Russia is claiming a major victory in the war against Chechen rebels with the killing of Mr. Aslan Maskhadov, leader of the Chechen separatist movement. Mr. Maskhadov has long been Moscow's nemesis, but he is also thought to have been a genuine moderate among the Chechen militants. His death may intensify the violence that has already spilled over into Russian territory.
Mr. Maskhadov was a former Soviet soldier who took up arms on behalf of Chechen separatists after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He negotiated independence for Chechnya after a brutal and savage war with Russia from 1994-96, and was elected president in January 1997. The region's independence was short lived: Two and a half years later, Mr. Vladimir Putin, then serving as Russia's prime minister, reopened the war after claiming that Chechen militants, had masterminded terrorist attacks in Moscow. The evidence in support of that claim was, and still is, disputed.
With the resumption of conflict, Mr. Maskhadov assumed leadership of Chechen forces fighting the Russians and became Moscow's public-enemy number one. Last week, Russian forces cornered the Chechen leader and killed him. Russia has called the killing a victory in the fight against extremist terrorism. Hardliners believe that Mr. Maskhadov's death creates a vacuum at the heart of the Chechen resistance movement and that no one can match his ability to put a human face on the separatists or claim the loyalty of the majority of Chechens. In this scenario, infighting among the rebels to claim his mantle will leave the movement weak and divided.