Barack Obama

since OBL's death. The last alert was evidence of OBL's successor in Pakistan attempting to assert control over AQAP in Yemen. Some don't think he can do it since AQAP has been the most active and most deadly group of all. And the best organized.

Who knows which group attacked Russia and if they're still in existence even. There are other Islamist groups in the Stans that have had specific issues with Russia for centuries.

That gives Putin the option of supplying AQ in other regions which don't directly threaten Russia. Like Yemen and Somalia. Russia is also good at flooding an area with arms that just happen to wind up in the hands of terrorists. And it is notorious for not accounting for arms traded. The more business it does in a region the more likely it is to be able to sneak shipments through.