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In a recent TV interview, President of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov said that the West created, armed, and trained ISIS and that the Paris attacks were "merely an attempt to create artificial turmoil, in order to carry out certain plans." Kadyrov further said: "the US is the cause of all the terrorist attacks worldwide." The interview aired on the Egyptian Al-Tahrir TV channel on November 25, 2015.
Following are excerpts:
Interviewer: You say that you have eradicated terror. Are you sure of that?
Ramzan Kadyrov: I am 100% sure. These are not empty words, because now the entire Chechen people realizes what terrorism is. Naturally, these are groups of adolescents who do not understand the essence of Islam, and who heed the inciting calls of those who claim to speak on behalf of Islam. They are, in fact, the products of Western intelligence agencies. Nevertheless, we are confronting them, and if anyone fails to understand the truth, we force him to understand it.
Interviewer: How?
Ramzan Kadyrov: We have honorable ulema who studied religion in Egypt and in Syria. They explain the prophetic hadiths and the Quran. They explain the true essence of Islam. As for those who turn away from the Sunna, the religious teachings and traditions – we treat them in a different way. We do not hesitate. If they do not heed our calls, we give them a one-way ticket to the next world…
[…]
[ISIS] has significant financial resources and military capabilities.
Interviewer: From where?
Ramzan Kadyrov: The West gives them everything. It teaches, trains, and arms them.
Interviewer: Why would the West, which is now burnt by the fire [of terrorism], arm them?
Ramzan Kadyrov: They do not target the West at all.
Interviewer: What about what happened in Paris?
Ramzan Kadyrov: I think that it was merely an attempt to create artificial turmoil, in order to carry out certain plans.
Interviewer: Why haven't they carried out similar terrorist acts in the past?
Ramzan Kadyrov: Do you think that they are incapable of doing the same thing in London or Germany? Of course they are capable of doing that any time, because they have much experience, which enables them to make bombs and to use them wherever they want.
Interviewer: Do you think that they will not repeat the Paris bombings?
Ramzan Kadyrov: Of course they will. The West dictates its terms to the international community. After Al-Qaeda, there was a need to create a new organization. The West created [ISIS] and, at the same time, began fighting it. Consequently, members of this organization will flee to many countries, and will form local networks there. When these local networks begin to engage in terrorist activities, the West will have the pretext of fighting terrorism to intervene in other countries.
[…]
Interviewer: In your opinion, who is behind the emergence of ISIS? Who is to blame for all that is happening in Syria?
Ramzan Kadyrov: America. America is guilty. I am one billion percent sure of this – even more. I tell you, the U.S. is the cause for all the terrorist attacks worldwide. The Americans must face reality, and must give the Syrian people the right to self-determination. They must refrain from interfering in the domestic affairs of others countries, as they did in Egypt, Libya, and Iraq.
Interviewer: People call you a dictator.
Ramzan Kadyrov: I am a democratic dictator. This is my [usual] joke. Did you know that the Chechen Republic is the most developed region in Russia in many fields? As far as I am concerned, the will of the people is the most important thing.
Interviewer: Not the will of the president?
Ramzan Kadyrov: Not at all.
Ramzan Kadyrov: The president knows full well that he is the slave of Allah and a servant of the people. According to the polls, if elections were held today, 98% of the people would vote for me. This is according to independent centers.
Interviewer: Where is the opposition?
Ramzan Kadyrov: Why do we need an opposition, when the republic is flourishing?
Interviewer: Were you sad when Saddam Hussein was executed?
Ramzan Kadyrov: One of the greatest tragedies of my life was when the U.S. executed a Muslim president. Why did they do that? Saddam was their ally, and he was a friend of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. He acted on their advice when he occupied Kuwait. He was their man in the region. They executed all the Muslims, not only Saddam. These are always their policies.
Interviewer: But Saddam was a dictator.
Ramzan Kadyrov: And what is happening in Iraq now? Iraqis had better lives under Saddam. Look what is happening in Libya. The country has split into many regions. Each region is supported by Turkey, or the U.S., or someone else. Anarchy has taken over Libya, and there is no state in the accepted sense of the word. The leader of each region wants to break away from the country. Is that a good thing?
Interviewer: Mr. President, I understand that you are against the term "Arab Spring."
Ramzan Kadyrov: It is just a Western-made term that is meant to finish off all the Arab states.
[…]
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