(CPOD) Sept. 8, 2004 - Many Russians are worried about providing assistance to Chechnya, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 45 per cent of respondents believe all financial aid for the breakaway republic should be suspended until order is restored.

Chechen rebels have been blamed for recent terrorist incidents in Russia, including two airplane crashes and a suicide bombing in Moscow. The latest assailment took place on Sept. 1, when militants took control of a school in Beslan. The three-day siege left more than 335 people dead, many of them children. Fugitive Chechen leader Aslan Maskhadov has denied involvement in the Beslan attack.

Another high-profile incursion occurred in October 2002, as secessionists took control of a packed Moscow theatre, demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. The four-day standoff ended when law enforcement officers used Fentanyl gas to subdue the rebels, killing more than 100 hostages in the process.

Russians are not overly supportive of other initiatives to help Chechnya. 23 per cent of respondents would maintain aid to the area under tighter scrutiny, while less than 10 per cent of respondents support granting special economic and tax privileges to the breakaway republic, or allowing it to trade on its own.

Polling Data

Which of these statements comes closer to your opinion regarding Chechnya?

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