14:53, 24 January 2014

Experts treat inclusion of Krasnodar Territory in "Imarat Kavkaz" as "paper intrigues"

Fragment of a map where part of the Krasnodar Territory was included in the "Imarat Kavkaz" territory. Source: http://andry-astrakhkin.livejournal.com

In early 2014, the websites supporting North-Caucasian militants published a map, where the territory of the "Imarat Kavkaz" extended from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea and included the Krasnodar Territory. Experts believe that the map is of virtual nature only and it does not mean real extension of militants' structures beyond Northern Caucasus.

According to the new map that was posted on the Internet in early 2014, militants have annexed the Krasnodar Territory to the "Imarat Kavkaz" and renamed it to "the vilayet of Circassia".

When commenting on the publication of the new map of the "Imarat Kavkaz" on the Internet, most experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent called the possibility of expansion into new territories only on paper and stated that, in fact, no combat militants' structures outside the regions traditional for militants are in question.

Islamic scholar Alexei Malashenko, an expert from the Moscow Carnegie Centre, suggests not to pay attention to such maps. "These are paper intrigues, and authorities benefit from such intrigues," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Alexei Malashenko.

Author: Semyen Charny

Source: CK correspondent