The Movsar Barayev gang was largely made up of members from two other Chechen terrorists organizations, the Special Purpose Islamic Regiment (SPIR) and the International Islamic Brigade (IIB).  Chechen rebel commander, Shamil Basayev, controlled both the SPIR and IIB, which has led many to conclude that he was also giving the Barayev gang its orders.  The "gang" conducted its first, and last, major attack when it took a theater in Moscow and held patrons hostage on October 23, 2002.  All of the terrorists (including Barayev), and a number of the hostages, were killed when Russian police retook the theater by force three days later.  In one of his many televised messages during the Moscow theater crisis, he claimed that, "Each one of us is willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of God and the independence of Chechnya."  Although the Barayev gang technically went defunct when its leader died, its goals and methods still find acceptance among many Chechen separatists.  In fact, it has been suggested by credible sources that the currently active and extremely dangerous Riyad us-Saliheyn Martyrs' Brigade was formed by remnants of the IIP and SPIR as a response to the Moscow theater disaster.<br />

<a href="terrorist_organizations_by_country.asp?id=MZ">Mozambique</a>, <a href="terrorist_organizations_by_country.asp?id=552">Rhodesia</a>, <a href="terrorist_organizations_by_country.asp?id=SF">South Africa</a>

The Mozambican National Resistance (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana  --  RENAMO) was formed in 1976 by the Rhodesian military.  Rhodesia's white minority government feared that the regime in newly independent Mozambique (Front for the Liberation of Mozambique  -- FRELIMO) would support rebels fighting to overthrow the Rhodesian regime.  To pre-empt this possible interference, Rhodesia created RENAMO to operate against the Mozambique-based rebels FRELIMO.  The Rhodesians created RENAMO out of disenchanted ex-FRELIMO members, opponents of the Marxist FRELIMO regime, and former soldiers of the former Portuguese colonial army.  Most members were Ndau speakers from the East-Central provinces of Mozambique.  <P> RENAMO's sponsorship changed in 1980 with Zimbabwean independence. South Africa took control of the group and used it to destabilize Mozambique, essentially a punishment for the FRELIMO regime's support of the African National Congress (ANC).  In line with apartheid South Africa's aim of destabilizing frontline states, RENAMO focused its attacks on communications and trade infrastructure of Mozambique and Zimbabwe, including railways, pipelines and roads.  Forced to reconsider its support for the ANC due to the brutal tactics of RENAMO, Mozambican President Samora Michel signed the Nkomati Accord of 1984 with South Africa, which pledged to end Mozambican support for the ANC in return for an end to South African support for RENAMO.  South African commitment to the accord was questionable, however, and violence continued.