Latest Articles about Terrorism
Descendants of Shamil Continue to Resist Authorities in Dagestan
On the night of October 28, another special operation aimed at detecting potential militants was conducted in the mountainous Avar village of Gimry in Dagestan’s Untsukul district. Gimry is known as the birthplace of two famous Dagestani imams of the 19th century, Gazi-Magomed and Shamil.... MORE
A Profile of Mexico’s “El Comandante Diablo” and How His Use of Atrocity-Based Propaganda Backfired
David Rosales Guzmán, Alias “El Comandante Diablo” David Rosales Guzmán (a.k.a El Comandante Diablo–the Devil Commander), was captured alive by Mexican authorities on September 1, 2012. He is accused of functioning as the Gulf Cartel’s leader in Monterrey, Mexico, and is held in connection with... MORE
Ethnic Warfare in Burundi: A Profile of Hutu Warlord Agathon Rwasa
The Central African nation of Burundi has reached a political crossroads. In the last decade Burundi has managed, with international assistance, to bring an end to a vicious civil war and install a government that reflects demographic and tribal realities in Burundi. However, since the... MORE
Political Reforms Still Possible in the North Caucasus
On October 24, the Memorial human rights center published a report on the situation in the North Caucasus during this past summer. The report documents the latest trends in the region that are often overlooked in the daily news. For example, Memorial determined that the... MORE
Moscow and Grozny Continue to Play Down Chechnya’s Persistent Insurgency
While on a visit to Chechnya on October 15, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev held a meeting with the Russian Interior Ministry police chiefs of the North Caucasus Federal District and the joint command of the Interior Ministry’s troops (www.kommersant.ru/doc/2045606/print). Kolokoltsev was preparing to deliver... MORE
With Sochi on the Horizon, Putin Calls for Intensified Efforts to Hunt Militants
On October 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the country’s top government officials on fighting terrorism in Russia. The list of participants at the government’s council on countering terrorist activities unmistakably pointed to the North Caucasus as Moscow’s primary concern. The heads... MORE
Events in Dagestan Force the Kremlin to Become More Active
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited Dagestan on October 2 (www.ria.ru/economy/20121002/764528570.html). While there, Medvedev stated that Moscow was prepared to inject additional cash into the North Caucasus in order to improve the socio-economic situation in the region. The prime minister’s choice of which North Caucasian... MORE
Caucasus Emirate’s Ethnic Russian Suicide Bombers
The killing of the well-known Sufi sheikh Said Chirkeiski by a Russian female suicide bomber has again raised the issue of those in Russia who convert from Orthodox Christianity to Islam. The assassination of the sheikh was carried out by Aminat Kurbanova (maiden last name... MORE
Can Somalia’s al-Shabaab Survive the Loss of Kismayo?
The Somali militant group al-Shabaab gave up its stronghold in the southern port town of Kismayo on September 29 following a Kenyan offensive from the land, air and sea (Radio Mogadishu, September 29; Bar-Kulan Radio [Nairobi], September 29). Kismayo, which is about 328 miles (528 km)... MORE
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Sets Assassins Loose in Strategic Shift
The experiment in governance by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the allied Ansar al-Shari’a movement that attempted to establish seven Islamic Emirates in southern Yemen ended in July after less than a year. The end came with a massive June offensive against the... MORE