Free Republic

ISIS had a huge Russian and Central Asian contingent in its heyday. About one out of every five Russian citizens is Muslim, but that population is not evenly distributed either geographically or socioeconomically. In cities, a lot of taxi drivers and hard-luck laborers have names like Magomedov and Ismailov, indicative of Muslim ancestry.... The center of geographic gravity of Islam in Russia is the Northern Caucasus, the site of domestic strife and bloodshed in a series of episodes going back centuries. Some groups around Dagestan and Chechnya have become proficient guerrilla warriors, and Putin perfected his own harsh methods on...

In the face of rampant skepticism, ISIS has now provided photographic evidence it was behind the massacre at a Moscow concert hall. The attack occurred on Friday evening, with gunmen entering the Crocus City Hall with AK-style weapons and explosives. Terrifying videos of the ordeal were made public showing people being gunned down in cold blood as others hid behind barriers. Russian FSB forces eventually arrived with the building already in flames. (WARNING: GRAPHIC) Watch Video HERE CLICK ABOVE ARTICLE LINK FOR THE VIDEO Within hours ISIS put out a statement of responsibility through its propaganda outlet, Amaq News Agency....

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday he had ordered troops to deploy with Russian forces near Ukraine in response to what he said was a clear threat to Belarus from Kyiv and its backers in the West. The remarks from Lukashenko, who has held power in Belarus since 1994, indicate a potential further escalation of the war in Ukraine, possibly with a combined Russian-Belarus joint force in the north of Ukraine. "Strikes on the territory of Belarus are not just being discussed in Ukraine today, but are also being planned," Lukashenko said at a meeting on security, without providing...