Posted on 01/20/2007 10:58:33 AM PST by Tailgunner Joe
Where does Moscow stand in the fight against Islamism and the global war against terror? Facing the Chechen threat at home, the Russian government might be sympathetic to U.S. and even Israeli concerns. Not so.
Putin's domestic war on terrorism enjoyed only limited success. Russian security forces did impose some order in Chechnya, but the Kremlin was unable to stem Chechen and Islamist terrorism on Russian soil. ...Faced with only marginal gains at home, Putin changed tack. Rather than continue cooperation with Washington on the broader war on terror, he sought to cut a deal. In 2003, he asked to join the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), even though with only 20 million Muslims--about 15 percent of the population--Russia lacked the required 50 percent minimum Muslim population.[13] While the OIC did not grant Russia full membership, it did grant Moscow observer status.[14] The relationship was symbiotic: the OIC saw Moscow as a patron that could offset U.S. pressure while Moscow received de facto immunity from criticism of Russian policy in Chechnya as a result of OIC reluctance to interfere in the internal affairs of member-states, even honorary ones. Putin further outlined his vision of alliance with the Islamic world when, addressing the newly-elected Chechen parliament in December 2005, Putin called Russia "a faithful, reliable, and dedicated promoter . . . of the interests of the Islamic world" and "its best and most reliable partner and friend." The desire both to cut a deal and stymie Washington also explains Moscow's policy toward Tehran.
Perhaps nothing underlined the relativity of Moscow's fight against terror as much as the Kremlin's 2006 invitation to Moscow of a Hamas delegation. ...While Moscow had long supported the Palestine Liberation Organization and lobbied for the creation of the Palestinian state, Putin's outreach to Hamas broke with tradition.
(Excerpt) Read more at aei.org ...
And he's given us plenty of reasons to believe him.
"In 2003, he asked to join the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC),"
no surprise here -
Uh huh, and tell us about his reaction with Islamic Chechnya.
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