Brutal tactics belie Chechen cause (you couldn’t pick a worse enemy than Chechens)

Irish Independent ^ | 10/28/02 | Alan Philps

[spetznaz]

The Chechens turned to the Islamic fundamentalists and welcomed veterans of the Afghan struggle. Money from Gulf states spread a form of Wahhabi fundamentalism which the country had never seen before. This has led to the scenes in the Moscow theatre - women in chadors with explosives strapped to their waists, like extras from a bin Laden extravaganza. I recognise the old urge to scare, but this time it has gone into overdrive. However, I must lay some of the blame on the West for abandoning the Chechens to the mercy of the Russians

Hmmmph!

I hope that the Russians crush these terrorists (oops, separatists). Any group that will join with Al Queda deserves whatever is coming to it!

[Vidalia]

But, but, but the Democrat Underground is blaming Wellstone's death (and that of his wife and kiddo) on Pres. GW Bush and the Republicans...

[2banana]

Under Stalin, the whole Chechen population was deported to Siberia and the steppes of Central Asia, where hundreds of thousands died.

It seems like this was the only solution that worked. Seriously...

The Chechens would be cast in a much better light if they would stick to military targets, treat prisoners humanely and kill the criminals posing as "rebels"

I am also amazed that the Germans got very close to Gronzy during WWII.

[arthurus]

Solzhenytsin had much the same things to say about the Chechens he met in the gulag. They were the only eople the Russians were unable to break psychologically. They were exempt from much of the harrassment in the camps because they were untouchable. They were immune to any sort of brainwashing.

[weikel]

Stalin had little problem with them after his gauntlet fell. Re deport the lot of them to Siberia.

[dfwgator]

It would have been so easy for Germany to defeat Russia in WWII if only Hitler had treated the captured populations decently. Most Russians welcomed the Germans as liberators from Stalinist tyranny only to see the Germans treat them even worse.

[Ciexyz]

Sobering article.

[dead]

In addition to being evil, Hitler was also an idiot.

[gridlock]

However, I must lay some of the blame on the West for abandoning the Chechens to the mercy of the Russians.

They have sought help in the only place they could find it. It was a poisoned source,

Bullsh!t

Strapping explosives to yourself to blow up a theater full of innocent people is wrong. It doesn't matter who you turn to for help. It doesn't matter what the ideology. It's just wrong. There is no need to be sympathetic with the root causes of such brutal insanity.

If the Chechens were not inclined to do such things, they could not be convinced to do so. The Islamabomers found a fertile field in Chechnya, because the people there were of a similar mind-set. Not to defend Stalin, but do you suppose he might have had a reason to go through the trouble and expense of exporting the entire population of Chechnya to Siberia?

These are the Fruits of Islam. They have them there. We have them here.

[ExpandNATO]

So Russian/Soviet atrocities are OK, while the Chechens are simply unforgiveable.

Looks like FreeRepublic is turning into the Nation, all Soviet/Russian atrocities are explainable, understandable and the fault of the attacked group.

[Tuor]

Ten years ago, there was little deeply Islamic about them. The high Caucasus mountains were converted to Islam only in the 16th century, and their law was that of the tribe and the clan, not of the Koran and the Sunna. No woman went veiled.

Too bad many people, including many here on FR, will not realize the above fact. It saddens me the way statism has taken over the site, so that The Law, lawfulness, and obedience to authority is more important than freedom, liberty, and what is right.

I have supported the Chechen's attempts at freedom ever since I heard about their plight. I wish them luck in their attempts to regain their long-lost independance.

The worst thing we can do in this situation is to provide *any* aid to the Russians against the Chechens. The Chechens would not forgive or forget that, and they are *much* more nasty than the Saudi Muslim terrorists.

Tuor

[ExpatCanuck]

There is no need to be sympathetic with the root causes of such brutal insanity.

There is value however, in recognizing mistakes so that they are not repeated.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

However, I must lay some of the blame on the West for abandoning the Chechens to the mercy of the Russians.

Of course it's our fault.

[r9etb]

Sobering article.

And probably overblown, too. The Chechens are obviously a tough crowd. But IMHO they're not nearly so invincible as the author would have us believe. The Russian difficulties in Chechnya probably have mostly to do with Russian tactics. Of course the Chechens are going to fight to the death, because they know the Russians will kill them anyway.

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[struwwelpeter]

But the women there are sooooo sexy.

[struwwelpeter]

But the women there are sooooo sexy.

[2banana]

So Russian/Soviet atrocities are OK, while the Chechens are simply unforgiveable.

Where did you get this from???

We tried the Nazis and hung them by the score. And I don't see Russians blowing up office towers or theater houses just to cause civilian (infidel) deaths.

[MarMema]

OF all the enemies you could pick in the world, the Chechens would probably be your last choice. There is something about this people's toughness which demands respect - even fear.

Compared with the Chechens, the Palestinians are pussycats. The Chechens have the rare ability to plan and execute daring operations, and seem impermeable to attempts by the Russians to penetrate their organisation.

Between 1994 and 1998, I visited Chechnya several times to report on the first Chechen war and its bloody aftermath. I became convinced that they were a people not to be trifled with.

You can see, perhaps, that I was not the only one to see a genetic difference or something similar. It's the personal meeting of them that does this to you, I believe. I am still cured of the hatred but not entirely of the belief about these people being unique as a people.