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And while terrorism knows no nationality, Chechen thugs, regardless of the place where they currently might operate, be it Russia or America, deserve the word “terrorists”.The investigation of the Boston attack is still at the initial stage, and there is no any credible proof yet that the two Boston attackers could have any direct contacts with the Islamist terrorist movement thousands of miles away, which is still operating in Russia’s North Caucasus republics. The only fact so far which may grow into a bigger story is that in 2011 the Russian government approached the FBI about one of the brothers Tamerlin Tsarnayev, requesting a check on his contacts. At that time the Russians said Tamerlan Tsarnayev “was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country’s region to join unspecified underground groups”.Obviously, there are many questions which are still unanswered. What is yet to be found out is whether two primary suspects are guilty – this is to be decided by a court. However, regardless of whether Dzhokar and Tamerlan Tsarnayev acted on their own or were a part of a larger terrorist cell or conspiracy, some things would be seen differently through the prism of the Boston attack.Hopefully, Russia’s own war on terror, which started shortly after the disintegration of the USSR, when the then Chechen leader, ex-Soviet army general Dzhokar Dudayev staged a bloody rebellion against Moscow, would now get at least more understanding, less bias and prejudice in the US and the West as a whole.The surprise attack, allegedly staged by the two young men from the restive North Caucasus region, could invite millions of Americans to make a geographical discovery and find where Chechnya is on the map.As for the American political class, the Boston attack should at least begin a fresh look at Moscow’s stand on terrorism, which for a number of years was associated with the activity of bearded cut-throats, reciting “Allah Akbar” and operating from their hide-outs in the thick Chechen forests and mountains.What was the core issue of US-Russian disagreement over the war on terror in a pre-September 11 era, at the initial stages of Russia’s independence? At the center of a heated, highly politically-charged debate, which poisoned bilateral relations, was the conflict in and around Chechnya. While Chechen rebels were waging a subversive guerilla war against Russian regular troops in Chechnya and attacking civilian targets in major Russian cities, including Moscow, they were portrayed as “freedom fighters” in the West.While Moscow expected unequivocal support on the issue of its war on Chechen militancy, emphasizing that there are no “good” and “bad” terrorists, US administrations were making another point and interpreting acts of terror, staged in Russian territory their own way – as a signal to Moscow, that it should enter into negotiations with militants to integrate them in the political process. In fact, lack of understanding on the matter for years crippled US-Russian joint anti-terrorist efforts.Then, in the last decade, when much-awaited peace came to Chechnya, while Islamic rebel movements shifted to neighboring republics – Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan, they in the West accused Moscow of human rights violations in the North Caucasus. The war on terror was still interpreted as Russia’s crackdown on “good terrorists”, whose motives should be understood with due patience.Meantime, the question of “good” and “bad” terrorists is not restricted to the North Caucasus Islamic movement. Russia emphasizes the selective approach to terrorists and the attempts to hobnob with them when other political considerations intervene would inevitably backfire. Those terrorists who are bred by the West at one point would turn their weapons against the feeding hand. That is what happened in Afghanistan, when mujaheddins who were supported by the US to fight Soviet troops after at time entered into a war with America. This is what happened in Libya, when those, who were overthrowing the Gaddafi regime, later killed US diplomats. This is what can happen in Syria as well, which is turning into another springboard of terrorism, while “the friends of Syria” meticulously rooting out Assad regime.As all eyes today are focused on Boston, Russia has offered to help the US find those behind the bombing. The brothers Tsarnayev’s contacts in Russia should be thoroughly investigated. Probably, this point would come as a moment of truth. It could help both nations to bridge the gap in understanding of what the octopus of global terrorism is and how it should be crushed. … Read More