Ahmad Nasser Eid Abdullah Al-Fajri Al-Azimi, also, Abu Omar Al-Kuwaiti[1] and Abu Zaid (1972 – 16 February 2005) was a Kuwaiti and suspected al-Qaeda agent operating first in Afghanistan and later in Chechnya and the wider Caucasus area.[2][3]
Biography
[edit]Abu Zaid worked as a Kuwaiti actor in children TV programs, until he turned to religion and started working as an Imam at the Safwan Bin Omayah Mosque of Kuwait City, though he was soon sacked for illegally collecting donations from the mosque goers. In 1998 he first went to Afghanistan where he was reportedly trained at the al-Qaeda Al Farouq training camp, and then in October 1999 on to Chechnya.[4] He was accused by the Russian government of numerous terrorist attacks, including involvement in organizing the Beslan school hostage crisis.[5][6]
On 16 February 2005, Abu Zaid died after having been surrounded by Russian special forces in his safehouse in Ingushetia.[7][8][9]
References
[edit]- ^ Is the Salafi-Jihadist way still an obstacle to Russia in Chechnya? Archived 5 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine By Murad Batal al-Shistani
- ^ Evan Kohlmann (23 February 2005). "Death of Al-Qaida Emissary Abu Omar al-Kuwaiti (.pdf)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2006. Retrieved 5 January 2007.
- ^ Murad Batal Al-Shishani. "The Rise and Fall of Arab Fighters in Chechnya (.pdf)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2006. Retrieved 5 January 2007.
- ^ Murad Batal al-Shishani (18 May 2005). "Is the Salafi-Jihadist way still an obstacle to Russia in Chechnya?". Central Asia Analyst. Retrieved 5 January 2007.
- ^ Russian parliament report on Beslan backs security forces actions, 22 December 2006
- ^ Beslan Massacre Probe Defends Russian Forces Washington Post 23 December 2006
- ^ 'AND BE TOUGHER ON THEM, TOUGHER.' - Antiterrorist Operations Continue in Nearly Every Republic of the North Caucasus The Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press, No. 8, Vol. 57, 23 March 2005, page(s): 11–11
- ^ World Briefing | Europe: Russia: Suspected Qaeda Operative Dead New York Times, 22 February 2005
- ^ Putin Orders Crackdown on Islamic Militants Fox News 21 February 2005