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20.11.2008

ACTIVATION OF THE ISLAMIC FACTOR IN THE NORTH OF AZERBAIJAN

   

Araks Pashayan

images (original) According to quite contradicting information spread by Azerbaijani mass media in November 10 and the days to follow in the North of Azerbaijan, Dagestan bordering Kusar and Ghubai districts1, were held military operations between armed forces and a Salafi (or Wahhabi) religious-political military grouping called “Forest brothers.”

The information was refuted on November 11 by the press service of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Home Affairs which grounded the move of internal troops with military training exercises2. On November 10 the Azerbaijani APA agency already knew that since November the 9th the Azerbaijani internal troops were moving to mountainous and forest areas of Kusar and Ghuba districts in search of ammunition3.

Although the Defense Ministry has refuted the information, the Azerbaijani sources have affirmed it. Basing on the information at hand, one may state as a fact that the assaults managed to resist the Azerbaijani internal troops for a few days.

Reference: “Forest brothers” grouping is of North-Caucasus origin includes Chechens, Afghan-Arabs, Dagestanis and Azerbaijanis. It mainly works in the northern areas of Dagestan as well as in the south of Azerbaijan.

The grouping members are connected with the Chechen war and Dagestani mojaheds. Most of them were fighting under the command of the Wahhabi field commander Rabani Khalilov4. The later one, who was famous as the emir5 of the resisting forces of Dagestani front, was fighting against the Russian troops in Dagestan since 1999 under the command of Khatab.

“Forest brothers” consists of Jamaas – small groupings each of which has its leader. A grouping is a fighting military structure, which has adopted the conception of military jihad. Its ideology is based on the idea of founding a Shariat state6.

The tactics and methodology of “Forest brothers” have been formed on Chechen and Dagestani Wahhabism, which in its turn, bears the influence of Afghani Jihad movement and Mojahids. That institute (which was founded by the American and Saudi special services during the Afghan war) later on was manifested during the wars in Nagorno-Karabakh, Chechnya and Bosnia. The activity of “Forest brother” is also connected with the Lezgi “Sadval” organization.

“Forest brothers” has also been engaged in spreading radical religious literature from Arabic countries. Still in 2005 in a number of forests bordering Azerbaijani Khachmazi and Kusary districts were found armament and provisions buried in the ground. It was than that information was spread that the armament and provisions found belonged to “Forest brothers.”

It is noteworthy that the structure members were often able to get into Azerbaijan without and obstructions and carry out different operations. The grouping was headed by “Dagestan’s emir” Ilghar Mollachiev (nickname - Abdulmajid) from Zagatala of Azerbaijani origin and considering himself to be the leader of Dagestan’s Wahhabists and his relative Samir Mehtiev (nickname - Suleyman).

In 2007 the Azerbaijani authorities arrested 17 activists of “Forest brothers” in Sumgait, who were leaded by Naif Abdul Kerim Al-Badavi of Arabic origin (nickname – Abu Jafar).

On July 19, 2008 Ilghar Mollachiev and Samir Mehtiev were in Baku and Sumgait. They were planning to found “Sumgait jamaa” (which was to get armament as a result of pillages in Baku and carry out military operations). It was also to be found “Ghuba-Kusar Jamaa,” which would create military fulcra and arsenals in the northern mountainous areas7. They have also provided substantial assistance to separate local Azerbaijanis.

On September 29, 2008 the Azerbaijani police and the Special Forces’ detachment “Shahin” of internal troops carried out military operations against the armed “brothers” who were hiding in the vicinity of Hezre village located in Kusary district and who managed to withdraw. As a result, an Azerbaijani soldier was killed.

In September 2008 the Azerbaijani authorities officially announced that the terrorist act carried out in the Baku located Sunni Abu Bakr Mosque on August 17 was organized by “Forest brothers,” namely – a group headed by Ilghar Mollachiev8. The announcement was followed by the arrest of more than two dozens “brothers.” On September 7 special sub-units of internal troops managed to kill Mollachiev9.

At present the objective of military operations carried out by “brothers” in Azerbaijan is more probably destabilization of the country’s internal political situation. Speculation of the Wahhabi factor in internal political processes of Azerbaijan may interest such regional geopolitical players as Russia and the US.

Observation: The press has given clear information that the authorities of Baku have transferred heavy armored technique to the field of military operations. It is not excluded that the resisting fighters were few, who, however, more probably wanted to resist the Azerbaijani troops manifesting a military action, as it was hardly possible for the members of the grouping to have any serious political objectives.

It is not excluded that “Forest brothers” as well as Dagestani Wahhabi Jamaas are sponsored by Saudi Arabia which is considered to be the main country supporting and financing Wahhabizm in the South Caucasus.

Wahhabizm just like the Salafi movement was founded in the 18th century and historically had a decisive role in formation of the Saudi state. In the second half of 1960s and in the beginning of 1970s the Saudi political role increased in international relations. Thanks to its great oil deposits the kingdom appeared in the field of the US vital interests and political partnership. It was considered to be an important foothold in struggle with the Soviet Union. Saudi Arabia began exporting Wahhabizm, which recharged the Islamic radical religious-political movements aiming at keeping the conception of military jihad viable. According to the American researchers within fifteen years Saudi Arabia spent more money on Wahhabi propaganda than the USSR - on propagating Communism10.

Since 1990s the Saudi foundations (especially international organization of Islamic assistance, Al-Haramein, Ibrahim ben Ibrahim) and Islamic missioners have also been operating in Russia and the South Caucasia. The Wahhabi factor has played an important role in Chechen wars and in anti-Russian Dagestani religious-political military movements.

As a matter of fact activation of the Vahavi factor may be considered be an attempt to destabilize the region and weaken Russia’s quite strong position there, which is the objective of the West.

Some people may also come to the conclusion that the event in the north of Azerbaijan were perhaps the initiative of Russia which wanted to make Azerbaijan vulnerable by having control over the energy resources of the region. The fact that Vahabi fighters were able to penetrate into Russia has come to prove that on the one hand that reality was maybe pretended not to be noticed by boarder-guards and special services, on the other – it shouldn’t be excluded that Russia in its turn has a problem of controlling first of all the activity of Wahhabi groupings in Dagestan, than Russian-Azerbaijani frontier, in spite of the fact that in 1996 an agreement in the form of corresponding document was reached with Azerbaijan on mutual fortification of the border. At the same time the fact that during the last years it is only one of the cases connected with “Forest brothers” has come to prove that the problem is becoming an element of security agenda relating to Azerbaijan, and it is not excluded that new developments are to unfold in the near future.

195 % of population in Kusar region is Lezgi, in Ghuba – 16%.

2See www.day.az/news/society/136559.html

3Տee www.day.az/news/society/136230.html

4Ghabani Khalilov of Dagestani origin has organized many terrorist acts in his mother land, and in 2007 was killed by Dagestani special sub-units.

5See the details in www.kavkaz-uzel.ru/persontext/person/id/1197462.html

6See www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374402

7See the details in www.azeri.ru/papers/zerkalo_az/25994/

8See the details in www.islam.az/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3358

9See the details in www.islam.az/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3358

10See in details A.Pashayan, On some manifestations of Wahhabi propaganda, Near and Middle East countries and nations, issue 23, p. 290-303։


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