The CriminalTerror Nexus in Chechnya: A Historical, Social, and Religious Analysis

(Hardback)

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The line between criminal and terrorist groups is often blurred, and Chechen groups are an excellent example of this new phenomenon. As the Soviet Union collapsed, groups began to fill the cracks offering services that the state could not. The Chechens were one group that outrivaled many groups, and they soon became synonymous throughout the Russian Federation with criminal. This work looks into the historical, social, and religious reasons behind the rise of militant Islam in the region. From there, it will discuss the historical difference between organized crime and terror, how the two have coalesced into the crime-terror nexus, and how the Chechens compare to two other groups that have gone through the same evolution: The Sicilian mafia, and the militant Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, or IMU. Though neither group are exactly the same, there are links that can help the reader understand the domestic and foreign problems that twenty-first century nation-states deal with throughout the world.

Reviews

This book provides a unique sociohistorical analysis bridging the role of ethnicity, religion, and criminal networks in Chechnya.... As an explanation about Chechen organized crime in Russia and its connection with insurgent actors, the book represents a must-read for anyone interested in understanding how Chechnya fell into a vicious circle of criminal and terroristic violence during the post-Soviet period. * The Russian Review *
Jeff Meyers has masterfully succeeded in shedding an expository light on the fascinating world of highlander warriors, ancient Muslim religious orders, foreign terrorists, and criminal gangs that all come together in the remote Caucasian Mountain republic of Chechnya to make this one of the most dangerous lands in Eurasia. -- Brian Glyn Williams, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Author Bio

Jeff Meyers is assistant professor of history and political science at Kenai Peninsula College.