Former Chechen Leader Killed in Car Explosion in Qatar | NYT

[Ediacara]

Former Chechen Leader Killed in Car Explosion in Qatar
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: February 13, 2004
Filed at 9:42 a.m. ET


Associated Press
Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, an Islamic
extremist linked to the Chechen
separatist movement, died today,
officials said, after he was fatally
wounded when his car exploded.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) -- Former Chechen President Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, wanted in Russia for terrorist ties and linked to al-Qaida, died Friday after an explosion ripped apart his car in the Qatari capital, the Interior Ministry said.

Yandarbiyev, also a poet and children's author, was killed in the 12:45 p.m. blast, which also injured his 13-year-old son, an official at the ministry told the Qatar News Agency.

A doctor at Hamad General Hospital said Yandarbiyev died en route, and his son was in critical condition.

They were the only two people brought to the hospital, the doctor said. Earlier, another official at the hospital had said earlier that two bodyguards were dead on arrival.

More at the New York Times

[CaptainClark23]

1. Can you say "Predator"?

Or maybe they were driving a Pinto?

Wonder what Putin traded for this hit.

[Dover]

2. Do you notice how all these "al Qaeda" operatives are always killed

rather than arrested and brought before the courts? We certainly wouldn't want to hear what they have to say about these allegations or legally ponder the meaning of the term "terrorist" now would we?

Al Qaeda seems like a fictitious catchall term...

This man must be evil...joining the dead poets and childrens' book authors in hell, no doubt.

Here's the news blurb from the Moscow Times:


Qatar informs Russia of death of notorious Chechen warlord

Friday, Feb. 13, 2004, 6:29 PM Moscow Time

The Qatari Embassy in Moscow has officially informed the Russian Foreign Ministry of an explosion which occurred in Qatar's capital Doha that had destroyed a car with a Chechen warlord, Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, inside. Yandarbiyev was taken to hospital where he died later, the information and press department of the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. Qatari law enforcement agencies have started an investigation. Yandarbiyev lived in Qatar since 1999. He was on the Interpol wanted list for his terrorist activities in Russia. Moreover, in June 2003 the United Nations put Yandarbiyev on a list of people with alleged links to al Qaeda. The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that Moscow had sought extradition of Yandarbiyev and provided necessary materials to Qatar.

[Aidoneus]

3. I would guess that they didn't *really* need to inform the Russians..

Yandarbiev's martyrdom was probably at their hands..

The term "terrorist" has no meaning. I'm not aware of any "ties" that Zelimkhan had with "al-Qai'dah" (another practically meaningless term, given the misusage), except in the sense of the Ichkeriyan embassy he had established with the Afghan government a few years ago. It was more superficial (Afghanistan was one of the only states to correctly recognize Chechen sovereign independence after their victory over the Russian invaders in the mid-90s--after the Soviets killed up to 2 MILLION people in the course of their occupation of Afghanistan, it's not surprising that the latter held a grudge against Russia so as to defy their threats to break economic and political ties with any state that recognized Chechen freedom) than materially effective, and not really worth the attention given by Russian propagandists to justify their aggressions.

[Aidoneus]

4. of course, the Russians are denying that

--snip--

Russia's spy agency has denied any involement in killing former Chechen President Salim Khan Yandarbiyev in a Qatar car bomb attack.

Hours after the attack on Friday, a spokesman for the SVR foreign intelligence service ruled out any involvement in the blast that killed three men and injured Yandarbiyev's son.

--snip--

But a top Chechen rebel charged that Russian authorities were responsible for the attack.

"There is no doubt that Putin's regime is behind this," said Ahmad Zakayev, a spokesman for former Chechen president Aslan Maskhadov.

"A presidential election is going on and as everybody knows he came to power on the blood of the Chechen people."

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5A95C533-0B7C-4EFA-A706-7F5A51EDDB62.htm

[Ediacara]

5. kick

Check this story out as well as the story about Russian presidential condidate Rybkin's kidnapping