When Chechen rebels took nearly 1,000 school children, teachersand family members hostage on Sept. 1, Northwestern politicalscience Prof. William Reno was close to the scene.
Reno and sociology Prof. Georgi Derluguian were interviewingfirst generation ethnic nationalists fewer than 50 kilometers awayfrom the bloody hostage drama as part of their research on howarmed groups organize and behave in conflicts.
Reno’s research on ethnic conflicts has taken him around theglobe,where he has encountered serious problems.
“If you’re in a disaster situation, your chances of survivalincrease dramatically if you’re with (Reno),” Derluguian said. “Heis calm, judicious and incredibly capable when it comes to gettingout of a tight spot.”
As the hostage crisis intensified on Sept. 4, Russian policeknocked on the door of the home where the two professors wereliving to interrogate them.
Russian police were worried Reno and Derluguian were undercoverjournalists, possibly there to make Russia look bad in the West.Working as a journalist in Russia without state approval is a crimepunishable with jail time.
The police ordered the men to open their backpacks as theysearched for something that might be suspicious.
Reno said he didn’t feel personal danger, but the thought ofspending a month in jail “sounded pretty terrible.” After thepolice visited a second time, they decided to immediately leave thecountry.
“The problem of Americans talking to first-generationnationalists in Russia on Sept. 2 was like the problem beingPakistani in New York on Sept. 12 and showing a strong interest inaviation,” Reno said. “The policemen were just doing their job, butnaturally they were a little suspicious.”
When the men reached an airport the next day, they bribedofficials to allow them to leave the country.
Reno returned to Evanston in time to teach his firstIntroduction to Political Science class, held on Tuesdays andThursdays. He also teaches Introduction to World Systems duringWinter Quarter.
Although classes have started, Reno said he still plans totravel. His teaching schedule allows him to escape for three-dayweekends to Europe or Canada every few weeks. Last October he evenflew to Australia for the weekend.
All the traveling — he said he has been to 50 countries andspeaks four languages — means Reno can always add an anecdote tohis lectures, some that go as far back as his college years.
When he was a sophomore at Haverford College in Philadelphia, heand some friends tried to hitchhike all the way to Panama. Theysoon abandoned the attempt and used buses instead.
But when they reached El Salvador, Reno said they found it”creepy.” There were bombings and assassinations at night, thenbeauty pageants in shopping malls during the day.
“Local newspapers would focus on the latter to the exclusion ofthe former, while people in the street were thinking about theformer and did not care about the latter,” Reno said. “That’s kindof like that part of Russia — deep underlying violence and seriouspolitical divisions with a superficial veneer of normality.”
In between teaching and traveling, Reno has written two books –“Warlord Politics and African States” and “Corruption in StatePolitics in Sierra Leone” — and is currently working on two moreabout Africa.
Reach Sarah Bailey at [email protected].
