Chechen President and Six Others Killed in Bomb Explosion in Grozny - 2004-05-09

In a large bomb explosion in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, Ahmad Kadyrov, the pro-Russian President, and at least six others were killed. More than 50 people were also injured in the bombing incident. Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Mr. Kadyrov as a hero who worked hard for his people. Sergey Abramov, the Prime Minister of Chechnya, has temporarily taken over as acting president. President Putin stated that the responsibility for the explosion lies with terrorists. Apparently, Mr. Putin's reference to 'terrorists' pertains to Muslim separatists who had accused Mr. Kadyrov of 'treason' and had attempted to eliminate him several times. So far, five individuals have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bombing. The explosion occurred at a stadium where Mr. Kadyrov was watching a ceremony celebrating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. The White House and the European Union condemned the bombing in Grozny. Ahmad Kadyrov, the slain President of Chechnya, was previously a separatist politician before Kremlin support turned him into a pro-Russian leader, which angered many Chechen rebels who had once fought alongside him. Kadyrov was born in 1951 in the Kazakh Soviet Republic and later studied Islam in Uzbekistan. He became one of the prominent Muslim leaders of Chechnya, declaring independence from Russia in 1991. He participated in guerrilla warfare against Russia, which invaded Chechnya in 1994 to suppress the separatist rebellion. Following a series of terrorist bombings in Moscow, Russian soldiers invaded Chechnya again three years later. At that time, Mr. Kadyrov publicly severed ties with the Muslim fighters who sought to establish an Islamic government in Chechnya. Vladimir Putin appointed Ahmad Kadyrov as acting president of Chechnya in 2000. Kadyrov was elected president in October last year and announced that he would rid the region of separatists. The United States stated that the elections in Chechnya did not meet the standards of free and fair elections, and European observers also questioned the legitimacy and validity of the Chechen elections.