Zakaev: Umarov lost trust of his former Chechen companions

Dokku Umarov, who has announced his successor - Aslambek Vadalov - was dismissed from the command of the underground by his former companions-in-arms, said Ahmed Zakaev, former emissary of Chechen separatists, who is now hiding from Russian justice in London. Ruslan Martagov, a Chechen journalist and political scientist, agrees that Dokku Umarov has lost his reputation among the militants.

Ahmed Zakaev believes that Dokku Umarov has split militants' groupings by his terrorist actions against peaceful population and compromised supporters of the independent Chechnya; therefore, he lost trust of his former comrades-in-arms.

According to Zakaev, with Umarov's resignation militants' actions may undergo serious changes; in particular, the number of terror acts against peaceful population may go down. "Dokku Umarov shed blood of innocent people; he proclaimed war on nobody knows who and nobody knows why. His successor - Aslambek Vadalov - as far as I know, sticks to other views; he's a supporter of the independent Chechen state," said Ahmed Zakaev.

Let us note here that Ahmed Zakaev himself, who had not recognized the Imarat Kavkaz, announced by Dokku Umarov, was sentenced in absentia to death by the Shariat Court; but now he believes that nothing threatens him, the "Kommersant" writes. "Aslambek Vadalov, unlike Dokku Umarov, is free from the influence of Wahhabism ideologists; he may be talked to; and we are going to do it," Ahmed Zakaev told the edition.

Ruslan Martagov, a journalist and a political scientist, also believes that Dokku Umarov has lost his authority among his comrades. "Many were dissatisfied with Umarov for his, as they said, overly cautiousness. He was a man, who does not create situations but follows the route of already existing situations," he said to the "Echo of the Caucasus" Radio.

In his turn, Andrei Babitsky, editor-in-chief of the above radio, who covered two Chechen military campaigns, is convinced that Dokku Umarov enjoyed respect of his comrades. Mr Babitsky believes that the version of Umarov's poor health is credible.

He thinks that during the last two summers the militants, commanded by Umarov, scaled up their activities. "Both the number of terror acts increased multiply and the arsenal of the means used by terrorists grew broader, as compared with the ones used by Basaev. The network structure created by Imarat Kavkaz does not so much depend on its leader. The most important thing is that this struggle is more or less based on a solid basis - ideology of Salafism," said the journalist.