Russia’s Most Wanted (and Indecisive!) man just keeps coming back!
Last year, the Chechen rebel and self-proclaimed Emir of the Caucasus resigned on youtube before changing his mind and retaking control two days later.
This time, the man behind Moscow’s airport bombing was reportedly killed in a March air raid before popping up on Radio Liberty to announce that he is ‘absolutely healthy’.
The January attack on Domodevovo was the deadliest airport massacre in history (read this moving interview with the bereaved father of the suicide bomber).
Terrorism in the Caucasus is fuelled at least partly by lack of economic opportunity, youth delinquency, bitterness at Russia’s brutal Chechen wars, the influence of radical Islam and foreign mercenaries, and the violent, arbitrary and heavy-handed tactics of the security services.
In his martyrdom video, the bomber, Magomed Yevloev, is shown being hugged by Doku Umarov and sent on his way.
One thing Umarov is not likely to go back on is his chilling promise to Russia:
“They won’t receive any respite from me. I’m preparing my answer to them. They should expect news from me soon.”
This time round, though, the Kremlin had better not ignore it.
