Russians justified in invading Chechnya

Whiskey and Rye
    By John Schochet

Last month, Russian soldiers stormed into Chechnya— a free, peaceful nation on Russia's southern border— and started killing and pillaging the innocent civilian population. Bad Russia! What could President Boris Yeltsin be thinking? He knows that the Russians are supposed to be obedient and docile in this civilized post-Cold War age. How dare they invade Chechnya!

That's the story the media and the State Department would like you to believe. And, to an extent, it's accurate—Russian soldiers in Chechnya have killed civilians, and their conduct is not always exemplary. It's unfortunate that so many people have died and that a province that wants independence can't have it. Russia is not an angel descending from Heaven to save Chechnya from its evil self. But let's consider for a moment the possibility that the Russians are justified in taking military action in Chechnya.

SHAWN CHENG/YH

Earlier this fall, Russians suffered a series of terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of people. The worst of these involved the destruction of two Moscow apartment buildings. The government believes that this terrorism was the work of Islamic militants from Chechnya fighting the Russian presence in Dagestan, a southern province neighboring Chechnya. If terrorists killed over 300 Americans, most of them sleeping in apartment complexes in New York and Washington, wouldn't you expect our government to respond?

Chechnya achieved de facto independence from Moscow after a bloody insurrection that ended in 1996. Since then, however, Chechen "self-determination" has resulted in anarchy, rule by militants, attempts to coerce other provinces to rebel against Russia, and the kidnapping and murder of Westerners. When Chechen Islamic militants entered Dagestan earlier this year in an attempt to incite rebellion, they found that the locals just wanted peace, stability, and autonomy—not independence. The bombings in Moscow were, in all likelihood, a reaction from Chechen militants. Russian troops soon quelled the intrusion into Dagestan, but Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (effectively the present leader of Russia given President Boris Yeltsin's infirmity) believed that the murders of Russian civilians would not stop so long as the terrorists had their haven in Chechnya.

Putin's reaction was exactly what we would have expected from our own leaders. Russian troops have been slowly taking control of Chechnya for the last two months, using a low-casualty strategy similar to what NATO used in this year's campaign against Serbia. Of course Chechen civilians have been killed; that's what happens in war. From the Russians' perspective, however, this war is necessary for the sake of national security.

Chechnya's right to self-determination ends when it becomes a sanctuary for Islamic militants who are trying to destabilize other provinces that wish to remain part of Russia. During its three years of self-government, Chechnya has proven itself incapable of maintaining independence. Militants controlled the region, and kidnappings were so commonplace that most of the Western media stopped entering the country. But the Chechen terrorists' bombings of Russia were the last straw. No country should tolerate that kind of behavior from a neighbor. Whether Chechnya is a rebellious province or a hostile sovereign nation is irrelevant when Russia is acting to protect its citizens.

After years of Russian protest against both NATO expansion and the Western campaign against Serbia, the West mistakenly considers it necessary to criticize Russian military action. The State Department, along with most Western European governments, has vocally protested against the Russian offensive in Chechnya. Russia did not take sides in our Civil War—we should return the favor.

Ten years ago, Russia was the center of the world's second most powerful empire. Since then, Russians have watched their country's power and self-confidence steadily erode. They lost their sphere of influence, saw their attempts at capitalism dominated by the mafia, and endured corrupt and inept politicians. Prime Minister Putin, a moderate, has become the country's most popular politician by successfully conducting the most recent Chechen campaign and skillfully using Russia's media to his advantage. Part of the purpose of the military action is to protect Russian civilians from terrorists. But another goal is to make Russians feel confident that their country can succeed.

Russia has lost virtually every diplomatic, economic, and military battle that it has fought since the breakup of the Soviet Union. How would you feel if this were your country? To be told that you're not allowed to retake a rebellious province which has spent the last three years as a spawning ground for terrorism, extremism, and anarchy is truly humiliating.

If we wish to find a democratic, modern, and friendly Russia in another 10 years, the United States needs to lead the West in showing Moscow some respect. We don't have to support the war, and we can even speak out against human rights abuses. But it's time we stop telling Russia to end its campaign in Chechnya. Given the U.S.'s obvious willingness to drop bombs outside its own borders, we shouldn't be so quick to impose a double standard on Russian military action.

Recent Herald Columns by this Columnist:
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• Today's Germany is not the old regime, 10/15/99

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