Why Russia is coming to the Middle East
Friday, September 3, 2004 at 6:55AM "Insurgents Seize Russian School; Scores Hostage: Standoff With Troops; Captors Seen as ChechensóThreat Made to Kill Children and Adults," by C.J. Chivers and Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 2 September, p. A1.
"Bold Terror Strikes in Russia Raise Security Fears: Surge of Attacks All Linked To Chechen Rebels Proves Huge Challenge to Putin," by Guy Chazan and Gregory L. White, Wall Street Journal, 2 September, p. A11.
Russia is coming to the Middle East security-wise because everything it fears in terms of instability and danger lie to its south. Russia has let its military and security services languish over the past decade, and the ramping up of violence connected with Chechnya is going to push the Kremlin into re-militarizing its foreign policy and re-energizing its internal police forces.
Like China, India, and Western Europe in general, Russia's biggest security issues have to do with Muslims living both along its borders and along the "edges" of its society. The problems of integrating Muslims into democratic societies in the Core is just the microcosm of the problem the Core faces in integrating the Middle East into the expanding global economy.
I know a lot of people look at Russia right now and see ever more evidence of the world going to hell in a handbasket, but I see a nation getting its motivation to truly join a GWOT the hard way.
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