Blagov is usually quite good. I am surprised to see him get so monocausal. Here, he writes:
It has been often said that disputes over oil transit are behind the tragedy in unruly Chechnya - seen as the biggest security threat in the region. Russia has been keen to use its Baku-Novorossiisk export route for Azerbaijani ''early'' oil exports. But the pipe crosses over 153 kilometres of Chechen territory, which makes it unreliable as long as the country is lawless. --- I say: It is unreliable because the country is lawless. Now, why would the country be lawless. I wonder if it might have something to do with bands of Islamoid gunmen running around invading adjoining areas of Russia and kidnapping people. Nah, couldn't be. Indidentally, so many Dagestani relatives of people (Chechen warlord) Salman Raduyev killed or kidnapped had declared blood feuds on him and his clan that the Dagstani cops begged Moscow to try him anywhere else but Dagestan. The concern being that they would be overpowered and Raduyev beaten to death in the street. Chechnya and Dagestan are not exactly on chummy terms.
