They are terrorist when they are conducting terrorist acts like killing policemen or civilians and supporting separatism inside Russian Federation.
PS: "Moscow regime" LOL....
Didn't the Second Chechen war start when these "freedom fighters" decided to attack Daghestan? What was Russia supposed to do? Just watch when illegal military operation is being launched inside of Russia's borders?
Try to be less hypocritical for once! Every country should fight terrorism, separatism and militants inside it's own borders.
Well, no doubt the Russians know how to fight terrorism. i hope other countries will adopt their methods and now if i dont have a mistake the chechens hardly do problems because of the Russian respone that they punish them with much greater force(like they did in Grozni).
it was because country was powerless. Many factors set in one bad picture - there was no choice. Leave it how it goes and create hornet's nest close by or fight how it is possible (not many variants).
p.s. and it is good that it not evolve in civil war on all Northern Caucasia.
Yes and what's your point? As soon back as '89 there was little separatist sentiment in Chechnya, and most Chechens were quite happy to be a part of the USSR.
Just goes to show what warfare can do to a people.
Nope, now there are nothing but problems. If before the Chechens can be considered part of the greater Soviet people and we had a lot in common with them; nationalism is at an all time high in Chechnya now. The war led to the ridding of all Russian cultural influences and a huge gulf being formed between Chechens and the rest of Russian citizens. Sort of like Estonians and Russians.
They may be part of our country but their mentality, attitudes, etc... are completely different and alien to the rest of the country. It's effectively a seperate country and a seperate people within Russian borders.
The first war and all of its methods was nothing but a huge mistake that should never have happened.
Oh, c'mon guys, can we keep just a single tread, clean of this sh/t?
What is your solution to Chechnya then? How should Russia handle Chechnya?
As I see it currently Chechnya is mostly a burden to Russia as Chechnya receives far more state funds than it pays taxes to Moscow. Purely economically it would be best for Russia to release Chechnya, but political consequences might be unpredictable and bad for Russia. As a result Russia could lose the whole Northern Caucasus.
You say that Chechens are mostly anti-Russian. One thing I don't understand is that why did so many Chechens (even volunteers) fight for Russia in the South Ossetia war. If I remember it right it was a Chechen battalion that liberated Chinvali from Georgian occupation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFN14pK2g2Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig438GVSrRE
winner takes it all