Marrying the US war on terrorism to Moscow’s assault on Chechen rebels is a terrible idea

[marmar]

from The Nation:


The US, Russia and Chechnya After Boston
Robert Dreyfuss on April 22, 2013 - 11:22 AM ET


When President Obama meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, they’ll have a lot to talk about. Some things on the agenda will have prime importance: the crisis in Syria, talks with Iran, disarmament and nuclear weapons among them. Far less important are issues on the fringe, including the deplorable state of human rights in Russia and now, after the Boston bombings, terrorism.

Terrorism, all agree, is bad. But marrying the already-overblown US “war on terrorism”—complete with drones, war in Afghanistan and questionable treatment of suspects at home—to Moscow’s heavy-handed, bloody assault on mostly Muslim rebels in the Caucasus just isn’t a good idea. There’s no doubt that Putin and the security services in Russia would love the United States to become an active ally in cracking down on radical and militant Muslim groups from Central Asia to the Caucasus to, well, Syria, where the United States is supporting the very same radical Muslim insurgents that it opposes elsewhere, including in Iraq.

But that’s a terrible idea.

Happily enough, at least one of the Chechnya-based extremist Muslim groups said, in a statement following the revelation that the Boston bombers were former Chechens, that is has no beef with Washington. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blog/173973/us-russia-and-chechnya-after-boston

[UnrepentantLiberal]

1. This is the first thing I thought when I read that Obama was consulting Putin about this.

I wish I could say it surprised me.

[dkf]

2. That is why they will insist until the end that this was just the Internet.

It doesn't serve their political purpose to go further.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

3. Yes, yes it is.

Dear Lord, please let us not lay down in bed with the Russians and their internal crap about all of this. Putin is not one you want to call an ally.

Had this been Bush-Cheney, I think we might very well already have. I have a little more confidence in this administration that they won't.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

4. Putin was the big winner from this regardless of anything else

Syria: the US was already iffy about that rebel movement. Now? Russia has a stronger case than before (they're allied with Assad).
Chechnya as above.
And who knows what else.

[bemildred]

5. So, of course, that is what we will do. nt

[FarCenter]

6. Islamic terrorists are islamic terrorists, regardless of whether their target is Russia or the US

We may feel some guilt because the CIA assisted the Saudis in sending mujahidin to the Caucasus to help destabilize the USSR.

However, the CIA has to learn to liquidate its assets when it is through using them in order to avoid blowback.

[marmar]

7. Perhaps the CIA should stop sponsoring terrorism.