Izvestia (Moscow issue) April 28, 2003 "THE TIME HAS COME TO ATTACK RUSSIA" USAMA BIN LADEN: THE TIME HAS COME TO ATTACK RUSSIA Author: Konstantin Getmansky, Vadim Rechkalov [from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html] NUMBER ONE TERRORIST USAMA BIN LADEN'S LETTER THREATENS SECURITY OF THE COUNTRY.
"The time has come to attack Russia", Number One terrorist Usama bin Laden wrote. American investigators found the letter when searching the Bosnian division of the International Fund involved in sponsorship of Chechen gunmen (see Izvestia issues January 5, February 12, and March 7).
"On the one hand, Russia exaggerates Al Qaeda's role in sponsorship of the Chechen rebels," said Roan Gunaratna, expert in modern terrorism and author of the book Inside Al Qaeda: Terrorist Net. "On the other hand, the authorities of Russia are correct that in Laden is greatly interested in this particular region."
According to the expert, bin Laden used a Mideast bank to finance gunmen in Chechnya. He even initiated investigations on whether or not Chechen ringleaders were using the money provided for the war on the infidels to promote their own goals.
Al Qaeda emissaries visited the Caucasus more than once. Russian secret services arrested Aiman al-Zawahiri in Dagestan in 1997, an Egyptian whose name was on the list of 22 terrorists the FBI was after. Al-Zawahiri's was the second top name on the list, right after bin Laden's. Al-Zawahiri is bin Laden's personal doctor and right-hand man. The then leader of extremist Egyptian Islamic Jihad spent six months in jail and was released even though his identity had not been established beyond doubt. Al-Zawahiri viewed Chechnya as a shelter for gunmen of his own organization, according to The Washington Post.
The Americans claim that the search of the Bosnian division of the International Fund provided a letter where bin Laden wrote, "The time has come to attack Russia". Taken into custody, International Fund head Enaam Arnot denies any contacts with bin Laden. According to the FBI, however, the International Fund transacted $300,000 to Chechnya.
The connection between Al Qaeda and Chechen gunmen was proved in January 2002, when a Newsday journalist in Kabul obtained a tape showing a meeting between Khattab and bin Laden. The tape was edited as a commercial for Al Qaeda's terrorist school and included episodes of terrorist acts in Chechnya.
According to what information this newspaper has compiled, terrorists in Chechnya remain successful even now precisely because of the so-called "Arab factor". Arab mercenaries do not comprise any gangs; there are really just a handful of them in Chechnya. Being a handful, they nevertheless perform a key mission. They provide finances and combat and ideological training.
Essentially, Arab mercenaries and instructors are the only professionals in the modern Chechen resistance, which mostly comprises ill-educated Chechen youths between 14 and 25 years. Numerical strength of the new "army" is constantly changing.
Former leaders - Maskhadov, Basayev, Gelayev who grew into eminence in the hostilities - cannot show their military talents nowadays and personal survival is their major task. The same goes for the majority of their accomplices, rank and file gunmen, whose names are known to Russian secret services. That is why they are forced to seek shelter beyond Chechnya.
There have been no serious clashes between the federal troops and separatists in Chechnya for two years. The Russian military controls the territory to the extent to preclude appearance of large gangs 100 - 300 gunmen strong. The gangs changed their tactic. They have resorted to mine warfare where youths are particularly useful.
Separatists' goals have changed too. They used to fight for liberation from "occupiers" in the past. These days, they fight to physically exterminate the Russians a.k.a. infidels. (Translated by A. Ignatkin)
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