The Russians dismissed the warning as a provocation. Or sometimes we pay a bribe. Fighting is in the Chechen blood. In 1944 Stalin deported virtually the entire population to Siberia and Kazakhstan. Nearly two years later, the outnumbered Chechens hold the military edge and are demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops and elections.
Real independence can wait, say their leaders, until a new president can organize a referendum.
In between cease-fires, the fighting goes on. At Ramzanov's command post an order is received to attack a nearby Russian checkpoint, guarded by 150 soldiers and a tank. Two bazooka shots begin the action. Greasy black smoke rises from the tank, which fires back, smashing the flimsy walls of Ramzanov's building. Machine-gun bullets rain in.