Kadyrov courted by Russia

CHECHNYA’S president Akhmad Kadyrov, who was killed yesterday in an explosion in the capital Grozny, is a one-time rebel who earned innumerable enemies when he switched to Moscow’s side during the current war.

The mufti, who won a landslide victory in a controversial presidential election last October, was seen by many in the Caucasus republic as a Kremlin stooge after he supported Moscow at the start of the war in October 1999.

In the first war between Russian troops and Chechen separatists in the 1990s, Kadyrov fought with the rebels, calling for a jihad, or holy war, against Russia in 1995.

But when Russia launched the second war against Chechen separatists in October 1999, Kadyrov threw his lot in with Moscow.

And Moscow threw its lot in with him.

His anti-Islamist stance had earned him respect among the Chechens grown disenchanted with their elected leaders, and several warlords pledged allegiance to him.