[spetznaz]

The Chechens turned to the Islamic fundamentalists and welcomed veterans of the Afghan struggle. Money from Gulf states spread a form of Wahhabi fundamentalism which the country had never seen before. This has led to the scenes in the Moscow theatre - women in chadors with explosives strapped to their waists, like extras from a bin Laden extravaganza. I recognise the old urge to scare, but this time it has gone into overdrive. However, I must lay some of the blame on the West for abandoning the Chechens to the mercy of the Russians

Hmmmph!

I hope that the Russians crush these terrorists (oops, separatists). Any group that will join with Al Queda deserves whatever is coming to it!

[MarMema]

chechen is a chechen is a chechen ping...

[xJones]

Even by the accounts of Russian soldiers, their tactics against the Chechnyan population have been very brutal. One reason Russian soldiers cite is that command authority is lax and individual units operate more or less on their own. But the Chechnyans did themselves in with the Moscow theater hostage-taking. Attacking Russians in their own capital taking hundreds of innocent civilians as hostages to be killed lost them any sympathy, particularly with the Russian people.

If they let themselves be used by al-Qaida or other terrorist Muslim groups, it was their own VERY stupid error. Few things could have been more predictable to thoroughly piss off the Russians. Now all the gloves will be off, and if they thought the Russians were tough before - just wait.

[sheik yerbouty]

Their flag, a wolf baying at the moon? Ok, bring out the wolfabane and silverbullets. As the Chechens seem to be bloodthirsty "vampires: as well, perhaps Putin can be a modern day Vlad in dealing with jihadi vermin.