Two young men—brothers Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev with origins in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus regions—have been connected to this week’s bomb attacks at the Boston Marathon. They lived, for a time, in Dagestan, which is recognized as the epicenter of the Islamic insurgency that spilled over from Chechnya. Senior Fellow Fiona Hill, director of the Center on the United States and Europe, says Chechnya and Russia have spent centuries at war and it isn’t surprising that this conflict, which has spanned generations, would provide fertile ground to incite and radicalize sympathizers wherever they happen to live.
The Brookings Institution is committed to quality, independence, and impact.
We are supported by a diverse array of funders. In line with our values and policies, each Brookings publication represents the sole views of its author(s).
Commentary
From Chechnya to Boston: Bombing Suspects and a Trail of Homegrown Radicalism and Terror
April 19, 2013