Suicide Bombings in the Caucasus

Thomas Garmon

The conflict in the North Caucasus has been raging since 1994.  It started with separatist rebels in Chechnya.  After more than a decade of fighting, Islamic insurgency has taken place in a Russian controlled region.  The warfare is not much different than the type happening in Afghanistan between the U.S. and the Taliban.  Chechnya is currently an Islamic state which welcomes Islamic extremist where they can train and help fight the Russians.This Islamic extremism is apparent due to recent events.  The Chechen capital Grozny just suffered three suicide bomb attacks in a single day.  It was the bloodiest event in recent years from the insurgency.  It is speculated twenty were killed.  Chechen rebels have responded with extremist violence because of claims of genocide.

 

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin assigned Ramzan Kadyrov as a Chechen leader to purge the region of separatist rebels.  Many human-rights organizations have been displeased with stories of Kadyrov using personal militia to torture and kill suspected rebels.  Claims have included the death of women, children, and elderly.  Russia claims that this is an internal affair and that they should not be chastised by the UN because they believe they are fighting a war on terror.  In contrast, however, the war on terror is thought to be a ‘global’ conflict.  The recent bombings are sure to cause more Russian troops to come to the area.  The bombings came to mark the end of the Islamic religious holiday Ramadan. The Moscow Times says this series of bombings is embarrassing to Kadyrov. Kadyrov stated, “They cannot be called humans.  They are worse than evil.  They are the devil incarnate.”  The insurgency feels the same about Kadyrov, claiming he has imposed genocide among them.