Aslan Maskhadov

Aslan Aliyevich Maskhadov (Russian: ????? ??????? ????????) (September 21, 1951 ? March 8, 2005) was a leader of the separatist movement in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya. He was credited by many with the Chechen victory in the First Chechen War, which allowed for the de facto establishment of an independent Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Maskhadov became President of the nation in January of 1997 with heavy backup from Moscow. Following the start of the Second Chechen War, he returned to leading the guerrilla movement against the Russian army. He was reported killed in a village in northern Chechnya in March 2005.

Maskhadov's death

On March 8, 2005, FSB head Nikolay Patrushev announced that special forces attached to the FSB had "today carried out an operation in the settlement of Tolstoy-Yurt, as a result of which the international terrorist and leader of armed groups Maskhadov was killed, and his closest comrades-in-arms detained". The special operations unit had wanted to take Maskhadov alive for interrogation, but apparently killed him accidentally with a grenade thrown into a reinforced bunker where Maskhadov was hiding. Maskhadov had apparently ordered his bodyguards to leave before engaging the Russian special forces on his own.

Related Topics:
March 8 - 2005 - FSB - Nikolay Patrushev - Tolstoy-Yurt

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A body was shown on Russian television that looked very much like Maskhadov. Akhmed Zakayev, one of his closest allies who acted as his spokesman and "Foreign Minister", told a Russian radio station that it was probable that Maskhadov had indeed been killed. He indicated later that a new Chechen leader could be chosen within days.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although no one knows for sure how Maskhadov was killed, it is widely believed that his Maskadov's bodyguards accidentally killed him in the panic of the fire fight. Another version is that he was killed by

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chechnya's Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov's forces - Kadyrov had vowed to avenge the assassination of his father, Ahmed Kadyrov, but was not willing to take credit for it so as to stop the vendetta cycle. The younger Kadyrov told Interfax news agency the intention had been to take Maskhadov alive, but he had been killed as a result of his bodyguards' carelessness in handling their weapons.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~