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No, Chechens Aren't Czechs

Dumb Americans
articles/2013/04/22/no-chechens-aren-t-czechs/no-chechens-aren-t-czechs-image_ffi7yp

And I was under the impression geography was easy (it is).

So many people were confused that the Czech Republic issued a statement of clarification:

As many I was deeply shocked by the tragedy that occurred in Boston earlier this month. It was a stark reminder of the fact that any of us could be a victim of senseless violence anywhere at any moment.

As more information on the origin of the alleged perpetrators is coming to light, I am concerned to note in the social media a most unfortunate misunderstanding in this respect. The Czech Republic and Chechnya are two very different entities - the Czech Republic is a Central European country; Chechnya is a part of the Russian Federation.

As the President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman noted in his message to President Obama, the Czech Republic is an active and reliable partner of the United States in the fight against terrorism. We are determined to stand side by side with our allies in this respect, there is no doubt about that.

Petr GandalovičAmbassador of the Czech Republic

Fortunately, a helpful Twitter user provided a map that might assist people in need:

A fairly comprehensive list of people confused by the distinction (warning: profanity-laced) can be found here.

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