Islamists in Russia

THE ECONOMIST--The Boston Marathon bombings have put a new focus on Russia's Islamist republics. After the bombers were identified as Chechens, Russian president Vladimir Putin called President Obama to offer his help during the investigation. Putin has argued that the threat of radical Islam in Russia is the same as the one currently being faced by the West. So far, it seems the bombers acted alone without the help of an organization. However, the bombings have left investigators questioning what and if a connection exists between a regional conflict in Russia and the States. As the article posits, "...the Tsarnaev boys sought mental refuge in their native land" despite never fighting in the independence wars or living in Chechnya for an extended period of time.

LEV 350
Emily Goodfellow (#4)