shot in the head one more time. They opened fire at a vehicle with servicemen on board when the vehicle would not stop».

«I saw a dead body of the director of the Nazran Market lying near the checkpoint. They thought he was some higher police official, since he had a holster with a handgun in it. Several other traffic police officers and security guards were lying tied up next to me».

«One of the militants told us that we were free to go and he demanded that we run towards Nazran. We were brought out of the trailer and headed towards the city. They took my handgun and my car. Militants set up checkpoints along the main road. They stopped me several times and checked by badge. Once they found out I was a traffic police officer, I was let go. They were Ingushetians too. They were saying that they were taking revenge for the guys who were killed and kidnapped. And the criminal police, special forces (Spetznaz commandos), and special police (OMON) are getting killed because they are helping Russian secret services».

http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/article.php?id=2906

and, from the mouth of the Ingush commander of the operation,
http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/article.php?id=2907

[bemildred]

13. Karma.

Sort of surprised it took the Ingush this long.

[jmcgowanjm]

15. Thanx for the link & info Aidoneus

Putin made a trip to Nazran capitol of
Ingushetia that evening.

Indian press-the source, I think.
I lost it, to much info on my screen right now.

[Aidoneus]

18. No prob

This is turning out to be an interesting event. I am told, and this is confirmed in part by a newer KC piece and some TV shots, that many Ingush who had been roughed up/tortured/or had their family/friends affected as such by whatever degree, had gone directly to Basayev to petition him for something like this only to find out just how many of them like that there were, already preparing. Russian media is claiming all sorts, that it was Pakistanis, Algerians, and Chechens/etc behind this, but local residents say almost everybody spoke Ingush (something like 90%, with a few Chechens along for 'technical support', as it were) and were in fact welcomed by locals all throughout the operation--saw a clip of TV footage of this.

I guess Nazran will be made of the same hamburger Grozny has been soon enough..

[jmcgowanjm]

21. Putin is a busy man-jet lag-Nazran to Kamchatka

http://www.russiajournal.com/news/cnews-article.shtml?nd=44300

http://www.russiajournal.com/news/cnews-article.shtml?nd=44362

Doin' good, great stuff,
love your posts.
James

[Aidoneus]

22. the Far-East exercise is interesting..

what the hell are they preparing for over there?!

"...search- and-destroy operations against terrorists and enemy reconnaissance and sabotage teams, shore defense, territorial defense, security of strategic transportation links, and liaison between the Armed Forces and other authorities..."

[Aidoneus]

24. Chechen Refugee Camps Raided (inside Ingushetia)

Chechen Refugee Camps Raided

Masked men raided a Chechen refugee camp near Ingushetia's Nazran on Wednesday, Ekho Moskvy radio reported, citing camp superintendent Raisa Isayeva. Isayeva cited numerous abuses, such as beatings, unlawful detentions, and instances when men were taken outside, forced to undress, and held on the ground face down for several hours. According to her, 34 people, including several 15-year-olds, are being held by the attackers.

On Thursday, electricity, water, and gas were cut off from the camp, and the refugees were ordered to leave the territory of the camp within two days or it would be burnt down, Isayeva told the radio station.

Attempts by the refugees to get information from the local authorities were unsuccessful — after receiving a complaint from one refugee, an Ingushetia migration official reportedly advised her to "return home to Chechnya," adding that there was nothing he could do. Another camp nearby was also reportedly threatened, Isayeva said.

Those inhabitants of camp, who were let go, "ran away to their relatives, and haven't returned to the camp" - she noted. In the town's office, where the women from Altiyevo camp turned up they "got no information, and were chased away". On 24 June they brought a crane to the camp, removed a transformer, cut off electricity to the camp, turned off gas, cut out and took away section of pipes";. These unknown people in masks, she reported, demanded in 2 days to vacate the territory under threat of burning down of the camp.

Women from Altiyevo turned to deputy assistant of administration for matters of migration in Ingushetia, but he stated that "can't help"; and "if there are threats - it is necessary to go home to Chechnya" "We don't have any place
KC & Internet Sources
2004-06-25 02:05:32
http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/article.php?id=2919

for more on the greater region & subject than I could EVER post or read, I would suggest:--
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chechnya-sl/

[Aidoneus]

25. In Ingushetia, Russian troops search door-to-door for rebels

Stating mostly the obvious, but notable that even the Post does such at times--

In Ingushetia, Russian troops search door-to-door for rebels

By Peter Baker
The Washington Post
Published June 24, 2004

--snip--

Amnesty International released a report Wednesday that depicted what
Putin calls a "normalization" program as failing, saying the
situation in Chechnya is "far from normal" and spilling into
Ingushetia.

The report condemned both sides for targeting civilians but singled
out the disappearances of people held incommunicado by Russian forces
and allegedly tortured and raped. "Such abuses, which previously
occurred almost exclusively in Chechnya, are increasingly spreading
across the border to neighboring Ingushetia," it said.

Such abuses fostered speculation that the latest attacks were
intended as retaliation for the recent disappearances of young men in
Ingushetia. The guerrillas included Ingush and Russians as well as
Chechens, said officials, who identified the leader as Magomed
Yevloyev, an Ingush who has fought alongside rebels in Chechnya.

Details of the assaults remained murky. Officials increased their
estimate of guerrillas involved from a low of 200 to as many as
1,000. The death toll rose from 57 but varied depending on the
official providing information; more than half of the dead were said
to be police officers, prosecutors and Interior Ministry troops.

Khadiyeva said government forces searched the villages of Galashki
and Altiyevo on Wednesday in case the attackers simply melted back
into the local population. "It's possible a lot of them are still
here. That's why we're conducting these document checks," he said.

The local office of Memorial, a human-rights group, said the
government raids were zachistkas, or cleansing operations, aimed in
part at Chechen refugees, with about 75 taken away.

"They were beating them," said Yekaterina Sokirianskaya, a Memorial
activist who witnessed the raids. "They were also telling them that
if they don't leave the republic in two days they would be in
trouble."

--snip--

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chechnya-sl/message/38621

[goforit]

26. WTF!!!.....A HUGE CHAIN REACTION!!!.......Payment for Bush support!!

OUCH!!!!

PUTIN is now the NEW POODLE to be!!!

[Aidoneus]

27. "Payment for Bush support!!"

?!

[goforit]

28. Putin gives phoney Saddam/AlQaida evidence to Chenrey/Bush..........

Supporting Bush's actions in the IRaq war,

Chekyan rebels payoff Putin for this support in blood.

Bottom line Putin has now made enemies at home even more vicious
through his defense of Bush in Iraq........
Which apparently is unfounded!!!!

Negative Karma:
"One who signs contract with the Devil......
gets royally burned"

[Aidoneus]

29. cause & effect

I guess Bush had a hand in these too? That guy is everywhere!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chechnya-sl/message/37035
http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/article.php?id=2701

There is a cause->effect at work here, but I don't think you're in the ballpark. Read the posts in this thread, or any decent report on the event. Chechens aren't doing a damn thing for or because of Bush, or even this in itself for that matter. Believe it or not, and this is a big whopper for people here from time to time, some things happen without a "BFEE" hand.

[dusty64]

30. This is all very interesting,

I have not heard of many of these places and people and consider myself fairly up to date. Our media in this Country is such a failure and I can see how easy it is to be ignorant when you have to dig so hard to find out whats going on in the world outside of Bryant, Peterson, and Jackson.