It's quite fortunate that your bias accusation do not shed some light on your own bias towards the Chechen's struggle.
Before you start to educate me about geography and we look into bright future together I am going to educate you about your own history a little bit, if you don't mind, of course. After conquering Kazan, Ivan the Terrible turned to the South and tried to conquer Khanates of Astrakhan and Krimean Khanate in the following years.
(...)The next objective of Ivan the Terrible was the Astrakhan Khanate which at that time was ruled by Khan Yamgurtsy, vassal of Crimea. At that time Astrakhan remained in conflict with Nogai Horde, which asked the Russians for assistance. In 1554 a Russian army seized Astrakhan practically without a fight and it placed the Tsar's ally Derwish Ali on the throne (ultimately, in 1566 Astrakhan was annexed to the state of Tsars).
From
www.allempires.com.
I am not judging his deeds, perhaps it was vital for Russia's further existance but the fact is that is when Russian military influence in Northern Caucasus region started practically at that time.
Iraqi argument is out of place in my humble opinion. USA respects the results of democratic elections by the Iraqi people while Russia has just murdered Chechnya's democratically elected president scapegoating him for Beslan and calling him "a terrorist". That makes just a small difference, doesn't it?
You claim that noone will give them independence. Well, I think Stalin would say exactly the same thing about Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania or Ukraine in 1945. That they do not deserve sovereignity. But people like Stalin or Putin come and go and unbreakable spirit of independence lives on, you know. So maybe not during our lives, but later - who knows...
P.S.
Please tell me, why do you think I am emotional ;)?
Ok. This is the last reply to this thread.
1)Neither Latvia, nor Lithuania, nor Estonia, nor Ukriane ever (in last forseebly past) lived by robbery and kidnapping. So the historical parallel is completely out of a place.
2) When I say, give Iraq independence right now, I mean pull out all troops, not about elections: do not change the subject. That will not happen either, since as soon as the trops will be pulled out, Iraq will turn into bloodbath. Iraq is not ready for independence.
3) Chechnya (according to Kahasav Yurt treaty, 1996) was given independence, all Russian trops were pulled out. Central government kept paying them pensions, supplying gas and electricity. According to this treaty, Chechnya should have hold a referendum in 2001, whether they wanted to be completely independent from Russia or not. Maskhadov was in charge then. Him being in charge did not prevent 1999 incursion into Dagestan, which prooved Chechens being irresponsible under his leadesrhip and/or Maskhadov being unable to control them. Chechnya in its present state is not ready for independence too, unless there is the firm guarantee that it will not turn into the bandits haven. No one can guarantee it righ now.
4) In your historical overview, I still see no connection between Kazan and Northern Caucasses. Since Astrakhan geographically is NOT a part of it. By conquering Astrakhan Ivan the Terrible did NOT conquer Northern Caucasses.
5) I appreciate your acknowlegement that Russia not always acted on irrational aggresive instincts, but sometimes due to the vital questions of her survival.