Abduction of Russian diplomats in Iraq

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The 2006 abduction of Russian diplomats in Iraq took place on June 3, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq when Iraqi insurgents ambushed a car belonging to the Russian Embassy.[1] Vitaly Titov, an embassy official, was killed in the attack and the other four persons in the car – Fyodor Zaitsev (the embassy Third Secretary[2]), Rinat Agliuglin (a cook), Oleg Fedoseyev (a maintenance worker), and Anatoly Smirnov (a driver)[3] – were abducted.[4]

On June 19, 2006, the Mujahedeen Shura Council, a group affiliated with al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack and issuing an ultimatum to Russia to withdraw from Chechnya and release all Muslim prisoners within 48 hours. On June 25, the group issued a statement that it had beheaded three of the hostages and shot to death the fourth. The statement was accompanied by a video showing the beheaded corpse of one hostage, the beheading of one hostage, and the shooting of a third.[4]

On June 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian security services to locate and kill those responsible for the kidnapping and execution of the diplomats. Nikolai Patrushev, the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor organisation of the KGB, noted that the order would be carried out regardless of the "time and effort" required.[3][2] A similar order was believed to have been issued against Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, the one-time acting president of the former Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Yandarbiyev was killed by a bomb in Doha, Qatar in February 2004.[5] However, Aleksandr Goltz, a Russian military expert, questioned the ability of Russian intelligence agencies to carry out the assassination order in a country mired in civil war.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Russia Confirms Deaths Of Hostages In Iraq", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, AP, AFP, 2006-06-26. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  2. ^ a b "Putin Orders Hunt For Killers Of Russian Hostages In Iraq", KABC-TV, AP, 2006-06-28. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  3. ^ a b Myers, Steven Lee. "Putin issues order to kill slayers of hostages", The New York Times, 2006-06-28. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  4. ^ a b "Group Claims Russian Hostages Slain", CNN, AP, 2006-06-25. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  5. ^ Walsh, Nick Paton. "Putin gets blame for Qatar hit: Chechen 'financier of terrorism' killed by mine", Guardian Unlimited, 2004-02-15. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
  6. ^ "Russia: Putin's Orders In Iraq Create Challenges For The FSB", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 2006-06-30. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
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