Al-Jazeera interview with Amir Khattab in 1997

Edited by the Ansarullah English Team

Akram Khozam: Khattab, we have heard a lot about you in Russia. We heard you were a terrorist, we heard that you work with the Russian intelligence services, we heard that you were a real Mujahid and a hero among the heroes of the Chechen War. Can you tell the Arab viewer the truth about yourself and your military group?

Khattab:

Many things are mentioned about us in the Russian media, but the reality is that we are Mujahidin brothers. We came here to support our brothers the Chechen Mujahideen inside, and live with them the reality. We didnt have any presence here before the beginning of the war; I mean that none of us were here after the war began inside the Republic and the people stood against the interference and attack of the Russian forces. Then people saw that it is an obligation on them to support their Muslim brothers and that this is a legitimate act... A legitimate obligation, as it was before in the cause of Afghanistan or Tajikistan or Bosnia. Its not we who have begun the fighting; rather those who began the fighting were the Russians, especially the Russian forces. We the Muslims Alhamdulillah we have a Shariah and we respect other religions like Christianity or Judaism or others. Only after the interference of the Russian forces in Afghanistan or in Tajikistan or in Bosnia or in Chechnya did the Muslims find that it is an obligation in the Shariah to support their brothers with what they can. Some were able to support them with money, others through aid work. Alhamdulillah, we are youth who moved and began to support them with Jihad, with fighting, to participate with them as what had happened in previous causes, Alhamdulillah we had a good role inside the Chechen Republic during and after the fighting.

A.K.: Khattab, I have a question in my mind. Lets imagine that Khattab and his military group didnt come to Chechnya. In your opinion, what would be the balance of powers inside the Chechen front? I mean, would they have achieved victories? In other words, were you a minor or major factor in the victory of the Chechens over the Russians?

K: Alhamdulillah, of course the first matter, after the aid of Allah (Subhanah wa Tala) and His grace on Muslims inside the front of Chechnya, was that the Russian forces entered in a big form inside the Republic, forgetting the small area and capabilities of Chechnya and the scarceness of its people. This caused confusion and disorder among the Russian forces. Our presence was before conducting any military operations. Our presence was to raise the morals of the Chechen cause, the Mujahideen and the Chechen people, and give an Islamic character to the cause. This was because the cause was an Islamic one, as what had happened in Afghanistan or Tajikistan, and not just a cause of the Chechen people. You will find in this land Mujahideen from the Turks, Arabs and from everywhere. The scarceness of their numbers is due to many reasons, either the difficulty of reaching here or taking the path to the end, I mean the siege of the Russian forces to Chechnya, but despite their scarceness they had a good and very powerful effect in their souls, and this gave the cause an Islamic character, that this cause is really a Jihadi cause to raise the word of La ilaha ilallah and implement the Islamic Shariah. Indeed when a person came in the beginning, he found that the people arent only forces that follow Dzhokhar Dudayev are fighting the Russian forces but the whole nation. The destruction that was resulting from the invasion of the Russian forces and the killing of the people and the innocents certainly pushed us to be present on the inside, and Allah (Subhanah wa Tala) granted us after that powerful explosions and shocked the presence of the Russian forces I mean most of our programs and military operations were only against the Russian forces, and we didnt interfere in the internal affairs, for example between the opposition or the government that was appointed by the Russians because most of its members were Chechens. Our presence was clear in repelling the aggressing enemy from the Muslim land.

A.K.: Khattab, I have heard many things about you. There is respect and recognition of your bravery. Didnt that cause in you a state of arrogance?

K: As I have mentioned to you, the first matter is because of the favor of Allah (Subhanah wa Tala), and a person has no power except with Allah, never. On the contrary, this made us increase in our respect for the Muslims, and it makes a person encourage good deeds everywhere as much as he can... People here have all respect and appreciation for us, as I have mentioned... because what made us come to them is supporting our brothers in a limited field, without interference in their problems. Certainly any nation or any people have many problems, either internal or otherwise. Our operations were concentrated and clear against the Russian forces with causing to them problems, either with the neighboring republics or certain organizations. The person didnt strive only, I mean determining certain points. A person who entered this Republic or entered to support this Ummah like the Chechen nation, he would determine certain points in supporting them in fighting during a period when they needed it the most. Of course, being patient with them during the period of fighting and during the hardest times, I mean we stayed with them for two years, despite times which passed in which we thought that the cause had ended or that the Russians had prevailed, I mean they totally controlled the Republic and the fighting had finished, and there was no space for resisting. All the radios - Islamic, Arabic and others - declared the complete end of the Chechen cause and that the matters had settled down, but the reality was different. We were patient with them in those times. This, as well as our participation with them, I mean in times like Eid Al-Fitr, or Eid Al-Adha, made the people look at us with respect. This made the people appreciate the presence of members, or let us say the Muslim brothers from Arabs and others.

A.K.: Khattab, do you think the war has ended between Chechnya and Russia?

K: In the form of the previous tactics it almost ended, but of course the war turned from one form to another, although the danger is still present in the presence of the Russian forces on the borders, either in Dagestan and from the east or in Istilia from the west,

there are huge numbers of the Russian forces. It takes the Russian tanks to move from the eastern to the western borders only around two weeks. So their danger is still present, but the Russians dont have the power or capability to enter into a war like what happened last year, but they are trying to keep pressure on the Republic economically. They cause a number of problems inside the Republic either by assassinations, or aiding the opposition with money and trying to foil the government of the Mujahideen. They try to discredit the government of the Mujahideen so that the people and the populace here see that the government of the Mujahideen isnt capable of providing anything, it isnt capable of giving anything, robbery is widespread, murders are common, arms are diffuse, there are many reasons and the Russians have many entries to the government of the Mujahideen because in fact they are besieging it from everywhere. They really need a huge amount of help during this period. There is no doubt that Chechnya is the heart of the Caucuses. The Russians in any case wont let the matter end in the form that it has ended. Here it became clear and incontestable to the Mujahideen how the Russians couldnt do anything towards this very small republic. Moreover, this encourages the neighboring areas like Dagestan, Ingushetia, Karachay and the nearby Islamic Republics to take the path of Chechnya.

A.K.: Lets speak specifically. What is your role now... what is the role of your group after the end of the war?

K: Me I dont have a group, I mean we were present, the number of the brothers who entered those who entered to give support to the brothers were very few. Maybe they didnt exceed even 15 brothers in the period of fighting the numbers of the brothers increased to 30. There werent many brothers, most of the Mujahideen were from the Caucasus not only from Chechnya -, they came from Karachay, Dagestan; people from everywhere participated with us. After the end of the fighting we will try only to present relief aid or Dawah, or participate in that as much as we can. In fact they are very much damaged, and they are really in need to many factors, there arent any efforts and there arent any activities now. I mean the groups and that were here, are now Alhamdulillah working in many sections of the government, supporting the leadership, and some of them went for trading. So some of the brothers a very simple

activity in Dawah, or giving aid work as much as they could during periods like Eid AlAdha, or Eid Al-Fitr or certain occasions.

A.K.: Is there any activity of spreading cassettes for teaching Islam and teaching the Arabic language. Does that enter in your projects?

K: As I have mentioned to you there arent any projects. In fact it is a message that should be done by the Muslim and especially the one who comes from Arab and Islamic countries, he should do the Dawah and educate as much as he can. Really what encourages the person for this is the great acceptance of the youth, especially the Chechens and others in the republics, of knowledge of the Shariah and learning the Arabic language and reciting the Quran. Its their dream and these communist countries were totally closed from the outside Islamic world. Now really they have a very big acceptance, that pushes the person to present to them more and adjust to them programs as much as he can. He only tries to give support, nothing more nothing less, without interfering in their problems and their internal affairs.

A.K.: Khattab, a last question. We notice inside the republic of Chechnya an obvious Turkish activity, and many of the media speak that there are Turkish plans inside this region. If we assume that there was a military conflict between the Chechens and the Turks, whose side will you stand on?

K: Never, we wont stand with anyone and wont interfere in the affairs of anyone, fighting is only against the Kaffir forces. Regarding the troubles inside, either between the Chechens and the opposition and the Mujahideen, or the Mujahideen who were in the ranks of the old government or a neighboring Islamic country like Turkey (although I dont think that there are any borders), we will be neutral and the person will try to give advice as much as he can. But Turkey doesnt have any activity, they even dont have any representatives, they dont have any centers, rather they dont have any presence. There were small groups during the time of fighting and they have gone as

many of the Arab brothers have gone, and only a few of them remain now. They dont have any activity, some of their delegates come only to give relief aid, nothing more nothing less. These matters can never happen it cannot be, and Allah knows better.

A.K.: Thank you.

K: Jazak Allah Khayran.