Comments by "R Johansen" (@rjohansen9486) on "‘They Exposed Themselves’: Russia Claims ‘Biased’ U.S. Shielding Ukraine In Moscow Terror Attack" video.
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The terror in Moscow shows that an offshoot of IS poses a growing danger. But it does not fit into Putin's narrative.
Putin waited a long time to comment on the horrific attack on civilians in the concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow on Friday night. The Kremlin had an explanation problem.
In Putin's false narrative, it is neo-Nazis in Kyiv, supported by Western Russophobic countries, who threaten Russia. If something goes wrong in Russia, the malicious West is to blame. When Putin first spoke, he did not mention the so-called Islamic State (IS) or Islamist terror. He claimed instead that the terrorists tried to flee in the direction of Ukraine, instead of Belarus..
The Kremlin's propaganda apparatus followed up by directly accusing the neighboring country.
On Monday night, the tone had changed. Putin said the terrorist attack had been carried out by radical Islamists.
It was no longer possible to explain away the obvious. The Islamic State in Khorasan (IS-K) already claimed responsibility for the attack late on Friday. They published photos that had previously been taken of the four perpetrators in front of the black IS flag. They published a video that will show the terrorists' bloody misdeeds in the concert venue.
On March 7, the United States warned of a high risk that extremists had immediate plans to attack large gatherings of people in Moscow, including concerts.
Putin called the warning a provocation. He said the Americans' intention was to frighten the Russians and destabilize society.
The regime was locked in an image of the enemy and did not see the real threat.
And still Putin says, without any evidence whatsoever, that the terrorist attack is connected to the war in Ukraine.
All terror must be condemned, which Western countries also did in strong terms after the attack in Moscow.
IS regards both Russia and Western countries as enemies and targets, something we have painfully experienced in Europe.
In order to combat terrorist movements, international cooperation is very important. A few years ago, Russia wanted to participate in the fight against terror, but now the distance to the West has become greater than at any time since the Cold War. Russia has burned all bridges with their aggressive war against Ukraine. There should also be an investigation into whether the preparedness was good enough and whether the terrorist plans could have been revealed.
In authoritarian regimes, such as the Russian one, different rules apply. The perpetrators must fit into the official narrative of who threatens the nation. And by all means, a critical spotlight must be avoided on the regime's own handling of security.
The responsibility must be placed elsewhere. It must fit into Putin's narrative about who are Russia's enemies.
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