Terrorists armed with assault rifles and bombs stormed a crowded concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow on Friday night, killing at least 133 people. These Russian victims and their families deserve the world's sympathy. They feel the same kind of pain felt in the United States after September 11, 2001, what Israel felt after October 7, and the same kind of pain felt by fanatical violence in recent decades. Suffering the same kind of pain that so many others know have been taken from them.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack online. U.S. authorities have identified an affiliate of the group known as Islamic State Khorasan Province, which operates in Pakistan and Afghanistan, as the likely perpetrator. ISIS-K, as it is sometimes known, may be seeking to expand its reach by attacking Russia – having previously committed the massacre of 84 Iranians in January. If so, this new atrocity shows that even though the United States and its allies have decimated the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, the cross-border threat from violent Islamic extremists is far from over. It serves as a reminder.
There is nothing to celebrate about this incident. Still, it is appropriate to praise both the professionalism and ethics of the U.S. intelligence community, who foresaw the plot in advance and then fulfilled its “duty to warn” hostile governments by sharing the information with Russia. officials told the Post. In fact, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow announced publicly on March 7 that it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings (including concerts) in Moscow.” It was announced on .
What is inexplicable is Russian President Vladimir Putin's reaction to this. Three days before the attack, he ignored US warnings and publicly denounced it as “provocative” and akin to “blatant intimidation and an attempt to intimidate and destabilize society.” he claimed. He made the comments at a meeting of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the all-powerful successor to the Soviet KGB, which has worked to arrest dissidents and anyone who has criticized Russia's disastrous war against Ukraine. .
Did Mr. Putin's Federal Security Service fall in the line of duty and fail to detect armed groups moving through Moscow? Indeed, Russian security officials claim to have thwarted two Islamic State attack attempts in Russia so far this month. But the Crocus City Hall massacre suggests that Mr. Putin's vaunted spy ring, perhaps exhausted and distracted by the war in Ukraine, is not to be cracked down.
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Mr. Putin established a totalitarian regime, claiming that his undoubted preeminence meant Russia's stability and security. He constantly warns of enemies who are trying to cause chaos and instability. He cemented his power this week by copying an election in which he reportedly won almost 90 percent of the vote. But after the bloodshed at the concert hall, Russians are right to wonder whether Mr. Putin's authoritarian regime is effective at protecting anyone other than Mr. Putin.
On Saturday, Putin sought to shift blame to Ukraine, saying the detained suspects were on their way to an escape route to Ukraine. This was clumsy propaganda, and Ukraine denied any involvement. Mr. Putin has waged a devastating two-year war against Ukraine, including its own terrorist tactics, including the massive missile and drone attack that Russia launched against the country's civilian energy infrastructure, also on Friday. Ta. The attack killed five people and left well over 1 million households without power, at least temporarily.
Again, the victims of terrorism in Russia deserve the world's sympathy and their perpetrators deserve legal punishment, but under a regime like Mr. Putin's it is hard to imagine that. It Is difficult. Indeed, it is highly likely that Mr. Putin will exploit this atrocity. For example, the 2004 terrorist attack on a school in Beslan killed 330 people, mostly children. Contribute to civil society and empower yourself more. He could use it to justify new restrictions on online information or to push ahead with plans for mass military mobilization that could call up to 300,000 Russian soldiers to the killing fields in Ukraine. It is certainly foreseeable that there is a possibility.
Putin has survived his rise to power by convincing many Russians, especially in the big cities, that his one-man rule is their best hope for foreign and domestic security. Unfortunately for Mr. Putin, if only one person rules, only one person can be held responsible when a catastrophe occurs.
