Celebrity Soccer Match Proves Chechnya Open for Business

Got a hot tip the other day, so I thought I'd pass it along.  Former stars of Brazilian soccer showed up last week in Chechnya to play a celebrity soccer match to support funding for AIDS prevention research.  Ok, I made that last part up.  It was to show "to show Chechnya had recovered from years of separatist conflict."  Seriously.  Don't believe me, check the BBC:

(Chechen President/strongman) Mr Kadyrov scored twice in the match in Grozny, but his team lost 6-4 to the Brazilian all-stars who included Romario, Dunga, Bebeto and Cafu.

Mr Kadyrov said he organised the game to show Chechnya had recovered from years of separatist conflict.

The Kremlin-backed leader has been widely accused of human rights abuses.
He said the Brazilians were not paid to appear but came out of goodwill and in return for a donation to flood victims in Brazil....

After the game, Mr Kadyrov said it had shown that Chechnya was recovering from war.
"They write everywhere about the killings and explosions in the Chechen republic," he said.
"Particularly in Europe they write that Kadyrov is bad and Russia is bad, there is no normal life for the people, and we are showing today that the population of one million on the territory of the Chechen republic is developing sports, education and culture, and that we are building an honourable future."

"If some people think that terrorism is not dying here, they are deeply wrong." 

Well, that's one point of view, I guess.  Unfortunately, the Council on Foreign Relations doesn't necessarily agree, citing 2009 statistics that suicide bombings in Checnnya quadrupled from the year before.  That's simply a matter of fact.  Now, there has certainly been some positive economic growth, and Kadyrov is doing what any leader would in spinning the information, but the fact remains that Chechnya is far from safe.

Kadyrov has his own issues, certainly, stemming from his controversial installation as Chechen president to allegations of human rights abuses on his watch (thanks Wiki).  He's been accused of wanting to impose Islamic law on his people to being quoted (as the BBC article notes) as saying that he'd have no problem taking on a few extra wives, etc, etc. 

And, of course, you'd have to wonder what in the world ex-soccer stars from Brazil are getting out of this deal, but I'd highly doubt that it's a thank you for donations to Brazilian flood relief.  

What this is all about, of course, is the fact that Kadyrov was recently reelected (I use the word 'elected' loosely) to a second  term as Chechen president.  It's about projecting an image of stability, as terror threatens to overwhelm other parts of what should now be officially named the "restive North Caucasus."  And, of course, it's about the belief that all the good things that come to Chechnya are a result of the Kadyrov presidency  and that anything bad that happens in the future are the result of "outsiders."  But, hey, would you expect any less from a guy who has an essay competition dedicated to himself?