Since the end of the Cold War, what was known as the Soviet Union has undergone a major transformation with many of its former republics becoming independent and satellite countries of Eastern Europe, striving toward democracy and joining Western institutions, such as the European Union and NATO. The Soviet empire was downsized greatly, and Russia and its constituent republics emerged. In the last decade and a half, the face of Russia has changed greatly. It appeared that the monolithic stranglehold that the government and Communist Party had over every aspect of the Soviet empire had been broken, but the results were mixed. On one hand, while not completely democratic, new freedoms in business, politics, institutions, and society all seemed to be pointing to a Russia that would emerge as taking its place with the West. At the same time, the forces that unleashed the transformation of Russia also brought in negative elements: corruption, bribery in business, crime, a stagnant economy trying to throw off the vestiges of the old Communist system, and a powerful yet lumbering military and military industrial complex beset with morale and pay issues. In addition, resurgence of cultural and religious identities in far flung republics has also lead to fissures in the new Russian state, as the Chechen conflict has demonstrated. However, if the year 2004 is any indicator, Russia appears to be on the brink of a counter-revolution, returning to some of its old ways, but in a new manifestation that may not bode well in a changed world.

The year 2004 was the culmination and embodiment of great unrest and change in Russia and may be the harbinger of things to come. In terms of terrorist attacks in Russia, consolidation of government power politically, militarily, diplomatically, and economically, there have been definitive shifts. Most of these shifts have been under the stewardship of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia has often been criticized for its brutal tactics in Chechnya, but initially, the Western powers were reluctant to interfere, as it was viewed as an internal Russian problem?after the events of September 11 , Putin very slickly managed to tie the terrorist activities of Chechen rebels to the Global War on Terrorism, making it difficult for Western powers to criticize his activities. That was the context, but the Chechen Rebels (Intel Report), while increasingly committing bolder activities, i.e. the Moscow Theater siege against Russia proper and taking the fight to Russia and out of the ruins of Chechnya, still caught authorities off-guard by their bold and numerous attacks that occurred over a very short time period in late summer of 2004. The suicide bombing outside a Moscow metro stop , the twin bombings of two Russian airliners , and the culminating Beslan school massacre in North Ossetia made Russia look unsafe and weak and revealed numerous holes in the Russian security apparatus. Shamil Baseyev (Intel Report), a Chechen rebel leader who is widely held responsible for being behind these attacks, has also threatened to commit more attacks against civilians unless Russia changes its activities in Chechnya.