Ok, here's a new thread that's not about Bush, USA, or Iraq.

What do you think about the assasination of the Chechen leader (some say "puppet") Kadyrov. I haven't been following events there too closely lately, so I'm interested in any thoughts/opinions on this issue. Thanks

Seems to me that Russia has it's second Afghanistan. Neither place came to rest after the russians invaded....

I don't want to ramble but let the people be free and see where it goes rather than try and opress them... There are way too many similarities with Iraq's situation, the Russian Afghanistan and American Vietnam that are striking...

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They already tried that once, and the result was that terrorists from Chechenya flowed into neighbouring regions.

That's the problem, as soon as a region is as destabilized as that one, you can't pull out just like that anymore...
But you'd think that countries had begun to realize that and would start to think before they'd involve themselves militarily.

if the russians abandon chechnya, it will be likely, that the aggressive muslims with guns, will grab power by blowing up any moderate government and force their oppressive sharia law on all chechens.

and how is that different from the current situation... other than the fact that the muslims don't have officially the power...

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Although I see and understand some of the comparisons brought up (Afganistan, Vietnam, etc...), they stop short in that they only seem to depict a stronger nation trying to control a smaller nation militarily in a drawn out war. Chechnya was, although unhappily, a part of Russia for about a century and the things that went on during that time and the hate that it may have grown make it unique from Afganistan, Vietnam, or Iraq.

I think a better one would be the Bosnian war where Yugoslavia (Russia) was not going to allow Bosnia or Croatia (Chechnya) to become independant. Making things more difficult was the make up of the Bosnian population made up of Serbs and muslims (like those loyal to Russia vs muslims in Chechnya). This comparison also does not do justice for the situation since we're talking about Russia, not Yugoslavia, and the UN or NATO won't be getting involved.

Putin used Chechnya to come into power, but I guess the region hasn't been so good to him. Even if it were a viable solution to pull out, he probably couldn't politically afford to (Ahhh, a Bush-Iraq parallel... Anyone who follows Russian politics can maybe correct me on this or expand because I don't follow it at all.). It looks to me like another nasty situation with no easy solution...

I agree with the Yugoslavia comparison as far as the animosities between population segments go. Yugoslavia however was not jsut about ethnic groups but also religions which made this one fairly unique in the world rather than being a fight of ideologies.

Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Chechnia all have one common denominator:
The occupying forces have no backing by the people, are not wanted and don't care for the occupying nation to have troups on their soil.

Russia was fairly vocal all throughout Nato's involvment in former Yugoslavia, but has been rather quiet when it comes to Bush's Iraq war and Chechnia is probably part of the reason why... (yes I know the russian people are against the Iraq war but the politicians aren't critcizing the US in the international press)

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I believe Chechnia and Russia's own war against terrorism are the main reasons that Russia isn't criticising, at least not very heavily, "Operation Iraqi Freedom".

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???

Nice reply there

I think I understand Phunkie. He/She is right about some similarities between Russia's Chechnia involvement and the US' Iraq war...

But then again... I am sure to be corrected about all of what I say by our resident evil err. communist... err. socialist or whatever he is

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