vs. Russia Chechnya
Second Conflict: 1999-present MAP
Where is Chechnya?
The Major Players
ASLAN MASKHADOV - Elected President of Chechnya in 1997. - Moderate, Secular. - Wanted peace with Russia. - Killed in 2005
SHAMIL BASAYEV - Popular field commander - Radical - Responsible for attacks in Dagestan in 1999 and hostage takings in Russian city of Budennovsk in 1995.
The Major Players Con't
RAMZAN KADYROV - Current President of Chechnya - Former Chechen Rebel - Has support from Russia - Accused of routine human rights violations of Chechen Civilians.
VLADMIR PUTIN - Current President of Russia elected in 1999
Series of Events
In 1999, Chechnya's government has a president with no power, a parliament without responsibility, lacks a constitution, and is being pulled apart by opposing factions headed by field commanders August 1999: Basayev invades the Russian province of Dagestan under the pretense of "liberating" it -- the attack is met with resistance from Dagestan and Russian population.
Russia sends relief troops to aid Dagestan and the conflict turns into outright warfare between Chechnya and Russia
Sept, 1999: Chechen rebels are blamed for the bombings of several apartments in Moscow, Russia Oct, 1999: Russia invades Chechnya with over 100,000 soldiers-- the invasion is widely supported by Russian and Dagestani population June 2000: Putin appoints Kadyrov as head of the Chechen Republic March 2000: all major cities in Chechnya are captured by Russian troops, the remaining rebels are driven into mountains where they continue to use guerilla warfare tactics Spring 2001: conflict enters a new phase as rebels continue to use guerilla warfare from the mountains and Putin gives political power to loyal Chechen elites who proceed to use their power to assert a "regime of terror" over the remaining Chechen population (Zrcher
97)
Fuel to the Fire:
Individual Causes for the Conflict
Individual: Chechnya 1. Maskhadov: moderate, secular, wanted negotiating and peace with Russia. Inability to enforce state institutions and centralization over field commanders who desired their own indepedence from state control. 2. Kadyrov: referred to as "enemy of the Chechen people" by Maskhadov and Basayev placed a $100,000 reward on his head. He proved unable to control separatist rebels and has been unable to establish peace among Chechen factions. Individual: Russia 1. Putin: weak and disorganized political diplomacy has encouraged the continuance of conflict within Chechnya's borders.
Fuel to the Fire:
Domestic Causes for the Conflict
Domestic: Chechnya 1. The ideology and traditions of Chechen society promote militant success, egalitarianism, and the priorities of personal freedom-- giving Chechen government a disorganized, fragemented society to try and centralize 2. surplus Labor allowed for large group of unemployed men willing to fight for the Chechen army 3. Old history against Russia since the mid 1900s because of deportations and human rights violations 4. Religious conflict rising from increased interest in Islam as a governmental institution 5. Warring factions attempting to seize economic and political power for their own personal interests Domestic: Russia 1. Russia moves from major power to a more weakened international player after the fall of the Soviet Union and the drainage of funds after Cold War. Both factors are elements that produce a weaker and more disorganized handling of the conflicts with Chechnya. 2. Calls for vengeance from Russian populace against Chechen rebel bombings and hostage situations, increased when Russian government begins using increased media to aggravate Russian sentiments.
Fuel to the Fire:
International Causes for the Conflict International: Chechnya 1. Islamic missionaries enter Chechnya after the fall of the Soviet Union and encourage Islamic ideologies. (Zrcher 92) International: Russia 1. Russia joins the global alliance against terrorism after the 9/11 attacks on US. They begin to frame the Chechnya conflict as a war on terrorism using media and increased technology. This changes the previous Western view of the Chechen conflict as a struggle for independence. (Trenin 3;
Zurcher 95)
2. Russia needs the resources from its neighboring provinces and cannot risk the instability Chechnya would cause if its independence was approved by Moscow. (Trenin 4)
Current State of Chechnya
In 2006, Chechnya was described as "poor, fragmented, and deeply traumatized, ruled over by ruthless local cliques" (Zrcher
98)
Ramzan Kadyrov, Prime Minister since 2004 and current President of Chechnya, holds an army of 4,000 men in Chechnya, the largest army next to Russian forces. He has been blamed for the responsibility of continued "serious and
routine human rights abuses" on behalf of the state (Zrcher 98)
The continued conflict in Chechnya has made "terrorism a fact of daily life" (Trenin 2) "The single most powerful explanation for the second war in Chechnya is the previous war." (Zrcher 114)
Results
1999-Present Population of Chechnya in 1991(before conflicts) was approximately 836,000 700,000 of which were ethnic Chechens (Zrcher 71) Since 1991, almost all Russians have left Chechnya Death Toll of both wars: estimated 160,000
Sources
Trenin, Dmitri V. and Aleksei V. Makashenko. Russia's Restless Frontier: The Chechnya Factor in Post-Soviet Russia. Washington DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2004. Zrcher, Christopher. The Post-Soviet Wars: Rebellion, Ethnic Conflicts, and Nationhood in the Caucasus. New York: New York University Press, 2007.
Need 2 more sources--