to assassinate respected Chechen commander and Islamic scholar Arbi Yovmirzaev (Emir Mansur), who had publicly condemned Umarov's pronouncement of the Caucasus Emirate. Later, in September 2010, Gaziyev appeared on video alongside fellow field commanders Khuseyn Gakayev and Aslambek Vadalov; in the clip, they denounced Umarov and declared Gakayev the leader of the re-organized Chechen resistance. The genesis of the dispute was over the precise vision of an independent state in the North Caucasus as well as Umarov's allegedly autocratic leadership style; in siding with Gakayev and Vadalov, as well as the Saudi-born Muhannad (whom Umarov would accuse of fomenting dissent within the insurgency ranks in tandem with Gaziyev), Gaziyev had "opted for moderate radicals with views closer to traditional Chechen nationalists." The fact that Gaziyev had sided with the Chechen nationalists was considered a huge blow to Umarov's power and credibility; numerous middle- and lower-ranking militant leaders departed with the four veteran field commanders, putting Umarov in an increasingly isolated position. In response, Umarov stripped Gakayev, Vadalov, Gaziyev, and Muhannad of their titles and appointments. A July 2011 Sharia Court proceeding about the discord conducted by the Caucasus Emirate in Chechnya would lead to a ruling in favor of Umarov; as a result of the trial, numerous Chechen commanders who withdrew their oaths of allegiance to him instead re-affirmed their loyalty to the Emir of the Caucasus Emirate. Among them were Gakayev and Vadalov, but apparently not Gaziyev. In video statements released in October 2010, Gakayev, Vadalov and Gaziyev explained their motives for breaking away from Umarov, with Gaziyev noting that "there is no one who has been at his side longer than we have, or who knows him better than we do.... We thought about this for a long time, we prayed to Allah so as not to destroy the accord among fighters." Gaziyev would also define the goals of the Chechen nationalists as "cleansing our country of the enemies of Allah, establishing Sharia law to defend the poor and disadvantaged, and bringing up our future generation in the Muslim faith." On 23 July 2011, the rebel website Kavkaz Center stated that a ruling by the Caucasus Emirate's Sharia Court had resolved the nearly year-long dispute between the transnational Islamists led by Umarov and a significant segment of the more localized, traditional anti-Russian Chechen irredentists led by Gakayev. Following the month-long court proceedings, Umarov re-appointed Gakayev his naib (deputy)