Over the years, almost all historical leaders of the Chechen independence movement have been killed. In the movement there are no more figures known to the general public, but attacks continue. For the pro-Russian Chechen leadership, however, it is important that enemies have a name. Today, the enemy’s name is Gakayev!<\/p>\n
Bombings in Grozny, special operations in the mountains, leaders of the national independence movement killed in Chechnya’s neighboring republics… News from the North Caucasus show a reality that the pro-Russian Chechen authorities have often said to be long gone. The hot summer of 2012, however, tells a different story.<\/p>\n
New Suicide Attacks<\/strong><\/p>\n When questioned about the number of rebels in the country, Kremlin backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov always answers with the same figures: “70-80 people”. Every time, he adds that the destruction of these few “demons”, as he defines his opponents, is a matter of few months, maybe even weeks. But years pass, and the number of Chechen liberation front members in the Russian occupied Chechen Republic of Ichkeria does not decrease. On the contrary, the feeling is that, while the pro-Russian Chechen leadership basks in an almost unlimited power, its armed opponents are not losing time. They move confidently throughout the occupied country, dodging Kadyrov’s many special corps. They move easily between the various territories of the North Caucasus. They are able to design and implement attacks in the capital, right under the noses of thousands of Kadyrov’s and Russian soldiers stationed in Chechnya, as happened a few weeks ago in Grozny, when two suicide bombers blew themselves up near a military base, causing the deaths of four Russian soldiers and several wounded.<\/p>\n A Blow to Kadyrov’s Peacemaker Image<\/strong><\/p>\n The attack, with the deaths and injuries in the Russian military, was a blow to Kadyrov’s image. Above all, it put the leader in an awkward position with respect to Russia. In fact, the young pro-Moscow leader has often presented as his main merit the fact that in recent years, thanks to him, the coffins of Russian soldiers killed in Chechnya have ceased to arrive in Russia.<\/p>\n On this, Kadyrov speaks the truth. Until the middle 2000s, dozens of Russian soldiers in Chechnya were killed and injured every week, while the number of victims has drastically decreased in recent years. This is, however, not because the conflict has stopped. Simply, those who die are now soldiers and agents of Kadyrov’s special forces or the local Interior Ministry.<\/p>\n And now, suddenly, four Russian soldiers are dead. Understandably, therefore, the attack has caused particular concern among the pro-Russian Chechen authorities, who immediately started looking for the culprits. To explain the magnitude of the event to the public, but also \u2013 and foremost \u2013 to the Kremlin, Kadyrov has brought back old ghosts. Soon after the attack, he said he suspected the Gakayev brothers, well-known leaders of Chechen liberation movement\u2013 a detail that would give the attack a totally different meaning.<\/p>\n The Last of the Gakayevs<\/strong><\/p>\n The Gakayev brothers, Khuseyn and Muslim, are well-known throughout Chechnya. They are the last survivors of a once large family: four older brothers died fighting the Russian and the pro-Russian Chechen troops, two sisters died under the bombs \u2013 more than sufficient a reason for the hatred and the thirst for revenge of the Gakayev survivors, who are actually considered to be among the moderates of the Chechen resistance. Unlike many young rebels, they do not fight under the banner of the global jihad, but for the independence of Chechnya.<\/p>\n