Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov has denied any connection with Tuesday's bombing. The list of suspects in the minds of the public is much longer though. It also includes Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow's mayor Yuri Luzhkov, communists, fascists, the military, and the powerful business tycoons. None of these suggestions sound queer to Russian ears. It has become increasingly clear to most people that every act of terror is linked in some way to the interests of financial groups, political parties and the secret services.
Terrorists target people randomly to destabilise society.
Here, the anonymity of the victims compounds the anonymity of the decision-makers. Since there is no one to blame for unleashing the war, all citizens share equal responsibility. Terrorism thereby becomes an extension of war. The fighting in Chechnya has exposed Russian troops as being unable to deal with the separatists other than by carpet bombings and brutal cleansing which breeds even more resentment. Television reports show fatigue and apprehension on the faces of soldiers.