Compared with the Chechens, the Palestinians are pussycats. The Chechens have the rare ability to plan and execute daring operations, and seem impermeable to attempts by the Russians to penetrate their organisation.
Between 1994 and 1998, I visited Chechnya several times to report on the first Chechen war and its bloody aftermath. I became convinced that they were a people not to be trifled with.
You can see, perhaps, that I was not the only one to see a genetic difference or something similar. It's the personal meeting of them that does this to you, I believe. I am still cured of the hatred but not entirely of the belief about these people being unique as a people.