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This report from TASS concerns me. Think about it for a moment. "70 illegal armed formations comprised of about 800 rebels" would equate to 70 arms cells totalling 800 people, which means 11 or 12 people per cell.

OK this is consistent with what we know about terror cells.

But only 800 people are involved in all of the attacks in Russia? I expected more. If you're only talking about 800 people doing that kind of damage... well, I'm concerned. How many active cells or 10 or 12 people do we have in this country?

Russian Commander Says 800 Rebels Active in Chechnya

Moscow, 11 October: It's believed that more than 70 illegal armed formations comprised of about 800 rebels are currently active in Chechnya. "About 700 of them are directly subordinated to (warlords Shamil) Basayev, (Doku) Umarov and (Chechen rebel president Abdul-Khalim) Sadulayev, while 100 are foreign mercenaries," Col-Gen Arkadiy Yedelev, commander of the Combined Force in North Caucasus, told ITAR-TASS today.

The commander said, at the same time, that the bandit groups are recruiting new members from among young people on religious and material grounds.

"Vigorous and targeted actions by power-wielding structures in the North Caucasus region have damaged considerably the network of running the bandit groups that was established earlier. Also, they have somewhat depleted the material, technical and human resources of the rebels. That is why the rebels' terrorist activity has become more sporadic," the general said. (Passage omitted)

"The antiterrorist operation is now aimed at neutralizing the activity of the most notorious bandit field commanders as well as at identifying, preventing and containing the threats of possible preparation and commission of major acts of sabotage," the general stressed.