The Russians bombed the embassies and "blackmailed" their way onto the oil markets. Previous to this the Russians were complaining about being shut out of the market. The timing of the stories asserting Bin Laden had nuclear weapons were priming on the part of western intelligence agencies. They used their "friends" in the media to disinform the public. The US would respond by trying to assassinate Putin using Chechen Proxies. American attempts to destabilize Russia by proxy led to Russian retaliatory strikes inside CONUS - the spectacular attacks of 911.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GDP_of_Russia_since_1989.svg
This graph shows that Russia's GDP rises with Putin taking power. It rises after the embassies are bombed in Africa and continues to rise after Putin becomes president.
07 August 1996
BATTLE OF GROZNY
September 1996
CIA releases “Prospects for Unsanctioned Use of Russian Nuclear Weapons”
25 July 1998
Putin becomes Director of the FSB.
07 August 1998
United States Embassies are bombed in Africa killing 224. This takes place two years after Chechen Terrorists attacked Russian Forces in Grozny.
17 August 1998
The Russian Economy collapses. The Ruble falls to 4000 to the dollar. The Russians default on their debt.
September 1998
Kremlin Insider Predicts ‘Massive Unrest’ to Journalist
07 October 1998
Michael Binyon, “Osama Bin Laden Said to Have Acquired Tactical Nuclear Weapons,” Times (London)
13 November 1998
“Report Links Bin-Ladin, Nuclear Weapons,” Al-Watan Al-Arabi
