1,700 Russians Are Fighting For The Islamic State

Defendant Magomed Z., a Russian national from Chechnya accused of fighting with Islamic State, is led into court for the start of his trial in Krems, Austria, January 22, 2015. Heinz-Peter Bader/Reuters

Newsweek: Up to 1,700 Russians Fighting for ISIS, Says Head of Secret Service

As many as 1,700 Russian citizens could be fighting for jihadist groups in Iraq, Russia’s head of federal security (FSB) has said during a U.S.-chaired summit against violent extremism in Washington DC, Russian news service RIA Novosti reported today.

“We need to invigorate our efforts to prevent these departures and alongside other countries we need to do all that is necessary not to allow terrorist threats or attacks once these citizens return,” Alexander Boratnikov, director of the FSB said.

WNU Editor: For as long as I can remember .... Russia has always had a problem with radical Islamists in the predominantly Muslim regions of the Caucasus. I am surprised that there are only 1,700 with ISIS ... I expected more.

Russia's Growing Conflict With Militant Islam

Russia And Islam: The End Of Peaceful Coexistence? -- Economist

Until recently traditional Muslims and Salafists lived harmoniously side-by-side in Tatarstan. No longer.

FOR years Tatarstan was held up as a model of stability and tranquillity as the Muslim-majority republics of the Russian north Caucasus became embroiled in a separatist conflict that spawned a still-continuing civil war along religious lines. More than half of Tatarstan’s 4m people are Sunni Muslims who have long enjoyed friendly relations with the rest of Russia. Kazan, the regional capital on the Volga river 450 miles (724km) east of Moscow, is a prosperous and attractive city.

Read more ....

My Comment: Historically .... Russia has been in conflict with Islam for centuries. It reached it's peak when the Communists took over, sparking wars and conflicts that were only brutally ended by Stalin. The old conflicts are now coming back (see Chechnya and Dagestan), and for Russia this will probably be their primary national security focus for the rest of this century.