A former Chechen general who fought the Russian military machine in the 1990s voiced his warnings that Russia's intervention in Syria could lead to a bloody mess like the Chenchen war with Russia. Huseyn Iskhanov was a general in the Chechen army which fought a bloody war against Russian troops
The assessment from Huseyn Iskhanov came as Syrian president Bashar al-Assad visited Moscow for talks with president Vladimir Putin. leaving many concerned about where Russian support for his regime could now lead. Russia's about a month bombing of Syria's rebels campaign has given the Assad forces the ability to launch significant counter-attacks amid widespread reports rebel groups other than the Islamic State are the key and main target.
Huseyn Iskhanov, a Chechen general army fought against Russian rule during the war of 1994 to 1996, he and his family fled to Austria in 2004. He said nothing good will come of Russia's strikes in Syria. He also said: "Russia carried out a massive and brutal campaign in Chechnya, but they barely killed a single fighter. He further said: "People who carry weapons know they are a target, so they are always on the move, travelling in small groups and sleeping in different places, it's the civilians who suffer because the bombs falls on their houses, schools, market places and hospitals, and not on the fighters." Chechnya's two wars with Russia claimed an estimated 180,000 to 300,000 mostly civilian lives. A further 250,000 Chechens fled to Europe when the Kremlin-backed Ramzan Kadyrov assumed the presidency of the tiny mountainous republic. Mr Huseyn Iskhanov further said: "we are a small nation of 1 million people, yet we defeated the Russian army in 1996 and showed the world that Russia is weak.
"Now NATO has encroached into Russia's sphere of influence in Ukraine. Russia is in agony. Vladimir Putin is trying to act tough, but in reality he is weak and isolated on the world stage", said Huseyn Iskhanov. He also stated that Russia is suffering greatly from low oil prices and sanctions imposed by the West over Ukraine. "Putin needs to deflect the people's attention from the terrible state of the economy and the war in Ukraine, so the Russian media is now wall-to-wall reports of victories in Syria."
Chechnya is portrayed as a Russian "success story by Vladimir Putin but Mr Iskhanov said he has a different opinion on this. "Those who remain in Chechnya live in constant fear of Kadyrov's special forces," Mr Iskhanov said. "President Kadyrov is a brutal dictator who tortures and kills those who oppose him, all with Kremlin support."
He said "There will be more refugees, more civilians running away. But there is no option for fighters to disarm themselves and go home. "Where do they go home to? If they go home to Damascus they will be tortured and killed by the regime. So they don't have an option to go back to civilian life. "They can either flee to Europe, or join up with the stronger enemy of Assad. "What will be destroyed will be the remaining groups of the Free Syrian Army. "These groups might be destroyed in the end and the hard core jihadists will win."Millions of euros offered for killing of Bashar al-Assad. Jolani offered a 3 million euros bounty to "whoever kills Bashar al-Assad," along with a 2 million euros for the assassination of the leader of the Lebanese Shia group, Hezbollah, another Mr Assad ally. The al-Nusra leader also called on the "heroic mujahideen" in Russia's restive north Caucasus region where ethnic groups such as the Chechens have long resisted Russian rule to carry out "eye for an eye" attacks on Russian civilians. "Russia could be stuck in there for years and years, just like they were in Afghanistan and one day they will withdraw."The problem is that Syria has become the battleground for a larger international conflict, not only between Russia and the West, but also between Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
The assessment from Huseyn Iskhanov came as Syrian president Bashar al-Assad visited Moscow for talks with president Vladimir Putin. leaving many concerned about where Russian support for his regime could now lead. Russia's about a month bombing of Syria's rebels campaign has given the Assad forces the ability to launch significant counter-attacks amid widespread reports rebel groups other than the Islamic State are the key and main target.
Huseyn Iskhanov, a Chechen general army fought against Russian rule during the war of 1994 to 1996, he and his family fled to Austria in 2004. He said nothing good will come of Russia's strikes in Syria. He also said: "Russia carried out a massive and brutal campaign in Chechnya, but they barely killed a single fighter. He further said: "People who carry weapons know they are a target, so they are always on the move, travelling in small groups and sleeping in different places, it's the civilians who suffer because the bombs falls on their houses, schools, market places and hospitals, and not on the fighters." Chechnya's two wars with Russia claimed an estimated 180,000 to 300,000 mostly civilian lives. A further 250,000 Chechens fled to Europe when the Kremlin-backed Ramzan Kadyrov assumed the presidency of the tiny mountainous republic. Mr Huseyn Iskhanov further said: "we are a small nation of 1 million people, yet we defeated the Russian army in 1996 and showed the world that Russia is weak.
"Now NATO has encroached into Russia's sphere of influence in Ukraine. Russia is in agony. Vladimir Putin is trying to act tough, but in reality he is weak and isolated on the world stage", said Huseyn Iskhanov. He also stated that Russia is suffering greatly from low oil prices and sanctions imposed by the West over Ukraine. "Putin needs to deflect the people's attention from the terrible state of the economy and the war in Ukraine, so the Russian media is now wall-to-wall reports of victories in Syria."
Chechnya is portrayed as a Russian "success story by Vladimir Putin but Mr Iskhanov said he has a different opinion on this. "Those who remain in Chechnya live in constant fear of Kadyrov's special forces," Mr Iskhanov said. "President Kadyrov is a brutal dictator who tortures and kills those who oppose him, all with Kremlin support."
He said "There will be more refugees, more civilians running away. But there is no option for fighters to disarm themselves and go home. "Where do they go home to? If they go home to Damascus they will be tortured and killed by the regime. So they don't have an option to go back to civilian life. "They can either flee to Europe, or join up with the stronger enemy of Assad. "What will be destroyed will be the remaining groups of the Free Syrian Army. "These groups might be destroyed in the end and the hard core jihadists will win."Millions of euros offered for killing of Bashar al-Assad. Jolani offered a 3 million euros bounty to "whoever kills Bashar al-Assad," along with a 2 million euros for the assassination of the leader of the Lebanese Shia group, Hezbollah, another Mr Assad ally. The al-Nusra leader also called on the "heroic mujahideen" in Russia's restive north Caucasus region where ethnic groups such as the Chechens have long resisted Russian rule to carry out "eye for an eye" attacks on Russian civilians. "Russia could be stuck in there for years and years, just like they were in Afghanistan and one day they will withdraw."The problem is that Syria has become the battleground for a larger international conflict, not only between Russia and the West, but also between Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
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