Russians Charged With Qatar Bomb

BBC ^ | 2-26-2004

[blam]

Russians charged with Qatar bomb

Mr Yanderbiyev had just returned to his car after attending Friday prayers

Two Russian intelligence agents have been charged in Qatar with the murder of Chechen rebel figure Zelimkhan Yanderbiyev, local officials say. The men were detained five days after Mr Yanderbiyev, wanted by Moscow for terror offences, was killed by a car bomb in the Gulf state's capital Doha.

Three Russians were initially detained but the third has been since released.

Confirming that the detainees are anti-terrorism agents, Russia condemned the arrests as a "hostile move".

The insinuation of the Qatar authorities cannot be seen as anything but a hostile move

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov

Russia has denied any involvement in the killing of Mr Yanderbiyev on 13 February.

Acting Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told the Qatari ambassador in Moscow on Thursday that the detainees were "members of the Russian special services... linked to the battle against international terrorism".

"The insinuation of the Qatar authorities cannot be seen as anything but a hostile move," he said, going on to suggest the Qatari authorities had "practically kept Yanderbiyev under protection".

Mr Ivanov said the Russian detainees had been subjected to "rough physical force".

Prominent figure

Mr Yanderbiyev was killed in a car bomb blast as he left a mosque after prayers in Doha.

Russia had been seeking Mr Yanderbiyev's extradition

He had been living in Qatar for three years and Moscow had repeatedly sought his extradition.

Mr Yanderbiyev briefly took over as Chechen president in 1996 after the death of Dzhokhar Dudayev in an explosion in Chechnya.

He was viewed as a key figure behind the 1999 incursion by Chechen rebels into the neighbouring Russian region of Dagestan.

He was also suspected of links to the siege of a Moscow theatre in October 2002 which left 130 hostages dead.

Mr Yanderbiyev was considered a key link in the Chechen rebels' fundraising network from abroad.

His death occurred one week after a bombing in the Moscow metro which killed 41 people and wounded more than 100.

President Vladimir Putin blamed Chechen rebels for the blast.

[Sabertooth]

There's Qatar again, our good Wahabbi ally in the War on Terror.

[joesnuffy]

Those darn Rooskies just don't understand 'nation building' or omelets apparently...

[UNGN]

If the Russians only had Predators, they wouldn't have these "bumbling spy" problems.

[Coroner]

I hope the ruskies tell qatar you better release our agents or else!!

[swarthyguy]

>>>the Qatari authorities had "practically kept Yanderbiyev under protection".

ANd it was a real b***H devising a plan to get close enough to blow the b*****d up!

[jimbo123]

[Chris Talk]

Way to go Russia, keep on watching em blow up REAL good!

[I got the rope]

I agree. I can't wait until they look for Chechens in Saudi Arabia. Payback's a bitch.

[blam]

"I hope the ruskies tell qatar you better release our agents or else!!"

Yup, I'm not sure how serious to take their "hostile move" comment.

[Justa]

Well, considering Russia is run by ex-KGB officers I'd take the "hostile move" comment very seriously. To me it seems to imply a continued use of force. Not prudent when confronting a nation with 20,000 nuclear warheads.

[blam]

"To me it seems to imply a continued use of force."

Didn't we move all our military out of Saudi Arabia to Qatar?

[Justa]

Yes, and to Iraq.

[JustPiper]

BumPing!

[GOP_1900AD]

Was Yanzerbayev possibly eliminated because he knew too much? Wasn't he somehow linked to the FSB and GRU and was he not himself of Red Army pedigree? I think there may be much more to this than meets the eye....

[GOP_1900AD]

Yanzerbayev >>>> Yanderbiyev....

[fatima]

JustPiper,Bump.