Why Russia Targets The Families Of Terrorists

Russian soldiers patrolling a Chechen village in December 2000. Russia found that abductions of militants’ family members were effective in unwinding the rebel leadership in Chechnya. Credit Agence France-Presse

New York Times: Russia Shows What Happens When Terrorists’ Families Are Targeted

MOSCOW — Donald J. Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, was widely condemned when he called for the United States to “take out the families” of terrorists.

His approach — even after he clarified that he was not talking about killing the relatives — was dismissed by many as immoral and unlawful. Yet, it is the very tactic that Russia has pursued for decades.

It is the signature, though officially unacknowledged, policy behind Moscow’s counterinsurgency and counterterrorism strategies, and Russia’s actions in smashing a Muslim separatist rebellion in the Caucasus provide a laboratory for testing Mr. Trump’s ideas.

The family ties that bind in terrorist groups came into focus last week after the police in Brussels disclosed that two of the three suicide bombers in the attacks there were brothers, Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui. All told, analysts estimate that a third of the participants in terrorist acts are related to another attacker.

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Update: NYT: Trump’s Idea Of Targeting Terrorists’ Family Members Would Totally Work (Daily Caller)

WNU Editor: This is actually an old tactic used by the Communists when they came to power after the revolution, and further refined by Stalin when he moved to stop the Islamic uprisings that were occurring during his rise to power. Is it effective .... in the case of Stalin .... completely. In the case of modern day of Chechnya and Dagestan .... the jury is still out, but the civil war is not raging as it did 20 years ago.