The terrorist transformation What is a terrorist? The Chechen rebels had a real cause. They wanted to separate from Russia. They ran into the political needs of Vladimir Putin, the Russian President. Putin has fought two brutal wars against them. It is clear the Chechens can not stand up to the Russian military which, it has been charged, has killed of some 25 per cent of the population of Chechnya.
The Chechens not completely defeated, despite grievious losses, have fought back using terrorist tactics. World opinion did not, at first condemn the Chechens because they had legitimate grievances. The U.S. never condemned Russian tactics because Presidents Clinton and Bush both had commited personal friendships with Russian Presidents Yeltsin and Putin.
Then came the attack on a theatre in Moscow. While there have been many attacks, the capture of an entire theatre audience galvanized world opinion against the attackers. Still the condemnation was not complete because of the grisly use of nerve gas by Russian security forces.
There have been a large number of attacks that have not captured world attention. But, starting with the downing of two Russian airliners and ending with the school hostage crisis, in which at least two hundred were killed, the last few weeks have been a horror for the Russians and the terrorists have lost all public sympathy.
I find it interesting that if the Chechens were to fight on, they had no choice but to use the tactics of guerilla fighters, but their tactics inevitably transcended their issues. They became known more as terrorists than Chechen rebels. Now with this attack and the clear evidence that they are allied with and supported by Al Qaeda the transformation is complete.
Presidene Putin has declared that his nation is at war with a terrorist force which is out to destabilize the country. So far they are quite successful.
It is probably unjust, but those who turn to terrorist tactics eventually lose the righteousness of their cause. To survive, the nations of the world will eventually coalesce and find new forms of alliance to wipe out all the terrorist groups. It is a shame that legitimate grievances will be forgotten in the battles to come.
Melvyn Polatchek
6:35:39 AM 
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