The Caucasus Emirate (Imarat Kavkaz) - ISIS of the North Caucasus

Abstract

Today, less and less is heard about the Caucasus Emirate and its province in North Caucasus. The ideology of the Caucasus Emirate can be traced back to the time of the Russian conquests in the 19th century, which was about regaining independence, the modern concept is about extending jihad, and spreading extremist tendencies. The Caucasus is a region where processes do not fit into global trends, where they have specific manifestations. The significance of the Caucasus Emirate is incredible when we consider that it has influenced an organization like the Islamic State. The development and evolution of the Caucasus Emirate perfectly showed the rise of the organizations created in the vacuum caused by the weakening state power, their territorial needs, and their striving for becoming a state organization. The fight against the Caucasus Emirate is instructive for all internal-affairs organizations, as Russian internal and military forces have learned completely new methods, which have been successfully applied in operations against the Islamic State in Syria as well. The action, organization, and adaptability of the Russian security forces have shaken the Caucasus Emirate. In the analysis, our goal is to present and examine the Caucasus Emirate, as the security responses given to it are instructive for all countries.