From Boston to Chechnya to Moscow: Chain of Terror Unites US and Russia

As the police continue to hunt for a suspect in the Boston marathon bombing, the long-running battle of Muslim Chechens in Russia has reemerged into focus. The US and Russia are in complete agreement on at least one foreign-policy issue, a desire to prevent and combat Islamic extremism, and reports that two suspects in the Boston marathon bombing are brothers of Chechen background will prompt analysts to examine all connections. The US lent support to Russia after the three-day Beslan school hostage crisis in 2004, and frustrated Chechens may turn attention to the US, according to one analyst, Simon Bennett, of the Civil Safety and Security Unit at the University of Leicester, as reported by the Independent. The Chechens, a largely Muslim population that lives in the North Caucasus, have long resisted Russian rule. Such divided regions with marginalized people are fertile ground for terrorist recruiters. The Independent lists reported connections between Chechen representatives and Al Qaeda, though other analysts have warned that Russian officials often over-emphasized those ties to win US support for tough measures against the extremists. – YaleGlobal