Chechnya is a COUNTRY, with aspirations and a right to its own future. Russia has tried for 400+ years to assimilate Chechnya and continues to fail, in spite of what it and Russians of all political stripes claim.
Chechnya joined the Islamic sphere as a way to distance itself from Russia and gain allies against it.
America has sold out (and continues selling out) Chechnya out to Russia, in return for Russia's cooperation in the WOT.
Reasons for the current situation include: 1) history of Russian expansionism; 2) oil in Chechnya.
Chechenia IS part of Russia, in WWII most of chechens sided with Hitler, and it was Chechen in SS uniform that carried nazi flag on Elbrus peak. Also Stalin hated Chechens and dislocated them in Siberia.
Chechens are Islamistic bastards no better than talibans.
They killed 400 School children in beslan and deserve to be destroyed.
Have you seen CHILDREN OF BESLAN, the HBO documentary that has been shown recently? There is no way of escaping coming out firmly AGAINST the bloodthirsty brutality of the Islamic "rebels", but you walk away from the film having virtually NO sympathy for the Russian side either.
It is probably the most troubling and brutally honest film of its kind ever made. It is just very very sad to realize how inevitable that tragedy was when both sides had been so intransigent for so long.