Or put more accurately, "We could be the next ones to recognize that we are at war."
Christian Ossentians are being goaded by al-Qaeda's Chechen branch to launch revenge attacks on Muslim Ingusentians who are by inlarge peaceful. So like Bin Laden sending Saudis to carry out 9/11 they sent in Ingush Muslim terrorists fighting for the Chechens in order to spread the war out if Chechnya. That is what the author means by "We could be on the eve of the next war."