A massive manhunt is underway in Boston this morning; residents, please keep an eye on the news and stay inside and safe.
News is still breaking, but Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remains at large. A 19-year-old who completed high school in the U.S., he is originally from Chechnya. Media is speculating that he and his 26-year-old brother may have moved to Kyrgyzstan at a young age (possibly during the Chechen wars). They've spent several years in the U.S.
While we cannot jump to conclusions about motives, now is a crucial time for the U.S. to brush up on the turbulence in the region. Though out-dated and focused on the Russia-Chechnya dynamic rather than the recent Chechen arrests in Europe, this overview on Chechnya from the Council on Foreign Relations (2010) provides a thorough background (shorter overview from 2008 Economist here). Chechen terrorism in Russia has generally been focused on separatism, though this may be evolving Again, there have been no demonstrated linkages to Chechen political motives nor any terrorist networks as of yet.
As a note, though this was simply a sign of diplomatic condolences, Vladimir Putin offered to help Boston with the investigation after the attack on Monday. Perhaps such help would have been helpful for Boston or perhaps this outcome may provide a spark that the Russian administration is seeking to further engage with the Chechen Republic.
News is still breaking, but Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remains at large. A 19-year-old who completed high school in the U.S., he is originally from Chechnya. Media is speculating that he and his 26-year-old brother may have moved to Kyrgyzstan at a young age (possibly during the Chechen wars). They've spent several years in the U.S.
While we cannot jump to conclusions about motives, now is a crucial time for the U.S. to brush up on the turbulence in the region. Though out-dated and focused on the Russia-Chechnya dynamic rather than the recent Chechen arrests in Europe, this overview on Chechnya from the Council on Foreign Relations (2010) provides a thorough background (shorter overview from 2008 Economist here). Chechen terrorism in Russia has generally been focused on separatism, though this may be evolving Again, there have been no demonstrated linkages to Chechen political motives nor any terrorist networks as of yet.
As a note, though this was simply a sign of diplomatic condolences, Vladimir Putin offered to help Boston with the investigation after the attack on Monday. Perhaps such help would have been helpful for Boston or perhaps this outcome may provide a spark that the Russian administration is seeking to further engage with the Chechen Republic.
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