In article , uncle arnie
writes:

Subject: Actual Shortwave Question
From: uncle arnie
Date: Wed, 08 Sep 2004 10:10:11 -0600

The Russians began deporting Chechens to Siberia and what became the gulag
in the Czarist days, and continued under Stalin with renewed vigor. The
policy was to "Russianify" minorities. A policy started in the 18th
century with Peter the Great. Approx 1.3 million Chechens were deported in
the 20th century, with 10% dying in transport. The Russians eventually had
to give up on some minorities and now we have a host of new countries,
e.g., the "-stan" countries, Georgia, Armenia, Bylerus. Some of the
smaller minorities were more effectively wiped out, or so they thought
(e.g., Caucasians (from Caucasus mountains, not white people), Karachai,
Balkars, Tartars, Khemsils, Kurds. I guess they were more or less
successful with some of these: I hadn't heard of some of them before. The
Chechen Autonomous Republic was dissolved by Stalin in the late 1940's. The
excuse was alleged collaboration with the Nazis, of which there is evidence
of 335 people doing so (ref "Gulag" - Anne Applebaum, 2003). Now we have
the problem of re-emergent ethnic identity that is emboldened by Islamic
fundamentalism, poor social conditions, and a long history of hatred.

Grozny (capital) is mostly rubble today. Exact civilian casuality numbers
are not known from the two Russian invasions in the 1990's, but it is
thought that about 100,000 were killed. RN had a reporter there about a
year and half ago and described the lack of clean water, heating fuel,
food, shelter. The Russians have blockaded various parts of the region at
various times to try to starve out areas where the rebels are holed up.
Unknown the ongoing civilian casualities. I don't think the situation will
get better soon. The news today suggests that the Russians support
aggressive offensives after the school massacre. Many Chechens no doubt
support terrorism against the Russians based on both the 1990's and long
history of deportation and invasion. The history of the region is a
disaster and the future looks the same.


Uncle..
Thank you for posting this . . .

Peace

Dan