MESOP JIHAD WATCH : MORE ABOUT MUSLIM SHISHANI’S EARLY YEARS AS A MILITANT IN INGUSHETIA – (WITH PICS!)

APRIL 19, 2016 | JOANNA PARASZCZUK | From Chechnya To Syria

They note that Muslim Shishani, a.k.a. Murad Iraklievich Margoshvili, was born on 15.01.1970 in Duisi in the Pankisi Gorge, Georgia. He is known by various other aliases including Murad Akhmedovich Madaev DOB 26.05.1973 in Grozny, Chechnya, and his nicknames include Abdurakhman, Muslim, Artur, George (Dzhordzh), George the Kist, and of course Muslim Shishani.

Before I go on, I should note that North Caucasian militants–in particular the older, veteran Öghters–often have a large number of aliases or nicknames and using “real” names to is almost taboo. According to KP, Muslim joined the armed group “Terek” in late 1999, a group that had around 40 members. He underwent training in the Kavkaz training camp in the forest in Serzhen-Yurt in the Shali district of Chechnya. After that Muslim also conducted training sessions for new recruits (incidentally, and KP does not mention this, Muslim is or has been involved with running a training camp in Latakia in Syria).

KP goes on to say that Muslim acted as an assistant, as it were, to Khattab and was responsible

for Önancial matters, supplying weapons, money and food.

In 2001-2002 Muslim participated in attacks on federal forces’ convoys around Tsa-Vedeno in

Chechnya (map here). After Khattab was killed (in March 2002), Muslim led a group that was

part of an “illegal armed group under the leadership of Abu Al-Walid,” which had up to 50 men.

According to KP, later, on the personal orders of Abu Al-Walid and in order to intensify

terrorist activities in Ingushetia, Muslim was transferred to the Sunzha District of Ingushetia,

where he led groups named “Taliban,” “Khalifat,” and “Dyshno” and coordinate their activities.

19.4.2016 More About Muslim Shishani’s Early Years As a Militant In Ingushetia (With Pics!) | From Chechnya To Syria

He allegedly took part in the 2001 shooting of the former deputy military commander of the

Vedeno district of Chechnya, according to KP. That attack took place on 15 August, 2001

and the former deputy military commander of the Vedeno district, Raybek Tevzaev, was killed

alongside three of his bodyguards.

In May 2003, the Taliban and Dyshno groups, under Muslim’s command and consisting of

around 50 people, attacked a convoy of federal forces between the villages of Alkhasty and

Galashki in Inigushetia, killing six soldiers.

Muslim was arrested in October 2003 on several charges: at the time of his arrest he was

carrying a passport in the name of Murad Akhmedovich Madaev from Grozny.

According to KP, Muslim was acquitted and released in February 2006 following a verdict by

the Supreme Court of Ingushetia. Muslim was released in the courtroom (there was then an

attempt to kidnap him, which I have written about in an earlier post). According to KP, Muslim

then disappeared, having crossed into Dagestan, and from there crossed into Georgia and

returned to Duisi, where he lived until 2012. KP alleges — and this is an allegation I have heard

before, it comes from the Russian security forces– that Muslim had close connections with the

Georgian security/intelligence forces.

Muslim left Georgia for Syria in 2012, and the rest I have covered in as much detail as possible

elsewhere. KP gets its facts wrong in the next part of its post– Muslim never joined Jabhat alNusra

(in fact there are tensions between Nusra and Muslim’s small group now, or rather not

tensions but sources suggest that Nusra does not want to work with Muslim although Muslim

is happy to do so.)

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