[Andy from Beaverton]

I don't know that the full fury of Russian power could even decisively defeat Chechnya.
I think you may be wrong on that one. In the previous war and the current war, Russia never fought as strongly as they could have. I think fears of international pressure and sanctions put a limit on the size of the hammer they would use. Now that Putin is going to the UN and proving to the world that this is an international attack upon his country, he can pull out the big stick.

[wtc911]

Russia's public opinion mettle has been damaged in the past two decades by the failure and deaths in Afghanistan, the collapse of the Union and the seemingly endless and futile bleeding in Chechnya. Add the lack of financial support for troops both in service and out together with the dismal care for WIAs and the drug problems rampant in the Russian Army and you don't get a deep sense of capability or esprit de corps. The sense is much closer to 1971 America than 2004 America.

"Now that Putin is going to the UN and proving to the world that this is an international attack upon his country, he can pull out the big stick."-------------------------------------I don't know. If the useless UN decides that it is an international terror conspiracy that could get Chechnya off the hook in their eyes. Me, I'd like to see Russian Armor Divisions flatten that cesspool.