•“[op-ed] Stop Blaming Putin and Start Helping Him: Unless peace is made in Chechnya, the war may spread,” by Fiona Hill, New York Times, 10 September, p. A27.
What was Putin trying to say in his angry press conference on Monday?
Clearly, he was sending a message that he needs the United States and Europe to pay careful attention as he responds to the massacre. More specifically, he was saying three things: first, the situation in the North Cauccasus is no longer just about Chechnya but involves dozens of potential ethnic and religious conflicts across the region; second, the West must stop simply criticizing me for the war in Chechnya without offering me any realistic solutions; and third, some things you are doing are making it more difficult for me to resolve the situation.
Hill then goes on to say this is what Putin needs from us:
1) Chechen independence can't be on the table
2) Putin should not be pushed to negotiate with the former Chechen president, Aslan Maskhadov, who is used up as a unifying force within the Chechen population, and
3) We need to share intell with the Russian to help them "discern the links between the Beslan terrorists and others operating in Europe" (which are known by many European states) and we could "offer Russian troops and police opportunities to train alongside their European counterparts on border security and antiterrorism strategies."
Hmm. Sounds like some Sys Admin work to me. Raising security practices among Seam States and sharing intell across the Core as a whole.
I may have to write another book . . .
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