THE HEAD of Russia’s Islamist rebel movement has vowed to make 2011 “a year of blood and tears” in a message released two weeks after the deadly suicide bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport.
In a video posted on the Kavkaz Centre rebel website, Doku Umarov says he plans to step up attacks on the Russian heartland. He does not explicitly claim responsibility for the airport attack, which killed 36 people, but says the message was recorded on the eve of a major “special operation”.
Wearing camouflage, Umarov sits in a dark room flanked by two men, one of whom he identifies as the operation’s suicide bomber. Umarov says his movement was “forced” into carrying out the suicide bombing in response to Russia’s “lawlessness” and he demands the Kremlin quit the Caucasus.
He also appears to refer to growing nationalist sentiment in Russia, which peaked in December with a series of anti-migrant marches and attacks.
"This special operation will be carried out precisely against those people who today, on the order of Putin and his pack of dogs, attack Caucasians, and everywhere try to show their hatred for their Muslim brothers," Umarov said. "If this is too little for you, we will carry out further hits." – ( Guardianservice)