Russia: Chechen War Is Over

For 10 years Russia has been struggling with its own insurgent movement in Chechnya. Now, despite numerous claims of human rights abuses and separatists' pledges to continue the struggle, Russia has declared the "counter-terrorism operation" over. Chechnya's current president, Ramzan Kadyrov, is a pro-Kremlin strongman who is suspected of having firsthand experience torturing rebels and orchestrating kidnappings. Now, he is said to rule Chechnya through fear. The surviving separatists have been forced to flee to mountain areas and have not been able to launch a significant attack since 2004. In an effort to erase all memories of the brutal conflict, the once-war torn capital, Grozny, is being quickly rebuilt by the Russians.