Viking_Yearbook_95

Chechnya Breakaway C hechen rebels have stung the Kremlin with bitter truths: Big is not always better, the desire for independence is a powerful weapon, and Moscow's military machine can be made to bleed. Outmanned and out-gunned, the Chechen's fierce resistance has stunned and humiliated the Russian army and made fools of generals desperate for victory. The furious Russian attempt to destroy Grozny and topple Chechen President Dzhokhar Dudayev has only unified the Chechens, a nation of more than 160 clans usually feuding among themselves. Each day, Russia throws more troops and firepower at the Chechens to no avail. After sending in tens of thousands of troops, victory eludes the Russians. Courtesy ofAssociated Press 34