Violence: The Currency of Russian Military Strategy

I served in military intelligence back in the day when our “enemy” was loosely modeled on the Soviet Union. While I do not pretend to be an expert on geopolitics, I do have some pertinent thoughts.

The one thing I know about Russia is that Russia is not a western country distinguished by more Vodka and a surplus of nesting dolls. It is a different place with a different culture. Yet the media and movie-makers often speak as if Russia, deep down, is just like us. For instance, I’ll never forget how the TV show House of Cards depicted Russian President Viktor Petrov, as provocative and militant in public, but in private, he was a pro-gay and pro-peace. Petrov was of course how the media wanted to imagine Putin. Yes, Putin is aggressive and aggrieved, but deep down, he is one of us. I can tell you now, that is not true!

Let me tell you one story that was always stuck with me.

Back in the 1980s, when Lebanon was in like a multi-party civil war, the pro-Syrian militia were shelling Hezbollah positions. So Hezbollah kidnapped four Soviet diplomats and killed one. They then warned the Soviets that if they did not force their Syrians allies to stop shelling them that the other three diplomats would be killed as well.

How did the Soviet Union respond to this demand? Well, quite brutally!

The KGB captured a relative of the Hezbollah leader, they castrated him, then killed him, and sent the “organs” to the Hezbollah leader with a warning that his other relatives would share a similar fate if the three remaining Soviet diplomats were not immediately released. What did Hezbollah do? Well, the three Soviet diplomats were quickly freed and Hezbollah never again messed with the Soviets.