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| Europe |
| Turkey provides most Chechen jihadis |
| 2004-02-08 |
| Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Friday that most mercenaries killed or captured in Chechnya were Turks, Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency reported. Ivanov said among those killed or captured since Russia began military operations in Chechnya, there were "mercenaries from about 10 foreign countries, the majority of whom are Turkish citizens". I imagine that there also quite a few Saudis or Jordanians in the mix as well. And Pakistanis, as the LeT is reputed to have sent fighters to Chechnya. "These circumstances will inevitably have a negative impact on the development of relations with Turkey," he said. He also said that the case of a Turkish mercenary who had entered Chechnya from Georgia showed the issue of strengthening Russia’s borders with the Caucasus countries was "very acute and a state priority". But he said the problem should be depoliticised to the greatest possible extent. Paul brought up the Turks’ ties to the Chechens, which is going to be a problem here. Though from what we learned after the Istanbooms, at least some of the Turkish jihadis who returned home had a nasty way of exploding, so that may persuade the government to take a firmer hand in this regard. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |