What causes surprise is that the US administration, while declaring the need for a decisive struggle against any manifestations of terrorism all over the world, essentially encourages Chechen separatists, who continue bandit attacks against Russian troops, local administration officials, and peaceful residents of Chechnya.

We would like to especially note the fact that the meeting with Akhmadov has taken place at the time when there has been appearing, including in the US media, ever new irrefutable evidence of the Chechen gunmen's leaders' direct links with Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda, the latter's financial support of Chechen terrorists and training them in terrorist camps in Afghanistan.

In this connection the question arises: Is the American side still in the power of former stereotypes, thereby continuing to divide terrorists into "good" and "bad"? It must be absolutely clear that the gunmen in Chechnya and the terrorists in other areas of the world are soul-mates, and that they ought to be countered together. Russia's efforts to destroy terrorism in Chechnya are part and parcel of the international antiterrorist operation.