Without reading your whole post and replies, just what comes into my mind, that, AFAIK, isn't well-known by Western people.
1) In 1991-1994 about 500,000 non-Chechen population fled Chechnya because of what in Western nespeak is called "ethnic cleansings". Not belonging to Chechen prehistoric clans and not owning a machinegun was a reason enough to be robbed, raped and killed.
2) In 1996 the "peace treaty" was signed with Chechen leadership. Federal troops were withdrawn and Chechens were left on their own. In 3 next years they robbed all they could reach, and returned to their ages-old practice of attacks on neighbouring regions, mostly Cossack lands. In August 1999 they began a planned hostilities against Dagestan, where they got defeated by local militia (i mean - armed population, not police forces) with the assistance from Federal troops (air strikes and artillery support).
3) Current state of affairs is a very successfull version of "Vietnamisaion", and a return to Imperial policy regarding national autonomies. One clan gets Federal support and was granted a right to bear arms to fight insurgents. IMHO they may do what they want to their "competitors", if only they stop terrorist acts in Russia.
4) History of Chechen terrorism didn't start in 2002 with Dubrovka theatre attack. Back in 1995 Chechen gangsters took a maternity hospital (!!!) in a town of Budennovsk for ransom, after storming a town killing over 150 people in the strteets. Main terror acts: attack on Kizlyar, Dagestan in 1996, blowing up apartment houses in Moscow, Volgodonsk and Buinaksk, etc. In Msk they blew up two apartment houses, killing over 300 people who were sleeping in their beds. I take it personally, it could be my house targeted for another attack. Thank god - my local Militia (Police) officer was a Chechen, he's a nice guy, but he still didn't learn Russian in 15 years of service...
5) A Chechen problem appeared in early 1800s, when their gangs were fought to secure a Military-Georgian road, connecting mainland Russia with Kingdom of Georgia. At that times Chechens were pagans, making their business on robbery. They were hated and fought by almost all their neighbours, from Moslim Dagestanians to Christian Osetins. But, unlike Sioux or Navajo Indians they were not totally slaughtered.
6) On Feb. 23rd 1944 most of Chechens were deported to Kazakhstan for their unanimous support to nazis. Instead of total slaughter Stalin preferred to exile them, as usually being too humanistic. In 1958 they were allowed to come back, immediately starting their traditional slaughter and rule of the gun. Non-Chechen population began to riot against it, storming local Party commeetee after they started to decorate their fences with human guts...
7) Chechens usually were quite loyal to Russian power. Chechens were personal body-guards of the last Emperor. They are noble and proud people. Their main problem is that their most popular occupation is banditism. So it goes...
