Just saying it's from the Palm Beach Post is enough-- the 'barf alert' is therefore understood. That paper should come with crayons.
Posted on 09/02/2004 7:42:15 AM PDT by Andy from Beaverton
HASH(0x5e081c)
Thursday, September 02, 2004 The bombings of two Russian jets, apparently by Chechen terrorists, and Wednesday's hostage-taking hold warnings for Americans One is to be skeptical of the claim that terrorists attack simply because they "hate freedom." Today's Russia is hardly a version of American democracy. Chechen rebels consider their republic to be oppressed and occupied by Russia. Separatists in the region trying to break from the Russian federation are similar to Iraqi insurgents in ways Washington needs to think about. Americans already are too familiar with one aspect — tactics of radical Islamists. Female suicide bombers probably brought down the Russian jets. U.S. airport security is ahead of Russia's. It's much harder to protect more numerous rail, bus and port terminals. There also are parallels between Moscow's attempts to bring a stable government to Chechnya and Washington's attempts to build an Iraqi democracy. Russia has succeeded in holding elections and in having Kremlin-favored candidates win, yet stability has not taken hold. Russian President Vladimir Putin helped Akhmad Kadyrov win election as president of Chechnya in October, only to see terrorists assassinate Mr. Kadyrov in May. The Russian jets were bombed just days before elections to replace Mr. Kadyrov, and rebels now have vowed to assassinate Alu Alkhanov, likewise a Putin candidate. To avoid U.S. criticism of his heavy-handed war, President Putin says the Chechnya conflict strictly is an anti-terrorist operation. But there also are complicated issues of religion, imperialism and ethnicity. That volatile mix also is at work in Iraq. Some terrorists in Iraq would seek out U.S. targets no matter what. But other insurgents don't hate freedom or the U.S. per se. They oppose occupation and what they perceive as foreign interference. Left alone, they would have no interest in attacking America. It is counterproductive to paint all our enemies as evil, because that kind of arrogance shoves insurgents into an alliance with terrorists. The goal is to convert insurgents from violent opposition to opposition from within a political framework. Russia doesn't know how to do that in Chechnya. To keep from being in Russia's position 10 years from now, America has to figure out how to do it in Iraq.
It is hard to impossible for an occupying force to engineer election of a candidate the population will consider legitimate. Russia has been trying for a decade to succeed in Chechnya. Despite constant Russian claims that the Chechen majority is eager for peace, chaos and attacks continue.
Yes they are delusional and don't know history.
" Russia has been trying for a decade to succeed in Chechnya."
This situation has been a tinderbox since the mid-19th century. Lots of Russian literature surrounds the conflict. Guess no one in Palm Beach has read Tolstoy.
Just saying it's from the Palm Beach Post is enough-- the 'barf alert' is therefore understood. That paper should come with crayons.
I need help here. What is the true nature of this struggle? Is it all about Chechnya's oil, as a lib told me last evening?
This seems like a good overview for you.
"It is also worth noting that the aggressive culture of the militarized Chechen population of the last 10 years is not the traditional culture of the Chechen people. During the conflict, a new generation grew up. They are unwilling to work and prefer the criminal ways of life. The new values of the Chechens are very dangerous."
This is simply untrue. Russia has offered all kinds of concessions to the chechens, but the chechens prefer killing, beheading, mutilating, and hostage-taking, gangster lifestyles, violence.
There is a good quote from Putin on my FR site. It is not about independence but about world dominance.
I appreciate the link. I'm on my way and thanks.
No. That would be simple wouldn't it? I'm just an armchair historian. There is another who posts on FR who is the expert on Russian history.
It is a longstanding conflict left in the void of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. The Sufi, if I remember correctly, called for a Jihad in 1785 against Imperial Russia. It continued to the mid-19th C with the Crimean War in 1853 and the focus on Russia's gateway to the Mediteranean Sea, and the Turks. There's a back and forth history of genocide and pacification. There is the religious aspect and demands for independence. Oil may play a role, yes, in today's world, but this is not a conflict that arose overnight and won't be settled by Chechen independence, not when the security of the Russian state is at risk.
Hope that helps in your argument and perhaps someone else can add or correct my information.
Oh my. That hurts.
Yes, it helps and thank you.
I have seen this video on the net. I was aghast to read this. Then just a few years ago I met ( again) a friend from Georgia, Mzia, and we talked a long time about these political things. During the discussion she told me she had seen this video in its entirety on Georgian tv and the part was included with the "football".
It says, I believe, a great deal about the level of humanity of these people in general. They would not only behead someone for not being paid to release him, but they would then do what they did with his head.
They allow Victor to speak before they kill him, on the video. He was an older man when they killed him and seemed very gentle and kind in his demeanor.
How they be compared? I mean, in light of the MSM's complete refusal to describe the Chechan 'militants' as Islamic. The media is generally adamant in not wanting us to associate terrorist acts against us with the Chechans, lest it detract from the media's mantra that our real enemy is the RNC.
To the author of this tripe, I sincerely hope that Hurricane Frances pays them a visit.
Chechins, this nothing new...I wish they show such to Mr. Bush and Mr. Powell, next time they take them as "honored" guests and new citizens of America.
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