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Chechan Rebels Babitsky Interview

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  • Chechan Rebels Babitsky Interview

    INTERVIEW - 5 September 2003

    Andrei Babitsky: "The long-standing war resulted in Islamic
    radicalism in Chechnya"

    Caucasus Times: Andrei, prior to now you had been to Chechnya
    quite
    often, but this time the Chechen rebels movement became your
    main
    interest there, while the mass media is focused on elections in
    Chechnya?

    Andrei Babitsky: Actually, very few have an idea what is brewing in
    the Chechen rebels underground since the resistance movement
    has
    mutated in the course of four years of the second war campaign.
    There
    have been a lot of speculations on this account, but no foreign
    journalist has ever been able to get to the guerillas camps in the
    mountains thus far. As to the Russian journalists, they are not
    interested in what's going on the other side, at that restricted by
    the Russian legislation that vetoed any contact with the Chechen
    mujahideens as an enemy party. The western journalists have very
    limited opportunity to get in contact with rebels and are at
    constant
    risk to be expelled from the country. Actually, as of now the
    rebels
    remain quite isolated that are not interested themselves in any
    contacts with foreigners. All this also has induced me to go to
    Chechnya.

    CT: What is the main cause of the growing radicalism in
    Chechnya?

    AB: The Chechen rebels movement is being radicalized and the
    process
    got into high gear. The anti-Russian movement for self-
    determination
    has mutated into a jihad. The national liberation movement
    turned
    into a religious war. This is quite natural when the movement was
    secluded and the rebel underground is stewing in its own juice.
    There
    is no channel for accruing fury, where no exchange of ideas or
    emotional contacts with the outside world. On the other hand,
    just
    think of it, in a week I had spent over there in the mountains it
    was
    raining all day long. A warrior there needs to be constantly on a
    move, loaded with munitions. Therefore, one must be motivated
    and to
    have an aspiration for an emotional objective to survive somehow.
    The
    more radical, plain and rewardable the doctrine is, the easier the
    war path becomes for the holy warrior who might get killed next
    morning but would gain his reward and relish in paradise
    gardens.
    Such harsh conditions originated the doctrine, which appeals to
    an
    experience of the first Islamic communities. It has not gone too
    far
    yet, but the course is clear and constant.

    CT: Prior to now scores of observers have paralleled the Chechen
    conflict to the Palestinian long-term conflicts, since the counter-
    terrorism warfare has been declared round the world. Do you find
    any
    analogy between these two conflicts?

    AB: I would say, there is absolutely no similarity in both examples
    in historical perspective. Since such radicalism and methods do
    not
    correspond to the Chechen national traditions the populace as
    well on
    plain as in the mountains would never accept these religious
    doctrines. And the majority of the Chechens do support the rebels
    not
    as a group of the people with definite religious beliefs but as the
    field police, as those who are capable to resist and fight off
    anyhow
    the bloody arbitrariness in Chechnya. The Islamic radicalism in
    Chechnya was ensued as a result of this long-term war. Actually,
    the
    longer the war continues the more radical the Chechen armed
    resistance will get. It is a little bit complicated to grasp, but
    there is the Palestinian conflict does not match our case.

    CT: As of now almost all observers consider Kadyrov to be a
    winner in
    the upcoming presidential elections in the republic. How good are
    chances for Kadyrov that he will win?

    AB: The Russian authorities actually have granted Kadyrov a free
    hand
    in Chechnya who managed to create an enormous, powerful
    administrative machine, which has been killing the people
    unabatedly.
    And now Kadyrov's forces have turned to be a more awful scourge
    for
    the populace than the federal forces. That's the way things are. So
    far, a man detained by the Russian troops could have chances to
    get
    away battered, crippled but alive. Not with Kadyrov's gunmen.
    They
    leave nobody alive. As a matter of fact, Kadyrov's loyalists have all
    resources to make the election results predictable. Therefore, I
    consider Kadyrov is going to get the presidential office in
    Chechnya.

    CT: Is there any precondition giving hope for the situation in
    Chechnya will ever get better?

    AB: I just do not know. The situation there is quite complicated.
    Today it is almost impossible to predict all factors, which would
    influence the situation in Chechnya, there are lots of them. Thus
    far, there are several groups in Russia, which are interested in the
    war to go unabated.

    Islam Tekushev, Prague, Caucasus Times
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