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Doku Umarov Claims Responsibility For Moscow Bombings: Video

by Yuliya Talmazan | March 31, 2010 at 12:18 pm

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Chechen Militant Doku Umarov Responsible For Moscow Bombings

Chechen militant and the self-proclaimed Emir of unrecognized Caucasus Emirate Doku "Dokka Umarov (Abu Usman) claimed personal responsibility for the bombings on Moscow's subway that killed 39 civilians while injuring over 60 others. Two suicide bombers blew up explosives at Lubyanka and Park Kultury metro stations in the early commute hours on Monday, March 29. In a video posted on kavkazcenter.com, Umarov says Moscow metro bombings have been a "retaliation and retribution for the massacre of the civilians in the Caucasus by Russian invaders." The militant also warned that attacks on Russia will continue. See the video.

No militant group claimed responsibility for Monday's bombings on Moscow subway system until Wednesday afternoon. However, blame was laid on Chechen militants as soon as the bodies of female suicide bombers were found. Russia's capital has been previously targeted by the so-called "Black Widows," female suicide bombers recruited by Chechen militant command to commit terror attacks.

Who Is Doku Umarov?

Umarov, 45, was born in Kharsenoi, part of Chechen-Ingush ASSR in the Soviet Union. He took active part in the First Chechen War. After the end of war, Umarov was named the head of Chechen Security Council. He was later forced to resign over accusations of participation in the kidnapping of a Russian envoy to Chechnya. Umarov kept his resistance throughout Second Chechen War. He was falsely reported to be dead by the Russian military on numerous occasions. It was alleged that Umarov was behind the 2004 siege of school in Beslan in which 334 civilians died, majority of them children. But, these allegations were denied by Umarov himself. Although in his 2009 interview, Umarov said to him, there are no civilians in Russia.

As far as possible we will try to avoid civilian targets, but for me there are no civilians in Russia. Why? Because a genocide of our people is being carried out with their tacit consent. Their taxes help to maintain the law enforcement bodies, they provide them with money and give their blessing to the killing and atrocities. So why should we regard these people as a “civilian population”?

However, Umarov's take on avoiding civilian targets seems to be changing. Russia's latest terror incident prior to Moscow subway bombings involved an explosion on board a passenger train from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Umarov was confirmed to have ordered the bombing of the train that killed 26 people.

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Uwe Paschen

at 18:34 on March 31st, 2010

What a coward, I do not oppose resistance nor self defence, but those actions are just criminal and not worthy of being debated. Killing civilians with suicide boomer or attacks is nothing more then murder and the work of a criminal coward lacking the intelligence and the courage to fight his or her opponent. He is no better then a Hells-angel motor biker.

t k kidwai

at 19:44 on March 31st, 2010

Terrorism if committed by individuals or group of individuals is condemned in loudest,but state terrorism is applauded.Why double standards?

Till today we have not be able to define what constitutes terrorism.As said generally some one's freedom fighter is some one's terrorist.If Chechneyans are terrorists,so is Russian government,if Iraqis and Afghans are terrorists,so is US imperialist.As a matter of fact I am deadly against all sorts of terrorism,but more against state terrorism, we liberal and progressive Indians are well acquainted with,very often we raise our voices against state terrorism;it is a different matter that the voices of protests fall on the deaf ears of the state.