With the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing approaching, House members and experts discussed the continued threat of terrorism from the Caucasus. Debate also focused on the impact of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea and the potential to create further instability in Eastern Europe.
House Committee: Russia poses threats to multiple US interests
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Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y., and ranking member Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., lead a hearing on what they see as the continuing threat of terrorism from Eastern Europe.
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Witnesses, (L-R), Gordon M. Hahn, Geostrategic Forecasting Corp., William F. Roggio, Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Andrew C. Kuchins, Center for Strategic and International Studies.
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"While the current threat from the Caucasus' today appears minor, we must remember that we have made the mistake of underestimating the threat from terrorists in places like Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen before," said Rep. King.
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Andrew C. Kuchins, testified that "the dramatic worsening in U.S.-Russian relations... is certainly increasing the threat to the United States." He added that he would "recommend to our president to refrain from publicly taunting Mr. Putin."
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During the hearing Rep. Higgins spoke about several attacks carried out by a Chechnyan nationalist group known as the Caucasus Emirate, including one attack that killed 35 people in a Moscow airport.
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Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, focused on the relationship between President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.