Russian bombings in Chechnya

The Russian army and air force have already killed thousands of civilians in Chechnya and are gearing up to level what is left of the republic's capital, Grozny. But this doesn't seem to perturb Western leaders bent on "cooperating" with the Kremlin. The much-abhorred East Timor bloodletting was a mere trickle by comparison.

To get a sense of how surreal the policy of "engagement" with Russia has become, consider the little-noticed conference on combating international crime and money laundering held in Moscow this week and featuring Attorney General Janet Reno and her counterparts from the other G-8 nations. What could they have thought when Russian prosecutor Vladimir Ustinov suddenly started to blame everything from the international arms trade to petty theft in New York on the people his government has been carpet bombing in recent weeks?

Chechnya undoubtedly is home to some unwholesome characters. But by now it should be clear that Russia's indiscriminate bombing of Chechen villages has little to do with fighting crime or terrorism. The military campaign is more likely political cynicism at its ugliest.

-- The Wall Street Journal, New York