There is currently an upsurge in the terrorist and sabotage activity of the North Caucasus Islamists. Unlike in previous years, this fact is now openly acknowledged by representatives of the Russian authorities.
But do the Russian authorities and Russian society in general understand the nature of this threat, its dynamics, its resources (explicit and latent), the motivation of the insurgent leaders? To judge from the language being used by officials, experts and journalists to describe the challenge Russia faces in the North Caucasus, there is no such comprehension. While the officials characterize Umarov`s followers as "the gangster underground" (bandpodpol`ye), the name chosen by Russian media for the organizers of the ominous terrorist attacks of recent months is "Chechen separatists".
sections: Politics, Society |