Chechen Suicide Bombers

In early 2006, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Hanif claimed there were up to 250 fidayeen (dedicated soldiers) prepared to conduct suicide attacks, and that the number was increasing daily.1 Roughly two months later, Taliban commander Mullah Razayar Noorzai stated his organization had prepared 600 suicide bombers to fight against coalition forces in Afghanistan.2 By the end of 2006, suicide bombers had killed more than 200 people in Afghanistan, up from only single digit figures in 2004.3 Downloaded By: [Kurz, Robert W.] At: 16:32 18 December 2007 530 R.W. Kurz and C.K. Bartles Given their similar religious influences and a common background in fighting Russian forces, one may be led to believe that Chechen suicide bombers are available to support Taliban elements in Afghanistan today. After all, Afghanistan was the only government in the world to recognize Chechnya as a state. In February 2000, the Chechen separatist government of President Aslan Maskhadov opened an embassy in Kabul. The rebels chief ideologist, Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, was appointed ambassador, purportedly to build up military cooperation between Chechen rebels and the Taliban.4 Unconfirmed reporting over the years suggested the Taliban permitted a few dozen Chechen rebels to train in military camps on Afghan territory.5 The truth is there is little relationship between Chechen suicide bombers and Afghans, and there are distinct reasons for this in both regions. Foremost, Afghans themselves rarely carry out suicide bombings, as it is not a part of their culture or fighting tradition to use this tactic. Afghans will indeed fight to the death, perceiving this as an honorable deed; however, their warrior ethos does not normally include killing themselves deliberately. Additionally, unlike in Chechnya, female suicide bombers are extremely rare to non-existent in Afghanistan. Pub. in Jnl. of Slavic Military Studies, v20 p529-547, 2007. ISSN 1351-8046