Ed Royce: “This tragedy brings the world's attention to a region of the globe that has been perhaps overlooked for too long, but it…”

“This tragedy brings the world's attention to a region of the globe that has been perhaps overlooked for too long, but it has also spurred debate about the next steps in an escalating conflict that transcends borders. It should also galvanize debate about the threat that the world faces. As the bipartisan 9/11 Commission states, "The catastrophic threat at this moment in history is the threat posed by Islamic terrorism, especially the al Qaeda network and its affiliates and its ideology." I believe this is what we are seeing in southern Russia. These are not criminals united by happenstance, but by militant Islam, united by ideology, doctrine and practice, its adherence drawn from Africa to Southeast Asia, from the Middle East to the Caucasus. Al Qaeda's interest in the Caucasus is undisputed. Chechnya's lawless period of independence produced the conditions ripe for fomenting global jihad. Fighters, weapons, cash and ideology, much of it Saudi Wahabism, poured in from abroad. Like al Qaeda, Chechen fighters have used front charities to secure funds. Benevolence International Foundation, whose assets were blocked by the U.S. Government for supporting al Qaeda, has also been found to support jihadists in Chechnya. In fact, evidence seized from Benevolence International indicates that it spent over 40 percent of its budget on Chechnya.”