Interview with Main Commander of Shatoi - Ramzan Ahmadov 28th Jan 2000

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Interview with Main Commander of Shatoi - Ramzan Ahmadov 28th Jan 2000

Q1 What are your objectives of your jihad against the Russians?

A1 To raise the word of Allah and establish Islamic ruling everywhere. This is the only road to Paradise.

Q2 What is the importance of the Shatoi region to the Mujahideen?

A2 The Shatoi region is a large strategic region for the Mujahideen It is a central point relatively behind the front lines of fighting and is used to launch attacks in other regions.

Q3 As the commander of the Mujahideen in Shatoi, Sharoi-Argun, Atmikily, and Tembly, what is your estimate of the Russian losses over the last two months (since your appointment as a commander)? And what have been the Mujahideen losses in comparison?

A3 Since arriving at the mountains about two months ago, 50 Mujahideen have been martyred. We ask Allah to accept them all amongst the winners in their afterlife. As for the Russian losses, they are approximately 1700 killed and the destruction of 15 armoured vehicles, 5 Helicopters, and 1 Fighter Jet. Because of the mountainous nature of the region, the enemy primarily used either foot or paratrooper infantry in their advances. This is the reason why there is minimal loss in Russian equipment. Please note that these figures are only for the mountainous regions.

Q4 The Russian generals have been announcing for sometime now that they will control the mountainous regions including Shatoi in a matter of "few weeks". What is your response to these announcements?

A4 They have been making these announcements since the 1994 war. As a matter of face, they once announced that they would control the area in a matter of hours or two days. The fact is that since our arrival here, they have been attempting to advance in the Deber-Yurt region, the gateway to Shatoi. Praise be to Allah, they have not been able to take one metre. Even if they were able to advance past the two mountains in Deber-Yurt, there are many more in their way that, Allah willing, they will not be able get past.

Q5 Can you talk about the last operation against the Russian forces in Shatoi.

A5 The enemy has been continuously attempting to advance through the mountains. Praise be to Allah, they have failed in every single attempt and we have always been able to stop them. The last operation that took place was an attack on the 58th Battalion command center for three straight days (19,20, and 21 of January) using the Mortar artillery. Praise be to Allah, as a result of the continuous bombardment, the entire battalion was forced to retreat.

Q6 Are your jihad operations limited to the Shatoi region?

A6 Allah willing, it will never be limited to the region. At this point we are starting the highly mobile guerrilla warfare as well as mining the roadways of the enemy forces in all of Chechnya. A number of regiments have already been dispatched to carry on these tasks. Allah willing, we are also determined to carry on large-scale attacks against enemy positions in cooperation with other commanders of the Mujahideen

Q7 What do you urge your Muslim brothers outside Chechnya to do?

A7 First and foremost, I urge all Muslims to fear and love Allah, the All-Mighty. Do not fear anyone except Him. For He controls all actions and results. Regardless whether our enemy is larger and better armoured. Finally, I thank Allah, lord of every world.

Main Commander of Shatoi, Ramzan Ahmadov, Friday 28 January 2000.

Khattab's Last Interview 2002

Khattab's Last Interview 2002

"The time has come to get free from these slaves..."

Not too long before his death, Chechen Commander Amir Khattab gave an interview to one of the Arabic Internet editions Waislamah. We would like to offer you the translation of this interview, where the Chechen Commander expresses his point of view on the ongoing events in Ichkeria and in the Arab countries.

Question: What is the military situation in Chechnya like nowadays?

Khattab: Russian leadership and army have despaired of victory in Chechnya. They also despaired of killing the Mujahideen and their Commanders. Everybody saw monkey Putin on TV, when he summoned Christian priests and demanded the Church to help wounded Russian soldiers, whose number reaches thousands and thousands. Praise Allah, Who helps us in our deed...

Question: There was a report that you were seriously wounded, and that Russian soldiers are besieging the Mujahideen.

K: Yes, I was wounded. However, with the help of Allah we will be killing our enemies and we ourselves will die, but there is no way it will change the nature of our fight. We are really besieged every day, but we also besiege Russian forces every day. Russian leadership is a weak leadership, which makes a show of its any smallest victory and makes the whole world laugh at that, claiming that it is successfully fighting «terrorism». Concerning the Commanders being wounded. When any Chechen Commander is wounded, it means that he fights shoulder to shoulder with his soldiers, unlike Russian commanders or other traders of blood in other places. The enemies of Allah, generals, commanders and soldiers are working for their government: if their commander gets killed or the government resigns, it has a negative affect on their morale. Unlike them, the Mujahideen are fighting in the name of Allah, and Allah is eternal. Death of one of the Commanders only increases the inspiration and the morale of the Mujahideen.

Question: Why, in your opinion, Russian Army has not won this war yet?

K: First, praise be to Allah! Second, that's because of the persistence and courage of Chechen Mujahideen and Amirs in their intention to continue this war against the enemy. From day one the Chechen people have been ready to fight till the end to get rid of the power of Russian regime, which contradicts Islam. The army, that fights with no faith or purpose, will never win. Russian leadership was trying to inspire their generals, officers and soldiers with the claims that this war is a war against «terrorism» and against «bandits» by distributing fake video footage. Those video films were demonstrating the horrors that are ascribed to the Chechen Mujahideen: cutting off Russian hostages' fingers and ears, robberies, murders. There were also films shown about the explosions that shook Russian cities. However, not too long ago there was a documentary film shown that proves that Russian secret services were involved in those explosions and that they were forewarned about them. Russian officers and mercenaries who got paid big money are behind the explosions.

Question: What is the morale and fighting spirit among the Mujahideen and their Commanders?

K: Praise Allah, our spirit is high, higher than ever. Every day we observe funerals of Russian officers and generals in Moscow. Russian troops suffer humiliations every day. We know why we fight and for what purpose!

Question: How can the American military forces, that recently arrived in Georgia, affect the situation?

K: I don't think that their arrival down there will affect the situation in Chechnya. In Georgia there are mainly wounded Chechen soldiers and several Islamic humanitarian organizations that deal with them. Glory be to Allah, we don't need anything from Georgia. All we need is in the hands of our enemies, including Putin himself, and during combats we take what we need. Georgian leadership agreed to accept Chechen refugees and they are living up in the mountains, where Chechens have been living for centuries. None of them lives in Tbilisi. I think that Russia wants to cause friction between Georgian government and Chechens and thereby deprive Chechens of their external connections. I believe that if Georgian government intends to make any decision regarding Chechen refugees, it should announce such decision in advance.

As far as the Americans go, I don't think they are stupid enough to open up another front for themselves against the Chechen people. America has just started the war against Mujahideen in Afghanistan, and the planes just started to bring the dead bodies back home. America also has problems in Philippines, it also wants to start a war against Iraq. American economy is on the verge of a crisis, that's why the US armed forces landed in Georgia and Central Asia, in order to draw closer to Russian borders and to the oil fields of Caucasus and Central Asia.

Question: How and when do you think this war will be over?

K: From our point of view, we have already won. If we were not sure of that, we would not have kept fighting against Russian army, armed to its teeth. We will not retreat from our demands or our principles. We are standing for complete independence from Russia. The end of this war is important for the Russians, because this war costs them dearly. But for us this war means carrying out our duty before Allah and any end of this battle would be suitable for us: victory or paradise. With the help of Allah the victory is near, I don't think that Russian troops will remain in Chechnya.

Question: How did the events of September 11 affect the help that you are receiving?

K: Some of those who were helping us changed their minds and started to doubt, but praise Allah, there are also many people left who are faithful to us. Muslims are helping us.

Question: What is your opinion on the situation in Palestine? What can you say to the Palestinian Mujahideen?

K: The events that accompany the Intifada in Palestine have proven to the entire world that in reality there are no such things as human rights, UN, or international court. Today Muslims need their own Muslim UN to solve the problems connected with Islam or Shari'ah. Islamic countries no longer have the right to maintain relations with the phoney Christian heretical organizations that conduct the policy of double standards. That Intifada has also proven that the Arab rulers are slaves of the West, slaves of money and slaves of vainglory. The time has come to get free from these slaves, who are not capable of making a single decision in the name of the victory of Islam.

We all see Jewish terrorism against defenseless Muslims on TV every day, as well as that support provided by America. Arab rulers are not capable of making a single worthy decision that would put an end to the outrages committed by descendants of swine and monkeys, they are not even able to provide Palestinian Shaheed with ammunition or weapons. Today there is no greater disaster for Muslims than the power of these slaves. Arab rulers must be thrown off the necks of the Muslims, and the Jews of Israel will reap humiliation up until the Judgment Day, as Great Allah promised».