Bombing provides rationale for harsher approach

The New York Times today reports another terrible example of violence in Russia. The bomb blast, which killed at least 20 people, occurred in Nazran, the capital of Ingushetia. The article portrays the bombing as another attack on the administration of Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, the president of the republic. Yevkurov's approach has contrasted sharply with the policies of Ramzan Kadyrov, president of neighboring Chechnya. Kadyrov has become notorious for the human rights abuses that have occurred during his administration.

The writer of the NYT article appears to assume that the blast was a crime of insurgents. Perhaps it was. But I have a deep distrust of Russian security forces. I am still not convinced that the FSB was not connected to the series of blasts in 1999. The bombings preceded the first election of President Putin, who was able to use the violence as a rationale for an increasingly autocratic and repressive regime.

So - this latest bombing in Ingushetia is already being used as a reason for increased repression there. Very convenient.