Dechatanization of Chechnya

"Carnegies" on "Medusa". Alexey Malashenko - about how Ramzan Kadyrov is fighting

Medusa begins a joint project with the Moscow Center of Carnegie . From today, read the most interesting analytics from the authors of the center - historians, political scientists, and specialists in international relations - at Medusa. The project opens with an article by a doctor of historical sciences, professor of political science, Alexei Malashenko , dedicated to how the head of the Chechen Republic fights the “Islamic state” ( the organization was recognized in the Russian Federation, its activities are prohibited ). Despite the hard rhetoric, Kadyrov began to relate to the influence of IS on the situation in Chechnya more pragmatic. He differentiates the Igilov jihadists, attracts some of them to their side, using persuasion and contacts with relatives.

The main goal of the Russian military operation in Syria is officially declared the defeat of the Islamic State. We will not dispute this statement, although the “dry” bomb mainly the Syrian opposition. We agree that the main battle is unfolding between Russia and the Neohalifat. That is exactly what Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov believes, which will be discussed in the material.

Ig external and internal

The importance for Kadyrov’s “Igilov question” is determined by two circumstances. Firstly, for him, the fight against IG is another reason to demonstrate loyalty to Vladimir Putin. More recently, in the midst of the Ukrainian crisis, he declared his readiness to send thousands of his fighters to Ukraine, who could win and reach Kyiv overnight.

Something similar was declared about the IS, for the fight with which Kadyrov is also ready to send the faithful Chechen units, capable of, as in the Ukrainian case, to win a decisive and quick victory over the Islamists. At a meeting with the fighters of the Chechen collection of Terek, the head of Chechnya confidently stated that this detachment could “quickly break” IG.

In general, Kadyrov, who has long risen to the federal level of domestic policy of Russia, simultaneously participates in its manner in its foreign policy.

Secondly, for Kadyrov, the struggle against the IG is an intra-Cherchen problem of maintaining stability in the republic and strengthening his own power. ISISTOVENTS OF RUSSIA, especially the North Caucasus, announced the readiness to raise an uprising in Chechnya and “free” it from Russia, and therefore from Kadyrov. By the way, $ 5 million is ready to pay for his head. The total price at the Kadyrov of twelve of his associates reaches $ 25 million.

How many Chechens sympathize with IG, how much it was unknown to fight on his side to the Middle East. As it is unknown for sure how many Muslims - Russian citizens fights on the side of extremists. The numbers range from two to seven thousand. And how much has come back? In any case, people, mainly young people, continue to leave and return home: someone-disappointed in IG, and someone-hoping to continue their struggle in Russia, including in the North Caucasus and Chechnya. The account of those who returned to the Caucasus goes to hundreds. Who knows how many of them returned directly to Chechnya? Maybe only Ramzan Kadyrov?

Kadyrovsky persuasion

In 2014, Kadyrov said that "today's militants cannot be cured, only destroyed." Remember this statement. As we remember, his other definition of IS militants - "there are only shaitans." Shaitan is perhaps the most favorite definition of Ramzan Kadyrov for his opponents. In August of this year, this “title” was awarded to the South Sakhalin judge Natalya Perechenko, who imposed a ban on the pier “prayer to God” for quoting in it from the first Sura of the Koran-Fatihi.

At the same time, Kadyrov more and more concentrates his efforts on preventive work. The term "prevention" here sounds quite appropriate. What is meant? The Chechen leader meets with relatives of those who, according to him, would like to leave for the Middle East, with those who are engaged in recruiting young Chechens, finally with the failed ISIS. He, so to speak, conducts a course on the "decytanization" of his compatriots.

At the same time, Kadyrov acts not only, but recently not even so much with the help of threats, but rather persuading their interlocutors. Those who sympathize with IG, he calls “lost souls”, calls them to repentance. Turning to the family members of those who left or plans to leave, he constantly reminds of their responsibility for his sons and younger brothers. A reminder of such responsibility is not something fundamentally new. Both in Chechnya and Dagestan, this technique was used earlier, but this was done in an extremely stringent form - the houses of some families, of which a close relative “went to the forest” or went to IG, were subject to destruction.

These actions of the Chechen authorities were a clear violation of the Russian Constitution and rightly criticized human rights activists. But what is interesting. During the last trip to Grozny, I drew attention to the fact that the young man who drove me around the city did not lock the car every time, and sometimes did not even lower the glass. To my surprise, he briefly answered: “Now we are not stealing cars now - this is a shame for the whole kind. This is our Vainakh tradition. " I see skeptical smiles on the faces of some readers. But it is obvious that not only my fellow traveler has such an opinion in the Chechen Republic.

Chechen experience

At the end of October, a group of Chechens from 17 to 20 people planned to go to the Middle East was detained in Moscow. Young people were transported to Grozny, where they appeared in front of Kadyrov. This meeting was shown on federal television channels.

Kadyrov did not scare, did not threaten, he rather persuaded, tried to explain the fallacy of their act. The routine, familiar to Kadyrov by the argument, was that “IS is fighting against Muslims” and exists with the money of Western intelligence services. But one of the thought expressed by Ramzan deserves special attention: why do you need to go to fight for what, when there are so many unresolved things in Chechnya itself. In the end, Kadyrov is sure, "we will be able to instruct them on the path of truth." Many will have to instruct. According to law enforcement agencies, only two groups of Chechens have already gone from Moscow to the Middle East.

True, in Chechnya itself, they doubt the reliability of the information that the detained Chechens were really going to get to the Middle East from Moscow - usually they follow there through Azerbaijan, and then Turkey. On the other hand, it is known that the ways of transferring militants to the IG are diversify, becoming more and more unpredictable.

Now let's return to the above words Kadyrov that "today's militants cannot be cured." In fact, it turns out that some of them are “treated”, and the authorities of Chechnya in some cases are taking measures to adapt the former ISIS, again with the help of their relatives.

Perhaps the picture presented here will seem too idealistic. I do not argue. But one thing is obvious: Ramzan Kadyrov began to relate to the influence of IG on the situation in Chechnya more pragmatic. He differentiates the Igilov jihadists, attracting some of them to his side. In a sense, this recalls how Vladimir Putin acted in due time, who managed to agree with the pragmatic part of the Chechen separatists, primarily with the Kadyrovsky clan, which became an important step towards stabilizing the situation in the republic.

Kadyrov’s work to prevent Muslim recruiting into the ranks of IS can contribute to the growth of his authority among the Muslim ummahs of Russia. Of course, literally to transfer the Chechen experience to the rest of the Caucasian republics, to the Muslim Volga region, and other Russian regions are difficult. However, working with relatives and friends of potential ISIS, as well as assistance in adaptation to those who returned, deserves interest. Moreover, the problem of the participation of Russian Muslims in the activities of radical Islamists, including military operations on the side of extremists, whether in IG, Afghanistan, other unstable regions, will continue to maintain relevance for an indefinitely long time.

Other texts of the Carnegie Moscow Center on this topic:

How Russia is fighting with its own citizens in Syria

Why are the CIS countries are in no hurry to approve the actions of Russia in Syria

Whether Russia will have to open a second front against Islamists in Afghanistan

Alexey Malashenko

Moscow Center of Carnegie