From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 12/9/2005 2:24 AM
Decmber, 9, 2005

From Russia with lie

- The book "Brides of Allah" of  Russian journalist Julia Juzik appeared in the centre of attention in many European countries, including Norway. Warm reception of the book based on the prejudiced and doubtful information, shows, how noncritically the public concerns to the conflict in the Chechen Republic.

"Unusual document exposing suiciders", - enthusiastically wrote the Norwegian press about the book "Brides of Allah" of Russian journalist Julia Juzik. But this book shows a mash from documentary not confirmed statements and strange interviews which give the deformed picture of the conflict in the Chechen Republic and the Chechen society. Conspiratorial main idea Jusik is that islamic terrorists cooperate with right protecting organizations and the western prospecting services to blow up Russia, it seems, results from her close cooperation with FSB. The main problem of the book consists that the facts submitted in it are doubtful, as well as in denying by sources words of Jusik, by her to them attributed. How may there be such product accepted without a shadow of doubt the public not only in Norway, but also in many other European countries?

From "Komsomolskaja Pravda" up to publishing house «Ganesa»

In April, 2005 the book "Brides of Allah", written by Russian journalist Julia Juzik, was issued by the Norwegian publishing house «Ganesa». In the book the question is about Chechen suiciders - in total 24 young women who  that or otherwise participated in acts of terrorism in the period with 2000 for 2003 are described. The book represents these women as puppets in hands of demonic instigators which with the help of drugs, and also mental, physical and sexual violence manipulate women, forcing them to "die for Allah". The book warns, that will appear new suiciders as the network which hires them, washes out their brains and sends them on death, still remains untouched.

Julia Juzik was born in 1981, and for "Komsomolskaja Pravda" began to write in her seventeens. "Komsomolskaja Pravda" - it is a rag, focusing the attention on histories about celebrities. Politically this newspaper is closest to the Kremlin authorities - besides, it carried out campaign for extradition by the Great Britain the Chechen politician Akhmed Zakaev. The Russian authorities assert, that Zakaev, who received a political asylum in the Great Britain, is the terrorist. Some of Jusik's articles are hung out on official sites fsb.ru and kremlin.ru.

On an insipid cover "Brides of Allah" it is written, that Jusik has arrived to the Chechen Republic the first time in autumn of 2002. After tragedy at theatre on Dubrovka at the end of october, 2002 she has returned to the Chechen Republic and has collected within several months a material fixed in a basis of the book. So, she was young when the first edition of the book came out - she was just 22 years old. According to the information of publishing house and the author, the book did not become popular in Russia as FSB recommended booksellers not to sell the book supporting terrorism. Some of copies, nevertheless, was sold, but the book has remained relatively unnoticed in Russia - including the liberal press writing critically about war in the Chechen Republic.

"Unusual document"

In Norway, on the contrary, to the book have given a lot of attention. Julia Jusik participated in many actions in Oslo in April, 2005, to her devoted the whole columns of many newspapers, and Hans - Vilhelm Stainfeld has taken from her interview for telechannel NRK TV. The Norwegian responses about the book were mostly positive. In the newspaper «Aftenposten» the expert on Russia Halvur Shonn has published the thoughtful review of statements brought in the book and has come to a conclusion, that "Brides of Allah" have given an "extraordinary opportunity to familiarize with methods of work of Islamic terrorist groups in Chechnya", that it is an "unusual document", and that "journalistic method of Jusuk was simultaneously simple and well-grounded". Responses in the newspaper «Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad» which has given the book 5 points from five possible, and on a site «Kulturspeilet» were also entirely positive.

The review in the newspaper «Dagsavisen» was more constrained, specified that "Brides of Allah" has "obviously weak points"; but the same newspaper brought citations from the book in an editorial article and has made on the whole column an interview with Jusik where it was said, that "Jusik draws a picture of suiciders, not conterminous with a picture of "Black Widows" which try to offer Russian authorities. «Dagsavisen» also reproduces representation about the courageous woman speaking to authorities the truth directly to face. In all Norwegian press Jusik is freedom-loving, young and even more heroic relative of Osna Sejerstad represented as mix of Janna d'Ark and a portrait of "Freedom" of Delakrua. Visit of Jusik was in time. In our time the Truth arrives to Norway in an image of the young woman - she walks with the latent microphone to discuss trimming with imam in Oslo, or shows butt in Khaugesun.

Advertising interviews and multiseries articles on the whole column in connection with launch in sale of the book and Julia Juzik's visit to Oslo were numerous, scale and brightly illustrated. The big material about Jusik appeared in saturday release of the newspaper «Dagbladet» while «Klassekampen» placed interview with her under heading "unmasks the widows". The newspaper «VG» asserted, that "many people both on Russian, and on the Chechen side do not like the book, for which the conclusion has followed, that "this is a good feature on the war where the truth for a long time has sufferred the defeat". Really it usually makes the way on light when the question is war - even if it is possible to object, that in a case with the Chechen Republic defeat was sufferred more soon with press as to it or have silenced (the Russian press), or she does not wish to illustrates the war (the international press).

The article in «VG» is symptomatic that it associates Jusik with a neutral medial position, critical to "both sides". But it follows, probably to recollect, that in such non-central conflict as this, the Chechen side hardly could tell everything that wanted, and may not be equated to the Kremlin apparatus of authority and propagation. So it is difficult to speak about "both sides" as though they were equal. Also it is impossible to speak about any "chechen side" because the question is isolated groupings which battle as against Russian, as well as against each other, proceeding from various reasons and the purposes. There are islamic groups, separative groups, only criminal groups, and also it is a lot of people who simply want to revenge federal forces. One of problems of Jusik's book that she identifies all Chechen Resistance with extreme islamic groups - simplification which (as far as I understand in the conflict) has nothing common with the reality.

"wonam, mother, journalist"

The website under the name nesteklikk.no gives, likely, the best explanation to special attention of press to Jusik. "Julia is fragile, young and beautiful. She feels like confused because of all sensation around her and her written ambiguous book", - so begins the article, and then it is ascertained: when she begins to speak - speaks courageous woman". Sisterly solidarity is emphasized in the article where the author tells: "I was the only woman-journalist among numerous colleagues from the men, received after press conference on Tuesday the opportunity to communicate closely to the woman, mother and journalist Julia Jusik". Well appreciablly, that close dialogue impresses journalist who writes: "I do not know, whether I can understand all. Unimaginably that Julia Jusik has made what she heard and saw". Journalist then comes back to so suitable for Jusik the maiden modesty: "With the confused smile she thanks me that I came, but tries not to look directly in camera - Julia Juzik hesitates because of attention to the person, but in the courageous voice asserts before - worthless - correctness of the occupation". The article comes to an end, as it fits, with phrase: "I am full with admiration".

It is self-evident it is not a crime to be "fragile, young and beautiful", but, apparently, not the Norwegian journalists at a meeting with Jusik have given in to something like romantic intoxication. The Chechen Republic serves not only, if to borrow concept at writer Dubravki Ugresich, the moral vibrator of Europe which derivates the indignant, excited and not clear reaction at masters of a word or to a feather. Jusik besides is a fighter for freedom: "fragile", young and beautiful", "confused", "shy", but "bravely" she "before - worthless - asserts correctness of the occupation" and shrouds all in having revolutions with sexual attributes. The question is to struggle against oppression of women, in accordance with Jusik. Who will dare to light fire under reincarnationed Janna d'Ark? If not to consider some critical questions in «Aftenposten», nobody from the Norwegian newspapers tried to press to wall Jusik in the spring 2005.

The noncritical perception is connected, certainly, also by that the conflict in the Chechen Republic as the majority of conflicts, - is a complex history. Few journalists and observers know details and sources of tragedy. It is difficult to see a difference between the facts and fiction. Therefore Jusik conclusive may to declare, that "main problem (in the Chechen Republic) is that everyone live one day, it is shown in all that they do: as they drive machines - movement is dangerous for life, as they spend money - all for a meal and entertainments. Nobody tries to save, nothing renewed" («Klassekampen»). Many for certain will add, that war with criminality, and also scale infringements of human rights resulting from it and suffocating corruption too bring the mite in problems of the Chechen Republic. Simultaneously in sights of Jusik the echo of an imperial efficiency work is heard: Impulsive natives do not know, that for them it is better, they do not have any labour ethics, they do not think at a long date, eat illegibly and are not capable to restore an own society. It is still good, that Russia has accepted responsibility.

In the interviews she repeats statements from the book which should become sensational but on which do not pay attention. To «VG» she declares, that not only so-called "powers" - that is special services and militarians - are interested in continuation of war. "It also may be other countries, such as USA and the Great Britain. Both in the Chechen Republic, and on Northern Caucasus as a whole. I think, that it is more global conflict". An official Russian sight to the Chechen Republic: the operation carried out there - is a part of struggle against the international terrorism which may not be considered as the local conflict in any way. Jusik goes further. According to her, not "Al-Khaida" rules it all, but sworn enemies of times of cold war - USA and the Great Britain. The antiwestern sights become more and more ordinary among the Russian public though it means return to the Soviet understanding of the reality. But that USA support islamic terrorists to destabilize the Russian Caucasus - this is an statement which should deserve the greater attention.

However, noncritical perception of Jusik is not only the Norwegian phenomenon. "Brides of Allah" were advertised in many countries, including Sweden and Germany, and were well accepted. Article about her book in magazine «Spiegel» begins so: "They are deadly amazons of Allah". It is the enthusiastic review of the contents of the book in which the special attention is given ostensibly having a place in the relation to suiciders to sexual violence. In "such archipatriarchal society as Chechen" it is especially bad, as "sex before marriage is a heavy sin for moslem". Debate around of terror in the Chechen Republic which has a lot of aspects is not in the last instance political, - receive in a waterway of Jusik's book sexual bias and are focused on oppression of women in "moslem" and "archipatriarchal" Chechen society.

The closed republic

If to take into account seriousity of accident in the Chechen Republic, it will not seem so strange, that observers do not condescend to petty remarks concerning clumsy language and crude style of the book. The responsibility for a linguistic level lays, however, not only on Jusik, but also on the Norwegian translation (my favourite phrase - "Jihad against faithless"). In the book the classical reportings seasoned are tied with a number of categorical statements, and dramatic narrations in present time where Jsuk gets used to ideas and feelings of suiciders in their last minutes. Causes the big surprise, that nobody from observers  asks concerning all statements stated in the book - frequently without proofs and without references to sources, or that Jusik gets access to all places, in the republic almost tightly closed for independent journalists since 1999. Though she also asserts in interview  with NTB (the Norwegian telegraphic agency), that "Russian special services represented for me the greatest danger" during visits to a zone of the conflict, from the book clearly enough it is visible, that her in the Chechen Republic helped FSB. Cooperation with FSB, certainly, relieved her of efforts with the organization of trips to the Chechen Republic and has facilitated access to people and information (as, undoubtedly, FSB knows something about terrorism), but it hardly provides a guarantee of journalistic impartiality.

For critical journalists it is difficult to work in the Chechen Republic. A number of journalists were killed or have undergone to prosecutions as a result of regular campaign for the control of the information from a zone of operations. Journalists are compelled therefore or secretly to make the way in republic - illegally, at own risk, or to wait long for the sanction to participation in the trips organized by special services and militarians. Two most known independent Russian journalists working in the Chechen Republic - to Andrey Babitsky and Anna Politkovsksaja - were lucky, that they have returned unharmed from the trips to Caucasus. Both for some time have compelled to live in exile, to both were threatened, authorities illegally detained them and subjected mockeries. Jusik here obviously has less problems. It does not necessarily mean, that her completely supervised FSB. It may mean, that authorities have given her an opportunity to work in the Chechen Republic thinking, that her journalistic activity will be useful.

But problems for the journalist do not come to an end, when he manages to make the way in republic. In the Chechen Republic it is difficult to force to speak people about mockeries which they have undergone, and it is even more difficult to induce them to tell about relatives or the friends having contacts with Resistance movement. Those who will dare to speak, subject themselves and the families to risk of reprisals. The information may mean life or death. Informers and informants are in all settlements, and special services constantly try to find out and destroy people whom they suspect of contacts to groups of Resistance. In a society for which up to such degree the fear and mistrust are characteristic, it seems improbable, that families of suiciders, their familiar, so willingly talk with unknown Russian journalist who, besides has still arrived with the militarian escort.

FSB as the prompter

The typical chapter in book of Jusik begins with how she comes to the house of parents of one of the dead women and starts conversation - as a rule, with mother whom usually has things to hide. Thus, confrontation approaches, and Jusik gives out here the information received already from others, not named sources, - because of what the above mentioned relative loses self-control. On page 54, for example, Jusik shows one of mothers a photo of her lost daughters:

The dam now has fallen. The latent and suppressed pain. Despair. Fear.

"Who has deceived them, Kheda? - I have asked silently.          

She hides the face in her hands.

Mother who has lost self-control tells then a "truthful" history about how recruiters from "jamaat" have bought the daughter for the sum somewhere from several hundreds up to 20 000 dollars. All becomes known. The image of situations where Jusik takes interview, looks like the Hollywood dramatic art when Jusik each time destroys lie and reticences of relatives, exposes treachery of parents and dirty game of islamists up to the smallest decimal mark of the paid sum. During short time she shows, thus, all cards. Girls in sexual slavery at the terrorists having animal magnetism, connection with Azerbaijan and names of recruiters. Jusik asserts, besides, that one of recruiters - Ruslan Elmurzaev - was known as the agent of the American and British investigations while he went everywhere with documents of the employee of FSB. The conclusion arises, that the person who has organized tragedy in "Nord-Ost", was the western agent working on islamic terrorists and penetrateed in FSB. Only it is necessary to be glad, that there are pioneers - patriots from "Komsomolskaja Pravda", vigilant to intrigues of imperialists, exposing betrayal and activity of the fifth column in own lines.

"Clenched fists"

The book approaches thus to last collision, when Jusik is "arrested" by FSB. The episode is remarkable, as the not named sources which she, for example, mentions on pages 52, 53, 59, 73, 85, 86, 105, 106, 108, 128, 144 and 162 and which stand up for all statements in the book, hardly may be somebody else, if not employees of special services. Noone other might give her access to acts of necropsy, detailed descriptions of manicure of the dead women, and also photos of corpses. She constantly mentions  "guides", sometimes armed, travelling with her; and they may not be someone, except for representatives of authorities, that is FSB. Her relations with FSB are inconsistent. On one hand, special services help her with information, on the other hand FSB undertakes efforts to stop sale of her book in Russia. They accompany her in all Chechen Republic, they "arrest" her. FSB in the conflict with itself? But it is obvious that Jusik tries to have some distance from authorities - cares of seeming objective and critical to "both sides".

So, Jusik gets "arrested", and the culmination of the book is the moment when she appears face to face with the high-ranking officer of FSB in Naursk area of the Chechen Republic. Instead of allowing to intimidate herself, she forces the officer of FSB to defend himself and compels him to recognize, that authorities do not wish to arrest terrorists and do not interfere with their activity. The scene is worthy a teleserial. I present myself Jusik as russianspeaking variant Baffy, Vampire slayer, when she exposes treachery by authorities of own citizens, sale by parents of own children and propensity of islamists to group sex, drugs and a pornography. "Of what you, special service are afraid? That somebody will find the truth? - impudently asks Jusik. Man from FSB "bares teeth" and says: "Why do you try to find out about case -(Nord-Ost)? You know, where you, actually, stick the nose?" But Jusik does not stop:  

"Why do you arrest me - journalist who wants to find out the truth about these Women, - and threaten me while those who organizes attacks, remain on freedom? Why, who they are, know I, instead of you?".

He contemptiously grinned:

"We know everyone - what is known to you, is only the tenth share of that it is known to us".

"Then why you will not arrest them or will not destroy? For you, for example, news, that right protecting organizations delivered for participation in the action in "Nord-Ost" people from Ingushetia? And they are preparing now new ones?".

"I know it not worse than you" -  he squeezed out from himself.

"Why arrest [you] me because I know something. But those who prepare these

People also takes out them from republic, you do not touch? Why?!"

He looked at me for a long  time, having clenched fists.

"We concerning it did not receive any orders".

Courageous, young journalist from "Komsomolskaja Pravda" - Jusik Terrorist slayer - exposes dacay and forces the jailer to tell the truth. FSB, hence, is powerless in struggle against a coalition consisting from vahhabits, right protecting organizations, CIA, II-6 and the United Nations which buy up the Chechen girls and blow up them in Russia. Dark forces have penetrated into the device of the Russian authority. Someone patronizes the Chechen terrorists. Poor FSB passively observes it with "clenched fists". In this geopolitic game a problem is, as it formulates Jusik on a site of the newspaper «VG» that "Putin is too weak" and that "Russia has not ripened yet for democracy". Where is Stalin when he is so necessary?

I know well right protecting organizations in this region and should tell, that I put under doubt the statement, that they "delivered" people for participation in the action in "Nord-Ost". However, I do not think, that Jusik has to complain of absence at special services of vigilance concerning local right protectors. In the report for the last year the Helsinki committee mentions 12 murders, 6 disappearances, 4 kidnappings, 19 illegal arrests and 19 cases of tortures of right protectors in region from an autumn of 1999. None of these cases were investigated. In overwhelming majority of cases representatives of authorities were suspected of fulfilment of crimes. So FSB successfully is engaged in "slaying the right protectors", and the statistics shows, that campaign against right protectors has amplified since 2003.

Problem of this scene, however, is not that Jusik counts Putin irresolute person, but that it is very poorly reminds authentic. That 22-years prisoner overturns a situation, begins to interrogate arrested her man from FSB and forces him to tell the secret truth about the policy of authorities, it seems directly fantastic. Why should he discuss with her the "orders"? I can not prove, that it is fiction, but I do not believe this scene; precisely as in me cause doubts many other scenes and statements in this book. I do not believe, that relatives of suiciders would begin to tell so much; I do not understand, how her sources with such accuracy might know all details of sale and purchase of girls in families. When her reportings in addition all carry signs of effective dramatic art of teleserials, I eventually begin to doubt, that these scenes at all took place.

False author?

Cont.
http://chechenpress.co.uk/english/news/2005/12/09/02.shtml