JRL NEWSWATCH: “Attack on Russian Concert Hall Threatens Putin’s Strongman Image” – WSJ
“Authoritarian system promised security. Now the Kremlin confronts Islamist terrorism at home and a costly war abroad.”
“Last week, … Putin dismissed American warnings of an imminent terrorist attack and urged leaders of the country’s security services to focus on catching Ukrainian spies instead. Three days later, Islamic State gunmen rampaged through a concert hall outside Moscow, killing more than 130 people in the deadliest episode of terrorism in Russia in decades. As Russia marked a national day of mourning on Sunday, the bloody assault on one of the nation’s best-known entertainment venues threatened to undermine Putin’s carefully cultivated strongman image and raised questions about the ability of the authoritarian state he has built to deliver on its promise of security for the Russian people. It is a challenge that comes as Russia wages a costly war of attrition against neighboring Ukraine and struggles to prevent Ukrainian forces from striking targets deep inside Russian territory. Kyiv recently has managed a series of hits on oil refineries across Russia, disrupting production. …”