N. Caucasus violence masterminded by foreign security services?

International terrorism is an international question, not just a problem of internal security, believes Giulietto Chiesa, an Italian journalist and Member of the European Parliament.

He claims foreign security services have links with international terrorists operating in Russia in order to pursue their respective countries' geopolitical interests and are partly to blame for the situation in the North Caucasus.

“The terrorist question is much bigger than the security problem. In my opinion, concerning Chechen terrorism, there was a very big involvement of foreign secret services,” says Chiesa.

He predicts that a solution could have been found only if an agreement on the international level is signed.

The European MP connects the future of the situation in the North Caucasus with the social development of the region. Without a general improvement in the economic situation in the region, there will always be a large quantity of unemployed young men who will be easily incited to violence.

Another problem, Chiesa believes, is that the Caucasus holds a very important geopolitical position and it would be naïve to ignore the theory that somebody could be using it as a way to create problems for Russia.