Russia accused of killing 20,000 chechen civilians European human rights groups claim Russian forces have killed up to 20,000 Chechen civilians over the past three years. The non-governmental organisations believe Russia deliberately targets civilians in its campaign against separatist rebels. Russian president Vladimir Putin says the rebels are terrorists and likens Russia's campaign against them to President George Bush's "war on terror." Though Russia agreed to a ceasefire with the rebels in the mid 1990s, they resumed fighting in Chechnya in 1999, after rebels were blamed for several bombings and attacks in the region. Present at a conference over the...