Chechnya Russia's War on Terror

Although the Russo-Chechen conflict has been the bloodiest on European soil since World War II, it has tended to hit the headlines only when the Chechens stage a '¬~terrorist spectacular' such as the Nord-Ost and Beslan hostage crises. With the passing in late 2004 of the tenth anniversary of the outbreak of full-scale hostilities between Russian federal forces and Chechen fighters, renewed attention has been drawn to the failure of either side to impose a satisfactory settlement upon the conflict, which thus shows every sign of dragging on indefinitely. This book looks at the sources of the conflict, how both sides were dragged inexorably into war, conduct during and between the two wars (1994-96 and 1999 to present) and how a downward spiral of violence has led to a mutually damaging impasse from which neither side appears able to extricate itself. This book applies for the first time theories of conflict, terror and counter-terrorism to post-Communist Russia. It also examines and analyses the countervailing claims of Russian territorial integrity, Chechen self-determination, globalization and the '¬~war on terror. Finally, some alternative resolutions are proposed that might lead to a just and lasting peace in the region.Russell, Bertrand is the author of 'Chechnya Russia's War on Terror', published 2007 under ISBN 9780415380645 and ISBN 0415380642.