Detroit Free Press, MI
Sept 2 2004
About Chechnya
Population: 1.2 million; 85 percent are Sunni Muslim Chechens, the
remainder are Christians, mostly Russians or Armenians.
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Size: About 5,000 square miles.
History: Chechens have been fighting Russian occupation since the
late 18th Century. But the seeds of the current revolt go back to
World War II, when Chechnya was a semiautonomous republic within the
Soviet Union. While most Chechen males fought German troops, Soviet
dictator Josef Stalin ordered Chechnya wiped off the map. Secret
police burned villages and deported the entire Chechen population to
Kazakhstan and Siberia, accusing them and other Soviet Muslims of
collaborating with the Nazis.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, an independence movement
formed in Chechnya, but Russia refused to allow the secession. As a
result, Chechnya has undergone two civil wars, which have left most
of Chechnya under the control of the federal military. Chechen
separatists still claim an independent Chechnya and have orchestrated
attacks in Chechnya and other regions of Russia, including Moscow.
Some 150,000 people have died as a result of Chechen civil strife
from 1994 to 2003.
The rebel force: Military analysts estimate the number to be in the
low thousands. The rebels are thought to have the support of up to 30
percent of the Chechen population, although the vast majority of
Chechens say they are tired of the bloodshed. Apart from indigenous
Chechen fighters, the separatist force includes foreigners. Some top
commanders are from Saudi Arabia. Suicide bombers have notably
included so-called black widows — Chechen women who lost husbands in
fighting.