Zacht Ei - Combatting terrorism, the Russian way

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Combatting terrorism, the Russian way

During the mid-1980's, multiple US citizens were taken hostage in Lebanon by Hezbollah, a terrorist group which received support from Iran and Syria. During this period, three Soviet citizens were taken hostage by Hezbollah for a period of one week. The reason why the Soviet hostages were released promptly was due to a single KGB operation. Within several days of the kidnappings, the KGB seized a leader of the Hezbollah, castrated him, stuffed his testicles into his mouth, shot him in the head and left his corpse at a Hezbollah base with an ominous note that if the hostages were not released immediately more of the same would occur.71 Although the method by which the KGB carried out the assassination was horrendous, the operation brought about the rapid and safe release of all three Soviet hostages.

13:03

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Van Gogh murderer speaks out

Run, Forrest, run

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Here's another story: in 1979 some students in Tehran decided to blockade an embassy for a while to teach the superpowers a lesson. They climbed the walls of the Russian embassy and were promptly shot in the head. The survivors had a quick change of heart and decided to head down to the Great Satan's embassy instead. They scaled the walls and overpowered the US guards who had been told to hold their fire. The rest, as they say, is history.

PJ (ip:69.166.203.224) 13 April 2005 - 4:26 uur

Well yeah, but the USA are still around. Something tells me there might be a connection between taking the harder road due to respect for civil rights, and the long-term survivability of a nation. The USSR has disintegrated, and its current methods of trying to keep what's left of it together don't seem to be working too well either.

Arjan Dasselaar (ip:82.161.93.35) 13 April 2005 - 8:30 uur

Russian anti-terror methods haven't exactly enjoyed a stellar track record lately, either.

vaara (ip:195.86.124.243) 13 April 2005 - 11:15 uur

Good points, but I think Carter should have been tougher on the embass takeover, which was an act of war. Then the mullahs would not have taken over and the world would have been spared at least some of the Islamist terrorism of today.

PJ (ip:69.166.203.224) 13 April 2005 - 19:41 uur

PJ: actually, the mullahs 'took over' several months *before* the hostage crisis began.

vaara (ip:80.127.26.54) 13 April 2005 - 8:59 uur

Vaara, I am only reiterating what the students who were involved in the takeover have said in their later years (in Atlantic Monthly, I believe), for what that is worth. I'm sure you can quote me many contrary sources.

I have my opinions, which you obviously don't like, but I'm not going to take up space sniping any more on Arjan's blog.

Have a good day.

PJ (ip:69.166.203.224) 13 April 2005 - 18:57 uur

The Russians haven't changed their approach. After teh Beslin obsenity they rounded up the families of the Chechan terrorists to the extent of the 4th cousin once removed. They are being "held at an undiscosed locatin" for their safety. If you believe that you believe in the tooth fairly. The Russians are right. The terrorists thought their willingness to die was a trump card. The trump got trumped. Bravo Putin.

ttonn (ip:69.168.240.231) 13 April 2005 - 9:02 uur

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Combatting terrorism, the Russian way

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