Chechen Militant Who Targeted Olympics Is Dead, Kadyrov Says

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

By Ilya Arkhipov - Jan 17, 2014

Doku Umarov, a militant who claimed responsibility for attacks in Russia and threatened to target the Winter Olympics in Sochi, was “eliminated” during an anti-terror operation, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said.

“We are 99.9 percent sure,” said Kadyrov, a former Chechen rebel who switched sides and was picked by President Vladimir Putin to run the region in 2007, according to comments posted on his website today. “That’s why all the talk about a threat to the Sochi Olympics is groundless.”

Umarov, who proclaimed himself emir of an Islamic state in the North Caucasus, told supporters in July to attack next month’s Olympics. He’s also said he was behind attacks including bombings in Moscow’s Domodedovo airport and subway. Chechnya, which fought two wars for independence from Russia in the 1990s, is about 440 kilometers (270 miles) to the east of Sochi.

Officials obtained a recorded conversation among insurgent leaders where they exchanged condolences over Umarov’s death and discussed candidates to replace him, Kadyrov said. Russian law-enforcement agencies weren’t able to confirm the claim, the Interfax news service reported.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-17/chechen-terrorist-who-threatened-olympics-is-dead-kadyrov-says.html

[1StrongBlackMan]

1. I still ain't going. n/t

[davidpdx]

5. Not going or watching

If someone turns our TV on to watch the Olympics I'm going to rip the cable box out. I refuse to support the network carrying the games or the Olympics.

[ck4829]

2. Ever thought you'd hear a state sponsored terrorist/warlord saying it's safe to go to the Olympics?

[Amonester]

3. So, Russia... uh... Putin spies on Russians too?

... uh... on Chechen rebels too?

> snip: Officials obtained a recorded conversation among insurgent leaders where they exchanged condolences over Umarov’s death and discussed candidates to replace him, Kadyrov said. Russian law-enforcement agencies weren’t able to confirm the claim, the Interfax news service reported.

Awmiegaw awmiegaw wattaworl wattaworl

[davidpdx]

6. You better believe Glenn Greenwald is on this

with his top spy Eddie Snowden. No? Ah, shucks.

[Iggo]

4. Mm-Hmm.

[davidpdx]

7. They may have killed this guy, but I doubt the threat is gone

[Alamuti Lotus]

8. Kafirov has been pronouncing Dokku dead quite regularly

The last occasion was in December, when he stated that "Dokku has been dead for quite some time"; shortly after, Emir Umarov produced a new video commenting on current events. And before Dokku was the highest commander, Kafirov and Putin announced Shamil Basayev's demise at least once a month, sometimes twice.