ISLAMIC MILITANTS THREATEN CRIMEA

“The Crimean Tatar Majlis (illegal ethnic “parliament”) has drawn up lists of people who, as it thinks, are able to put up resistance and who are slated for physical elimination”. Leader of the Proryv youth organisation Alexei Dobychin made this statement in an interview to the Russian online agency Regnum.ru. “Every regional branch of the Majlis has its own hit list. If the events on the peninsula degenerate into violence, the Tatar can massacre the Crimean population, especially in the steppes, in a matter of two or three days”. Obviously, the Majlis is ready to rerun a WWII scenario. After the Nazi takeover the Tatars massacred up to 100 000 people of Slavic origin in the Crimean steppes. Mr. Dobychin thinks that a war in the Crimea is inevitable and that the peninsula could turn into another Kosovo. Dobychin claims that up to 30 Islamic extremist groups are operating now in the Crimea. “Three years ago, he says, they were drilled in urban guerrilla. Arms caches are still being discovered in the Crimean Mountains. They have fire ranges. Caravans loaded with drugs and arms make deliveries through the Ai-Petri Mountain. Militant terrorist groups recruit their members from the Majlis structures. They get full support from the illegal Crimean Tatar “parliament”. The new members of the terrorist groups are mostly young people who used to be apolitical but turned into warriors after a serious ideological brainwashing. Young Crimean Tatars say bluntly that this is their land and all the others should leave. Older Crimean Tatars admit in private that they don’t share such ideas but cannot oppose them out of fear for their security”. Mr. Alexei Dobychin added quoting unnamed sources that in a critical situation the Russian Black Sea Navy would be able to defend only territories where it has its bases. There will be no Russian interference beyond them.