Narrative
Narrative of the Organization's History
Narrative of the Organization's History
Leadership, Name Changes, Size Estimates, Resources, Geographic Locations
Ideology, Aims, Political Activities, Targets, and Tactics
First Attacks, Largest Attacks, Notable Attacks
Foreign Designations and Listings, Community Relations, Relations with Other Groups, State Sponsors and External Influences
Mapping relationships with other militant groups over time in regional maps
Throughout its history, the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria sought independence for the Chechen Republic from Russian rule.[26] The Chechen republic is majority Muslim, with most Chechens practicing Sunni Islam.[27] The CRI initially promoted a nationalist and secular ideology. However, support for Islam and radicals throughout Chechnya increased over the course of the 1990s as the federally appointed state was increasingly unable to provide security and basic social services. In the late 1990s, the injection of a younger generation of fighters educated in the Middle East helped to shift the group’s ideology toward Islamic ideals and the concept of religious struggle.[28] Leading members of the CRI were allegedly sympathetic to broader AQ causes.[29] After adopting a radical ideology, the CRI supported bombings and suicide attacks against the Russian Federation and other non-Muslims carried out by its forces and affiliates in the North Caucasus.[30]
The CRI was an internationally unrecognized secessionist government that intended to create an alternative governing body to the Russian regime. The group declared Chechen independence in 1991; however, conflict between secessionist officials and Kremlin-appointed officials for authority began when the Russian government established direct rule over Chechnya in 2000. The secessionist government operated under the Constitution of the CRI, adopted in 1992, which established laws regarding citizen rights and responsibilities, the system of state power, and the structure of the government, among other topics.[31]
The CRI selected its leaders through regular elections. The first presidential elections in 1991 led to the ascension of Dzhokhar Dudayev, head of the All National Congress of Chechen People, as the first president of the CRI. In 1997, popular vote led to the election of Aslan Maskhadov, over rebel leader Shamil Basayev, as the third CRI president.
From 1991 to 2010, the CRI was designated a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization.[32] Under the rule of the Taliban government, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan temporarily recognized the independence of the CRI. In 2007, Umarov subsumed the CRI as a province under the new regional organization, the Caucasus Emirate.
In its early years, the CRI waged guerrilla warfare against the Russian Federation’s military; however, after adopting an Islamist and jihadist ideology, the group began to target civilians. During the Russian-Chechen wars, the Chechen militia burned Russian military vehicles and engaged in direct combat with Russian forces. In 1996 and 1997, Chechen fighters associated with the CRI and Dagestani militants allegedly bombed Russian apartments, railway stations, and military bases in western and southwestern Russia. The Republic launched multiple suicide bombings with the help of Riyadus-Salikhin, the martyr battalion founded by Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev.[33]
Disclaimer: These are some selected major attacks in the militant organization's history. It is not a comprehensive listing but captures some of the most famous attacks or turning points during the campaign.
While many attacks during the First and Second Chechen Wars were linked to the Republic of Ichkeria, including the Buddyonovsk hospital, Beslan school and Moscow theater hostage crises, groups like SPIR, IIPB and Riyadus-Salikhin frequently claimed responsibility for these incidents.
December 12, 1994: The CRI’s armed forces conducted their first ground operation against the Russian Federation, in Dolinskoe (200 killed, unknown wounded).[34]
January 1996: 250 Chechen separatists, led by Shamil Basayev and Salman Raduyev with the support of President Dudayev, held 3,000 people hostage in a hospital in Kizlyar and another 100 civilians in Pervomayskoe, Dagestan. This incident was linked to the Budyonnovsk hostage crisis in June 1995 (100 killed, unknown wounded).[35]
January 1996: In an event called the Black Sea hostage crisis, Turkish rebels of Chechen heritage hijacked a ferry in a Turkish port and demanded a ceasefire with Russian forces in Kizlyar-Pervomayskoe. The Turkish authorities, against the wishes of the Russians, negotiated with the hijackers and the recovered the hostages (Unknown killed, 13 wounded).[36]
September 1999: Chechen militants associated with the CRI exploded five bombs throughout Russia in a 10-day period, launching one of the largest militant attacks in Russia’s history. Most of the casualties were civilian (~300 killed, unknown wounded).[37]
October 15, 2005: 200 Chechen mujahideen fighters attacked several buildings associated with Russian security forces in Nalchik, Kabardino- Balkaria (140 killed, 160 wounded).[38]
This group has not been designated as a terrorist organization by any major national government or international body.
Russia’s violent military tactics during the first Russian-Chechen War, which produced over 500,000 refugees, and Russia’s assassination of Dudayev alienated many Chechens, turning them in favor of the secessionist CRI government.[39]
The Republic of Ichkeria had close ties with militant movements across the North Caucasus, notably Yarmuk Jamaat, Shariat Jamaat, Ingush Jamaat, the Liberation Army of Dagestan, and Riyadus-Salikhin.[40] There is limited information on the Liberation Army of Dagestan and the jamaats; however, the CRI did collaborate with these groups to initiate small-scale attacks.
Despite sharing the goal of achieving an independent Chechnya, the CRI developed a complicated relationship with the IIPB and the SPIR. The Islamic fundamentalism of the two groups clashed directly with the more moderate ideology adopted by the CRI and President Maskhadov. Maskhadov sharply opposed the militant intervention in Dagestani, launched by militant leaders Basayev and Khattab, as muddying the reputation of Caucasian Muslims.[41] In 1998, SPIR leader Arbi Barayev refused to comply with CRI President Maskhadov’s order that the SPIR disband. SPIR militants and Maskhadov’s forces clashed repeatedly, and Barayev allegedly organized a mass uprising against the CRI government in 1998.[42] In 2003, according to Kavkaz Center, an anti-Moscow website affiliated with North Caucasus militant groups, the IIPB and the SPIR joined the armed forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (CRI).[43]
The CRI had a conflictual relationship with the federally appointed, pro-Russian government of the Chechen Republic. Both bodies competed for authority over Chechnya. Moreover, the first president of the Chechen Republic, Akhmad Kadyrov, served as chief mufti of the CRI until the Second Russian-Chechen War.[44]
The CRI allegedly received official recognition from the Taliban in 2000. While the Republic has been accused of cooperating with forces from the Taliban and Al Qaeda (AQ) for training and military operations, such claims are disputed.[45] Leading members of the CRI and later, the Caucasus Emirate, were at least sympathetic to broader AQ causes.[46]
The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, alongside other militant groups in the region, allegedly had ties with the Taliban and AQ. These ties remained intact even after the CRI joined the Caucasus Emirate in 2007.
[1] Pratsyuk, Tara. “Scrambling for Cover as Gunfire Fills the Sky.” The Guardian, 12 Dec. 1994. Web. 15 June 2012.
[2] “Russia: Nalchik Raid Leaves A Painful Legacy.” Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 12 Oct. 2006. Web. 30 May 2012.
[3] “Chechnya '91-'97.” Conflict Database. University of Southern California, n.d. Web. 30 May 2012.
[4] “Russia | The World Almanac of Islamism.” American Foreign Policy Council, 14 July 2011. Web. 30 March 2012; Aliyev, Huseyn. "CRIA Peace-Building from the Bottom: A Case Study of the North Caucasus." Caucasian Review of International Affairs, 2010. Web. 02 Aug. 2012; “The vote of the dead souls.” The Economist, 27 March 2003. Web. 04 Aug. 2018.
[5] Lapidus, Gail W. “Contested Sovereignty: The Tragedgy of Chechnya.” International Security, vol. 23, no. 1, 1998, pp. 5 - 49. JSTOR. Accessed 03 Aug. 2018.
[6] Souleimanov, Emil Aslan. “Chechnya: History, Society, Conflict.” Oxford Bibliographies, 27 June 2017. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[7] Fagan, Geraldine, et al. “Political Islam in the North Caucasus.” Carnegie Europe, 22 Feb. 2012. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[8] Kamusella, Tomasz. “Forgetting Chechnya.” New Eastern Europe, 10 July 2018. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[9] Bale, Jeffrey. “The Chechen Resistance and Radiological Terrorism.” Nuclear Threat Initiative, 01 April 2004. Web. 31 May 2012.
[10] Bale, Jeffrey. “The Chechen Resistance and Radiological Terrorism.” Nuclear Threat Initiative, 01 April 2004. Web. 31 May 2012; Kemoklidze, Nino, et al. “Many Faces of the Caucasus.” Europe-Asia Studies, vol. 64, no. 9, Nov. 2012.
[11] Williams, Brian Glyn. “Shattering the al-Qaeda-Chechen Myth.” The Jamestown Foundation, 23 April 2013. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[12] Albert, Craig Douglas. “Does Chechnya Represent a Strategic Terrorist Threat to the United States? A General Assessment.” U.S. House Joint Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, 26 April 2013. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[13] Kuchins, Andrew C., Matthew Malarkey, and Sergei Markedonov. “The North Caucasus: Russia's Volatile Frontier.” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 31 March 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
[14] Joscelyn, Thomas. “Ex-Gitmo detainee, Islamic State’s leader in Chechnya designated by State Department.” The Long War Journal. 13 July 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2018.
[15] Bale, Jeffrey. “The Chechen Resistance and Radiological Terrorism.” Nuclear Threat Initiative, 01 April 2004. Web. 31 May 2012.
[16] Lapidus, Gail W. “Contested Sovereignty: The Tragedgy of Chechnya.” International Security, vol. 23, no. 1, 1998, pp. 5 - 49. JSTOR. Accessed 03 Aug. 2018; Barber, Tony. “Obituary: Dzhokha Dudayev.” The Independent, 25 April 1996. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[17] McGregor, Andrew. “The Assassination Of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev: Implications For The War On Terrorism.” The Jamestown Foundation, 14 July 2004. Web. 15 May 2012.
[18] McGregor, Andrew. “The Assassination of Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev: Implications for the War on Terrorism | Terrorism Monitor.” The Jamestown Foundation, 15 May 2004. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[19] Lapidus, Gail W. “Contested Sovereignty: The Tragedgy of Chechnya.” International Security, vol. 23, no. 1, 1998, pp. 5 - 49. JSTOR. Accessed 03 Aug. 2018; “Obituary: Aslan Maskhadov.” The Economist, 10 March 2005. Web. 03 Aug. 2018; Smick, Elisabeth. “The Chechen Separatist Movement.” Council on Foreign Relations, 18 July 2006. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[20] Hahn, Gordan M. “Islam, Islamism, and Politics in Eurasia Report.” Monterey Institute of International Studies, 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2012.
[21] Kuchins, Andrew C., Matthew Malarkey, and Sergei Markedonov. “The North Caucasus: Russia's Volatile Frontier.” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 31 March 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
[22] Williams, Brian Glyn. “Shattering the al-Qaeda-Chechen Myth.” The Jamestown Foundation, 23 April 2013. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[23] Bhattacharji, Preeti. “Chechen Terrorism (Russia, Chechnya, Separatist).” Council on Foreign Relations, 08 April 2010. Web. 31 May 2012.
[24] Williams, Brian Glyn. “Shattering the al-Qaeda-Chechen Myth.” The Jamestown Foundation, 23 April 2013. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[25] Smick, Elisabeth. “The Chechen Separatist Movement.” Council on Foreign Relations, 18 July 2006. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[26] Smick, Elisabeth. “The Chechen Separatist Movement.” Council on Foreign Relations, 18 July 2006. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[27] Matloff, Judith. “Islam and Chechnya.” World Policy, 19 April 2013. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[28] Fagan, Geraldine, et al. “Political Islam in the North Caucasus.” Carnegie Europe, 22 Feb. 2012. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[29] Albert, Craig Douglas. “Does Chechnya Represent a Strategic Terrorist Threat to the United States? A General Assessment.” U.S. House Joint Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, 26 April 2013. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[30] Bale, Jeffrey. “The Chechen Resistance and Radiological Terrorism.” Nuclear Threat Initiative, 01 April 2004. Web. 31 May 2012.
[31] “The Constitution of the Chechen Republic.” Archive, 12 March 1992. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[32] “Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.” Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, 06 June 2018. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[33] “Separatist Extremism in Russia.” Institute for the Study of Violent Groups, 2012. Web. 10 June 2012.
[34] Pratsyuk, Tara. “Scrambling for Cover as Gunfire Fills the Sky.” The Guardian, 12 Dec. 1994. Web. 15 June 2012.
[35] "Chechen Rebels' Hostage History." BBC News, 09 Jan. 2004. Web. 15 June 2012.
[36] Kinzer, Stephen. "Pro-Chechen Ferry Hijackers Surrender to Turks.” The New York Times, 20 Jan. 1996. Web. 31 May 2012.
[37] National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). (2016). Global Terrorism Database [Data file]. Retrieved from https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd; Smick, Elisabeth. “The Chechen Separatist Movement.” Council on Foreign Relations, 18 July 2006. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[38] “Russia: Nalchik Raid Leaves A Painful Legacy.” Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 12 Oct. 2006. Web. 30 May 2012.
[39] Kamusella, Tomasz. “Forgetting Chechnya.” New Eastern Europe, 10 July 2018. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[40] Bhattacharji, Preeti. “Chechen Terrorism (Russia, Chechnya, Separatist).” Council on Foreign Relations, 08 April 2010. Web. 31 May 2012.
[41] Ter, Marta. “The Caucasus Emirate, the Other Russian Front.” Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Aug. 2018.
[42] Ter, Marta. “The Caucasus Emirate, the Other Russian Front.” Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Aug. 2018; “In the Spotlight: The Special Purpose Islamic Regiment.” Center for Defense Information, 02 May 2003. Web. 06 Aug. 2018.
[43] Abbas, Hassan. “State Department Blacklists Three Chechen Groups.” The Jamestown Foundation, 2003. Web. 06 Aug. 2018; Bale, Jeffrey. “The Chechen Resistance and Radiological Terrorism.” Nuclear Threat Initiative, 01 April 2004. Web. 31 May 2012; Kemoklidze, Nino, et al. “Many Faces of the Caucasus.” Europe-Asia Studies, vol. 64, no. 9, Nov. 2012.
[44] Kamusella, Tomasz. “Forgetting Chechnya.” New Eastern Europe, 10 July 2018. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[45] Williams, Brian Glyn. “Shattering the al-Qaeda-Chechen Myth.” The Jamestown Foundation, 23 April 2013. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.
[46] Albert, Craig Douglas. “Does Chechnya Represent a Strategic Terrorist Threat to the United States? A General Assessment.” U.S. House Joint Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, 26 April 2013. Web. 03 Aug. 2018.