| Putin Down the Chechens |
14 July 2003
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The Chechens Aren't Pro-West; Putin Is
A bomb killed some 15 people at a rock concert in Moscow last week. Two female suicide bombers are believed to have committed the atrocity, and they are linked with the Chechen rebels. President Vladimir Putin has vowed that the Russians will not let themselves be pushed around. It would be useful for him to get the backing of others to pursue these terrorists.
The terrorists of Chechnya, not to be confused with the people of Chechnya, are pursuing a drive for independence that, at best, will be a disaster for the place, and at worst, will require years of violence before that disaster can begin. However, they are secessionists fighting against the established order, and for reasons that defy practicality, they have conned many into believing that their struggle resonates with that of George Washington.
For that reason, the Bush administration and many western European governments have not backed the Russians the way they should. The Russians have not always handled the desires of the Chechens for greater autonomy as well as they might, which adds to the problem.
However, there is no reason to believe that Chechnya is a viable state worthy of independence under international law. Although the late Woodrow Wilson would (wrongly) object, the fact that there is a distinct people living somewhere does not prima facie require a state for them. Nation-states must be economically viable, socially cohesive and exist in the hearts and minds of the people as well as in law. While Chechnya may exist as a unique culture and as a geographic unit, it is also not an economy that can sustain its people.
From the World Trade Center to Kabul, the world has seen what happened when a state collapses. There are far too many in danger of falling apart as it is. President Putin should be given the backing he needs to resolve the Chechen problem so as to avoid the birth of another unviable nation.