Interview on Worldwide Terrorism: FAKT's Conversation with A. Litvinenko
In an explosive claim, former KGB-FSB officer turned dissident, Alexander Litvinenko, suggested that the center of global terrorism does not lie in countries like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, or the Chechen Republic, but originates from Lubyanka Square and the Kremlin cabinet.
Litvinenko's assertions, made public in the years following his service, were not only focused on the Russian government's alleged involvement in terrorism but also on its covert operations. He publicly accused top Russian officials, including Yuri Andropov, Vladimir Putin, and Nikolay Patrushev, of supporting terrorists.
One of Litvinenko's most controversial claims was that Ayman al-Zawahiri, a key figure in al-Qaeda, was trained by Russia's FSB, the successor to the KGB. However, the search results do not provide direct evidence supporting this assertion about al-Zawahiri's FSB training. The available documents mention Litvinenko's background as an FSB officer and whistleblower but do not substantiate his specific claim about al-Zawahiri's connection to the FSB or any training he might have received from them.
The overture, a series of large and small operations before actual military operations begin, is known in the GRU as the "preparatory period," and unofficially as the "overture." This covert phase of operations is carried out by agents of the secret services of Soviet satellite countries and mercenaries recruited by intermediaries. The terror is carried out in the name of already existing extremist groups not connected in any way with the Soviet Union, or in the name of fictitious organizations.
According to Litvinenko, the attack would be designed to produce an economic panic, market collapse, and social chaos during the follow-up "active measures" phase of the operation. A former Russian intelligence official even stated that if an attack with nuclear weapons on an American city were to occur, it would not be carried out by Arab terrorists, but by Russia.
Litvinenko's credibility as a source stems from his former insider status and subsequent poisoning by polonium, for which many hold Russian state actors responsible. However, his assertions about al-Qaeda leadership receiving training from the FSB remain allegations rather than established facts in publicly available sources. Verification of the specific claim about al-Zawahiri would require access to classified or unreleased intelligence documents, as mainstream open sources do not confirm this assertion.
In summary, while Litvinenko’s claims are part of his broader denunciation of Russian intelligence, the evidence supporting the specific assertion that Ayman al-Zawahiri was trained by the FSB is lacking in verified public sources.
- Alexander Litvinenko's assertions about the origin of global terrorism extended beyond Russia's alleged involvement in terrorism to encompass covert operations by the Russian government.
- In a controversial claim, Litvinenko suggested that Ayman al-Zawahiri, a key al-Qaeda figure, might have been trained by Russia's FSB.
- The allegation that al-Qaeda leadership received training from the FSB remains unsubstantiated in publicly available sources, requiring access to classified or unreleased intelligence documents for verification.
- The Russian military's covert operations, as described by Litvinenko, might involve creating chaos through economic panic, market collapses, and social unrest, according to his claims.
