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I've read in several credible sources report that former anti-Russian insurgents from the Caucuses (e.g., Chechnya) are also in Syria, and rumors say Russia fac

I've read in several credible sources report that former anti-Russian insurgents from the Caucuses (e.g., Chechnya) are also in Syria, and rumors say Russia facilitated that.

int_19h 10y ago
This is likely a conflation of two different facts. On one hand, the Syrian branch of what later became ISIS has a lot of Chechen fighters, mostly associated with Doku Umarov and his "Caucasus Emirate"; indeed, one of the groups that united to become ISIS was founded by a group of Chechen separatist commanders. The aforementioned contractors pegged them as the best fighting force that ISIS currently possesses, due to both high morale and experience. On the other hand, Russia has been kinda sorta reviving the "savage division" traditions of the Empire, specifically with Chechnya as a source of recruits. They were used in Ukraine (ironically, sometimes fighting against Chechen separatists who came to join the Ukrainian National Guard volunteer battalions), and now also in Syria. But they're usually not former anti-Russian insurgents from the most recent war (the one that started in 1999). Many of them were separatists in the first war (1994-96), but switched sides in the second war, like the current Chechen leader Kadyrov.
- hackuser 10y ago
  Thanks. OT: Where do you learn all this? I read a lot of foreign policy and I'm always interested in excellent new sources. The Jamestown Foundation provides in-depth coverage Russian and Caucuses issues like these, if long-winded a little partisan, but I haven't found much else.
  - int_19h 10y ago
    I'm Russian, so it's easy to follow the local news and social media. Also, I follow a variety of "interesting" people on LiveJournal. Among them are some separatist militia fighters from Donbass, so I get a scoop of their inner news, rumors and propaganda. These guys are actually surprisingly ready to share with most anyone who's willing to listen - they have a lot of broken expectations, and many are angry in a very loud way.

I've read in several credible sources report that former anti-Russian insurgents from the Caucuses (e.g., Chechnya) are also in Syria, and rumors say Russia facilitated that.

int_19h 10y ago

This is likely a conflation of two different facts. On one hand, the Syrian branch of what later became ISIS has a lot of Chechen fighters, mostly associated with Doku Umarov and his "Caucasus Emirate"; indeed, one of the groups that united to become ISIS was founded by a group of Chechen separatist commanders. The aforementioned contractors pegged them as the best fighting force that ISIS currently possesses, due to both high morale and experience. On the other hand, Russia has been kinda sorta reviving the "savage division" traditions of the Empire, specifically with Chechnya as a source of recruits. They were used in Ukraine (ironically, sometimes fighting against Chechen separatists who came to join the Ukrainian National Guard volunteer battalions), and now also in Syria. But they're usually not former anti-Russian insurgents from the most recent war (the one that started in 1999). Many of them were separatists in the first war (1994-96), but switched sides in the second war, like the current Chechen leader Kadyrov.

hackuser 10y ago
Thanks. OT: Where do you learn all this? I read a lot of foreign policy and I'm always interested in excellent new sources. The Jamestown Foundation provides in-depth coverage Russian and Caucuses issues like these, if long-winded a little partisan, but I haven't found much else.
- int_19h 10y ago
  I'm Russian, so it's easy to follow the local news and social media. Also, I follow a variety of "interesting" people on LiveJournal. Among them are some separatist militia fighters from Donbass, so I get a scoop of their inner news, rumors and propaganda. These guys are actually surprisingly ready to share with most anyone who's willing to listen - they have a lot of broken expectations, and many are angry in a very loud way.