The Wire

Body-bags made front page news as Russian families prepare to bury their dead today after the hostage crisis came to a violent and bloody end over the weekend. While the horrific events of the seige have catapulted the region into the headlines little is known about the long-term animosity behind it. The European Union has condemned Russia’s hardline approach to Chechen separatists, and much of the international community, headed by the US is reluctant to interfer due to heightened concerns over terrorism and a hesitancy to get involved in so-called “domestic” policy. So what’s really going on? Cinnamon Nippard spoke with Graeme Gill, Professor of Government and Public administration at the University of Sydney, who explained the background to this conflict which began over a hundred years ago. Arab leaders around the world have condemned the Beslan atrocities, with Egypt’s highest-ranking imam saying that those who used innocent children as a cover for their activities were not Muslims, but criminals.

Global Issues: Chechnya
The Guardian: Chechnya