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| Caucasus |
| More jihadi geography: Kabardino-Balkaria |
| 2004-09-14 |
| With all the usual Debka disclaimers... The terrorists who ravaged the school and community of Beslan came from a direction startling enough to jolt Russian president Vladimir Putin into taking a hard look at the Islamic terror now rampant outside Chechnya - in at least two additional Caucasian republics. The 32 hostage takers were not Chechens but members of al Qaeda cells, Arabs and natives, known locally as "Wahhabis" (after the austere state religion of Saudi Arabia), from a place whose name is even less recognizable than were the battle arenas of Afghanistan and the Balkans: Nalchik, capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, northwest of North Ossetia. [edit] [Putin] signed a presidential decree ordering the Russian army to mass enough strength to place Ingushetia and Kabardino-Balkaria under military siege preparatory to going in to re-assert Kremlin control of the two republics and drive the Islamic terrorists out. ... The first Russian units are beginning to take up positions around the borders of the two republics. [edit] The existence of Wahhabi terrorist cells in quiet, scenic Kabardino-Balkaria has claimed little attention from the chroniclers of Islamic terror, even though of late Nalchik has been seeing the sort of street battles familiar to Riyadh. The last shootout between police and wanted "Wahhabis" took place on September 6. One terrorist was killed, the rest escaped. Good time to post another link to the map. (And I've decided that "Another Dan" -- originally chosen when I de-lurked in response to a Dan Darling post -- is too generic. In his place, I give you The Caucasus Nerd. |
| Posted by:The Caucasus Nerd |
| #2 CG - thanks - great map too. |
| Posted by: 2B 2004-09-14 11:16:07 AM |
| #1 All hail Dan, the Caucasus Nerd! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2004-09-14 10:00:24 AM |
