Insurgency Success Factors and Rebel Legitimacy
Eurasia 157. The de facto government's rhetoric and constitution presented components of
democracy, adherence to international law, and attention paid to humanitarian needs of the
population¹58. An independent, democratic Chechen state would produce a Western ally on
Russia's border that could support the influencing and spread of democracy in Eastern Europe
and Central Asia 159.
An independent Chechen state also presented the potential for foreign powers to secure
economic and diplomatic ties in Eurasia. In particular, Chechen economic independence from
Russia and control of its oil refineries also presented the possibility for Western powers to reduce
dependence on Russia for oil, and held the potential for foreign powers to invest in the budding
industry to their benefit 160.
Despite the definitive impossibility of military or humanitarian intervention in Chechnya,
the international community intervened in the early movement through ideology and propaganda.
Bill Clinton is credited with harnessing his relationship with Yeltsin to influence Russia's
diplomatic treatment of the de facto Chechen government towards a softer, non-military
approach in Chechnya¹61. UN and EU Agencies attempted to gain access to Chechnya during the
wars to monitor human rights abuses and needs. Human rights abuses committed by Russia and
Chechen separatists were decried in official UN channels 162
Following the First Chechen War, growing security concerns, particularly rising Islamic
extremism, produced a decline in international community support for Chechen independence 163
The Chechen government's ineffectual ability to manage the growing rise of terrorism, militias,
criminals, and corruption decreased international perceptions of the government's potential to
operate as an independent state 164. These perceptions were fueled by Maskhadov's cabinet,
which included rebel leaders, such as Shamil Basayev, who was responsible for the hostage
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