Monday, January 24, 2011

Moscow Airport Blast Related to Olympics?

Watching CNN right now and I'll be following the deadly terrorist attack at Domodedovo airport in Moscow all day long.  Right now, it looks like at least 35 people are dead.  Naturally, there are already tons of conflicting reports coming in.  Tom Fuentes, a former FBI agent and now a talking head at CNN, is already speculating that this is the work of Chechen terrorists.  Here's a quick link to a Guardian timeline of Chechen terrorist attacks since the mid-nineties. 

There has also been some early speculation that this blast may be related to the Sochi Olympics.  There are, of course, a number of groups that are opposed to Sochi hosting the Olympics; if you read Russian, check out the environmental group North Caucasus Environmental Watch or www.nosochi2014.com, whose stated mission is to 'ask the world and the IOC to strip Russia of the Sochi Olympics based on it being the location of the Circassian Genocide.'

Now, I'd like everybody to withhold judgment on whether this is the work of Chechen terrorists/separatists until we have more information.  The bad blood between Chechens (and other peoples from the Caucasus) and Russians is hundreds of years old (check out the Wikipedia pages if you want more info) and there is a tendency to immediately blame any acts of violence in Russia on the Chechens.  Now, I'm not saying that they're not responsible, I just need more info before I pass judgment.  I've linked to an early report from eyewitnesses to the blast and I will, of course, be on this story all day long.  The environment can wait.



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