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Ambassador Steven Pifer discusses Chechnya with host Daljit Dhaliwal.
 Watch the video Dial-up | DSL or read the transcript.
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Why does war continue to rage in Chechnya?
For nearly five years, Chechnya, set in the mountainous country of the North Caucasus, has been the scene of some of the most intensive warfare in Europe since World War II. Take stock of what role Islamic fundamentalism plays in Chechnya's wars with Russia in our briefing by Thomas de Waal, co-author of "Chechnya: Calamity in the Caucasus" and Caucasus Editor at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in London.
Fighting for Chechnya: Is Islam a Factor?
By Thomas de Waal
July 25, 2002
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Islamic fundamentalism in Chechnya is a much misunderstood problem. It exists -- but only as a consequence of the war between Chechens and Moscow.
| 1722 |
First known battle between Chechen fighters and Russian soldiers results in defeat for Peter the Great.
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| 1944 |
Stalin deports the entire Chechen nation to Siberia and Central Asia as suspected German collaborators.
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| 1991 |
Chechnya declares its independence.
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| 1994-1996 |
War with Russia results in de facto independence for Chechnya.
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| 1999-Present |
Russia re-invades Chechnya. As Russian military losses continue, a refugee crisis builds in neighboring Ingushetia.
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Both Russians and hard-line fighters have an interest in talking up the Islamic factor.
The most radical Chechen guerrillas, in their propaganda material disseminated through the Web site kavkaz.org describe their fighters as "mujahadin" or "martyrs," fighting a "jihad" or holy war against the Russian armed forces. That helps them raise money for weapons and supplies in mosques from London to Jeddah.
Russia points out that these radical fighters had a link to the Al Qaeda movement through a Saudi-born warrior of fortune known as Ibn ul-Khattab, who had fought in Afghanistan, and moved to Chechnya in 1995. Khattab, a professional "mujahadin" fighter who sported thick curly shoulder-length black hair, was reported murdered by poisoning in Chechnya in March.
It recently came to light that Ayman Al-Zawahri, Osama Bin Laden's right-hand man spent six months in a Russian jail, after trying to infiltrate Chechnya in 1996. He was travelling under a false name and his cover was not blown. After his release, he settled in Afghanistan.
Read More 
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Inside This Episode
 To find out what drives the chaos in Chechnya, trace the roots of the conflict in our Timeline.
Walk the streets of shell-shattered Grozny in our Photo Essay.
Meet two Grozny women -- one Chechen, one Russian -- who tell their tales of survival amidst ruin in our Personal Narrative.
Russian soldiers pick their way through Grozny's devastated landscape.
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