‘Finally, attacks such as these provide the pretext for the most reactionary elements in Russia further to tighten security controls and to undermine what limited civil liberties still obtain’

That’s often the point. The thinking goes that X is oppressive therefore by committing terrorist acts we provoke X into further acts of oppression thereby revealing the violence within the system, and then…well, the next bit’s always vague. Maybe they think the population will rebel, maybe that X will take a long, hard look at itself and be shamed into being less oppressive.

It’s a self-fulfilling prophesy though. Even if X is actually quite nice they won’t be for long.

“Sticking up theatres and schools and setting off explosions on public transport are not the way to win friends and influence people, however just the motivation is in theory.”

I disagree that the motivation is just, even in theory. As you yourself explained the people killed had no involvement.

Good article Dave.

It’s a sad indictment of a lot of what passes for debate on political blogs that such a thunderingly obvious point still has to be said.

These attacks cannot be justified under any circumstances. The tragedy of so many conflicts which light the spark for indiscriminate atrocities against civilians, is that it is too easy to loose sight of the causes of such attacks. Whilst in no way wishing to excuse or give comfort to the muderers and fanatics responsible, none of us should lose sight of the back story.

The legitimate desire of various peoples in the Caucasus for self determination or autonomy have not simply been ignored, they have all too often been crushed. Faced with carpet bombing of their cities, and an almost total lack of any meaningful support from the international community, the siren voices of fundamentalism, whether religious, racial or nationalist will find a ready audience in Chechnya. All too often they will also find willing recruits amongst those who feel they have no other option, and no other way to hit back.

What applies to the Russians vis a vis Chechnya is equally applicable in many other conflicts; Israeli/Palestine, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, Basque seperatists.. the list is a long one, the list of successful resolutions is much shorter.

As Lenin observed, nations which oppress others cannot themselves be free. Unhappily, Putin and Medvedyev appear bent on ignoring the lessons of history, just as Tony Blair did when his provocative invasion of Iraq led inexorably to the London tube bombings.

It’s a bitter irony that leaders who are protected by elaborate security measures, paid for at great public expense, are prepared to leave ordinary citizens to bear the brunt of wholly avoidable attacks, after which they mouth hypocritical outrage and press on with the very same oppressive policies that led to the maiming and slaughter of the people it should be their first priority to protect.

You are a sick, sick and even DANGEROUS person for supporting terrorism like you are doing.

I have reported your blog to M-5.

I hope they come and arrest you.

@6

You’ve reported it to the M5?

What, to the motorway that leads into Devon?

@6

None of the comments above appear to support or condone terrorism as far as I can see. If you can’t be bothered to post something to do with the actual argument, save us your “Daily Mail” rantings!

“provocative” invasion of Iraq

you know, some of us are able to handle “provocation” without blowing people up on tube trains

perhaps I’m just more even-tempered than you?

pathetic excuse making

And quoting Lenin on oppression is simply beyond parody!

@5: “Putin and Medvedyev appear bent on ignoring the lessons of history, just as Tony Blair did when his provocative invasion of Iraq led inexorably to the London tube bombings.”

There may be linkage in the minds of the perpetrators between particular terrorist attacks and a given perceived “cause” (whether Russian policy in Chechnya, or the invasion of Iraq, British policy in N. Ireland… etc, etc..), but it is dangerously simplistic to believe that those capable of the deliberate targetting of civilians in Moscow, London, Madrid or wherever are doing so solely (or even mainly) in response to “oppressive policies”.

These people are fundamentalist fanatics. Their tactics cannot and should not be given any veneer of legitimacy with reference to their outrage at the treatment of the people of Chechnya, or Iraq, or Palestine or wherever. To believe the citizens of Russia, the UK, Spain etc were somehow “asking for it” by allowing their governments to follow oppressive policies only shows that the murderers who carry out the attacks have no moral compass.

Galen10 @ comment 8:

Now that made me laugh out loud for a long, long time.

I was in Chechnya when Shamil Basayev was killed three years ago and wrote about it here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/jul/23/whokilledshamilbasayev

I instinctively distrust conspiracy theories, but I find the view that Russian Secret Service officers did carry out the bombing of a number of apartment buildings in order to justify the second invasion of Chechnya in 1999 moderately compelling

All nations with a sizable muslim minority have to endure communal violence and terrorism –

Thailand
Phillipines
China
Russia
India
Nigeria
Western Europe
USA
Israel

I could go on…
Would ‘Domestic extremist’ care to explain this? Also i would like to know if any countries exist where islam is able to co-exist peacefully with non believers?

Would appear that travelling to work in 21st Century Western Cities, has a new ‘occupational Hazard’ attached to it.

Has Vanessa Redgrave said anything on this? Dare I read it and risk descending into a murderous rage?

The paradigm case here is the sustained bombing of Grozny in December 1994 and January 1995, which probably constitutes the worst saturation bombing of a single city since Dresden.

I’d say Gulbidden Heymatyar’s shelling of Kabul in 1994 or the Syrian Ba’athists’ destruction of Hama in 1982 rank up there. Just as with the need to bring in Iraq to this discussion, at the time of Dresden there was Stalingrad or Warsaw or any number of cities in China and Korea to cite.

Going back before Dresden, Kokand was arguably much much worse.