Assassination Attempt: How Muslim Terrorists Planned to Kill the Russian President in Azerbaijan

- Is it true that your life has been attempted at various times?

Vladimir Putin: "Do you think it should be mentioned? There are a few catchy sayings on that score, and Nazarbayev likes to recall this one: the throne is always adjacent to the scaffold. The ‘throne’ part of the saying is beside the point, though. I’ve never felt I’m holding some throne. The real meaning is this: when making a choice one should be aware of the implications".

The first attempt on Putin's life, at least the one that became known, was being prepared here, in Baku, at the end of 2000. The Russian President announced a visit to the South Caucasus, while warfare was raging in the Russian North Caucasus.

 

- By that time Vladimir Putin had been President for slightly more than six months. Azerbaijan was openly mentioned as one of his first international visits. There the so-called international humanitarian missions to support Ichkeria had already been established. Terrorists got infiltrated there, and while anticipating the visit of the Russian President, they were examining one of Baku's main attractions: the Alley of Heroes, which Putin, of course, would have to visit".

The case was assigned to a professional terrorist trained in the al-Qaeda camps.

Indrat Fatullayev, MNS of Azerbaijan: "A citizen of Iraq born in 1974, Chanan Ahmed Rustam, also known as Abdurrahman Bukhari, Abu Sayyid Al Kurdi, Magomedov Kanan Ahmedovich, first appeared in the sights of Azerbaijan National Security Services in May 2000".

The Russian Intelligence Services helped; the terrorist was detected through a call with Khattab, which was wiretapped. It turned out that Chanan Ahmed Rustam, who was in charge of terrorist acts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, was an instructor on explosive attacks. He brought to Baku the newest schemes for several bombs, linked by SIM cards. This was when mobile phones were not just rare but even luxury items.

Indrat Fatullayev: "These devices were unique. Simultaneously, with these devices' help several explosions could be performed through a phone call".

- At that time, terrorists had not yet used the technique?"

Indrat Fatullayev: "In our practice, it was the first time".

The Iraqi citizen was arrested. Little time was left to carry out the mission to punish Putin on behalf of all international terrorists for having interfered in the creation of a Caliphate in Chechnya. These tombstones were supposed to explode in the Alley of Heroes. It was here that Vladimir Putin and Heydar Aliyev later came to pay homage. In the post-Soviet history, it was, by the way, the first state visit of the Russian leader to Azerbaijan.

- How did the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan change with Putin's arrival?

Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan: "They changed radically. The first meeting of Heydar Aliev with Vladimir Putin lasted for a very long time, and, once it was over, my father shared his impressions of Vladimir Putin. Of course, they had a lot in common: they were both trained in the Higher School of the KGB in Leningrad, so being colleagues, they understood each other very well and built a very trusting relationship. He said, “I'm happy for Russia and also for Azerbaijan, because Putin is a reliable partner for Azerbaijan".