Why doesn't Russia leave Chechnya?

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I don't know a whole lot about the conflict, but it seems like a miserable, dreary place. Does it have oil or something? Is there a large pro-Russian contingent? They should just get the hell out.

― andy --, Tuesday, 8 March 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)

Because of nationalism and because the loss of Chechnya would be, in their eyes, the start of death by a thousand cuts. A thousand little states spreading south and eastwards from the Muscovy Rus.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 20:35 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but all the 'istans' have become independent nations, as well as the Baltic republics. It just seems like the cost is far too high, what with all the bombings and attacks on Russian soldiers, etc.

I read some reviews of that "The Man That Wanted To Save The World" or whatever it was called and apparently Chechnya is like the worst place in the world. It makes Afghanistan look like Club Med.

― andy --, Tuesday, 8 March 2005 20:41 (twenty years ago)

Wot Ed said. The fragmentation of the Soviet Union into the smaller states was trouble enough from Moscow's point of view, but since said states were allegedly 'independent' within the union there you are. Chechnya is within the Russian Republic as it stood within the old SU setup and Moscow is not rushing to let that fragment any.

xpost

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 20:42 (twenty years ago)

Stupidity, nationalism and more stupidity.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 20:44 (twenty years ago)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4330039.stm

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 20:46 (twenty years ago)

Chechnya's Moscow-appointed Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov told Interfax news agency the intention had been to take Mr Maskhadov alive, but he had been killed as a result of his bodyguards' carelessness in handling their weapons.

oops!

― phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 20:58 (twenty years ago)

There's a difference between the Russia of Catherine the great and the empire that suceeded. Most of Russia didn't have much in it before the russians arrived (although people like the chenyans would disagree) Whereas the 'istans were a special case and a late edition. Advannced civilizations with long histories, given, initially the same sort of pseudo nationhood that the princely states in India had under the british.

It's a question of history and distance, and what the imperial russians, and soviet thought was expedient.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 21:05 (twenty years ago)

http://www.ichkeria.de/Web_Pic/Chechen_Fighters_12.jpg

Would you bring one home to dinner?

― andy --, Tuesday, 8 March 2005 21:26 (twenty years ago)

I remember reading the article referred to here http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/mar2000/chec-m15.shtml at the time. Vladimir Putin really is an evil, evil man.

― rwillmsen (rwillmsen), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 00:48 (twenty years ago)

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