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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 9-Feb-2011
9-Feb-11 News -- Chechnya terrorist Doku Umarov takes credit for Moscow airport bombing

Web Log - February, 2011

9-Feb-11 News -- Chechnya terrorist Doku Umarov takes credit for Moscow airport bombing

Putin's popularity is threatened by Umarov and by Egypt's revolution

Chechnya terrorist Doku Umarov takes credit for Moscow airport bombing

Doku Umarov, a terrorist from Chechnya, claimed responsibility the Moscow airport bombing on January 24. (See "25-Jan-11 News -- Suicide bomber kills 35 people in Moscow airport.")

According to the Moscow Times, the claim appears in a Russian language video posted on Caucasus rebel web sites, though some investigators cast doubt on the claim.

Umarov is a veteran of the Chechen wars fought in the 1990s and early 2000s by rebels wishing to separate Chechnya from Russia, and make it a separate state. Umarov has been on Russia's most wanted criminal list for various terrorist attacks and assassinations.

But in the video, Umarov referred to foreign occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, indicating that he's "promoting" himself from being a nationalist rebel to being a jihadist rebel.

Tuesday's video was the second Umarov video in a week. The Moscow Times reports that Umarov posted a video on Friday, in which he said, "We will make this the year of blood and tears. I won't say there are hundreds of us, but some five to six dozen can be found, and special operations will be carried out monthly and weekly."

Putin's popularity threatened by terrorism and by Egypt's revolution

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rose to popularity by leading Russia in the second war against Chechnya separatist rebels. Putin has repeatedly promised to end terrorism from the mostly Muslim North Caucasus (Russia's southern provinces) once and for all.

The January 24 airport explosion shows that attacks on Moscow are going to continue, whether by Umarov or others, according to Reuters, and these will make Putin look bad.

But that's not Putin's only problem. Ironically, the revolution in Cairo Egypt's Tahrir (Freedom) Square is also bad news for Putin, according to Jamestown.

The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt are being freely and widely reported in Russia (unlike China), and it's becoming clear to many Russians that the same conditions of governmental corruption and autocracy that caused the revolutions in the Mideast are also prevalent in Russia.

In the past, Putin has responded to nascent rebellions by killing or corrupting their leaders. But the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt are an uprising of the lower-middle class population, with no leader. The Kremlin would be powerless to stop a similar revolution, if it occurred in Moscow, according to the article.

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 9-Feb-11 News -- Chechnya terrorist Doku Umarov takes credit for Moscow airport bombing thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (9-Feb-2011) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 9-Feb-2011 9-Feb-11 News -- Chechnya terrorist Doku Umarov takes credit for Moscow airport bombing

Chechnya terrorist Doku Umarov takes credit for Moscow airport bombing

Putin's popularity threatened by terrorism and by Egypt's revolution

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 9-Feb-2011
9-Feb-11 News -- Chechnya terrorist Doku Umarov takes credit for Moscow airport bombing