Orientalists treat Kadyrov's words about invasion into Dagestan as a signal to Kremlin

Ramzan Kadyrov has fuelled tensions in Chechen-Dagestani relations, when he blamed Dagestan for the 1999 events, analysts believe. In their opinion, the head of Chechnya has once again demonstrated his loyalty to the Kremlin.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Kadyrov regarded the thesis that "Chechen terrorists attacked Dagestan" to be false. He also compared the events of 1999 with the Caucasian War of the 19th century, accusing Imam Shamil of repressions against Chechens for their unwillingness to confront Russia. The Dagestani Muftiate has criticized Kadyrov for his words about Imam Shamil, and residents of Dagestan condemned Kadyrov.

Shamil Basaev played an important role in the events of August 1999, Akhmet Yarlykapov, an Orientalist, has recalled. Kadyrov's statements, which provoked a negative reaction in Dagestan, fit quite well into the logic of the republics' tensions because of border issues, he has stated.

Mikhail Roschin, another Orientalist, has not also excluded that Kadyrov's statement was caused by the aggravated Dagestani-Chechen interrelations because of territorial disputes.

The invasion into Dagestan was not a Chechen initiative, Ruslan Kutaev, the head of the "Assembly of Caucasian Nations", asserts. According to his version, the initiator of the invasion was Bagautdin Kebedov, one of the ideologists of North-Caucasian militants.