The following letter, which appeared in the 16 September edition of the National Post, is reproduced under the provisions of the copyright act. Comments, please.
No Chechen fighters are in Afghanistan
National Post
Published: Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Re: Foreign Troops Tougher Enemy, Matthew Fisher, Sept. 24.
Since 2001, the National Post has reported that Chechens formed, first, the "hard core" of al-Qaeda troops in Afghanistan, and, now, the "hard core" of Taliban fighters in combat against Canadian troops. In doing so, the Post has bought into one of the most bizarre and preposterous myths of the post-9/11 world -- the idea that a tiny Chechen resistance movement locked in a life or death struggle with the vast Russian military routinely sends large expeditionary corps of fanatical and highly trained mujahadeen to every conflict in the world involving Muslims.
Even the Russian-backed President of Chechnya declared last month that there were no Chechen militant groups capable of mounting large-scale attacks in Chechnya or beyond. Whatever one may think of the Chechen insurgency, it remains a simple fact that the number of Chechens killed or captured in Afghanistan since 2001 remains zero. Most disappointing are the assertions from within the Canadian military that they are at war with Chechens. Our troops deserve better intelligence work than this.
It is a serious matter to continually allege that the people of another nation are at war with Canada without proof; it is mischief at best and provocation at worst. To my knowledge, no Chechen leader, insurgent or loyalist, has ever even expressed an opinion on Canada, much less engaged us in battle.
If the National Post or the Canadian Forces have any hard evidence that Chechen fighters are engaged against NATO troops in Afghanistan, they should present it. Otherwise it is time to find a new bogeyman and let this myth die its long overdue death.
Andrew McGregor, Aberfoyle International Security, Toronto.
No Chechen fighters are in Afghanistan
National Post
Published: Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Re: Foreign Troops Tougher Enemy, Matthew Fisher, Sept. 24.
Since 2001, the National Post has reported that Chechens formed, first, the "hard core" of al-Qaeda troops in Afghanistan, and, now, the "hard core" of Taliban fighters in combat against Canadian troops. In doing so, the Post has bought into one of the most bizarre and preposterous myths of the post-9/11 world -- the idea that a tiny Chechen resistance movement locked in a life or death struggle with the vast Russian military routinely sends large expeditionary corps of fanatical and highly trained mujahadeen to every conflict in the world involving Muslims.
Even the Russian-backed President of Chechnya declared last month that there were no Chechen militant groups capable of mounting large-scale attacks in Chechnya or beyond. Whatever one may think of the Chechen insurgency, it remains a simple fact that the number of Chechens killed or captured in Afghanistan since 2001 remains zero. Most disappointing are the assertions from within the Canadian military that they are at war with Chechens. Our troops deserve better intelligence work than this.
It is a serious matter to continually allege that the people of another nation are at war with Canada without proof; it is mischief at best and provocation at worst. To my knowledge, no Chechen leader, insurgent or loyalist, has ever even expressed an opinion on Canada, much less engaged us in battle.
If the National Post or the Canadian Forces have any hard evidence that Chechen fighters are engaged against NATO troops in Afghanistan, they should present it. Otherwise it is time to find a new bogeyman and let this myth die its long overdue death.
Andrew McGregor, Aberfoyle International Security, Toronto.
