Russian Rebel Leader Calls for "Disruption" of Sochi Olympics

(ATR) The leader of Russia’s Islamist insurgency Doku Umarov called on rebels to "derail" the Sochi Olympics.

In a video posted online, Umarov, the self-proclaimed Emir of the Caucasus Emirate, urged Islamists to do "their utmost to derail" the Olympics, according to a report from the Reuters news agency.

"We have the obligation to use all means to prevent this," Umarov said.

"They plan to hold the Olympics on the bones of our ancestors, on the bones of many, many dead Muslims – buried on the territory of our land on the Black Sea. We as mujahideen are obliged not to permit that, using any methods allowed us by the almighty Allah.

"I call on you, every mujahid, either in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan or on the territory of the Caucasus to use maximum force on the path of Allah to disrupt this Satanic dancing on the bones of our ancestors."

Previously, he called for a terror-free Olympics, and for Islamists to stop targeting civilians.

The Caucus region is seen as the hotbed of the Russian Islamist insurgency.

Russian officials have labeled Umarov their most wanted criminal, after he orchestrated the 2011 Domodedovo Airport Bombings. Thirty-seven civilians died in the suicide bombing of Moscow’s busiest airport.

Sochi 2014 CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko said in April that the Sochi Olympics would be the "safest ever."

"Those who will be at the Olympic Games in Sochi should know this: We will provide them with security," he said.

"The security system for the Games was devised with the participation of leading international experts. It conforms to the security demands of an event of this magnitude and has been repeatedly checked at test competitions and other events."

The Sochi Olympics will run from February 7th through 23rd.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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