by Nomad
In September 2009, American novelist, journalist, and a veteran war correspondent Scott Anderson wrote this:
It is a riddle that lies at the very heart of the modern Russian state, one that remains unsolved to this day. In the awful events of September 1999, did Russia find its avenging angel in Vladimir Putin, the proverbial man of action who crushed his nation's attackers and led his people out of a time of crisis? Or was that crisis actually manufactured to benefit Putin, a scheme by Russia's secret police to bring one of their own to power?
What makes this question important is that absent the bombings of September 1999 and all that transpired as a result, it is hard to conceive of any scenario whereby Putin would hold the position he enjoys today: a player on the global stage, a ruler of one of the most powerful nations on earth.
The riddle he refers to has, today, been largely forgotten by the world press. Yet, understanding what happened in Moscow in 1999 may be a vital question that Americans need to think about.
