Dagestan's Jamaats Widen Their Theater of Operations

By Mairbek Vatchagaev

05/08/2008 - Dagestan’s Interior Minister Adalgirei Magomedtagirov recently admitted that the government expects rebel fighters to strike over the May holidays. The projected spread of rebel attacks mentioned in his statement was quite intriguing: “Makhachkala-based groups of bandits are planning to commit acts of terror in several Dagestani cities, including Makhachkala, Khasavyurt, Kizilyurt, Kizlyar, Buinaksk, Kaspiisk and Derbent,” he said. Yet as inclusive as that list was, Magomedtagirov had to add that terror acts elsewhere in Dagestan could also not be ruled out (Grani.ru, April 30).

Chechen Rebels Offer to Help Georgia in Its Standoff with Russia

By Andrei Smirnov

05/08/2008 - On April 29, Movladi Udugov, an envoy of the Chechen rebels outside the Caucasus, declared that the North Caucasian insurgency could help Georgia in its standoff with Russia. Relations between Georgia and Russia have significantly deteriorated since the Russian government decided to establish direct official relations with the secessionist authorities of Abkhazia, the region that is de-facto independent but officially is part of Georgia. At the end of April, additional Russian troops were deployed to Abkhazia under the pretext of increasing the number of peacekeeping troops in the breakaway republic in order to guarantee security. The Georgian authorities regarded these steps by the Kremlin as aggression against Georgia. On May 6, Georgia’s State Minister for Issues of Reintegration, Temur Iakobashvili, declared that Georgia and Russia were “very close to war” (Interfax, May 6).