Decius wrote:
] ] As an ethnic group, Chechens had been mistreated by the
] ] Soviet regime, and the Russian empire before it, perhaps
] ] worse than anyone else. In 1944, the Chechens, along with
] ] several other ethnic groups, were accused of having
] ] collaborated with the Nazis and deported to Siberia.
] ] Their collective guilt established by the order of
] ] Stalin, on Feb. 23, 1944, more than half a million
] ] Chechens were forcibly herded onto cattle cars and sent
] ] to Western Siberia. As many as half died en route, and
] ] uncounted others perished in the harsh Siberian winter;
] ] the exiles were literally dumped in the open snowy fields
] ] and left to fend for themselves.
]
] This is a liberal (I guess) view of the Chechnyan conflict.
] Its in the interests of Russia and the United States to group
] this conflict under the general heading of Islamic extremeism
] because it enables both countries to engage each other's
] assistance. This author seems to think its really something
] different. Recent events seem to play right into Russia's
] hands.

If we ally ourselves with butchers, then we can only expect, if not deserve, renewed attacks on our citizens.

In comparison to the crimes perpetuated against the Chechyn people under the reign of Putin alone, the atrocities at the school are just a drop in a bucket.

RE: Chechnya - What drives the separatists to commit such terrible outrages? By Masha Gessen