Violence between the Russian Federation and Chechnya has been a problem in the North Caucasus region since the collapse of the Soviet Union. This violence has included two wars, utilizing conventional Russian military forces to engage Chechen fighters as well as numerous operations conducted against Russian civilians by Chechens within Russia itself. As with the conflict in Northern Ireland, this violence has generally come to an end. After completing the reading and viewing the video about this incident, please address the following in your initial post:
- What impact did religion, culture, and political considerations have on the origins of this conflict?
- What prompted Russian forces to launch two large scale military operations into Chechnya?
- What impact did the attack at Beslan School Number One have on the conflict?
- Was this attack a legitimate military action considering the circumstances in Chechnya?
- Should Chechen forces be considered terrorists? Why or why not?
- Why did the conflict in Chechnya de-escalate, and how does this de-escalation compare to that in Northern Ireland?
Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Review several of your classmates’ posts and provide substantive responses by Day 7 to at least two of your peers whose opinions differ from yours.
