General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumsshould this, in any way, be connected to Chechnya, the ramifications are grave
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In recent years, however, the Kremlin and its regional proxies have been battling a different kind of enemy. This new generation of insurgents has an explicitly Islamist goal: to create a radical pan-Caucasian emirate ruled by Islamic law, a sort of Afghanistan under the Taliban. The movement's leader, Doku Umarov, unveiled this ambitious vision in 2007. He vowed to liberate not only Russia's Muslim North Caucasus but a large chunk of European Russia.
Over in the North Caucausus, meanwhile, the Kremlin is carrying out a brutal and rolling counter-insurgency campaign. Its focus is Dagestan, the neighbouring state to Chechnya, and now a hotbed of violent jihadist rebellion. Three weeks ago, Umarov appealed to Chechen fighters abroad to come home to take part in the fight.
<snip>
Odd or not, the Boston bombings play perfectly into the Kremlin's hands, ahead of Russia's 2014 Winter Olympics, to be hosted in Sochi, not far from where the current insurgency is raging. It reinforces Putin's claim first made in 1999 that his violent methods are justified to quell a ruthless rebellion by terrorists prepared to take innocent lives.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/19/boston-bombing-link-chechnya-unprecedented
Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)stevenleser
(32,886 posts)No worries of that
Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)and even established bases to support the effort in Afghanistan. That was back when Republicans renamed french fries to "Freedom Fries." What's next, Changing "White Russians" to "Pale Patriots."
Revanchist
(1,375 posts)Don't forget President Clinton and our involvement in the Bosnian War.
Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)I think the vigourous law enorcement solution we have used so far in this crisis is the best solution we have.
There will always be people that don't like us. We simply don't need to send the military to kill everyone that wants to do us harm.
Revanchist
(1,375 posts)I think the government has been pushing the bar to see how much they can get away with since after WWII. Vietnam slowed it down for about a decade, but they've been pushing the boundaries since the 80s. I really don't see where it will stop since it's been escalating regardless of who we have in the White House.
RZM
(8,556 posts)Obama and Putin! It's a conspiracy!
oldhippydude
(2,514 posts)clarice
(5,504 posts)woodsprite
(11,854 posts)Ganja Ninja
(15,953 posts)Almost as if he knew what was going on and it wouldn't surprise me if he did. The Russians I'm sure monitor Chechen dissidents no matter where they go. They may know just who was pulling these guys strings.
CJCRANE
(18,184 posts)is that this "Black Banners of Khurasan" meme/ideology has more to do with it.
It seems like a meme designed to attract hotheads/narcissists/fantasists.
Common Sense Party
(14,139 posts)Care to explain your hunch so that it makes sense?
CJCRANE
(18,184 posts)I don't know much more about it than that. IMO it's just an excuse for idiots.
On edit: It's just as irrational as Heaven's Gate or any other millenial cult.
Xithras
(16,191 posts)The BFoC is an Islamic prophecy related by Mohammed and included in the Islamic Hadiths. It basically states that the Black Flags of Khorasan will one day march west with an Islamic Army across the Muslim world to Jerusalem. Mohammed instructed his followers to join the army when they see the flags, because that army will contain Al Mahdi and will unite the Muslim world, from Jerusalem eastward, into one Islamic nation. Basically, it's a prophecy about the final victory of Islam in that part of the world.
Khorasan was an ancient kingdom that included parts of eastern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and some of the formerly Soviet 'stans to the north. This particular prophecy is part of the reason that there are so many extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, because many of them believe that THEY will eventually be responsible for uniting ALL Muslims into one giant Islamic state.
I have no clue how any of that relates to potentially Chechnyan terrorists though. Chechnya is nowhere near ancient Khorasan.
CJCRANE
(18,184 posts)These guys could have self-radicalized based on this meme, so it might have nothing to do with the politics of Chechnya.
LeftInTX
(24,560 posts)Paul E Ester
(952 posts)Reporting on them has been a death sentence for many russian journalists and is said to be the reason for the London polonium poisoning.
aint_no_life_nowhere
(21,925 posts)I hope they manage to take the younger brother in alive and that they treat him with the same fairness any suspect should get in our system.
FarCenter
(19,429 posts)Robb
(39,665 posts)I'm having trouble reconciling the photos of these guys, their coolness under fire, and their seeming idiocy about not wearing the simplest of disguises.
Time will out.
ellisonz
(27,709 posts)alarimer
(16,245 posts)But we need to keep our noses out of that mess. There are no good actors there, just bad guys all around.
Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)like two disconnected youths, an Eric Harris-Dylan Klebold type of case of two young men angry at society trying to be connected to terrorists more than they actually were. It should be taken seriously and, with all the sensitivity and respect due the families of the victims but I don't see this as warranting anything further than the required action to bring it to a conclusion.
cali
(114,904 posts)bad to fucking unbelievably bad.
Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)Why don't we calm down and let more facts emerge?
Rex
(65,616 posts)You mean Chechens in America? Somehow I fail to understand how this will hurt them here. You mean as in an excuse for Putin to become even more iron handed?
cali
(114,904 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)of some kind. He is under no obligation to follow any laws.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)which imo it does not.
cali
(114,904 posts)and the older one associated himself with Chechen Islamic radicals.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)well, as an even bigger club than he has been using on the region.
cali
(114,904 posts)HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)cali
(114,904 posts)I was specifically referring to the messy reporting early on, about the bombing
you do seem to be a bitter thing. cheer up, hon!
Oh, and just for you: