Terror: Russian colonies: Death of Shamil Basayev, Chechen terror chief, solves nothing
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We mite call the death of Shamil Basayev an act of retributive justice, but we can't quickly give Russia's security forces credit for his actual demise, according to Sean Guillory writing on blog Publius Pundit, "Will Shamil Besayev's Death Change Anything?" (Jul 12,2k6).
The most important thing to remember about Besayev is that he was the Butcher of Beslan; he was the mastermind who organized and inspired the event that resulted in the slawter of Russian children. This did not take place in his own region, Chechnya, a largely Muslim-populated country. Rather, it took place in an ethincally-Russian region.
Likewise, Besayev's death occurred outside Chechnya, where iron rule discourages much terror activity. Instead, Besayev was in another region, Ingushetia, also with a large Muslim population, raising trouble and mayhem there. Apparently, the Russians were not prepared for B's sudden passing. Apparently, it was not Putin's boys in the state security apparatus that got B, but it was an accident - at least, so says Guillory.
Ingushetia itself is sandwiched between Chechnya (which is closer to the Russian heartland) and Northern Ossetia. Also, Ingushetia is mostly-all Muslim, a society twined together by strong clan connections and systems of authority.
RUSSIA > Chechnya * Ingushetia * North Ossetia
Historically, however, the clans of Ingushetia have struggled to reammain free of those of Chechnya to its east, and also of those of North Ossetia to its west where it borders on independent Georgia (wherein lays South Ossetia). Georgia is a thorn in Putin's backside, so any measure of loyalty from Ingushetia is valued in Moscow. For that very reason, Besayev gravitated to the task of terror outside his homeland, in neighbouring Ingushetia.
The Ingush and Chechen peoples have close historical, cultural and linguistic ties, although the Ingush have not shared in the fierceness of the resistance to Moscow put up by the Chechens over the past 200 years.Putin is locked into a policy of repression that is slowly creating a common-minded movement, apparently not so much "religiously" Muslim, as a secular desire of Muslim-background people to be free of the Russian yoke, but knowing the price to be paid would astronomical in blood (their blood too!) and civil disruption. Surely, sadly, it's a puzzlement. – Politicarp
Part of the Russian empire since the early 19th century, Ingushetia was formally joined to Chechnya under Soviet rule in 1936 when it formed around one-fifth of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Republic within Russia.
Like the Chechens, the Ingush, despite their history of relative loyalty to Moscow, were deported to Central Asia towards the end of World War II by Stalin who accused them of collaborating with the Nazis. They were allowed to return only in 1957 when Khrushchev was Soviet leader.
There was tension after Dzhokhar Dudayev came to power as Chechen leader in 1991. When he declared Chechen sovereignty the Ingush resisted. There was some fighting along the border between the two regions and Russian troops were sent in to establish order. The Ingush subsequently voted in a referendum to form the Republic of Ingushetia within Russia. Although firmly tied to Moscow, the republic has its own anthem and state symbols.
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