Mountain Men and Holy Wars

Under Shamil Basayev, Chechnya has resorted to kidnapping, terror and brutal guerrilla warfare to fight for its freedom. But his battle and tactics are not new. At the start of the 19th century, another Shamil, Imam Shamil, used hostage taking and militant Islam to fight for an independent Islamic Chechnya. He was decried as a terrorist by Russia, and loved as a hero by his people. We document his legacy and show how his guerrilla war is unlikely to stop until Chechnya is free. Essential viewing examining the roots of one of the world’s bloodiest and most protracted wars.