Terrorism in Kazakhstan: countermeasures

Last summer, events took place in Kazakhstan that radically changed the image of this republic as an island of stability in Central Asia. The groups of militants carried out a number of terrorist acts in one of the most important cities of the country. Dozens of human casualties, a real threat of aggravation of instability - all this makes the country's leadership counter terrorism in Kazakhstan.

Black June 2016

Aktobe is a large city in the west of Kazakhstan with a population of 400 thousand people. It is no coincidence that he was chosen as a target for a terrorist attack. After all, this is a major transportation hub connecting the western part of Kazakhstan with the center of the country. It is in the west that the largest industrial oil reserves are located, including the most significant deposits - Tengiz and Kashagan. Maybe inspired by the successes of Syrian extremists, the Kazakh Salafis decided to create something similar to the IG in Syria and Iraq, where the Islamists with might and main established a brisk trade in crude oil from captured oil-bearing areas.

The events that took place in the summer of 2016 are very similar to what happened in Nalchik in 2005. Similarly, an arms shop was attacked for the purpose of mining weapons, then an attack on the military unit. The scenario envisaged establishing control over the whole city, holding it for a while, then, retaining combat capability, retreat and continue already underground activities. The geography of the region itself allows one to make a retreat towards the Volga region, into the territory of Uzbekistan. Left unpunished, you can continue to raid the banks, administrative bodies.

To frighten and demoralize

Terrorism in Kazakhstan is a relatively new phenomenon, the last attacks took place three years ago, and on a much smaller scale.

The authorities succeeded in preventing the negative development of the scenario, but the threat of terrorism in Kazakhstan had a very strong effect on public sentiment. Tactics of terror and provides for its purpose to intimidate and demoralize the population, force to make concessions to brute force. But, although Kazakhstanis do not have such immunity to such threats, panic was avoided. The waves of fear and terror, rising in social networks, quickly subsided.

Who benefits?

Extremism and terrorism in Kazakhstan did not appear from scratch. In the fight against them, the main question is who is the customer? There is no consensus on this issue. This could be a manifestation of the activity of a worldwide terrorist network sent from the Middle East. Many experts do not rule out the option associated with strengthening the struggle for power within the country.

In any case, 15 years ago Wahhabi preachers from the North Caucasus became more active in the country. Numerous autonomous cells were created - jamaats. Security services covered many of them, but how many remained untouched aspen nests, which went into standby mode. Terrorism in Kazakhstan, therefore, has a prepared ground, and one of the main tasks is the prevention of such ideological sabotage and countering Wahabi and Salafi missionary work.

In any case, all those who are implicated in these acts of terrorism are born in the Aktobe region. This is an alarming signal to the authorities, saying that terrorism in Kazakhstan can be acceptable, as a method of struggle for local residents. Whoever was the customer, ordinary soldiers they recruit from the citizens of the republic.

The Law on Counteracting Terrorism in Kazakhstan as a reaction to attacks

For the first time faced with such a threat with its statehood, the Kazakh authorities realized the need for legislative reform. The legislative project "On Amendments and Additions to Some Legislative Acts on Countering Extremism and Terrorism" was considered. He was brought to the discussion of the public, a wide range of experts and provided for changes in 24 legislative acts.

The main attention was paid to three main points:

• Strengthening of arms control
• Tightening of punishment for crimes related to terrorism
• Problems of internal migration

Stop weapons and illegal migration

In particular, it is forbidden to have shops selling weapons in residential buildings. The number of weapons that a citizen can own is limited. All weapons must be sold in a state that excludes its rapid alerting. This is due to the fact that the targets for the attack in Aktobe were primarily weapons stores.

It is planned to tighten the punishment for the following crimes:

• Mercenary and recruitment
• Participation in military operations outside Kazakhstan
• Propaganda of extremism and terrorism
• The creation of armed groups
• Attempt at forcible overthrow of the state system

For these crimes, you can now be deprived of liberty for life. In some particularly difficult cases, the state reserves the right to the death penalty.

Increased control over internal migration. Citizens residing without registration at the place of actual residence will be taken under special supervision.

New Challenges - New Ministry

The fight against terrorism in Kazakhstan unfolded on all fronts. One of the decisions was the formation of the Ministry for Religious Affairs and Civil Society. He was headed by a person connected in the past with military intelligence - Nurlan Yekmembayev.

Ordinary terrorists do not appear out of nowhere. They are recruited from ordinary residents who are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs for one reason or another. The self-elimination of the state from cases related to religion led to the fact that numerous "missionaries" began to encroach into the free sphere of influence. The extremist ideas of Wahhabism, previously alien to the people of Kazakhstan, gradually began to take possession of the minds and souls of many people.

Hence the main function of the new ministry is to withstand new ideological and propaganda challenges from the outside. Interaction with religious organizations is one of the main activities. Goes under the Ministry and youth policy. This is not accidental, since according to statistics, most terrorists are young people from 20 to 30 years old.

The reaction of society

Kazakhstan against terrorism in this manifestation is facing for the first time. Hence the cardinal measures aimed at a complete reorganization of the methods of combating this evil. The law on counteracting terrorism was developed by law enforcers. Always and everywhere - in the most democratic countries, power structures are trying to take the society under their full control. From here also such rigid formulations, complicating a life for many.

Not everyone was pleased with such an intrusion into their lives. Nevertheless, for the most part, the population is aware of the reality of such a threat as terrorism in Kazakhstan and is sympathetic to the reaction of the authorities. The rejection caused the most odious measures associated with tightening control over registration.

Features of National Terrorism

Extremist groups are characterized by a specific nature of activities. There is no single, centralized leadership. Autonomous cells operate on the principle of network marketing. Scattered throughout the country and not connected with each other, they are at any time ready for active independent action.

The main inspirers are abroad. Inexhaustible remittances also come from foreign sponsors from the hot countries of the Persian Gulf.

Another feature is the close relationship of the criminal and Wahhabis. It is not accidental that one of the manifestations of terrorism is the organization of mass shoots from prisons. Shares in Aktau and Balkhash can serve as an example to this. Conditions in Kazakh prisons are not the most pleasant. The mass of dissatisfied people hostile to the state is a perfect ground for propaganda of anti-government and extremist doctrines.

Kazakhstan has a very long border line with its northern neighbor. Absence of fortification structures, visa-free regime - all this makes the problems of Kazakhstan very close to Russia. In the event of an aggravation of the situation, a wide window will open for the entry of whole groups of armed militants into the country. Therefore, close cooperation in the field of combating terrorism is a guarantee of security for both countries.