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| Tamerlan Tsarnaev in Dagestan: the unanswered questions | Tamerlan Tsarnaev in Dagestan: the unanswered questions |
| (7 days later) | |
| There are few streets in the Dagestani capital untouched by terror. The republic's Islamist insurgency, the most active in Russia's troubled Caucasus region, has been a ruthless campaign against the security forces. Sniper bullets, improvised bombs, suicide attacks – they have all been deployed for years against the armed police patrols and fortified police stations that line the streets of Makhachkala. | There are few streets in the Dagestani capital untouched by terror. The republic's Islamist insurgency, the most active in Russia's troubled Caucasus region, has been a ruthless campaign against the security forces. Sniper bullets, improvised bombs, suicide attacks – they have all been deployed for years against the armed police patrols and fortified police stations that line the streets of Makhachkala. |
| Whether Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the suspected Boston Marathon bomber who was killed on Friday, reached out to the insurgents during his six-month stay in the region last year is a key question for US investigators attempting to unravel the motivation for his suspected involvement in the attack on the Boston marathon. | Whether Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the suspected Boston Marathon bomber who was killed on Friday, reached out to the insurgents during his six-month stay in the region last year is a key question for US investigators attempting to unravel the motivation for his suspected involvement in the attack on the Boston marathon. |
| At a ramshackle mosque on Kotrova Street, groups of men gathered outside following afternoon prayers. Known for preaching the fundamentalist Salafi brand of Islam, the mosque had been besieged by journalists seeking answers, so the men were weary. They said they had no recollection of Tsarnaev, although reports have suggested that he was a regular there. | At a ramshackle mosque on Kotrova Street, groups of men gathered outside following afternoon prayers. Known for preaching the fundamentalist Salafi brand of Islam, the mosque had been besieged by journalists seeking answers, so the men were weary. They said they had no recollection of Tsarnaev, although reports have suggested that he was a regular there. |
| "I believe nothing that we've been told," said Anvar Khizriev, 28. "I think these guys are not guilty at all. A Muslim, no matter how aggressive, will never direct his aggression against civilians. | "I believe nothing that we've been told," said Anvar Khizriev, 28. "I think these guys are not guilty at all. A Muslim, no matter how aggressive, will never direct his aggression against civilians. |
| "I can be happy when an American soldier is killed in Afghanistan or Iraq," he explained, "but I will never be happy when a civilian is killed." | "I can be happy when an American soldier is killed in Afghanistan or Iraq," he explained, "but I will never be happy when a civilian is killed." |
| Denying links to the Boston attack, Dagestani rebels cited a February 2012 command by Doku Umarov, the head of the Caucasus Emirate, an umbrella group that includes the biggest regional insurgencies operating in Russia's mainly Muslim south, calling for a halt to attacks on civilians. | Denying links to the Boston attack, Dagestani rebels cited a February 2012 command by Doku Umarov, the head of the Caucasus Emirate, an umbrella group that includes the biggest regional insurgencies operating in Russia's mainly Muslim south, calling for a halt to attacks on civilians. |
| The group has carried out no spectacular attacks since, following the deadly bombings of Moscow's Domodedovo airport in January 2011 and of two Moscow metro stations in March 2010. The latter was the first known attack carried out by Dagestanis – two women whose husbands had reportedly been killed by security services. | The group has carried out no spectacular attacks since, following the deadly bombings of Moscow's Domodedovo airport in January 2011 and of two Moscow metro stations in March 2010. The latter was the first known attack carried out by Dagestanis – two women whose husbands had reportedly been killed by security services. |
| Yet the low level insurgency has persisted – and its targets have spread beyond police and other security officials. For more than a year, moderate Muslims across the republic – from imams to the rectors of moderate Islamic institutes – have been targeted and killed. The US added the group to its list of terror groups in May 2011. | Yet the low level insurgency has persisted – and its targets have spread beyond police and other security officials. For more than a year, moderate Muslims across the republic – from imams to the rectors of moderate Islamic institutes – have been targeted and killed. The US added the group to its list of terror groups in May 2011. |
| Human rights activists in the republic and sympathetic citizens blame widespread human rights abuses by the security forces – including kidnapping, unlawful detention and the haphazard targeting of men with full beards – for filling the rebel ranks. Runaway corruption has also fed hatred of the authorities. | Human rights activists in the republic and sympathetic citizens blame widespread human rights abuses by the security forces – including kidnapping, unlawful detention and the haphazard targeting of men with full beards – for filling the rebel ranks. Runaway corruption has also fed hatred of the authorities. |
| There is no evidence that Tsarnaev was in contact with the rebels, but gaps in his 2012 trip to Dagestan and Chechnya persist. Russian security services have been less than forthcoming, leaking anonymous information to the Russian media, saying he wasn't on their radar. | There is no evidence that Tsarnaev was in contact with the rebels, but gaps in his 2012 trip to Dagestan and Chechnya persist. Russian security services have been less than forthcoming, leaking anonymous information to the Russian media, saying he wasn't on their radar. |
| "For the past few years neither Tamerlan Tsarnaev, nor his brother Dzhokhar, have appeared on the territory of Dagestan," Dagestan's interior ministry told the Interfax news agency. | "For the past few years neither Tamerlan Tsarnaev, nor his brother Dzhokhar, have appeared on the territory of Dagestan," Dagestan's interior ministry told the Interfax news agency. |
| Tsarnaev's family has confirmed Tamerlan's trip to the region. | Tsarnaev's family has confirmed Tamerlan's trip to the region. |
| The FBI questioned him in the US in 2011, after a request from a foreign government, widely believed to be Russia. Why Russia then allowed him to enter the country one year later and travel to a region known to be in the grips of an Islamist insurgency remains unclear. | The FBI questioned him in the US in 2011, after a request from a foreign government, widely believed to be Russia. Why Russia then allowed him to enter the country one year later and travel to a region known to be in the grips of an Islamist insurgency remains unclear. |
| Amid conflicting information from family members and silence on the part of the Russian security services, a murky picture of Tsarnaev's time in the republic remains. He arrived in Russia in January 2012 and left six months later, travel records show. His aunt, Patimat Suleimanova, said he appeared in Dagestan only in March. | Amid conflicting information from family members and silence on the part of the Russian security services, a murky picture of Tsarnaev's time in the republic remains. He arrived in Russia in January 2012 and left six months later, travel records show. His aunt, Patimat Suleimanova, said he appeared in Dagestan only in March. |
| She said he was visiting Dagestan to become reacquainted with the region that he saw as his homeland – his social media presence speaks to an intense interest in neighbouring Chechnya, where his family originated. He spent most of his time praying and learning to read the Qur'an, she said. | She said he was visiting Dagestan to become reacquainted with the region that he saw as his homeland – his social media presence speaks to an intense interest in neighbouring Chechnya, where his family originated. He spent most of his time praying and learning to read the Qur'an, she said. |
| Tsarnaev's father, Anzor, has said his son travelled to the republic to renew his Russian passport before filing an application for a US citizenship. He spent most of his time sleeping. Regional migration officials said on Monday that Tsarnaev never picked up his new passport. | Tsarnaev's father, Anzor, has said his son travelled to the republic to renew his Russian passport before filing an application for a US citizenship. He spent most of his time sleeping. Regional migration officials said on Monday that Tsarnaev never picked up his new passport. |
| After living 10 years in Massachussets, spending six months in a region mired in a low-grade insurgency, as well as living in constant poverty, all will likely have left an impression on the 26-year-old. | After living 10 years in Massachussets, spending six months in a region mired in a low-grade insurgency, as well as living in constant poverty, all will likely have left an impression on the 26-year-old. |
| The streets of Makhachkala are patrolled by camouflaged police carrying assault rifles. Sometimes, at night, masked security officials set up roadblocks. | The streets of Makhachkala are patrolled by camouflaged police carrying assault rifles. Sometimes, at night, masked security officials set up roadblocks. |
| "There are lots of explosions. They've blown up nearly every police post," said Abdulmazhit Mamaev, 56, a former police major. "It will be very quiet and then a bomb – very quiet and then a bomb." | "There are lots of explosions. They've blown up nearly every police post," said Abdulmazhit Mamaev, 56, a former police major. "It will be very quiet and then a bomb – very quiet and then a bomb." |
| Lately, he said, Makhachkala had been relatively quiet. The main site of attacks has shifted to the villages of Khasavyurt and Buynaksk. And authorities have been waging a 10-day special operation in Gimry, long believed to be a rebel stronghold. Civilians complain that their homes are being destroyed for no reason. | Lately, he said, Makhachkala had been relatively quiet. The main site of attacks has shifted to the villages of Khasavyurt and Buynaksk. And authorities have been waging a 10-day special operation in Gimry, long believed to be a rebel stronghold. Civilians complain that their homes are being destroyed for no reason. |
| It's an insurgency rarely reported, and Russia would likely rather keep it that way. In just 10 months, the region is due to host the Winter Olympics in Sochi. | It's an insurgency rarely reported, and Russia would likely rather keep it that way. In just 10 months, the region is due to host the Winter Olympics in Sochi. |
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