English
Islamic extremism in the North Caucasus: what kind of threat for regional security?
Alonso, Sonia, 2003
(8-5-2003) It is to Russia's advantage to portray its second military campaign in Chechnya as a fight against terrorism. This is especially so after 11 September, when international terrorism has become, not without reason, a Western obsession. But the fight in Chechnya is, above all, a fight against Islamic extremism and nationalism. Western countries do know, by now, what international terrorism can do to harm them and how serious a threat it can be. However, they seem ill prepared to evaluate what kind of threat Islamic extremism is. In Russia, it has been a security priority for many years.