This instance of Islamic terror in Russia has been called "Russia's 9-11" by many different news services. You are quite right that there are several things at play with Chechen terror. The reason that this is very different from 9-11 is that Chechens are part of Russia.
This would be like, in the U. S., the state of Florida wanting to cecede from the Union and sending terrorists to blow up schools and children in Georgia. We know that this would not ever happen because we are a civilized people. However, Muslims are, for the most part, barbarians living 1000+ years behind the rest of mankind. So they will deploy all sorts of barbaric tactics to achieve the end they desire. Is is not Islam's fault that the Chechens are seeking independance but it is Islam's fault for the methods they use.
exactly. islam isnt the cause as such, but its extremist form is used to justify all sorts of acts and is the catalyst for the move to terror. islam isnt the cause, its the reason for the extremism of the action.
but this is the thing: by allowing the terrorists (if there really were arab connections) to take over, or moving to terror (and i know the chechens are no strangers to this...) they have basically removed the right of complaint by average chechens, who (apparently) arent as whole heartedly behind the war with russia as you might think. theres no doubt russia has treated chechnya pretty harshly and theres been a lot of civilian deaths there to drive anger.
the terrorists have removed any possible route for peace between chechnya and the rest of russia. thats their stated goal, though. they want war. the fact is that the majority of muslims in the world are not hoping for war. its the minority that keep trying to goad the west, and now russia, into wars. bin laden has stated that he wants to see a holy war with the west, and terrorism is a wedge between then peoples. the further he can get the quiet muslims from the west, the more they only have him and his followers to turn to. basically, our enemy wants us to be the satan to unite their people.
see?