Fight against insurgents

Russian special services have finally recovered from the state of hibernation.

According to the latest poll conducted by “The Public Opinion” Fund, an overwhelming majority of Russians favour physical violence to fight terrorism. According to the Internet site of the “Vremya Novostei” (Time for News) newspaper, people were asked to comment on the latest killing of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Akhmed Yassin by Israel Special services. They were also asked to express their opinion in regards to the hypothetical assassination of “Al-Qaeda” leader Osama bin Laden along with the leader of Chechen insurgents Shamil Basaev.

The poll revealed the following about Russians: 67% or two thirds of Russians supported the idea of killing the leader of Chechen insurgents Basaev; whereas 8% were against such measures. More than half of Russians (51%) supported the idea of liquidating Osama bin Laden; whereas 12% did not approve of the use of violence. As far as the killing of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is concerned, 37% of respondents supported the Israeli soldiers and their actions. Only 14% of Russians considered Israel's actions as erroneous. Thus, Russian intelligence can count on people's support when fighting terrorism, considers the newspaper.

Lately, Russian special services have been quite active. Killings of Yandarbiev (we want to believe it was our merit) and Abu Al-Walid are both good examples of this. Qatar TV channel Al-Arabia was the first to report Al-Walid's murder. Chechen separatist Badreddin Pino has confirmed the death of the terrorist Abu Al-Walid. The information has been reported live from Amman, a Qatar television station “Al-Jazeera” on Monday. Pino did not state any details pertaining to the killing of the insurgent. According to an Internet site Islam Today, Al-Walid has been shot in his back. Al-Walid's family that currently lives in Saudi Arabia pays its condolences.

In the meantime, Russian authorities are not willing to comment on the event, supposedly due to the lack of information. “If Abu Al-Walid was really killed, stated president Kadirov, we would have announced this fact promptly. However, there is a chance he's been killed; a lot of insurgents have been killed in the source of the operation, including hired assassins from Arab countries. Not all of the dead have been identified yet.”

At the same time, Sulim Yamadaev’s brother, delegate of the State Duma Khalid Yamadaev, has confirmed that Russian “Vostok” militaristic group has been fighting bandits for quite sometime now. However, according to him, there has been no mentioning of Abu Al-Walid's death.

According to Russian special services, Abu Al-Walid was a mastermind behind the February's metro attack in the Moscow metro. Apparently, he was awarded $4.5 million USD for the explosion. In addition, he was also held liable for several blasts in apartment buildings in Moscow and Volgodonsk in 1999 as well as smaller terrorist acts within the Chechen territory and beyond. 

Abu-Walid Al-Hamidi (Abul-walid Al-Ansari, Abu Al-Walid) was born in Autumn of 1967 in the town of Najran, located south of Saudi Arabia. He later served in elite National Guards. After successfully finishing courses of mine-layers, he was transferred to the Yemen border where he was helping Yemen liberation army to get involved in subversive activity against official authorities. Afterward, he got accepted to the National Guard Academy. During late 80s, he got acquainted with Osama bin Laden.

Abu-Walid arrived to Chechnya in the end of 1995 as a special messenger of some “unique organization” (“Al-Tanzim Al Haz”) an International association of “Muslim Brotherhood”. Not long after that, he became an assistant to one of the Arab assassin leaders. Later, together with Shamil Basaev, he formed an entire “army” of female suicide bombers, which consisted of relatives of killed insurgents.

Russian special services suspect Abu-Walid's connection to the explosion of the government house in Grozny, Chechnya and a hospital in Mozdok, terrorist acts in Kaspiisk, blast of the Moscow metro and other attacks.

Federal authorities have been reporting Abu-Walid's death no less than five times already: in April and July of 2000, in September 2001, in May and June of 2002. However, there have never been any substantial evidences confirming the terrorist's death.