Chechnya

This small,mainly Muslim nation has been subject to many inhumane,oppressive and bloody actions stretching back from forced relocation of Chechynens to Kazakhstan by Josef Stalin after WorldWar II.In the early nineties during the collapse of the USSR,a separatist movement announced Chechnya's breakaway from Russia to become an independent country. Then in 1994 Russian leader,Boris Yeltsin launched an armed campaign against Chechnya to crush its independent movement which led to a bitter 2 year guerilla war and a humiliating loss and pull-out by the Russian army.A tentative cease-fire was agreed upon then.
However in 1999,Russia again invaded Chechyna in greater strength after Chechnyan forces invaded a neighboring republic Dagestan.
This led to a protracted campaign in which Russian forces took the capital Grozny and most of the country but in the process destroying most of Grozny and the country,forcing thousands out of their homes whilst carrying on a police-state rule over the Chechynans.Lots of alleged abuses have been commited by both sides though including kidnapping,torture,rape and murders.
Chechnyan fighters have been caught in Afghanistan fighting for the Taliban and Al-Qaeda and this is one instance of how oppression and suffering has caused people to turn to extremists for direction and aid.
Recently in April 2003,American President Bush proclaimed in a speech that terror was on a decline but the sad truth is that once people are oppressed,suffering and desperate they will turn to anything to be able to express their rage and frustrations and religious fundamentalism is one of the most effective outlets. Only if the conditions that cause these situations are eradicated then can terrorism be "eliminated".
Info on Chechnyan War