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About Chechen Terrorism

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Clarissa

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Chechen terrorism is not about religion. It is also not about being part of something, like Al Qaeda. It is a very very different kind of terrorism which is why I’m saying that it’s terrifying. With large terrorist organizations, you can hope to destroy their leadership and shatter the organization. With Chechen terrorism, killing the leaders changes nothing. Dudaev is dead, Khattab is dead, Basayev is dead. What did any of it change? Absolutely nothing.

Chechen terrorism is the terrorism of deeply traumatized people who are enacting their historic trauma in this way. They can be connected to others or act on their own, but the reason is always the same: the 300-year-long tragedy of the Chechen people.

44 responses to “About Chechen Terrorism”

  1. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    You’re right, but I think this is more than that.

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  2. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    And there’s something worst than this that occurs right now in West, Texas.

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    1. David Gendron Avatar
      David Gendron

      worse

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    2. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      The events in Texas are horrible. I hear that this stupid plant had been fined for low security standards. How is it possible that they are allowed to operate so unsafely?

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      1. David Gendron Avatar
        David Gendron

        I think the West case is a more important issue of HOMELAND security.

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        1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
          bloggerclarissa

          What’s driving me around the bend is how hard it is for people like N to get a visa while crowds of completely unhinged criminals buy their way into the US so very easily.

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      2. Roberto Severino Avatar
        Roberto Severino

        The number of causalities should make the West, Texas story way more important, but people love a good manhunt! Remember the Chris Dorner story?

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        1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
          bloggerclarissa

          Well, an accident will never be as scary as a planned murder. People learn to resign themselves to accidents.

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      3. David Gendron Avatar
        David Gendron

        “What’s driving me around the bend is how hard it is for people like N to get a visa while crowds of completely unhinged criminals buy their way into the US so very easily.”

        And the problem is WORSE here in Canada.

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        1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
          bloggerclarissa

          It’s bad in Canada BUT at least in Canada there is a possibility of professional immigration while in the US only religious fanatics, mail brides, and “lottery winners” are accepted.

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      4. David Gendron Avatar
        David Gendron

        Before the conservative governement, this was the case. Right now with the con-serv-haters, Canada immigration is becoming ludicrous.

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  3. N G Avatar
    N G

    Here’s an interview with the boy’s -Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge, Mass. and his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26 – uncle. Two law enforcement officials said there is a “Chechen connection” to the bombings according to the Washington Post. They had also lived in Kyrgyzstan and Dagestan prior to emigrating to America.

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  4. David Gendron Avatar
    David Gendron

    http://www.cambridgema.gov/citynewsandpublications/news/2011/05/congratulations2011cityscholarshiprecipients.aspx

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    1. David Gendron Avatar
      David Gendron

      Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is in this list

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  5. N G Avatar
    N G

    Djohar Tsarnaev webpage on VK (Originally VKontakte, Russian: ВКонтакте), a Russian social network service.

    http://vk.com/id160300242?z=tag160300242

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  6. Leah Jane Avatar
    Leah Jane

    The Onion’s contributed a good observation to how this is unfolding in the American media:
    http://www.theonion.com/articles/study-majority-of-americans-not-informed-enough-to,32124/

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  7. N G Avatar
    N G

    So true Leah. From your link:

    “Dr. Tim Kinane, adding that a majority of American citizens are almost totally unaware of Chechen history and culture, how to locate Chechnya on a map”

    Actually it’s worse. Geographically challenged Americans are confusing Chechnya with the Czech Republic as in let’s bomb all those rabid Czechs which would certainly surprise those peaceful central Europeans.

    http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/twitter-mistakes-czech-republic-chechnya-boston-bombings

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    1. hkatz Avatar
      hkatz

      Most of the media coverage on these bombings – social media, mainstream media – are noise. The more ignorant or off-base you are, the more noise you generate and provoke from others.

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    2. Leah Jane Avatar
      Leah Jane

      As one of my saucier older friends says, “The would would be improved if the stupid only opened their mouths to suck a dick.”

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      1. Leah Jane Avatar
        Leah Jane

        *the world would

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    3. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      Oh, God. Idiocy is winning this marathon. 😦 😦

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    4. valter07 Avatar
      valter07

      Czech embassy had to make a statement…
      http://www.mzv.cz/washington/en/czech_u_s_relations/news/statement_of_the_ambassador_of_the_czech.html

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  8. N G Avatar
    N G

    CNN has just announced that they have captured the second proported bomber hiding on a boat.

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    1. Stringer Bell Avatar
      Stringer Bell

      ‘Proported’ eh?

      This is what happens when you deviate from your core competency (copy&pasting internet links).

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  9. cliff arroyo Avatar
    cliff arroyo

    “What’s driving me around the bend is how hard it is for people like N to get a visa while crowds of completely unhinged criminals buy their way into the US so very easily.”

    Sounds a lot like the situation in Western Europe where large groups of immigrants with very low social capital are brought in under conditions that make integration (much less assimilation) and improvement of their social capital impossible while educated professionals are given the cold shoulder.

    And surely you’ve noticed that the current debates about immigration aren’t about people like you or N either. I think that the classic model of immigration (which depends on integration/assimilation of the first generation born in the new country is dead and has been replaced by the wholesale importation of underclasses. The question is whose interests are served by the creation of minority underclasses?

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      “And surely you’ve noticed that the current debates about immigration aren’t about people like you or N either. I think that the classic model of immigration (which depends on integration/assimilation of the first generation born in the new country is dead and has been replaced by the wholesale importation of underclasses. The question is whose interests are served by the creation of minority underclasses?”

      – I’m still very mystified by this phenomenon. The phenomenon is definitely there, you are right. But I’m not getting what motivates it. I know many people who are like N and I but nobody needs them. Instead, all kinds of Tsarnaevs are welcomed with open arms. This is very mysterious.

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  10. Stringer Bell Avatar
    Stringer Bell

    “So true Leah. From your link:

    “Dr. Tim Kinane, adding that a majority of American citizens are almost totally unaware of Chechen history and culture, how to locate Chechnya on a map””

    You do realize that this is an Onion article, right?

    Look NG, I understand that ‘proving’ Americans are stupid is your favorite pastime so who am I to dissuade you from relentlessly pursuing your hobby, but you do realize that most people in all countries are kinda stupid, don’t you? At some point it would behoove you to rise about the childish ‘Ha ha Americans can’t point out Iraq on the map haha’ level of rhetoric that you just love to spout. You think the majority of Spanish people can point out Iraq on the map? Canadians? I’m in grad school and meet tons of very smart people from all over the world, and the level of ignorance about geography, language, culture I see from them astounds me. These are supposedly the best minds their respective countries have to offer.

    Also realize that the system of post graduate education (grad school and above) in the US is the best in the world, and it’s not even close. And that’s the level where, you know, actual research and innovation happens.

    Enjoy your Blackberry.

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      “Also realize that the system of post graduate education (grad school and above) in the US is the best in the world, and it’s not even close. ”

      – This is absolutely true. The level of post-graduate education and university research in the US is outstanding. And the level of university education is better than that of all countries I’m familiar with. Definitely better than Canadian college education.

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      1. Stringer Bell Avatar
        Stringer Bell

        But who cares. It’s so much fun and fulfilling to copy and paste reality show videos to illustrate how dumb americans are. I bet everyone from every country other than the US will totally be able to pinpoint Chechnya on the world map. Oh, those urbane elites from Alberta and Saskatchewan. Wish I had access to their valuable insight into the Chechnya problem in these troubled times.

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  11. Stringer Bell Avatar
    Stringer Bell

    ‘..rise above..’

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  12. Stringer Bell Avatar
    Stringer Bell

    https://www.nsfwcorp.com/dispatch/prisoners-of-the-caspian-part-one/5d4684de32daaaefa69a37eec584e1104270fec3/#unlock-dispatch

    Hope you read this before the article is locked.

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      Great article!! The US’s decision not to see Chechen terrorism as terrorism has been completely pig-headed.

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      1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
        bloggerclarissa

        This is precisely why I said from the start that Boston Marathon bombings were ironic.

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  13. Stringer Bell Avatar
    Stringer Bell

    Part 2: https://www.nsfwcorp.com/dispatch/prisoners-of-the-caspian-part-two/bc584e6a76be16e57b32cdbc4962db7642de73d7/

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      I can’t tell you how much I love this series of articles. For the first time ever, I’m reading an intelligent analysis of the issue in English. Finally, somebody who knows the subject matter is discussing Chechnya.

      Thank you for the links!!

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  14. Stringer Bell Avatar
    Stringer Bell

    Glad you like it. They do journalism the way it’s supposed to be done. I’m seriously considering subscribing to their site (and the print edition). It’s only $7 a month.

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      If this is how they normally work, then I want to subscribe, too. Outstanding journalism!

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  15. Stringer Bell Avatar
    Stringer Bell

    Commentary on the Turkey riots. Hope you get to read it before it’s locked. I love the War Nerd.

    https://www.nsfwcorp.com/dispatch/good-healthy-riots/b5a87d0cce2fd6f040e9d0b64450c00e8c5e53e3/

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      I got there in time. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I think I definitely need to subscribe.

      This part is already priceless: “The place most journalists have picked to explain Turkey is Tahrir Square in Cairo. I think one reason is that “Taksim” sounds a lot like “Tahrir,” so you can keep the capital “T” and the “Square” part. If you add an adjective, you can get three “t” words in a row, like this gem: “Is Taksim the Turkish Tahrir?”

      It may sound weird to claim that simple alliteration is what’s driving all these headlines, but how else do you explain such a clearly dumb comparison? Headline writers even have been finding ways to get another “t” in there without taking the easy way out and using “Turkish.” One site managed it in a unique way, as if they were writing a restaurant review: “A Taste of Tahrir in Taksim.””

      I’ve been fascinated with Turkey since childhood.

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      1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
        bloggerclarissa

        I especially like how well these articles are written. Just on the purely linguistic level – why don’t more people write this way?

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        1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
          bloggerclarissa

          “Even in Texas, where the Anglos made Mexican-hating part of the Baptist creed, up there with predestination and segregation, most of the place names are still from Spanish.”

          Is this good, or what?

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  16. Stringer Bell Avatar
    Stringer Bell

    The War Nerd is John Dolan, who has published a couple of books of poetry and a novel: He has insight you’ll never ever find anywhere, mainstream or otherwise. And his writing is just brilliant. If you liked the article you’d love his hilarious (but astonishingly correct) analysis of the world’s major conflicts: http://www.amazon.com/War-Nerd-Gary-Brecher/dp/0979663687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370573857&sr=8-1&keywords=war+nerd

    His literary reviews on the old exile site were genius.

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  17. Stringer Bell Avatar
    Stringer Bell

    Sorry for spamming this thread. Chechnya continued (as always, the article will be locked in a day or two).

    https://www.nsfwcorp.com/dispatch/chechnyan-power/1ba17609549cec79a56daca93541a638fe6c506b/

    “Turning the camera around and looking at the story from the Tsarnaevs’ personal experience, you begin to see how whitewashing Chechnya out of the Boston bombing story is worse than hackery — it’s malpractice.

    First, let’s look at Chechnya and at Chechens’ profound sense of ethnic identity and identification with their Caucasus homeland…..”

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    1. bloggerclarissa Avatar
      bloggerclarissa

      No, not at all! I’m very grateful you are bringing these links here.

      It’s insane that one has to prove that Chechen people have been influenced by. . . Chechen history.

      And to suspect Russian secret services of organizing Boston bombings one has to be so excruciatingly dumb that it’s scary.

      There are so many of these so-called experts on foreign events who are completely clueless.

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