World must back Russia in its fight against terror
The terrorist strike in St Petersburg, Russia's second biggest city, on Monday, is a grim reminder of the dangers the world faces from terrorism and the need for the global community to come together to effectively tackle it. Just days ago, london had been the target and the Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack. The terror group is suspected to be involved in the St Petersburg case too, although inquiries have still to definitively determine the IS's culpability. The possibility cannot be ruled out because the strike has come in the backdrop of the Islamic State's warning to Russia over the latter's intervention in Syria against the jihadis there. Moscow has been backing the Bashar al-Assad regime in its fight against the Islamic State as well as against the rebel forces that are suspected to have been infiltrated by Islamist militants. Clearly, Russia knew the dangers of doing so, but remained on course. In doing so, it had invited the ire of the West which is opposed to the al-Assad Government and which believes that the departure of the regime is an important necessity for peace and stability to return in Syria. This is, of course, a simplistic assumption. The West led by the US had similarly believed years ago that the departure of Russian forces from Afghanistan would end the conflict there. The Russians did eventually leave, but what happened thereafter has been there for all to see. The Mujahideen, who had been fighting the Russians and had gained military and economic heft due to the West's benevolence, took control and the Taliban regime came into being. The very militants whom the US-led West had armed and patronised, turned against it. The cycle of violence, terror and bloodshed which followed thereafter, continues to date. And Afghanistan is paying a heavy price for the past follies of the Western powers. A similar situation could well emerge in Syria if the al-Assad Government is forced out at this critical stage. He stands in the way of even more chaos that could follow if the rebel forces (and the militants arraigned against him) get to have a free run.
Meanwhile, authorities have confirmed that the St Petersburg suicide bomber was from Kyrgysztan, who could have taken Russian nationality. The Central Asian region is already in a state of flux, with Russia seeking to use its influence to keep matters under check along and close to its borders. It has been facing threats from Chechen rebels returning from Syria — many of these have fought alongside the Islamic State militants and have been thoroughly radicalised. It would make sense for the West to appreciate Moscow's concerns and not seek to push it against the wall. Russia is not new to terrorism. In 2010, two female suicide bombers blew up metro trains in Moscow, killing close to 40 people. In 2004, Islamist militants had taken several children and others hostage in a school in southern Russia. Security forces had to storm the premise, and the incident ended with more than 330 people (many of them children) dead. According to some estimates, at least 7,000 former Soviet Union nationals (including some 3,000 Russians), have joined various jihadi groups in Iraq and Syria. Russia is confronted with a serious problem.