Sergey Kadinsky

Written Works

This research article was written in the Summer of 2006, as a Media Fellow at the Jerusalem office of The Israel Project.

How Great is

Iranian Support for

Chechen Separatism?

As an oil-rich strategically located nation, Russian concern and interest in Iran has been ongoing for at least two centuries. Following the overthrow of the pro-American monarchy in 1979, the Soviet government has made a number of attempts to make an alliance with Iran, in order to secure a position of influence in the Middle East, and access to Iranian oil. While the constitution of Iran describes the support of Islamist movements around the world to be the official public policy of the government,[1] the government also views Russia as an important asset in its quest to obtain nuclear technology. In addition, some members of the Iranian government fear that support for Chechen separatists may encourage separatism among certain ethnic minorities within Iran, such as the Kurds, Azeris, and Baluchis. This means that Iranian support for Chechen separatist forces may not be as vocal as it is in other Muslim countries.

At the same time, Iran’s relationship to various Islamist movements may also depend on who is leading Iran. Unlike his predecessors, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been more vocal in his support of various Islamist movements. Calling for the state of Israel to be wiped off the map,[2] Ahmadinejad stands in contrast with previous president Mohammad Khatami, who favored a “dialogue between the civilizations.” Openly declaring that confrontation with western nations could bring about the return of the hidden imam,[3] Ahmadinejad firmly believes that his actions will lead to the Shiite Muslim version of the Apocalypse, where non-Muslim nations would be destroyed upon the return of Mohamed ibn Hasan, a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed and a revered figure in Shiite Islam.

This behavior has led the Washington Post editorial board to question Russian cooperation with Iran, claiming that it could “blackmail Russia by aiding jihadists in Chechnya,” as well as stepping up its efforts to aid Hezbollah in Lebanon and insurgents in Russia.[4] The need for vigilance has been highlighted in Iraq, where a group calling itself the Mujahedeen Shura Council kidnapped five Russian diplomats, killing one. The group demanded complete Russian withdrawal from Chechnya and a release of all Chechen insurgents held in Russian prisons.[5]

In spite of Russian opposition to the war in Iraq, the kidnapping shows that some insurgent groups do not differentiate between countries that have military forces in Iraq and those that do not. Such kidnappings show that even France, or Denmark, which have been among the more vocal critics of the war, could have their diplomats kidnapped, with reasons such as school headscarf bans or newspaper cartoons being used by the kidnappers. As a major source of funding for insurgents in Iraq, Iran could take a more active role in preventing such kidnappings by condemning such actions, and/or cutting funding to them.

Aside from Chechnya, another region in which Iran may be exercising its influence is Azerbaijan. Since the September 11^th attacks, both the Azeri government and the majority of the population have expressed support for the United States. However, Arif Yunusov, suggests that this support may be eroding. Yunusov is the author of the book entitled "Islam in Azerbaijan.”[6] According to Yunusov, many Azeris were upset with the corruption and fraud in local elections, and the inability of western governments to speak out on this topic. In places such as Afghanistan, Somalia, and the Palestinian territories, Islamist parties have often run on anti-corruption platforms to win popular support. Azerbaijan has the second largest Shiite Muslim population outside of Iran, with the southern border areas being more religiously conservative than the cosmopolitan capital city of Baku.

If Islamist movements were to attract support in Azerbaijan, it could create a potential problem for Russia, which fears the spread of Islamism to Dagestan, an autonomous republic with a majority Muslim population. Azeri opposition leader Nurshaq Nuriyev of the Azadliq Party believes that if the West and Russia do not take an active role in fostering democracy in Azerbaijan, Iran could do it, with painful results. "If democratic change is impossible," Nuriev asked, "what is the alternative for a Muslim country? Now people are going to the square with orange flags. But maybe in five years they will go to the square with green flags."[7]

The use of Azerbaijan as a conduit between Iran and Chechnya could sway Russia to take a more active role in preventing extremist religious elements from seeping into Azerbaijan, and reduce Iran’s influence over this country. It is possible that this fear could also persuade the Russian government to be less accommodating to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

One way in which Russia is attempting to contain Iranian nuclear ambitions while maintaining its need for Iranian oil is through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an agreement created in 2001 which includes the Central Asian states, with Russia and China taking leadership positions in the organization. Using its leadership position, China has been effective in suppressing separatism in Xinjiang, a majority Muslim province with ethnic ties to the Central Asian states. Under the agreement, China assisted states such as Uzbekistan in quelling their own local Islamist insurgencies as well as cultivating economic ties, if these states dropped any talk of solidarity with the aspirations of the Uyghur people for self-rule in Xinjiang.[8]

By doing the same with Iran, Russia hopes to discourage Iran from supporting Islamists in Chechnya, Dagestan, and other Muslim republics within Russia. Within Russia, there is currently a debate going on whether Iran should be given full membership. Ultranationalist Parliament member Vladimir Zhirinovsky is among the leading voices,[9] with a history of opposition to the United States and its involvement in the Middle East. Considering that the SCO was founded as a security agreement against terrorism, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld expressed outrage that "the leading terrorist nation in the world" was being invited into "an organization that says it's against terror." At this time, it appears that Iran is not likely to receive full membership, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev.[10]

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