Военная организация Имарата (English)
ON THE FIGHT AGAINST THE MILITARY ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIST RESISTANCE IN THE CAUCASUS.
Actual problems of modern science, issue 4 for 2016, pp. 169-174.
Pashkov Roman Viktorovich, Specialist of Moscow State Law Academy
The Caucasus Islamist resistance, or terrorist underground, also possesses a military organization, paradoxically enough. This organization has been resistant to attempts to destroy it, although its influence has been noticeably declining in recent years, having been reduced to a minimum in the Chechen Republic.
This article is devoted to the consideration of this phenomenon.
Central control.
The military organization of the Islamic Resistance of the Caucasus is formed as the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate , whose supreme commander is the Emirate’s emir . His deputy is the naib of the Caucasus Emirate , who will become emir in the event of the assassination of the emir of the Islamist state. According to Islamists, the armed forces represent the vanguard of the Muslim liberation struggle for the establishment of Sharia law and Islamic governance. The Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate are a military organization of the Caucasian peoples dedicated to the spread of Islam and the establishment of an Islamic state, as the Islamists themselves believe.
The Majlis- ul-Shura of the Caucasus Mujahideen is responsible for global political planning of military operations . It includes the senior command staff of the Caucasus Emirate Armed Forces , alims (authoritative figures), and members of the Supreme Sharia Court (qadi). The decisions of the Majlis-ul -Shura are binding on all structures of the Caucasus Islamic state. The Amir of the Emirate is the Amir of the Shura. Current military planning is handled by the Military Committee of the State Defense Committee – the Majlis-ul -Shura. The Military Committee is headed by the Amir’s military deputy – the Military Naib of the Caucasus Mujahideen . The Military Naib is the third-highest ranking person in the Caucasus Emirate and the third person to fill the post of Amir of the Islamic state. Members of the Military Committee are approved by the State Defense Committee of the Caucasus Emirate . The decision to conduct a particular strategic military operation is made by the Military Committee of the State Defense Committee of the Caucasus, although most often the decisions are made by the Shura (Majlis) of the front, headed by the Amir of the Caucasus Emirate (an off-site meeting, so to speak), which carries out the military operation.
The General Staff of the Emirate’s Armed Forces is typically headed by a Chief of Staff with the rank of Colonel. The General Staff is part of the Supreme Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate and includes:
- Headquarters Battalion,
- Operations Department,
- Information and analytical department,
- Logistics Department,
- Communications Department,
- Armament Department,
- Supply Department,
- Intelligence Department,
- Security department.
Structurally, all Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate by type of troops include:
- The Armed Forces themselves are the backbone of the regular forces, permanently deployed professional units. However, large professional units are not in the cards; instead, all units are broken down into small detachments. In the future, during the transition to a professional regular army in the «liberated areas,» it is planned to allocate the Main Reserve Forces of the Supreme Command Headquarters and regional forces of the fronts.
- Special sabotage forces — subordinate to the Mukhabarat (Security Service of the Caucasus Emirate ), they are organized in the form of special operational groups for the liquidation of law enforcement officers in cities, this is the main striking force of the urban guerrillas of the mujahideen,
- Irregular militia forces are stationed in the same locality where members of the self-defense units live, they are transformed into the Sharia Guard, it is planned that the Sharia Guard will be similar to the military police,
- An underground network of sympathizers and supporters, with a supply network, weapons supplies, and recreation for the rebels, the underground is the main support structure for the rebels.
The total number of the Armed Forces of the Mujahideen in the Caucasus can be estimated in 2007, according to the most approximate estimates, at 6,700 fighters, Special Sabotage Forces at 700 soldiers, Irregular militia forces, being transformed into the Sharia Guard — cannot be estimated, plus an underground force of 25 thousand (active support, participation).
in Chechnya (including the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate and special forces), 1,500 in Dagestan, 1,000 in Ingushetia, 700 in Kabardino-Balkaria, 300 in North Ossetia, 300 in Karachay-Cherkessia, and 400 in the rest of southern Russia. Around 200-300 militants reside in the Urals and Volga regions. Irregular militia forces are primarily concentrated in Chechnya, although there is a clear trend of expansion in Ingushetia and Dagestan. These irregular militia forces are being transformed into a militia-based Sharia Guard, which will perform military police functions. The military leadership of the Caucasus Emirate has come to the conclusion that it is necessary to have permanent law enforcement forces in police uniform.
Half of the underground network is located in Chechnya. It is the underground that provides the mujahideen with popular support. Between 2006 and 2007, the forces of the Caucasus Front tripled, reaching 2,500 fighters. Between 2005 and 2007, an average of 600 fighters joined the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate in Chechnya. Only the Armed Forces are capable of conducting combined arms offensive and assault operations; the Sharia Guard can only provide assistance. By the end of 2007, the mujahideen military command had largely resolved the issues of reinforcement and deployment. The problem of providing weapons for reinforcements had been resolved.
The special service is the Caucasus Emirate Security Service ( Mukhabarat) , whose rais (leader) is appointed by the Emirate’s emir . The Mukhabarat has 150 career military personnel . The Mukhabarat’s structure includes:
- Department of military counterintelligence with special departments as part of the fronts,
- Military Intelligence Department,
- Department of Economic Intelligence,
- Special Operations Department – elimination of enemy commanders.
Territorial organization of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria until 2003.
An armed formation is a large paramilitary unit , led by an authoritative political or military leader, created to forcibly protect the interests of a specific financial, economic, and political (religious) group. An armed formation typically includes representatives of one or more related teips ( jamaats ).
An armed formation consists of a commander, a headquarters, and two groups (each consisting of up to 500 people during combat operations). These groups are further subdivided into a combat group, intended for the immediate conduct of the operation in the designated area, and a reserve group, intended for scaling up efforts and the scheduled (usually weekly) replacement of combatants. A group is divided into five to six detachments (each with 100 people or more), led by emirs (field commanders).
The detachment, as a rule, consists of three groups ( http://www.e-reading.by/bookreader.php/126565/Kirilenko_-_Dnevnik_boevika.html Kirilenko A. (compiler) Diary of a militant) .
The first is the central group (up to 100 people), which is constantly with the emir in combat readiness and does not have a permanent location.
The second group (the size of which depends on the size of the territory and can be up to 20 people) is located in the populated area. This group reports to, is controlled by, and communicates only with the emir . Members of the group have been trained at a special training center and specialize in mine planting, sniper shooting, and sabotage and reconnaissance activities. The militants of the second group are deeply undercover and engage in legal public activities.
The third group is the «helpers.» These are the amir’s associates and supporters , living at home. To save money, this group does not remain with the detachment permanently. When ordered by the amir , they report to him and carry out the task, then return home and resume their normal activities or act independently with the amir’s consent .
Thus, the central group is the detachment’s core formation and consists of three platoons of three squads each. The group is armed only with light-weight weapons, as it is constantly on the move, attacking and retreating. The time, place, and target of the attack are determined by the Amir . Each squad consists of one grenade launcher, two machine gunners, two snipers, two automatic riflemen, and two scouts.
This structure of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria existed until 2003, when the plan for the continuous expansion of the protracted guerrilla war was fully adopted.
Territorial organization of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria since 2003 (now the Caucasus Emirate ).
Emirate’s Armed Forces territorially include the following fronts in Chechnya:
- Northern Front,
- Eastern Front,
- Southern Front,
- Southwestern Front,
- Central Front (Dzhokhar, as the militants call Grozny).
Territorially, the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate include the following fronts outside the territory of Chechnya:
- Dagestan Front,
- Caucasian Front,
- Ural Front,
- Volga Front.
The front consists of several sectors (or sections, operational zones).
The front is headed by a front amir , who directs the front headquarters. The front headquarters includes the following departments:
- Operations Department,
- Information and analytical department,
- Logistics Department,
- Special department.
The sector is headed by a sector amir . The front amir and sector amir are approved by the Military Committee of the State Defense Committee of the Caucasus Emirate . The sector includes military units of jamaats , Islamic brigades, and smaller units called operational-combat groups. The Caucasus Emirate Armed Forces comprise a total of 9 fronts and 35 sectors . In 2007, a sector had 10-15 groups, a jamaat had 2-5 groups, a brigade had 5 groups, and a group included 10-20 soldiers. Sectors 10-12 (districts of Chechnya) had 250-300 mujahideen each, and sectors 5-7 (districts of Chechnya) had 150-200 mujahideen each. However, for example, in the Ingush sector of the Caucasus Front of the Caucasus Emirate Armed Forces in 2007, there were at least 1,000 fighters. The headquarters of the Ingush sector of the Caucasian Front consists of several departments, copying the structure of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Emirate.
Information about the Islamic Martyr Brigade » Riyadus al- Saliheen » is extremely fragmentary and contradictory. Currently, it is a classic international Islamist terrorist organization with a vast material base, military camps, and leadership ties to international terrorist organizations. It should be noted, however, that Basayev did not seek to associate himself with organizations like al-Qaeda, fearing falling under their control, but he readily accepted their assistance.
Enemies of the Caucasus Emirate
The main targets of the Caucasus Emirate fighters are:
- Russian federal troops and special services are harbiys .
- North Caucasians working in Russian security agencies and in the public service are apostates .
- Local spiritual leaders, followers of traditional Islam (Qadiri and Nakhshabandi) who are positively disposed towards the Russian Federation Sufi tariqa) — mushriks .
- Owners of gambling establishments and brothels, dealers in alcoholic beverages and drugs are distributors of kufr.
Caucasian Front of the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate .
On May 5, 2005, by order of the President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, the Caucasian Front of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria was formed, consisting of the following sectors: Adyghe, Ingush, Kabardino-Balkarian, Karachay-Cherkess, Krasnodar, Stavropol (with their simultaneous withdrawal from subordination to the Western Front), as well as the newly created Ossetian sector.
The structure of the Caucasian Front of the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate was identified at different times:
- Joint Intelligence and Counterintelligence of the Mukhabarat Front ,
- Shura Alimov ,
- The Amir of the front, led by the front headquarters,
- Structural sectors based on jamaats ,
- Majlis of the Mujahideen Front.
Jamaats of the North Caucasus as part of the Armed Forces of the Caucasus Emirate :
- In the North Caucasus as a whole, the international reconnaissance and sabotage brigade of Chechen shahids » Riyadus -as- Salihiyn » («Gardens of the Righteous») of 6-8 jamaats (battalions)
- In the Republic of Ingushetia there is a single jamaat “Khalifat” (Ingush sector),
- In the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, the military jamaat “ Kataib -al -Khole ” (Ossetian sector),
- In the Republic of Dagestan, the Dzhennet (Paradise) jamaat and the Shariat jamaat , a number of jamaats , including Buinaksk, Caspian, Makhachkala,
- in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, the United Jamaat » Yarmuk » and the Kabardino-Balkarian Jamaat (Kabardino-Balkarian sector),
- in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Karachay Jamaat » Hizb ut-Tawhid » (Karachay-Cherkess sector),
- in the Stavropol Territory – Nogai Jamaat (Stavropol sector),
- In the Chechen Republic – the United Islamic Jamaat , which includes five jamaats .
Emirate (IS CF IF IR ), we can distinguish the following: a sector amir , a military command headquarters, and structural subdivisions. The headquarters includes an operations department, an information and analysis department, a weapons department, and a logistics department. The headquarters staff is approximately 20-30 people. In Ingushetia, there are 30-40 special operational groups, each with 15 to 30 fighters. These groups have the ability to conduct large-scale operations and temporarily form brigades.
It should be noted that there is a trend toward integrating the jamaat military structures into the overall military structure of the Emirate . Through unified military planning and operations, the jamaats are eroding their internal unity and perceive themselves as part of a higher order. Jamaats still formally exist, but are becoming increasingly integrated.
» Riyadus al- Salihiin .»
Riyadus al- Salihiyn reconnaissance and sabotage battalion of Chechen shahids , it became a brigade in 2002. It was formed as a structural component of the special forces based on the sabotage forces of the Supreme Military Majlis-ul -Shura of the United Caucasus Mujahideen Forces. The brigade’s commander was Shamil Basayev. The organization consists of six to eight battalions of 30 to 40 fighters each, half of whom are Chechens.
The organization’s structure is classical: it has four lines: military, operational -combat, political, and spiritual. Basayev, or Abu Abdullah Idris Shamil, combined the functions of political and military leader, which is unusual for such organizations, but this is explained by his recognized authority among Caucasus Islamists. The political line is headed by the Majlis al-Shura, as the Majlis of the Emirs of the Jamaats , the military command, and the clergy. The Majlis al-Shura elects the Executive Shura, headed by the Supreme Emir, for an indefinite term. The Executive Shura forms committees for its work. The committees are as follows: political, social, informational, Sharia, and combat.
The military line includes the Supreme Military Amir and the Military Shura, consisting of battalion commanders. The battalion is the basic military unit. Its size ranges from twenty to fifty men. It is composed of squads, similar to combat groups. The battalion is called the Chechen Shahid Reconnaissance and Sabotage Battalion No. ___ of the corresponding operational zone.
The operational-combat line includes the deputy supreme military emir for combat operations. This emir heads the Sharia Security Service. The key body is the Planning Headquarters and other departments. The next level is the operational direction with sectors, each headed by an emir . Thus, the Dagestani operational direction includes the Aukh sector, the Avar sector, the Lezgin sector, the Dargin sector, and the central sector (Makhachkala).
The spiritual line includes two elements: the judiciary and spiritual leadership. The spiritual line is headed by the Sharia Committee of the Executive Shura. The Shura of the Ulema sanctions terrorist attacks . Each jamaat has an elected ulema. The term «court» is relative in this case. The organization has a Sharia court headed by a Sharia amir . Each jamaat has a qadi, who sometimes combines this position with the ulema .
Let’s illustrate this relationship. Movsar Barayev’s group in Moscow is Argunsky Chechen Jamaat , Third Battalion of Shahids, and the Argun Sector of the Chechen Operational Direction. Magomed Yevloyev’s group in Beslan – Ingush Jamaat , Second Battalion of Shahids, Ingush Sector of the Central Operational Direction.
Chechen Arabs and international terrorism.
Let’s touch on the role of volunteer mercenaries in the events in the North Caucasus over the past 15 years. During the first Russo-Chechen War, there were no more than 250-300 mercenaries in the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Their numbers increased to 800 by 1999. By early 2003, due to losses, only 500 remained. Currently, there are no more than 50-70 fighters in the North Caucasus. Volunteer mercenaries were collectively referred to as Chechen Arabs. Their most significant role was as instructors, particularly in mine-demolition techniques.
Due to the anti-American resistance in Iraq, almost all volunteers left the Caucasus ( http://www.kuchaknig.ru/show_book.php?book=41342 Falkov M., Kanevskaya N. «Chechen Arabs» are going home») . The most famous volunteer was Emir Khattab from Jordan. From 2002 to 2004, Arabs constituted almost half of the field commanders in Chechnya. Since 2005, the Islamic Resistance of the Caucasus’s dependence on Arab funds has significantly decreased, and the Resistance has largely switched to self-financing, thereby diminishing the significance of the Arab factor. At the same time, the presence of mercenaries allows Russia to constantly talk about international terrorism.
The proclamation of an Islamic Emirate of the Caucasus follows the ideology of al-Qaeda, that is, following the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate of Iraq of the Mujahideen Shura of Iraq. The Islamic Emirate of Somalia, under the Union of Sharia Courts, has not yet been established. While this is the logic, the ties of Caucasian Islamists with international Islamist and terrorist groups are indeed weak at present.
Conclusion.
Thus, the phenomenon of the military organization of the terrorist underground described in the article allows us to assess such an organization as a prepared and extensive structure capable of sustained resistance. The Russian state is gradually grinding this phenomenon down like a cancer, but the end of this struggle is still far off.
