Insurgency Success Factors and Rebel Legitimacy

apartment bombing and the Chechen separatist insurgency's invasion of Dagestan to liberate the Islamic majority republic from Russian rule75. Putin's administration developed rhetoric around images of these events that painted the rebellion movement as Islamic terrorism, and a threat to Russian national security 76. Putin's administration introduced new conversations of Chechen independence into political space, whereby both the de facto government and the insurgency were terrorists, and posed threats to Russian national security. Putin revoked many of the legitimating aspects of Yeltsin's policies, including foreign assistance to the government. In 1999, Russia ceased all provision of aid to the de facto government, signifying a shift in legitimate perception of Chechen leadership in Russian leadership and administration 77. The removal of aid left the republic financially independent, and struggling to obtain oil to produce through refineries, and the financial capacity to maintain refinery production. The reduction of legitimacy severed the rebellion from Russian political space, financial assistance, and material support. The reduction of Russian resources had immediate impacts in reducing Chechen economic productivity, and diplomatic power78. Russia's rhetorical mixing of the de facto government and the insurgency further contributed to delegitimating perceptions of an independent Chechnya in domestic political space, as civilian and political perceptions of the government were increasingly linked to incidences of terrorism and Islamism. Following the war, Russia continued its battle against the Chechen economy by announcing that the destroyed oil refineries would be rebuilt in Kabardino-Balkaria, outside of Chechen borders and control79. Russia did not initiate moves to re-develop Chechen infrastructure and economic productivity until 2005, when Chechen government administration and territory were firmly under the control of Ramzan Kadyrov. Putin's removal of de facto 24 24

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