Russian ambassador to US sees ‘thousands of jihadists’ in Kazakhstan

Though no evidence, ambassador to US Antonov sees ‘thousands of jihadists’ in Kazakhstan riots as he promotes Russian troops deployment there

The unrest followed the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, which gave rise to the spread of extremist ideas in the region, Anatoly Antonov said in in the Embassy’s Facebook account.

Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov on Sunday Jan 9, 2022 said that thousands of jihadists were involved in efforts to wreak havoc in Kazakhstan.

– Dear Anatoly Ivanovich, in recent days the U.S. media, with reference to the official statements made by State Department high-ranking officials, have been actively discussing the tragic events in #Kazakhstan. The legitimacy of the anti-terrorist operation is being questioned, as well as the presence of the #CSTO peacekeeping forces in the country. How could you comment on such messages?

Anatoly Antonov: Kazakhstan has come under attack of radicals manifesting dehumanizing ideologies. Thousands of jihadists and marauders tried to “undermine” the constitutional order. They use weapons against civilians. They keep on inflicting damage to public and private property. I’d like to note that all this is happening after the American escape from Afghanistan and the rapid development of extremist ideas in the region.

The practice of pacifying bandits who attack law enforcement officers, medical workers and firefighters is unacceptable. How can you negotiate with people decapitating policemen?! Any talks with terrorists only encourage them to commit even more crimes. I am sure that the State Department understands this very well, but they do not want to give up double standards.

Where did the hordes of terrorists come from in Kazakhstan? Who guided and helped them? This is an attempt of another “color revolution” assisted by thugs and robbers. I am sure that Kazakhstani authorities will sort out the situation and the roots of terrorism will be torn out of the country’s soil.

A year ago, during the Capitol assault, the US authorities did not dispute the necessity of restoring order and bringing the instigators of the mayhem to justice. The principle of the inevitability of punishment, especially in relation to those who encroach on the lives of innocent people, is fundamental to any law-based State.

The first hours of the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] peacekeeping contingent operation demonstrate its effectiveness, focus on restoring peace and constitutional order. All decisions on sending collective forces to Kazakhstan were made according to the CSTO statutory documents and at the request of the legitimate President of the country Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Today, all democratic forces in the world should help the Government of Kazakhstan recover from the current turmoil, and try not to deteriorate the situation.

Protests erupted in several Kazakh cities on January 2, escalating into mass riots with government buildings getting ransacked in several cities a few days later. The ensuing violence left thousands of people injured, with fatalities also being reported. Subsequently, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev requested assistance from the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization and the bloc deployed peacekeepers to Kazakhstan. Law and order were generally restored to all of the country’s regions on January 7, Kazakh authorities said. January 10 has been declared a nationwide day of mourning, according to TASS Russian Information Agency.

Meanwhile, despite the statements of the Kazakh government about the alleged participation of Islamists in the riots, no evidence of this has been presented. Perhaps they will follow in the future.