Russia has a rich history of suppressing and brutalizing the Chechens.

"The Chechens have every reason not to trust Moscow," the CNN once quoted Andrei Kortunov, a political analyst as saying. "They fought against Russia during the 19th century and they were deported (to Soviet Central Asia in 1944) by Joseph Stalin" after Chechnya sided with the Germans in World War II.

"It was not just a group of criminals (who were deported) but the whole nation."

Hundreds of thousands of deported Chechens died during the exile.

The Chechens live on the Northern side of the great Caucasian mountains that separate the Russian Federation from the Trans-Caucasian republics of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In 1991, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the government of the republic declared independence as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. But their independence wasn't recognized by any major state. Several conflicts erupted between the forces of the self-declared government and other Chechen groups, and the Russian Federal army.

Despite the ferocity of the Russians’ military operations in Grozny, which they occupied for several months, the Chechens fought back and managed to defeat the Russian forces, which fueled a strong desire for revenge among Russian officers. Some analysts suggest that pride and revenge are behind most of the current relentless ferocity of the Russian onslaught.

After 18 months of fierce fighting, Russia and Chechen signed a peace treaty in 1996.

According to Chechen officials accounts, by 1994 over 200,000 people have been killed in Chechnya, including more than 20,000 children.

Before 1994-96 war between Russia and Chechen, nearly 1.2 million people lived in Chechnya including a substantial Russian minority.

But by imposing their rule through small-nation ethnic republics such as the Chechen-Ingush, Khabardin-Balkari, Karachai-Cherkess, and Kalmuk republics, the Communists thwarted North Caucasians attempts to establish a confederation of peoples of mountainous areas following 1917 Bolshevik revolution.

Unfortunately, recent attacks launched by the Chechen fighters as a result of the Russian government suppression to their nation and persistence not to recognise them, made the West forget Russia’s history and suppressive strategy against the Chechen Muslims, Kortunov says. It made them reluctant to recognize the Chechens as freedom fighters.

The behaviour of many drunken contract soldiers of the Russian forces taking position in Chechen villages caused a great loss of life among the Chechens.

The first Russia-Chechen war left a legacy of despair, hurt, and degradation; Chechen soldiers were left with no employment, and many citizens resorted to drugs. Also crime--profit was made out of hostage taking and kidnapping.

The war shattered the social fabric of the Chechen people, which gave a rise to a desperate group of brigands, filled with sense of suppression and agony, intent to change the horrible situation imposed on them as a result of the Russians' ruthless strategy.