MONDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 1999
1) What is the accurate number of casualties on both the Russian side and the Mujahideen side, during the Dagestan operations in the months of August and September 1999? Please give some background to the Jihad in Dagestan.
2) What is the reality of the Russian bombing campaign against Chechen civilians?
3) Everyone is accusing you and Shamil Basayev of masterminding the explosions in Moscow. What do you have to say about this?
4) Rumours are circulating that you have received $25 million from Usama Bin Laden. Is this true?
5) What are the difficulties that have made by neighbouring countries to Mujahideen supply routes?
6) What message do you have to say to the Muslim world, especially in the West?
1) What is the accurate number of casualties on both the Russian side and the Mujahideen side, during the Dagestan operations in the months of August and September 1999? Please give some background to the Jihad in Dagestan.
The Jihad in Dagestan started after the invasions of the Russian forces into some Muslim cities in Dagestan where the Shariah was implemented. These cities broke apart from the authority of the Dagestani Government back in 1998. The names of these cities are Karamakhe, Shabanmakhe and some cities in the Soumada region. It is well known from the history of the Caucasus region, that Chechens and Dagestanis are the same people, with the same Iman, having the same history, who have been living together and fighting together against their main enemy: Communist Russia. In the last few weeks before the Jihad In Dagestan, the Russian Government strengthened their special police force (it is like a military police force, trained and heavily armed) in order to fight against the Muslims in the Caucasus region, especially those who were returning to their Deen and to the implementation of the Shariah, as in Karamakhe, Shabanmakhe and in other Dagestan region such as Soumada, Gimkhe...etc. This Dagestani military police started surrounding and putting checkpoints in these cities and regions. On top of that the Dagestani Government made an official request Russia to send Russian troops to help them in surrounding these cities and regions. Russian forces thus moved into these areas. Then, the Mujahideen from the Caucasus, especially the Dagestani Mujahideen, requested the Dagestani Government, using all legal and official means to stop this situation. Nobody listened to their calls. On the contrary, the Dagestani and the Russian government decided not only to place checkpoints and surround these towns but also began bombing with heavy artillery and air strikes. That is exactly what the Russian Army did. Weeks after the bombing, the Mujahideen gathered and decided to divert the attention of the Russian forces who were located in those regions, under the general leadership of Shamil Basayev, who is the overall commander in the battle field; I being the Military commander of the operations. After some planning, we entered the Botlikh region of Dagestan, confronting the Russian forces in a severe battle.
* Russian and Mujahideen casualties in the region of Botlikh (Dagestan)
The Russian forces suffered many losses at the hands of the Mujahideen. We destroyed 5-7 helicopter gunships, two planes. We damaged more than 18 Army vehicles (BMP, BTRs, etc....). We killed, with the help of Allah, more than 400 soldiers and injured a tremendous amount of Russian soldiers. We destroyed a helicopter in which there were three senior Russian generals, and many high-ranking officers from the Russian Air Force. Most of these casualties were filmed by Russian television. These facts are not hidden by the Russsian media and Government.
Despite these huge Russian losses, the Russian forces were unable to take even a single metre from Mujahideen territory. Due to sustained heavy bombing and continuous air strikes by the disbelievers against the Mujahideen, permanent reinforcement of ground soldiers with army vehicles and a lack of Mujahideen amunitions and supplies, we decided to withdraw from those areas in the Botlikh region. We suffered very light losses. Some of our vehicles were too damaged to be brought back. 38 brothers were shaheed, may Allah accept them among the martyrs. About 25 brothers received light injuries, 15 received injuries that need a bit of time to recover from. In those operations, the Vice Military Commander, Hakeem Al-Madani, was martyred as well as Sheikh Abu Musab (Algerian). The Russian forces used all kind of weapons against the Mujahideen, ranging from air strikes, tank shells, heavy artillery and Napalm bombs to mortar, military vehicles and so on. They virtually flattened all towns that were occupied by the Mujahideen. The inhabitants of these towns fled their homes due to the daily bombing by the disbelievers.
* Once more Karamakhe (Dagestan) was besieged by the Russian forces.
After 19 days in Dagestan we withdrew, realising that to actually stay in Dagestan on a permanent basis and confront the Russian Army, which is the biggest army in the world, is virtually impossible, except by the Will of Allah. The kind of strategy more appropriate to the Mujahideen is to strike and move, hit army convoys, attack army bases and command posts etc... just like in the Chechen Jihad. Three Days after we left Dagestan, the Russian forces besieged Karamakhe once more. Karamakhe was one of the towns in Dagestan that was implementing the Shariah. This town and its inhabitants never got involved in any Dagestani internal affair or any fight against the Dagestani military police forces. At 12 o'clock midnight, the Russian Army launched an unprovoked bombing campaign against Karamakhe.
Once more the Mujahideen and Muslims of the region made official requests to the Dagestani Government to stop these bombings. No-one listened to them. Therefore, it was our duty to go and help our Muslim brothers once more in Dagestan against the Satanic forces, as we did previously in the Botlikh region.
* Jihad in Nolak (Novaloskye) region of Dagestan
We entered into the Nolak region of Dagestan, once more facing the Russian Army and forcing them into a terrible fight. The Russian forces suffered many losses. We destroyed more than 30 Army vehicles and we took about 15 Army vehicles as war booty, some of them being too damaged to be brought back to base. Altogether, 50 Army vehicles were either destroyed, damaged or taken back as war booty. We also damaged several Russia helicopter gunships. There was fighting inside Dagestan (Karamakhe) as well as at the border (Botlikh and Nolak).
The battles in Karamakhe proves very well that the Jihad in Dagestan is not a matter of Non-Dagestani Mujahideen who want to fight inside Dagestan. In Karamakhe, there are no Chechens or foreigners. This proves that the Jihad in Dagestan is a clear war between the Russian forces and Mujahideen: forces of Satan versus Allah's soldiers in the Caucasus.
* Russian and Mujahideen casualties in Nolak region (Dagestan)
In the Nolak battles against the Russian army, about 30 army vehicles were destroyed. If you calculate that there are at least five soldiers in each army vehicle, that means that at least 150 Russians were killed in those vehicles. In one operation, the Russian Air Force was shooting at their own soldiers that were running away from the Mujahideen. Allah blinded the pilots. They killed about 20 of their soldiers and injured many more. In others operations, about 30 Russians were killed and many were seriously injured. We can say for certain that at least 200 Russian soldiers were shot dead and that a tremendous amount of Russian soldiers were badly injured. This is only from our side.
But there were also about 600 Mujahideen fighting near Khasavyort (Nolak region), Dagestan's second biggest town. The fighting there was also very severe. We can confidently say that the overall Russian casualties in the Nolak region amount to several hundred dead and over a thousand injured.
From our side, in all about 60 brothers were shaheed, may Allah accept them among the Martyrs, and about 80 were injured; the majority having light injuries. We stayed for a week in the Nolak region, then all the Mujahideen pull out and returned safely to their bases.
* Number of Mujahideen during the Jihad in Dagestan (Botlikh and Nolak regions).
In Botlikh, the total number of Mujahideen was about 500, but in the Nolak there were about 1200 Mujahideen with about 2000 Mujahideen in reserve, waiting in Chechnya. Russian reports claiming that there were 5000 Mujahideen of which 1000 were killed are fabrications. The truth will always come out against falsehood, with the Help of Allah.
2) What is the reality of the Russian bombing campaign against Chechen civilians?
The Russian forces are using two methods of bombing on Chechen villages to kill women and children. Firstly, they are continuously bombing the Chechen villages situated at the Dagestani border using heavy artillery. Secondly, they are using air strikes against Chechen towns and villages all around Chechnya. By 27 September 1999, about 400 civilians had been killed and 700 injured, mainly women and children. Hundreds of people have fled the bombing areas. About 15 to 20 towns and villages have been bombed, 4 villages being completely flattened, house by house. Until today the bombing campaign continue in many part of Chechnya, adding more civilian casualties. May protests have been held in Grozny, some of them led by the President of Chechnya, Aslan Mashkadov.
But who is listening to these protests? This state of war is not new to the Caucasus people in general and to the Chechen people in particular. Most of the people of the region are used to fighting against the Communist Russia. Everybody here is ready to fight against the oppressive Russian regime, insha-Allah.
3) Everyone is accusing you and Shamil Basayev of masterminding the explosions in Moscow. What do you have to say about this?
Before we talk about the explosions in Moscow, let me ask you few questions.
Firstly, where was the world media when the Dagestani military police forces and the Russian forces besieged the towns of Karamakhe, Shabanmakhe and the Soumada region, bombing them with air strike and heavy artillery, only because these cities were implementing the Shariah of Allah? Those towns and regions never got involved in any Dagestani internal affair, nor had any trouble with the Dagestani or the Russian Governments.
Secondly, how come the world media kept quiet when more than 500 women and about 1000 children were preventing from leaving those towns during the heavy bombing of those places? Many got killed and injured during the Russian bombing of those towns.
Thirdly, why does all the world refuse to stand up and comdemn the daily bombing of Chechen villages? The casualties until now have reached over 400 killed and 700 injured, with several thousand fleeing their homes. 15 to 20 villages and towns are either completely destroyed or partially damaged.
Finally, why does the world and the UN refuse to put pressure on the Russian Government to implement the accord signed between Russia and Chechnya after the war in Chechnya, in 1996? Why is Grozny Airport not open to international traffic? Why are the Chechen borders still closed? Why is Russia is making an embargo to Chechen trade and supply.
We as Muslim and Mujahideen are fighting only against the disbelieving soldiers. It is not permissible for us to kill women and children. This is part of our religion. Those atrocities are committed by the Russian Forces on Chechen civilians because they are not able to defeat the Mujahideen on the battlefield, although they possess the biggest army in the world. Therefore, they bomb women and children to turn the people against the Mujahideen. They are making wicked plans but Allah is the best of Planners.
As long as the Russian army is continuing its bombing campaign against Chechen civilians and oppressing Muslims in the Caucasus, we cannot condemn the series of explosions in Moscow and Russia.
Obviously, the world will accuse Shamil Basayev and I of making those explosions in Moscow and Russia. We denied being responsible or having any part to play in those series of explosions. Our role and responsibilities are to organise the Mujahideen in order to fight against the oppressive Russian army in the Caucasus region. Like the scientist Isaac Newton said, "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction."
4) Rumours are circulating that you have received $25 million from Usama Bin Ladin. Is this true?
The West and the rest of the world are accusing Usama Bin Ladin of being the prime sponsor and organizer of what they call 'International Terrorism', today. But as far as we are concerned, he is our brother in Islam. He is someone of knowledge and a Mujahid fighting with his wealth and himself for the sake of Allah. He is a sincere brother and he is completely the opposite to what the disbelievers are accusing him of. We know that he is well established with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and other places in the world. But the distance between him and us is very big. As you know, routes and communication between him and us are severed.
What the Americans are saying is not true. However, it is an obligation for all Muslims to help each other in order to promote the religion of Islam. Usama Bin Laden is one of the major scholars of the Jihad, as well as being a main commander of the Mujahideen worldwide. He fought for many years against the Communists in Afghanistan and now is engaged in a war against American Imperalism.
Usama Bin Laden never financed us in the Jihad in Dagestan because the distance between us is too huge and we have no contact whatsoever. Even during the Jihad in Afghanistan, such amounts of money ($25 million) were never spent by the Mujahideen in order to fight the Russian Forces. The Mujahideen have very basic means, with little weapons and money. Million or not, this will not delay or boost our Jihad for the sake of Allah. Our weapon is to believe in Allah (Iman). We just have to rely on Allah for help. Weapons, funds, support from individuals or groups is not everything. Allah will help those who are sincere in their intention of fighting for His Sake.
5) What are the difficulties that have made by neighbouring countries to Mujahideen supply routes?
From a theorical point of view, these states can plan to make difficult supply routes for the Mujahideen, but in reality it is virtually impossible to do so, because there are many roads and routes leading to Chechnya. On top of that, most of the Caucasus region is Muslim. Therefore, the Muslims and Mujahideen from Ingueshitia, Ossetia, Georgia, Azerbajan etc... help each other in providing supply routes to the Mujahideen in Chechnya and Dagestan. Even when Chechnya was suffering from an economic and military blockade by Russian forces during the Jihad here in 1994-96, there were supply routes and unrestricted movement of people into and out of the country. Now the Russian Government and the Russian Army cannot eve organise and control political and economical situation in Moscow. They cannot even govern the Russian people; what about the Caucasus as a whole? Russia is in disarray, the economy is bankrupt, the administration is a chaos, and the army is a mess etc.... Russia is very sick, finished and dying. Therefore, there is no benefit for the Caucasusian countries to stay under the Russian leadership. Russian cannot even afford the payroll of its employees in Moscow; what about the payrolls of the whole of the Caucasus?
* Kavkaz people returning to their Deen (Islam)
The time has arrived now that the Caucasus people want to break free from Russian supremacy and dominance. They want to leave with their own Aqeedah (ideology), which is Islam. This is thei righst. The Caucasus history shows well that the Russian regime oppressed them for many decades. Now the people of the region have the means and opportunities to defend themselves against the Communist oppression, by returning to their Deen. The entire history of the Caucasus is just a war between Russian forces and the Caucasian people. Today, the Caucausian people do not want the past to be repeated. They are getting ready to fight more than ever against the Russian army with Iman and Jihad.
6) What message do you have to say to the Muslim world, especially in the West?
The first thing that the Muslim world can do to help the Mujahideen is Dua (supplicating to Allah to help the Mujahideen). Then they should follow up the news about the situation of the Mujahideen in the Caucasus. That is what the Mujahideen need more than anything else. During the Jihad in Chechnya, the Americans and the rest of the world were spreading news that the Jihad in Chechnya is a Russian internal affair. The Muslims have to know the truth.
It is an obligation for all the Muslims to be in the Jihad and fight for the sake of Allah. Allah mention many times in the Quran to fight with your wealth and yourselves in His way.
The Messeger (SAWS) quoted many hadith stressing the importance of the Jihad. Islam was spread all over the world with Dawah and Jihad. Dawah and Jihad goes hand to hand. Each and every Muslim is responsible infront of Allah to leave his home to fight in the Jihad. Alhamdullilah, Allah blessed us by having taking part in the Jihad in Chechnya and now in the Caucasus as a whole. By being in the Jihad we can refute and deny the pack of lies that the disbelievers are trying to communicate to the outside world.
Talking about the Jihad is not sufficient. You have to be in the battlefield in order to spread Islam and the correct information to the rest of the Muslim world. Although, Russia is on the verge of collapsing, the Russian Army still has some resources, either weapons or soldiers.
WE ARE STILL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE JIHAD IN THIS REGION. The Caucasian brothers are getting ready to confront the Russian forces. It will be a long and difficult struggle, but Allah is with the true believers who fight for his Sake. Therefore, as well as it being an obligation to follow up the news about the Mujahideen all over the world.
Military Commander of the Mujahideen in the Caucasus:
Ibn-ul-Khattab
Distributed by: Azzam Publications,
the source of authentic news and information about Jihad and the Foreign Mujahideen, everywhere.
