Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MOSCOW7293
2006-07-10 14:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Moscow
Cable title:  

FSB CONFIRMS DEATH OF SHAMIL BASAYEV

Tags:  MOPS MARR PGOV PINR RS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4179
OO RUEHDBU
DE RUEHMO #7293 1911425
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 101425Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8739
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 007293 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2016
TAGS: MOPS MARR PGOV PINR RS
SUBJECT: FSB CONFIRMS DEATH OF SHAMIL BASAYEV

Classified By: DCM Daniel A. Russell. Reason 1.4 (b, d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 007293

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2016
TAGS: MOPS MARR PGOV PINR RS
SUBJECT: FSB CONFIRMS DEATH OF SHAMIL BASAYEV

Classified By: DCM Daniel A. Russell. Reason 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) The Federal Security Service (FSB) confirmed to LEGATT
at 1715 local that Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev was
killed in an operation in the early hours of July 10.
LEGATT's FSB contacts, who had minutes earlier been unaware
of the reports, refused to give further details.


2. (C) According to the Russian press, FSB chief Patrushev
July 10 reported the death of Basayev to President Putin, who
congratulated him. Press reports suggest that the death was
the result of an FSB operation in Ingushetia to forestall a
planned terrorist attack on the eve of the G-8 Summit. There
have been numerous previous reports of Basayev's death. They
have not, however, gotten to the level of the head of the FSB
informing the President.


3. (C) Journalists and others in the region have heard wildly
varying reports. The UN's security service heard from its
contacts that an air attack on a house resulted in the death
of Basayev and one other fighter. Journalists in Ingushetia,
however, report that there was an enormous explosion in the
early hours of July 10, and that it seemed to involve a car
and truck in the vicinity of Magas. None has seen a body
yet. The official Ingushetia website posted a report at
17:04 local stating that an explosion 2 kilometers from the
village Ekazhevo left a burning truck and four corpses. One
of the corpses resembled Shamil Basayev, but accurate
identification was possible only in the morning. Two of the
other corpses were identified as Ingush. "Thus, Shamil
Basayev died as a result of the spontaneous explosion of a
truck loaded with explosives."


4. (C) A Presidential Administration source noted that the
circle of support for Basayev had been narrowing in recent
months, and in the context of Chechnya "that is death." He
predicted this would be the "end of terrorism" in Chechnya.
He noted that Basayev's favorite expression was "let the
world burn with a great fire," and implied that those who
succeeded Basayev would not have that ruthlessness.


5. (C) Comment: The report of Basayev's death is
suspiciously good p.r. for Putin in light of the upcoming G-8
Summit. If the report turns out to be true, the anti-Russian
insurgency has indeed suffered a great -- perhaps fatal --
blow. But given the complexities of the nationalist/jihadist
movements in the North Caucasus, and the difficulties Russia
has had in finding non-force solutions to pervasive problems
there, "the end of terrorism" could still be some years in
the future.
BURNS