Basayev takes credit for stadium blast in taunting website note

Shamil Basayev, the Chechen field commander, says he was responsible for the explosion at Grozny's Dinamo Stadium May 9 that took the lives of Chechnya's president, Akhmad Kadyrov, and prime minister, Hussein Isayev. Basayev's claim was sent as an e-mail communication to the editors of the separatist website Kavkaz-Center.

'By the grace of Allah, the Chechen nation had a double holiday May 9-for the victory over fascism and the little but very important victory over Rusism. Our mujaheen, acting within the framework of operation Revenge, successfully carried out special operation Nal-17 and implemented the sentence of the Shariat Court on the national traitors and traitors to the faith, Kadyrov and Isayev. We ask forgiveness from President Aslan Maskhadov, of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeriya, that we have not literally thrown at his feet the head of Kadyrov, as we promised a month ago,' the message said.

Basayev's letter further states: 'We wonder who will be named prime minister of Rusna-Katya or Masha, if, by the grace of Allah, we successfully carry out special operation Moscow-2. The lines clearly constitute a direct threat to the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin, whose daughters are named Ekaterina and Mariya. Basayev thus drew a parallel with the designation of Ramzan Kadyrov, son of the murdered president, as deputy prime minister of Chechnya.