This study uses russias decisions during the war on terrorism to. Its mission is to inform policymakers, the media, and the public of developments in chechnya, discuss the origins of the conflict and explore the possibilities for peace. Terrorism, including a series of bombings in moscow in which several hundred people were killed, erupted. Russias chechnya has long terrorist connections ray locker, kevin mccoy and gregg zoroya, usa today chechen mujahedin group denies connection to tsarnaev brothers. Chechen militants attack grozny, shattering peace as putin. Russias prime minister, vladimir putin, sent troops into chechnya in 1999. It has been the vehicle of separatist resistance, a platform of political strife and conflict, a source of funding and external support and a unifying ideological principle that, in its various interpretations, has brought both hope and destruction for the chechen society.
Fierce attack by islamist militants in chechen capital kills. Chechen rebels groups cri, also known as chechen republic of ichkeria cri, chechen guerrilla groups, chechen guerrilas is an active group formed c. Download pdf the war against terrorism and the conflict in chechnya. But chechnyas homegrown insurgency has been replaced by another pressing security threat. This object is in collection fletcher forum of world affairs. Chechnyas terrorist network is a great book that offers a comprehensive history of the evolution of the north caucasus terrorist network. Examining the terrorismwar dichotomy in the russia. Terrorism, in the modern sense, 1 means violence against civilians to achieve political or ideological objectives by creating extreme fear. Terrorism has become a part of our habitat but conceptualization of this phenomenon, as well as formulation of a. An explosion rocked the center of chechnya s capital grozny on the evening of sunday, oct. An international perspective on terrorism stetson university. It is almost forgotten that the first chechen war 1994 1996 was provoked.
The author does a great job connecting the first and the second chechen conflicts and tracing how the north caucasus insurgency is linked to the threat of terrorism in russia. How suicide terrorism as a tactic made its way into chechnya is the topic of this paper, which provides an analysis of the events concerning the importation of militant ideologies and radical terrorist movements taking place since the chechen declaration of independence as well as an empirical and theoretical analysis of chechen suicide. Internationally funded chechen led groups returned to hostagetaking as a terrorist tactic in the raid on beslans school in september 2004, in which 334 people were. Russias interests in the global war on terrorism homeland. Contemporary chechnya conflict nationliberation fight or terrorism the events of 11 september 2001, bloody terrorist attacks in middle east, bali island,dubrovka,madridorlondon,likethousandsofotherterroracts,depicthowdifficult, complicated and, at the same time, dangerous and unexpected phenomenon we deal with. Chechen terrorism russia, chechnya, separatist chechnya has been plagued by two wars and an ongoing insurgency since the fall of the soviet union. Since the first chechen war began in 1994, the russian government has portrayed the war as one against bandits and islamic fundamentalists. Before that, i will give a brief insight in terminology and theory of ethnic conflicts in general.
Summerfall islamic radicalism stands as a result, not a cause, of moscowis war in chechnya. Of these, 52 said they had been victims of the recent violence, and 30 fled to. Fierce attack by islamist militants in chechen capital. Chechnya is an area in the northern caucasus which has constantly fought against foreign rule, including the ottoman turks in the 15th century. The tactics of insurgent groups in the republic of chechnya. The fear is that tackling the grievances which causes terrorism. Russia talks about fighting a war against terrorism in chechnya, but it is chechen civilians who have borne the brunt of the russian offensive in this war, as in the first chechen conflict. May 03, 2017 in fear and desperation, 75 people called in to the russian lgbt networks chechnya hotline. Dec 04, 2014 the washington post the violence began early thursday when a group of gunmen in three cars attacked police at a checkpoint, killing three officers, the national anti terrorism committee said. The boston marathon bombing has focused americas attention on chechnya, a small mountainous country of 1. Human rights issues by latife bulur chechnya is a country plagued by terrorism and human rights abuses. Apr 19, 20 russias chechnya has long terrorist connections ray locker, kevin mccoy and gregg zoroya, usa today chechen mujahedin group denies connection to tsarnaev brothers. The russian terek cossack host was established in lowland chechnya in 1577 by free cossacks who were resettled from the volga to the terek river.
Both russian officials and chechen rebels have been regularly and repeatedly accused of committing various war crimes, including kidnapping, torture, murder, hostage taking, looting, rape, beheading and assorted other breaches of the law of war. Terrorism, in the modern sense, means violence against civilians to achieve political or ideological objectives by creating extreme fear terrorism was an important tool used by marxist revolutionaries in the early 20th century to disrupt the social, political, and economic system and enable rebels to bring. The revelation that the family of the two suspects in the boston marathon bombings was from chechnya prompted new speculation about the attack as islamic terrorism. The permeation of radical islam in chechnya has served a multifaceted function. Chechen terrorism gained international notoriety due to the escalation of violence in the region as a result of the russochechen wars of 19941996 and 19992006. The root causes approach it was noted that some authors believe that an approach to counterterrorism based on addressing the root causes of terrorism may be counterproductive. Following a sequence of terrorism related incidents, most notably the 911 attacks on new york and washington, the putin administration in russia portrayed its entire conflict with chechnya 1994. Terrorism in russia has a long history starting from the time of the russian empire. The aim of this paper is to explain whether russianchechnya conflict is an ethnic one. However, unlike the union republics such as georgia and moldova, chechnya s status as an autonomous republic within russia placed it in a different position under international law.
In 1783, russia and the georgian kingdom of kartlkakheti signed the treaty of georgievsk, under which. The author does a great job connecting the first and the second chechen conflicts and tracing how the north caucasus insurgency is. A primary source of these issues is the unsettled situation between local insurgents and the russian military. After that, several thousand islamic militants, armed members of a chechen muslim fundamentalist group whose aim was to merge dagestan with neighboring chechnya in a single islamic state, invaded dagestan. Chechnya, a small, predominately muslim region in the caucuses between georgia and the caspian sea in. The term terrorism is one of the most politicized and contested concepts in the modern era.
Examining the radicalization of chechen separatists during. Chechen terrorism posed a threat to russia not dissimilar. Russia ends antiterrorism operations in chechnya world. Of these, 52 said they had been victims of the recent violence, and 30 fled to moscow where they. In recent years, chechen militants have escalated attacks in the north caucasus and revived bombings in moscow. Jul 18, 2006 the loss of basayev is a serious blow to the chechen separatist movement. The republic of chechnya in russias north caucasus region has drawn significant attention for being host to remarkable instability, thriving terrorism, and a staggering display of human rights violations over the past two decades, including torture, illegal imprisonment, and extrajudicial execution. Love foreign military studies office fort leavenworth, kansas introduction the current situation in russia, the united states, the middle east and many other countries, clearly highlights the problem of the war against terrorism.
The washington post the violence began early thursday when a group of gunmen in three cars attacked police at a checkpoint, killing three officers, the. The history of chechnya may refer to the history of the chechens, of their land chechnya, or of the land of ichkeria chechen society has traditionally been organized around many autonomous local clans, called taips. Chechnya, maskhadov, military, putin, russia, terrorism rmed conflicts remind us that definitions and labels have political consequences and are therefore politicized. Terrorism, including a series of bombings in moscow several hundred people were killed there, erupted. Chechen terrorism russia, chechnya, separatist council. A case study from the 2004 beslan hostage dis erudit. Moscow has maintained a strict security regime for a decade in chechnya, the scene of two wars against separatist rebels. Kashmir, current regime nationalists terrorist groups. Stability in russias chechnya and other regions of the north.
Pdf the term terrorism is one of the most politicized and contested concepts in the modern era. Feb 28, 2003 the united states state department has officially added three chechen groups to its list of organizations that pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism. Chechnya, a small, predominately muslim region in the caucuses between georgia and the caspian sea in southern russia, has been a hotbed of separatist. Russia has consistently framed the conflict in chechnya as an issue of terror. How russia deals with terrorism in the north caucasus. In fear and desperation, 75 people called in to the russian lgbt networks chechnya hotline. Russianchechnya ethnic conflict masaryk university. In january 1934, soviet officials merged the chechen autonomous oblast with the neighboring ingush autonomous oblast, largely to dilute. During this period there have been several extremely sophisticated and wellcoordinated attacks. Islamic state propaganda has taken root inside chechnya, especially among the younger generation. The war against terrorism and the conflict in chechnya. Chechen rebels in the spotlight now because of the reported background of the two suspects in the boston marathon bombings have a history with al qaeda and osama bin laden.
Beginning january 2000 with volume i, chechnya weekly is written by john dunlop. This conflict, increasing in magnitude over time, makes it incredibly difficult to negotiate the terms of chechnyas. Department of homeland security washington, dc 20528 preface the department of homeland security dhs office of inspector general oig was established by the homeland security act of 2002 public law 107296 by amendment to the inspector general act of 1978. Following a sequence of terrorismrelated incidents, most notably the 911 attacks on new york and washington, the putin administration in russia portrayed its entire conflict with chechnya 1994. Isis claims deadly attack on russian base in chechnya. The history of chechnya may refer to the history of the chechens, of their land chechnya, or of the land of ichkeria. Pdf female terrorism a surprisingly timeless phenomenon. According to the russian counterterrorism act of 2006, a counterterrorism operation is a complex of measures that allows police and army to impose a special regime on certain territories and the use of military force and combat equipment to counteract terrorism which is exactly what was been going on in chechnya over past years. Chechnya is not all about terrorism, and chechen terrorism is in a different category from that of al qaeda. More than any other conflict, chechnya epitomizes the old saying that one man s terrorist is another man s freedom fighter. At the onset of the second chechen war however, it became apparent that chechens were engaging in a different kind of warfare. The islamic state militant group isis has claimed an attack in russias north caucasus region of chechnya that killed six servicemen, according to site intelligence group, citing a statement by. The traditional chechen saying goes that the members of chechen society, like its taips, are ideally free and equal like wolves. The current russian assault against the chechen people, conveniently dubbed an iantiterroristi operation, will only breed more chaos and extremism.
Terrorist attack in chechnya raises fears of isis involvement. War crimes in chechnya and the response of the west human. Stability in russias chechnya and other regions of the. The loss of basayev is a serious blow to the chechen separatist movement. War crimes in chechnya and the response of the west.
Chechnya weekly presents coverage of the crisis in the breakaway republic. The tactics of insurgent groups in the republic of chechnya by colonel sergey a. The chechen people have endured a long history of aggression, culminating at the end of the twentieth century during which a separatist struggle against russia began, triggering the first chechen war in 1994. Term ethnicity, as well as many nationregarded terms, has a lot of definitions and. Chechen society has traditionally been organized around many autonomous local clans, called taips. As elsewhere, terrorism in chechnya is a method of warfare, not an end in itself. Much attention is paid to the prevention of terrorism in all parts of the north caucasus. End of counterterrorism regime in chechnya rt world news. Ideology separatist new regime nationalist ethnic nationalist, political responses to terrorism.
Apr 16, 2009 moscow has maintained a strict security regime for a decade in chechnya, the scene of two wars against separatist rebels. Terrorist attacks have mutated from chechnya to other republics in the region. Sep 19, 2011 even before putin became russias president in early 2000, and long before the twin towers fell, he had invoked the idea of a war against global terrorism to justify russias war in chechnya. Pdf the war against terrorism and the conflict in chechnya. Chechen terrorism russia, chechnya, separatist council on. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The united states state department has officially added three chechen groups to its list of organizations that pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism. Opinion chechnyas antigay pogrom the new york times. The article details notable human rights violations committed by the warring sides during the second war in chechnya. Russia has consistently framed the conflict in chechnya as an issue of terrorism and banditry. Postsoviet chechnya as the soviet union broke up in 1991, chechnya declared independence from the russian federation. Beslan, chechnya, russia, narrative theory, terrorism, online media.