|
Assassination attempt on Ingushetia's president Yevkurov
|
View this Thread in Original format
| Magnetonium |
. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. A great general, a man who fights corruption and treats everyone with respect. Was really getting the trust of Ingushetia's population, trying to fix a critical problem in the republic in the increasing insurgency and violence.
I think there were some insiders who leaked information to the rebels to bring Yevkurov down. This guy was starting to make enemies after cracking down on corruption, sacking ineffective officials and talking to opposition. Huge blow.
Yet another sign that things in the region (Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan) will remain volatile for years to come. Undermined by the radical Islamics, corrupt politicians and officials, tough police and military response to militants, and pressing social issues such as poverty.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8113101.stm
Ingush attack deals Russia major blow
| quote: |
Confirmation from security officials in Ingushetia that the attack on President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov was a targeted suicide car bombing will intensify the Russian government's deep concerns over the incident.
Suicide car bombings - a hallmark of Islamist rebels - are extremely rare in the North Caucasus.
But it is clear the person who carried out this attack had detailed information about where and when the president's motorcade would be on the move.
That makes some analysts wary of assuming that Islamic militants, fighting for independence from Russia, are the only possible suspects.
"A number of high-profile officials in the region were unhappy with Yevkurov's policies," says Grigory Shvedov, a leading regional expert.
"Impending dismissals in the government were probably the reason for this attempted assassination.
"Yevkurov was planning to introduce order, to fight corruption and to sack politicians suspected of graft."
So could officials from within the Ingush government have deliberately leaked the information about the president's motorcade to a militant organisation?
Greater trust
When Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, a career soldier, was appointed president of Ingushetia last October, there were high expectations that he would restore stability to the tiny republic, where the violence had been getting so bad that some were already warning it had plunged into a state of civil war.
For the new president, that would not just mean fighting the militants.
Russian security forces after a bombing in Ingushetia
Russia is desperate for its forces to impose control in the North Caucasus
It would also mean bringing the security forces back under control and tackling endemic corruption, both of which had been fuelling the insurgency.
During my visit to Ingushetia last November, just after Mr Yevkurov had been appointed, a top opposition politician told me he had been impressed by the new president's willingness to sit down and talk with opposition groups, and by his stated plans to stop human rights abuses being committed by the security forces and to tackle corruption.
But the opposition politician also warned Mr Yevkurov would only have a few months to turn words into action.
While the president did succeed in gaining a greater level of trust from the population, that did not translate into any significant improvement in the security situation.
Experts say the end of winter and the start of the traditional fighting season has brought a resumption of the violence at the same level as last year.
This June has been particularly bad.
Before Monday's attack, two senior figures, including a top judge, had already been assassinated.
Chechen overflow
Mr Yevkurov was aware of the huge challenge he faced, saying running a Russian republic like Ingushetia was far harder than the foreign military operations he had been responsible for when he was an army general.
He faced a particularly difficult task given the suppression of the rebellion in Chechnya in recent years, which meant the focus of Islamic militancy had shifted across the border into Ingushetia.
And now Mr Yevkurov lies in hospital after what some insiders say was very complicated surgery to repair damage to vital organs and his skull.
He may be in a stable condition and may live, but it is not yet known whether he will ever be able to return to his job.
For the Kremlin which is desperate to restore stability in the North Caucasus, it is a major blow. |
|
|
|
| DJ Damerchi |
The creation of a united caucases islamic state is one of the main goals of fundamental Islamic movements. The Hamburg cell(911) were planning to go join the uprisings in Chechnya, but pulled out when they were told their skills were needed elsewhere. As pathetic as it sounds, it is like their spring break to Mexico, a more romantic battle.
There exists such a confusing web of corruption and secret alliances in that region, that when something like this happens it becomes very difficult to determine who is exactly responsible. People fear speaking up, we all know what happens to journalists who try to get to the bottom of the story.
I wouldnt be surprised at all if the Kremlin takes bolder actions like annexing parts of the caspian for security reasons, and perhaps a future incursion into Azeri terrirory may be a reality. |
|
|
| Magnetonium |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJ Damerchi
The creation of a united caucases islamic state is one of the main goals of fundamental Islamic movements. The Hamburg cell(911) were planning to go join the uprisings in Chechnya, but pulled out when they were told their skills were needed elsewhere. As pathetic as it sounds, it is like their spring break to Mexico, a more romantic battle.
There exists such a confusing web of corruption and secret alliances in that region, that when something like this happens it becomes very difficult to determine who is exactly responsible. People fear speaking up, we all know what happens to journalists who try to get to the bottom of the story. |
Indeed.
| quote: |
I wouldnt be surprised at all if the Kremlin takes bolder actions like annexing parts of the caspian for security reasons, and perhaps a future incursion into Azeri terrirory may be a reality. |
Ummm, I hope you can explain that to me in more detail, since I am a bit confused. Why would Russia need to make incursions on Azeri territory? :conf: Most of the insurgency is local, and any foreign sources will find a way to get in through that very long border. I am sure the Russian generals dont have the names and numbers / addresses of any Azeris to bomb because we all know that these [foreign] terrorists and their financiers come from well far away from Azerbaijan. Plus, Russian-friendly regime in Baku would be more willing to pass over any such terrorists to the Kremlin ;)
|
|
|
| DJ Damerchi |
| quote: | Originally posted by Magnetonium
Indeed.
Ummm, I hope you can explain that to me in more detail, since I am a bit confused. Why would Russia need to make incursions on Azeri territory? :conf: Most of the insurgency is local, and any foreign sources will find a way to get in through that very long border. I am sure the Russian generals dont have the names and numbers / addresses of any Azeris to bomb because we all know that these [foreign] terrorists and their financiers come from well far away from Azerbaijan. Plus, Russian-friendly regime in Baku would be more willing to pass over any such terrorists to the Kremlin ;)
|
Yeah, I was really unclear about that. Azerbaijan is not involved in this matter, but there are only so many ways for *foreign* mujahideen to get into the caucasus. I agree with you that they would indeed hand names and intelligence about terrorist activity over to Moscow, I just think that their incapable. "Incursion" was definately the wrong choice of word. I meant more of a joint task operation |
|
|
| Magnetonium |
I am translating things here from Russian.
So it appears that the force of the explosion is estimated at 20-70kg TNT - if you look at the photos, even the nearby homes were damaged (roofs, windows). No armoured car could survive that, and Yevkurov's Mercedes-211 was armoured. Travelling at high speed, it was rammed by a 4x4 of a suicide attacker who was initially driving slowly at the side of the road and then turned into the middle of the convoy, directly ramming Yevkurov's vehicle, exploded, and Yevkurov's Mercedes by the force of explosion flew off the road and smashed into the brick wall of a house. The car you see in the ditch is the whats left of the bomber. Toyota car, which was also in the convoy, also armoured, was only slightly damaged. Other convoy vehicles not displayed, including Yevkurov's car - which was blown off into the ditch. The force of the explosion left a hole in the road - from the videos I've seen it looks like about 1 meter deep, further up a bit from the scene.
Out of the 5 people in the Mercedes, all considerable injuries, one bodyguard along with one security officer have died, and Yevkurov was seriously injured, along with his brother Ramzan and another bodyguard. Thats some solid armour though, it saved their lives! Right now he is an intensive care unit, hooked up to artificial breathing apparatus.
EDIT: Just moments ago - Yevkurov is now conscious, recovering. Yevkurov's brother, Ramzan, who was accompanying him, his situation is still listed as serious.
Some photos I found:
|
|
|
|
|
