Summary: An official communiqué announcing the resignation of Doku Umarov was put put into circulation, requiring the operators of the Kavkaz Center site to take themselves offline until they could clean up and disinfect, and also requiring Umarov to issue a statement retracting the resignation. Our congratulations on a job well done.

Now for narrative via The Long War Journal...

Caucasus Emirate leader Doku Umarov retracts resignation

Doku Umarov, the leader of the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Caucacus Emirate in southern Russia, has retracted his resignation, which he issued just four days ago.

Umarov announced the retraction of his resignation in a 1:37 long videotape posted at Kavkaz Center, the propaganda arm of the Islamic Caucacus Emirate. He described his previous statement as "completely fabricated" but did not explain why he issued it.

"In connection with the current situation in the Caucasus, I think it is not possible to step down from the Emir of the Caucasus Emirate," Umarov said. "Insha'Allah [Allah willing], the previous statement is canceled by my statement. The previous statement was completely fabricated."

He also said he was in good health and fight until his death.

"I'm officially declaring that the health of me, Alhamdulillah, by the will of Allah, is good to serve on the way of Allah," Umarov said. "Insha'Allah, I will serve in this way as long as Allah gives me life on this earth, and I will kill enemies of Allah."

Umarov's initial resignation was published on Aug. 1 at Kavkaz Center, however the website was immediately taken offline for an unexplained reason. It is unclear if the administrators of Kavkaz Center shut the website down, or if the Russians or other intelligence agencies or hackers took the site offline.

Update [09 Aug 2010, 16:04z]: IO or human error? MEMRI reports that Movladi Udugov - the man ultimately responsible for the operation of the Kavkaz Center site - has been relieved of his duties while this affair is under investigation.