Russia's Now in the Game

Mike Eberhart | September 10, 2004
Found this article talking about Russia and their possible response to their latest terrorist attack. This is what I was trying to say in an earlier thread about how the Russian's act, and what they may do. Of course, I'm sure you'll disagree with this. It's a little long, but I thought it was a good read.


"Thu Sep 09, 2004

The Day Radical Islam Began to Die

One aim of extremist Islamic terrorism is to scare the targets into weak submission, using the "what if" fear factor, as in "what if it happens here?" Granted, in such pitiful cases as Spain and The Philippines it's been effective, but no big loss there. But I believe another part of these terrorists' fear factor is to portray themselves as far more brilliant and calculating than they actually are, to make people think they're maddeningly efficient, focused, and organized.

This doesn't wash with me. Of course, there are exceptions, especially in some areas of the terrorist leadership. But for the most part, terrorists are rather stupid, moronic types, whose hatred blocks any remaining vestige of cogent thought. Want proof?

They attacked the Russians. How stupid can you be?

See, trying to act against the U.S. or Israel is one thing, understanding the terrorists abject hatred of these countries, but also because frankly most of the world sees terrorism as "not our problem." They figure live and let live, and it all happens "elsewhere." Moreover, Russia has served as the prototype for this thinking. Although the 1970's Afghanistan conflict clearly put Russia in the terrorist target scope, it's the United States, leader of the "decadent infidel culture" or of course hated Israel, that most non-U.S. entities think of when they talk terrorist targets. Even the Chechnian conflict has been viewed as a "local" one, even within Russia itself.

But yanking the Russians into the global terrorist war is quite another. Russia has walked a tense line between being in the West but not of it. Indeed, with former Soviet spy and KGB mastermind Vladimir Putin heading the Russian government since 1999, Russia has quietly but firmly moved from a pseudo-democracy to an autocracy. Relations with the U.S. have been temperate at best, and Putin has made it clear that Russia will run itself independently of what the U.S. hopes or thinks. This relationship of course was particularly strained in the Iraq war, as Russia denied the U.S. access to its weapons programs information and refused to send troops. In fact, its alliances were more with France and Germany in opposing the coalition invasion of Iraq. But suddenly, in one Beslan school, all that has changed in one day. And this should be a particuarly scary thing for terrorists, because what we Americans might perceive as a Russian fault actually transforms itself to one important advantage when combating global terrorism.

It's this: Russia, as an autocratic government, doesn't have the lumbering weight of American checks, balances, committees, and the frequent plodding second-guessing on taking swift and catastrophic action. Putin is the action, and he can dispatch a firestorm of manhunting resources in the snap of a finger. And, there is another ironic advantage in Russia's tactics, as so vividly demonstrated in the Beslanian incident and the Moscow movie theater terrorist attack in 2002, again a Chechnian affair. The "botched" attempts at rescuing more victims, while truly tragic, belie a blunt primitivism with the Russians. While terribly inefficient and haphazard in rescue operations, this brute-force, direct style is gold to an ally like the U.S. The Russians' "scorched-earth" tactics will allow them to be more brutal and devastating to terrorists than many Americans would tolerate, to be frank. Terrorists understand force; they live by it, and they frankly are controlled by it. In this capacity, an American-Russian alliance, using the vast resources and technologies of the two most powerful countries in the world, would almost be enough to critically cripple global terrorism, while encouraging more nations to join such an alliance.

And don't doubt that the Russian populace is now feverish for revenge. The past few days have seen such a response from the Russian populace that "outcry" seems like "whimper" in comparison. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on September 7 in Red Square to express two things: first, Putin didn't exactly master the rescue in that Breslan school building; and second, we might forgive the first only if you do the second, which is to flatten the living existence out of these evil scum. What we've witnessed is the bared teeth of the old Soviet Bear - but this time flashing at the Muslim extremists. And Putin is showing signs of aggressive determination (i.e. he's one pissed Ruskie!). He has vowed to pursue the terrorist bases in Southern Russia, upped his efforts to work with Musharraf and the recently-effective Pakistani army in wiping out terrorist camps, and, despite the understandable diatribe against the U.S. State Department, has come out in his support for President Bush, in surprisingly glowing terms:

"Bush is a man of consistency. He's predictable. Even if we have some differences of opinion, for example on Iraq, he's been very reliable. I feel he's a good man, a decent man. Positive relations between the United States and Russia should be preserved."

(No mention of Kerry, by the way; I wonder if his "sensitive war" sounds as patently ridiculous and pitifully out of touch in the Kremlin as it does on Main Street?)

But more importantly, the Russians finally "get it." Putin and other officials in recent days have made numerous pronouncements about terrorism being "global", which now would be the Russians' scope. Bravo! Russia no longer sees the Chechnian terrorists as "republican" (that is, within its political jurisdiction), but rather as a piece of a fomenting, stinking, steaming, and interconnected world (mostly Islamic) terror organism.

And these terrorists aren't stupid? There should be no mistake in recognizing the gravity of this significant historical event. The Beslan Chechnian/Al-Qaeda terrorists finally did the unthinkable: torturing and killing children. There is no country in the world where this wouldn't be met with unbridled rage and revenge. Yes, these idiots are not only committing bodily suicide, but now they're looking at organizational self-destruction. They've set in motion the mechanized quest for revenge and justice of 145 million Russians (plus an additional 150 million in its former Soviet republics); they've also infuriated the world (right, Nepal?), while at the same time causing a melding together of two historically adversarial nations, now united in their victimization. Kill adults and you get a mixture of shock, horror, and grief. Kill children, and all bets are off. The basic biological need to protect the young is not to be trifled with, even remotely.

As a result, this could very well be the Day Radical Islam begins to die. There is no doubt that the Beslan event, as awful and inhuman as it can get, has launched Russia on a mission to work with the U.S., Britain, and other Western powers to share intellgience, strategy, and weapons technology. If this holds, fundamentalist Islamic terrorism just blew itself up with a strap-on bomb of utter, evil, raging stupidity. Forrest Gump would be proud (Stupid is...)

In fact, I think these terrorists are beyond stupid. The call for justice has ignited a flame of resolve under the two most powerful countries in the world, and awakened other less formidable ones as well. Thanks to their fundamentalist idiocy, they're now looking at an enemy that has the capacity to reduce them to ashes - and, with Breslan, New York, Washington, and Nepal as battle cries - these avengers likely will."

Anna Gregoline | September 10, 2004
I'm afraid I don't really understand the Russian situation with the Cechnian terrorists, and I haven't read anything yet about a possible link between the latest terror event and Al-Qaeda. Hopefully I can get caught up so I have something to contribute.

Robert Phillips | September 10, 2004
I have even began to hear of "moderate" muslims burning effigies of such individuals as Muqtada Al Sadr.

Robert Phillips | September 10, 2004
Mike, I agree completely with you about the rightous indignation and complete need to wipe out the "Beslan Chechnian/Al-Qaeda terrorists", but it will not be the correct response to make ALL Chechens suffer. Who are the terrorists? You make it seem so simple to decide who is responsible for the incredible tragedy. Simply naming the terrorists does not make it possible to find them and kill them. Putin is going to respond by punishing every Chechen..That would make his response as bad as the action...Make those who are actually guilty of the action suffer, but the innocent need to be left alone. No matter what you say killing lots of random Chechens is not the correct way to go. This is not an easy matter to be dealt with intelligently and with honor.

Anna Gregoline | September 10, 2004
Mike has said in the past regarding Iraq and Afghanistan that he would rather just go in there and take care of it. Meaning I don't think he necessarily distinguishes a difference between terrorists and civilians living in a terrorist nation. If I'm wrong, I'm sorry.

John E Gunter | September 10, 2004
"This is not an easy matter to be dealt with intelligently and with honor."

Makes me glad I don't need to worry about making those decisions. Also scares me somewhat that Russian will use a heavy hand when dealing with the terrorists. But also makes me happy to know that more countries are beginning to see that terrorism is more of a problem than they first thought.

John

Kris Weberg | September 11, 2004
Considering that, prior to September 11, the biggest terror atttack on US soil was perpetrated by pro-gun, Christian fundamentalist, extreme conservative American, should we have "gone in and taken care of" Montana, or maybe started detaining the Promise Keepers?