An expert with the Russian Academy of Sciences, Igor Dobaev, stated in a report that as many as 70 terrorist attacks took place in Dagestan during the first half of this year, more than 40 of them in Makhachkala, Interfax reported on July 17. "Every... MORE

During the third week of June, Doku Umarov gave an interview in Chechnya to Radio Liberty correspondent Andrei Babitsky, a transcript of which was published by the separatist Chechenpress and Kavkazcenter websites on July 15. Among other things, the Chechen rebel field commander, who was... MORE

Kavkazky Uzel reported on July 13 that there is increasing tension between the federal Interior Ministry and Chechen Interior Ministry special units. "Effectively, neither the regional operational headquarters for the counterterrorist operation in the North Caucasus, nor the Russian Interior Ministry is in command of... MORE

A group of some 50 women blocked one of Grozny's busiest streets on July 17 demanding to know the fate of two men they say were taken away after being held at a temporary detention facility. The protesters told Interfax that unidentified armed men had... MORE

Other former Beslan hostages have testified at the trial of Nur-Pashi Kulaev, the sole participant in the Beslan school seizure to be apprehended by the authorities, that the number of terrorists involved was more than the official number of 32. Interfax reported on July 19... MORE

--POLL SHOWS BROAD SUPPORT FOR NEGOTIATIONS A poll taken in June by the independent Levada Center found that only 23 of the respondents said they believe that a "peaceful life" is being restored in Chechnya while 68 percent believe that war is continuing there. Only... MORE

The Sharia Jamaat on July 12 officially confirmed the death of its leader Rasul Makasharipov. "Praise Allah, on July 6 in the city of Shamilkal (formerly Makhachkala), during the defense of a mujahideen base in the course of a violent battle, the Emir of the... MORE

The killing of Rasul Makasharipov came after a series of terrorist attacks in Dagestan, including the July 1 bombing of a public bathhouse in Makhachkala that killed eleven Russian Interior Ministry commandos (see Chechnya Weekly, July 7). The upsurge in violence and instability has clearly... MORE

Against this backdrop, it is no surprise that the situation in Dagestan is becoming a focus of attention in Russia's parliament. Gennady Gudkov, a member of the State Duma Security Committee and the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, said the government should send a commission to... MORE

President Vladimir Putin on July 7 offered his condolences over the terrorist bombings in London and used the occasion to inveigh once again about what he sees as double standards in the international community's attitude toward terrorism. "What happened today demonstrates yet again that we... MORE