Terrorism in Russia (merged thread)

**Valin** · 07-15-2009

Perspectives on Terrorism
Mariya Y. Omelicheva

For over a decade, Russia has struggled with persistent domestic insurgency and terrorism. The country has experienced a multitude of terrorist and militant attacks, and the turn of the century was marked by a series of high-profile terrorist incidents involving a large number of civilian casualties. In response to this threat, Russian authorities adopted extensive counterterrorism legislation, established and modified institutions responsible for combating terrorism, and streamlined the leadership and conduct of counterterrorist operations. According to recent statements by the present Kremlin administration, the terrorist problem in Russia has finally receded, and the war on separatism had been definitively won. Yet, the daily reports on the shoot-outs and clashes between insurgents and Russia’s security forces cast serious doubts on these official claims. Despite the signs of a slow normalization of life in Chechnya, the security situation remains tense there, and terrorist incidents and guerilla attacks have spread into the broader Southern region previously unaffected by terrorism.

**davidbfpo** · 07-15-2009

Valin,

Not an area I watch, however this might help, although a summary: http://www.iiss.org/events-calendar/...orth-caucasus/

You refer to one speaker's article, perhaps the other speakers writings can be found? I know Cerwyn Moore has written on this area: http://www.polsis.bham.ac.uk/about/Staff/Moore.shtml

davidbfpo

**Stan** · 07-15-2009

I would have to echo David's remarks.

In my skeptical opinion, contemporary Russia has yet to clearly defined terrorism. They seem to have no distinction between terrorism or other violent/political crimes.

Estonia believes that the current calm in Chechnya is largely due to the the skill of President Kadyrov and has little to do with Russian counterterrorism policy.

I tend to agree with that belief but willing to entertain more links

**davidbfpo** · 07-17-2009

The death of another human rights activist has been reported; the link is to an article written by Amnesty International's General Secretary (contains a link to a report on the region): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/p...e-warning.html

davidbfpo

**Valin** · 07-17-2009

Originally Posted by davidbfpo

The death of another human rights activist has been reported; the link is to an article written by Amnesty International's General Secretary (contains a link to a report on the region): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/p...e-warning.html

davidbfpo

The Bear is back...if the Bear ever really went away.

There's A Bear In the Woods

**Dayuhan** · 07-31-2009

Originally Posted by Valin

The Bear is back...if the Bear ever really went away.

Bears hibernate... and when they do, they wake up hungry. The analogy may be strained, but then again it may not be!

**George L. Singleton** · 07-31-2009

In the early 1980s when I was writing my paper for USAF Command and Staff College we were focused on the fact then that the Soviet High Command in any then Fulda Gap scenario was presumed to have major loyalty and difference in languages problems with troops out of the Chechen area of the then USSR who were a part of their attack force for their side of Fulda Gap.

The history of Russian problems in the Chechen area from 1922 forward speaks for itself. Long term problems with their Muslim population there, akin to the uncooperative and self seeking break away Pashtuns (a subset by no means all of the Pashtuns for sure) in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

**Dayuhan** · 07-30-2009

Originally Posted by Valin

For over a decade, Russia has struggled with persistent domestic insurgency and terrorism...

Over a decade? I'd have said for several centuries... Russia's Chechen problem goes back a fair way.

If "COIN literature" is ever established as a genre, Leo Tolstoy's short novel The Raid - an account of a raid on a Chechen village, based on experiences during his service in the Czar's army - will be a genre classic!

**Stan** · 07-30-2009

Indeed somewhat more than a decade... Chechnya in 1922, 1929 and 1940 for starters and yet again in 1944 with Stalin.

Originally Posted by Dayuhan

Over a decade? I'd have said for several centuries... Russia's Chechen problem goes back a fair way.

If "COIN literature" is ever established as a genre, Leo Tolstoy's short novel The Raid - an account of a raid on a Chechen village, based on experiences during his service in the Czar's army - will be a genre classic!