As Russia has lost its centralized authority, that groups like the Chechnian Rebels have found the breathing room they needed to grow into the terrorist organizations that we are seeing now.

The old centralized authority in Moscow might have just stomped on them before they had an opportunity to grow into an organization capable of carrying out a terrorist attack such as the one we are seeing now.

Russia will probably have a bigger problem terrorism in the future than the United States and/or Europe because of groups like the Chechnians. Its a big diverse country. Russia has probably been walking a fine line toward Iraq precisely because they didnt want to incite additional terrorism on their own home front. Ironically, the Chechnian rebels might have hurt the Chechnian cause and the cause of Sadam Hussain be pulling this attack off at a time when Moscow and Washington appeared to be mapping out different Middle Eastern strategies: They may be driving the US and Russian foreign policies closer together instead of further apart.

Scott