Chechen leader volunteers to protect Al Aqsa
Ramzan Kadyrov vows to step down and come to Jerusalem in order to defend the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Temple Mount; suggests solution in which Jordan assumes complete control of complex.
"I volunteer to guard the Al Aqsa Mosque for the rest of my life," wrote Kadyrov on his Telegram account earlier this week.
Kadyrov also flexed his diplomatic muscles, suggesting a solution to end any crisis related to the compound, proposing the entire compound be transferred to the auspices of Jordan and King Abdullah II.
Kadyrov has been leading Chechnya for a decade under the patronage of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Chechen ruler is known for his cruelty and has been subject to recent accusations that his security forces have murdered homosexuals in order to "cleanse" the Muslim-majority country.
In March 2014, Kadyrov visited Israel and inaugurated a large mosque in Abu Ghosh in honor of his father. The mosque is the second largest in Israel, with Chechnya donating $6 million to its construction.
Kadyrov harshly criticized Israel during Operation Protective Edge, calling its activities "state terrorism."
