February 10, 2006, In Stavropolsky Kray - 100 miles away from Georgia, 200 miles away from Grozny, 16 "Chechen" (probably foreign) terrorists have fought a gun battle for the last 24 hours against Russian police and soldiers. Russian forces have used attack helicopters, tanks, and 300 troops to destroy several buildings in the village and kill 11 of the enemy fighters. Five jihadists, however, escaped from security forces.
One should ask: what about the human rights of ordinary Russian citizens? Well, the Russian army's first mission is to provide security and stability inside Russia (Chechnya is one of the Russia's 89 administrative regions, the equivalent of a U.S. state or territory). It was the inhabitants of Tukui-Mekteb, a town of 3,000 people near the city of Stavropal, who called local police to report huge stockpiles of ammunition and explosives hidden in a nearby house.
Four police officers responded to the citizen's tip. When they showed up to check out the house, they were shot dead by the terrorists with machine guns. Several minutes after this shooting, Russian Spetznaz commandos arrived, only to find that the jihadists had fled with their weapons. The 16 foreign fighters were reportedly part of a terrorist cell recruited by Shamil Basayev and the veteran Arab jihadist Hattab (who was recently killed by FSB forces).
The rest of this battle in the Long War on terrorism has not been reported by the major Western media outlets. FoxNews' current top story is about a 37 pound woman giving birth; CNN reports that the former head of FEMA feels "abandoned" by the Bush White House; ABC News' big story is that their anchor Vargas will be expecting her first child. The Russian part of the global war that touches everyone, including Americans, never gets reported in any depth. Maybe that’s why the Westerners have a difficult time understanding why Putin has invited Hamas leaders to Moscow.
I am not a fan of Putin, but as the West fails to recognize Russia's real problems, Mr. Putin keeps on surprising me with the shrewdness of his decisions. I know that selling weapons to Iran is bad, and the reasons why are listed here, but Putin inherited all of these problems when he took the job from the drunk Yeltsin.
Russia's oligarchs, who command ten places on the Forbes magazine list of the world's richest individuals, have net worths estimated conservatively at between 5 to 14 billion dollars. Unofficially (because in Russia everything is unofficial) they probably have 3 to 5 times more. All of them are young (mid to late 30s), uneducated, without real practical contributions to business innovation or the economy (besides Abramovich's investment of 1.5 billion dollars in the English Premier League's Chelsea Soccer Club).These young wealthy college drop-outs have gorged themselves on the fat carcass of the Soviet Empire. And there’s still plenty left to steal. As long as there is this enormous wealth of natural resources being stolen and re-distributed, neither Putin nor any other KGB retiree will be able to bring back the rule of law and transparency.
There is no professional army in Russia, because there is no tax money to create one to fight terrorism. Russians ask with justification: why should we bother pleasing America and the West, if they will take the side of the people who wrecked Russia (see above)? Russia has no friends, Russia must fend for itself..
To our readers who are upset over Putin's overture to Hamas terrorists, think: what are the real political and business relations between Russia and Palestine? Save for Kalashnikovs and other weapons smuggled in via Iran and Syria, none! So what is the danger of having the Hamas-Putin event? Giving Hamas legitimacy? Hamas has already claimed legitimacy for itself through suicide bombings, the ballot box, and now calling for the deaths of the Mohammed cartoonists in Europe and smashing EU offices in Gaza. There is absolutely nothing practical that will evolve out of this trip. Nothing.
However, there could be some intangible benefit for the Russian nation: Russians will “show” the Muslim world their tolerance and acceptance of Islamists. They will show that they can have a diplomatic meeting with Islamic fascists, and maybe at the end of the day, when this humiliating act of “diplomacy” is executed, there will be few less bombings around Russia (but I doubt it).
I would also strongly urge Western leaders to:
1) stop supporting the oligarchs who ruined Russia and accepting their tainted money.
2) start reporting real news about the suffering of ordinary Russians due to jihad and the army draft.
3) let countries decide their own foreign policy, as long as they don't hurt the other nations
UPDATE: As I was about to post the article, the news came in that the five terrorists who escaped the first battle were snipers. They have dispersed around the village and are shooting at everything that moves. One of the jihadists blew himself up, killing three police officers who tried to arrest him. Thank God, there are no reports of civilian casulties at this hour.
UPDATE 2: ITAR-TASS has the names of the Russian policemen killed fighting the terrorists here:
"Lieutenant Ivan Voronin, 21, died in the Neftekumsk hospital, regional police told Itar-Tass. The other fatalities are Captain Dmitry Dermansky, 26, Senior Lieutenant Artyom Yudin, 21, Lieutenant Yevgeny Kharchenko, 25, Sergeant Vladimir Bubnov, 21, and Ensign Andrei Silin, 31.
"Another police officer - Ensign Vladimir Gorbov -- is still reported missing, but his colleagues believe it was his body that was found after the operation near the house from which the militants had been firing back."
Comments
"start reporting real news"? First of all begin by you at home: almost all the Russian media are under state control. Don't balme others for your own misdeeds.
Posted by: Mark | February 13, 2006 6:06 AM
Why do you need approvals for the comments on your blog? What are you afraid of?
Posted by: Mark | February 13, 2006 6:08 AM
Dear Mark,
I have to approve even my own comments. The reason is enormous amount of spam (average of 30 spam comments a day with the most bizarre content). I'm always posting our readers comments, even if they are negative. It's not Russian media after all, right? :)
Posted by: Yuri | February 13, 2006 11:10 AM
Russia can be hardly changed from the inside, that’s why I am in America, and that’s why this website exists. I don’t blame the foreign media for the Russian problems, I blame it for misguiding the foreigners and businesses who are interested in Russia and could help the country through free market means. However it’s barely possible to find a good news source on Russia in English language. By the way – there are plenty of good non-bias Russian news online (www.lenta.ru, www.gazeta.ru, www.utro.ru, etc.).
Posted by: Yuri | February 13, 2006 11:14 AM
Which side is the more ignorant:
American masses and elites about Russia or vice versa (as in Russian masses and elites about America)
Posted by: Michael Averko | February 13, 2006 11:17 PM
Insofar as I don't have any real knowledge of what is happening in Russia( which is really the point of your posting,I guess), I can't give any useful feedback.
That said, what you have outlines makes sense as far as the 'Oligarchy' is concerned. Russia strikes me as essentially an 'outlaw' economy with no real possibility of benefit to the average citizen. I don't know how this will ever change but it is hardly a good system as it exists.
As far as Russian 'policy' towards the Mid-East. It's a DISASTER. As you yourself hint, there is no real benefits likely to accrue to Russia by backing (even symbolically) the nutbars in the region. Terrorism in Russia will continue whatever Putin does towards Iran and Hamas. He won't even slow it down by pandering to these backward Fascists.
I think this is more likely to be just the residue of long-standing Russian tendencies in the area, and that it ignores the real dangers presented by these Islamist Loons in favour of Russia 'pretending' to be a BIG PLAYER on the world scene.
Russia could be a Player but it requires a new economy and a rethink of its historical roles.
If not Putin -- then who?
Why mark down to 'planning' what can be more easily explained by government incompetence, nationalistic pique, and retrograde military elites?
But as I said at the beginning --- What do I know ?
Posted by: dougf | February 14, 2006 1:30 PM
Yuri, why do you think the US main stream media ignore this war?
The last time the conflict got any attention was during the Beslan atrocity. Then, the networks seemed forced to cover it because the new media outlets had virtually erupted at the news.
Why the information vacuum? Do Russia's oligarchs own stock in US media outlets, or are the MSM simply opting for the easier stories?
Posted by: NuclearTinkerbell | February 14, 2006 3:32 PM
Russia is on the rise and nations in such a position often engage in foreign policy actions that will raise some eyebrows.
In the last decade, a recently reunited Germany proceeded to recognize a problemtatical Croat state.
Under Reagan, the U.S. attacked Grenada which had Cuabn forces stationed on that island nation.
I recently released this below commentary to a confidentially mass e-mailed list now numbering over 500:
The February 9, BBC American aired segment on Putin's invitation to Hamas was vintage propaganda. This version of the BBC seems to always have a Washington based host. Rather than offer something different from American mass media, the BBC American aired version is an appendage in the same manner as to how some view Britain's overall relationship with official Washington.
A BBC State Department correspondent echoed how many American foreign policy elites have become disenchanted with Putin. Putin's invite of Hamas to Moscow was portrayed as another slap. The political arithmetic being simplistically one sided. The Bush administration has all of the gripes with none from the Putin administration.
Lost in this imagery was a statement made (the previous day) by a Hamas official favoring dialogue with Israel.
No mention was made of Moscow's displeasure with how the Bush administration has had dealings with Chechen separatists who the Kremlin views as terrorists.
Also omitted was the fact that Hamas recently came out on top in a democratically held election.
Putin will endorse to Hamas a non-violent path and scorn for terrorism. Someone explain me what's so wrong about this.
Shame on the BBC for another hack like performance.
In their stated desire to please world Islam, the neo-conservatives and George Soros funded neo-liberals advocated repackaging the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) into an acceptable political entity. This despite the fact that the KLA didn't (and probably still doesn't) have the same degree of civilian non-armed political/social infrastructure as Hamas.
Paddy Ashdown, Joe Lieberman and Richard Perle are in no legitimate position to blast Putin's invitation to Hamas.
Posted by: Michael Averko | February 14, 2006 4:25 PM
to NuclearTinkerbell:
I think that American media doesn't have any bad goals or implications regarding Russia, American MSM is business, and it goes where demand and money are. What is the demand for the stories I'm putting up here? Very low (on a grand scale). Now, is the bride who ran away from her fiancé a good story (to talk about for weeks)? May be not for you, dear readers, but for the rest of the population it is. If they can get people's attention with this "fun" stories, they sell more ad-time, they make money. Period. However, the sad part is that business people and people who are interested in foreign policy become victims of the "ignorance" which is caused by the simple masses demand. I hope I'm making sense here.
to Mike Averko: I agree with the part quoted from your report, however I think that speaking about the same organization and considering it as two separate entities (kind of like the company, and then its own foundation) is wrong. If they have a "department" that kills people, it is a wrong "entity" to being with.
Posted by: Yuri Mamchur | February 15, 2006 10:33 AM
I must have missed the KLA spokesmen urging their followers to join the jihad against America and/or Israel. By all means, please send us the links or information about this.
As for Paddy Ashdown, you make some points, especially about the simplistic "oh no the State Department is hacked off with Putin again" 'stories' in the coverage.
You are also correct that saving the Albanians from Milosevic won us positively zero points in the wider Islamic world, and siding with Darfur's Muslims against Khartoum would also be seen as "anti-Islamic" even though Muslims are butchering Muslims in that case, and Saddam is responsible for more Muslim deaths (over a million from the Iran-Iraq War and 1st Gulf War) than any other dictator in modern times.
Still, I think your comparison of the KLA with Hamas is weak, because Hamas clearly is linked to the larger trasnational MBO movement which has orchestrated so many of these cartoon riots.
I'm glad the Israelis embarassed Putin by revealing the truth about the recruiting links between Hamas and the Chechen jihad. These groups all talk to eachother and know one another. Simply because they have different localized grievances doesn't mean that they do not share worldwide ambitions. There are a lot of establishment figures that refuse to acknowledge this, but it is increasingly hard to deny given this avalanche of poison and propaganda that is hitting Europe. Some people are so desperate to avoid the "clash of civilizations" debate that they just prefer to localize and pretend every particular jihadist organization is isolated, so that they can tell their political masters that all the old tools can still work in world shaken by renewed zealotry.
Posted by: Charlie Ganske | February 15, 2006 10:41 AM
Gentlemen:
I appreciate this discussion.
None other than Stephan Schwartz acknowledged Islamo-fascist support for the KLA.
Milosevic wasn't the issue in Kosovo. The issue remains an extreme Albanian nationalist movement that has sympathy among many Muslims.
Many seem concerned about threats to Israel and America, while ignoring the legitimate concerns of others.
Some Albanian nationalists seek a Greater Albania that would encompass the current boundaries of Serbia, Greece and Macedonia.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not so keen on Hamas. In addition to the KLA, let's remember the prior precedents that included the accepting of the IRA, NLF (Algeria), Irgun and Stern Gang (Israel) and Mujahadeen (Afghanistan). Some would say that Geroge Washington was an early day terrorist.
What's really bad about the KLA example is that America destroyed its historically good standing with the Serbs who had very legitimate gripes. Likewise, America has openly courted Chechen separatists who Moscow views as terrorist.
BTW Albanian nationalists have threatened to fight NATO if an independent "Kosova" isn't granted. It was very wrong for the neocons and George Soros funded neo-liberals to back these people.
I believe that Israeli terrorism expert Yossef Bodansky would find himself to be in a good deal of agreement with this post. Ditto the paleo-cons over at Chronicles Magazine.
Posted by: Michael Averko | February 15, 2006 10:10 PM
Are you mad? no real consequence to other nations by inviting Hamas?? As it is Hamas and the other Palestinain terrorist groups are doing all they can to bomb Israeli civilians from the sky and ground, and Russia is going to give them Helicopters and Armored vehicles!!! That is going to stabilise the situation?? Stabilise the region??? How about Israel invites over the heads of the Chechenien underground for talks and maybe a few weapon deals? how does that sound? You say that the Russian people are suffering and no one is notticing? This is how you try to get noticed? by helping out terrorists? the very ones who cause your sufferings? Russia is a rougue state. A complete anarchy that poses a danger to the world no less that North Korea or Iran. Its leaders adopt national and international policies affecting the world through whim and a general fanatasy of reinstating the past glories of the Soviet Empire. The only reason that Russian still has any consideration from other nations is because something that happened 60 years ago. Todays Russia is inconsequetual to the world. Economically it has no bearance on anything or in any other issue. Why the hell Is Russia on the Quartet?? or on the Security Council? Im ashamed that such an irressposible nation is considered to be a leading one in our world today!
Posted by: Ben | February 16, 2006 10:43 AM
This is a good discussion, and I agree that many KLA thugs have terrorized Serbian civilians, that almost all Serbs have been forced by intimidation and murder to leave Kosovo.
To reply to Ben, see my post today: Russia is not so much a rogue state in the mold of Iran as a disintegrating one. The truth is not neo-Cold War schemes but anarchy, and this is what we are trying to convey here at RussiaBlog, which sets us apart from the majority of Western media which view the Kremlin as the source of most of Russia's problems AND some of the small group of anti-anti-Putin voices out there.
Whether you're talking about the Mideast or Russia, Western analysts tend to struggle with wrapping their heads around culturally rooted problems. Everyone's always looking for the economic nationalist, or "great power" angle, even when it's not there.
Posted by: Charles Ganske | February 16, 2006 4:54 PM
Ben & Charles:
Putin is in no way suppporting Hamas terrorism. The Russian foreign ministry has been crystal clear on this.
Refer back to my previous posts
Russia is getting stronger and not weaker. As is, it's a significant enough player on the world stage.
Posted by: Michael Averko | February 16, 2006 9:58 PM
I was not saying that Putin in any way supported Hamas, only that the Israelis by their document release made his outreach effort to some alleged "moderate" wing look naive and weak.
Simply because there is a wing of Hamas that runs schools (though you should see what this "education" involves) and provides some very limited social services does not make them people you can sit down and make peace with. The Hitler Youth built a lot of trails and other projects.
Posted by: Charlie Ganske | February 17, 2006 11:21 AM
Which brings me back to the KLA, NLF and IRA examples.
At another venue, people say I'm a hypocrite for being against Russia talking to Maskhadov while not being critical of the Hamas invite to Moscow.
Again - Perle and Kristol are the real hypocrites for okaying anti-Serb activity that included the repackaging of the KLA. An norganization that doesn't come close to having the civilian infrastructure of Hamas.
As for Maskhadov, before the start of the second Chechen war of the last decade, Russia asked for Maskhadov's cooperation and he wavered.
Since Maskhadov has left the scene, the situiation in Chechnya has stabilized. We know how long it took the Turks to curtail the PKK (a quarter century).
Eastern Turkey's border is internationally recognized as is Chechnya being a part of Russia.
UN Resolutions 242 & 338 specify the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem as being in an occupied status.
Whether one likes it or not (I'm not happy about the outcome myself), Hamas won an internationally recognized election. They're a vital force among Palestinians (Maskhadov in his last couple of years wasn't such among Chechens).
You can be sure that Russia will emphasize a non-violent political course and protestation of terrorism when Hamas officials visit Moscow.
What do you know of the claims made by some that Israel at one time had supported Hamas (albeit in a tacit underhanded way) as a means of creating discord among the Palestinians (specifically, the PLO and the then newly creatuing Hamas)?
Posted by: Michael Averko | February 20, 2006 4:20 PM