Posted on 09/03/2014 9:29:08 AM PDT by Dallas59
~The Russians were winning in Afghanistan until the US started supplying the Afghans with Stinger missiles to counter the helicopter gunships.~
And how many gunships were downed with a Stinger? Soviets haven’t lost a single battle in A-stan and it is honest to say that US intervention of course played a role but was nowhere near critical. The only reason they have ‘lost’ is that Gorbachev promised Reagan and Thatcher to withdraw along with tearing down the Wall in Berlin. Plain and simple. In fact Soviet government in Kabul outlived the communists in Moscow by a few years and only succumbed to jihadis not earlier than post-Soviet Russia went bankrupt and couldn’t send them money and ammo to support.
There was no car bombs in A-stan under Soviet occupation and jihadis have stayed way away from major population centers. It fact they were having jitters sitting in caves by daytime during most of the occupation and mostly came out at night to plant an IED or something.
You make good points. However, although Russia has a large muslim population, approx. 11.7% currently, Russia ‘manages’ them more tightly than the U.S. and the West in general. An example is that the 2 million muslim residents & up to 2 million migrant workers in Moscow only have access to 4 mosques, with each mosque to accommodate 10,000 muslims only. Am on mobile & can’t send a direct link. But if you read wiki’s ‘Islam in Russia’ it’ll give you a pretty accurate pic of how the Russians keep a tight lid on their muslim population & neighbours. Tatars & Chechens are their biggest threats at present. Additionally, no doubt the Russians & the Chinese would have no qualms in using direct & brutal force should it become necessary.
And you think “ keeping a tight lid” will make it LESS likely they have a violent problem? As they grow in relative strength in the population?
Don’t think so.
Not less likely. But I think it’ll be managed and dealt with differently and much more forcefully. My guess is they’re well aware of the muslim threat & strength both inside current Russia and in their neighbouring countries. Also, the Russians, czarist and soviet, have historically had more than a few confrontations with the muslims. In the past, when the muslim nations succeeded in fighting them off was, largely, because they had support from Western European powers, the British as an example. In more modern history, if you look at Iran for example, both the U.S. & Britain played a role in helping push back the Soviets from northern provinces of Iran. Even in Afghanistan, the Mojahedin (turned later to Taliban) couldn’t have succeeded in defeating the Soviets had it not been for American and to a lesser extent British support.
Thanks.
Okay. I was just asking. I tried looking it up and found a little bit of it, but am limited while at work on my iPhone.
Thank you.
Yep. That was the exact same link that I was able to find.
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