Posted on 07/15/2005 10:57:31 PM PDT by struwwelpeter
Original Title: "There they make fanatics out of them real fast"
Karaganda (Kazakhstan) resident spent 5 years in a Chechnyan training camp
FROM A MADRASSA TO A TERRORIST CAMP The honorable, grey-haired village elder sitting on the couch is the father of the convict. Zhenis Tuleubaiuli speaks sparingly about his son, carefully choosing his words. No, he is not ashamed of his offspring. On the contrary, he emphasizes that his relationship with his misbehaving son remains as it ever was. Azamat Tuleubai is the third son in a large family. Together with his relations he lived in the village of Karagayla in the Karkaralinsky region. He finished a Russian school, and was, according to his father, very devoted: he regularly attended the mosque. "In our the village the imam was a young fellow. He told how in Bashkiria there was a madrassa," the father recalled. In 1998 four of the village boys, including Azamat, were sent to Bashkiria to study. They did not stay there very long, however. How, and more importantly, under what circumstances these young people moved to Chechnya, is as yet unknown. "They were tricked into going!" insisted his father. "They were promised free education, clothing, room and board." A year after the start of his 'studies', Azamat Tuleubai sent a letter home. He reported that, for the present, he could not make it back - no money. But, perhaps, he would be able to leave next year. His relatives did not hear another word from him for several years. . As the newspaper 'Express-K' writes: At first Azamat attended training in one of the so-called Islamic institutes called 'Caucasus', located in the village of Serzhen-Yurt. 'Students' were taught the Koran and the Arabic language. They were also instructed in the use of firearms, and trained in the conduct of warfare in the mountains. In 2003, Azamat was sent to a camp for intensified studies in mines and explosives. According to certain sources, the Karagadan's instructor was one Pavel Kosolapov.. RUSSIAN INSTRUCTOR Pavel Kosolapov is a well-known person in Russia. No more and no less than the assistant and perhaps the right-hand of Shamil Basayev himself. In any case, this is what is asserted by several Russian publications. At the end of the 1990s, Pavel Kosolapov entered one of the military schools in the Rostov region, but was soon kicked out for breaking the rules. Kosolapov returned to his family farm, where he met representatives of the Chechnyan diaspora. They advised him to go to Chechnya, where he was trained at camps run by Arab field commanders. He also converted to Islam and began to fight against federal forces. Soon he was made an instructor at a base located by Serzhen-Yurt. Pavel Kosolapov's name is connected to several sensational acts of terror carried out last year in Moscow, Podmuscovy, Krasnodar, and Samara. According to Russian special services, a saboteur group under Kosolapov's command was responsible for the following blasts: - August, 2003 - bus stops in Krasnodar (3 killed, 16 injured) - February, 2004 - Moscow subway (42 killed, 250 injured). - February, 2004 - a gas pipe in the Moscow district. - June, 2004 - a terror act at the Samara dry goods market (11 killed, another 71 injured). HE MADE EXPLOSIVES Azamat Tuleubai's relatives knew nothing of his activities, and he did not return home until 2003. According to his father, he practically came back to Kazakhstan illegally, without any documents except for partially burned up Kazakhstani identification card. About his life in Chechnya, the fellow uttered not a word, but the 'work' continued, even in Kazakhstan. Investigation revealed that the Karagadan continued to associate with a resident of Aktyubinsk, whom he met during training at the guerillay camp. In October of 2003, this 'classmate' invited Azamat to his wedding. "He began to threaten me, he promised that they'd kill me and my family," said Azamat. "Later he said that I had to make some explosives. He gave me money, which I used to buy saltpeter and powdered aluminum." A garage was rented for storage of the bomb components. The partners mixed the saltpeter and powdered aluminum, then the explosives were packed into bags. In August of 2004, the Aktyubinsk resident brought hexogen and 16 detonators from Russia, as well as two homemade timing devices. Last fall, KNB agents detained the Aktyubinsk resident. Soon our local boy went and turned himself in to state security. "HE DIDN'T TAKE PART IN TERROR ACTS!" Meanwhile, Azamat's father thought that his son had disappeared again. "I went to the missing person's bureau, and made television and newspaper ads," Zhenis Tuleubayuly said. "But some KNB-shniki came to us and said that he had turned himself in." And so, father at last discovered the truth about his middle son. "My son spent 5 years in Chechnya. Such a chunk of his life... He said that he just couldn't get away," the elder insisted with sadness. "My son took part in military actions during the second Chechnyan war. Against federal troops. But he took no part in any punitive operations." Meanwhile, Russian journalists made a direct connection between our compatriot and the market explosion in Samara. Calling Azamat Tuleubai 'a bandit', they wrote that for this terror act he was paired with another Kazakhstani who also attended guerilla training with him. "That's not true!" his father said angrily. "He didn't take part in terror acts! It's been proven. I talked with the investigator and saw the documents. I found out everything. If he'd taken part in terror acts, they'd have extradited him to Russia!" Azamat Tuleubai and his partner were tried in Aktyubinsk. The Karagandan was sentenced to seven years deprivation of freedom. His comrade - to four. Our collocutor called the verdict overly harsh. "They should have approached the matter more gently. My son was simply a deceived young fellow. When he got to Chechnya he was only 20 years old. Just a boy. But there they make fanatics out of them real fast." Now the village elder is getting ready to visit his son, and with impatience he awaits permission for their first meeting. (Materials for perparing this article were from the following sites: lenta.ru, www.diapazon.kz, www.vremya.ru, www.exspress-k.kz, www.samara.kp.ru) |
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Marina Funtikova |
I guess not.
The article above references the 'Chechnyan diaspora'. For some reference, here's an article from last year: How Chechnyan immigrants support terrorists
Ping-ski
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