Leader: Rigged Elections and Terrorist Bombs Prove the Bankruptcy of Russia's Policy in Chechnya

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NOTHING SUMS up Russia's failure in the troubled southern region of Chechnya more pointedly than the coincidence of two developments yesterday. The first was the announcement that President Putin's choice, Alu Alkhanov, had been elected Chechnya's new president by a landslide. The second was confirmation from Russia's security services that simultaneous plane crashes five days before the election were caused by explosives - most likely detonated by Chechen women suicide bombers.

Neither announcement bodes well for the future of Chechnya, nor yet for its relations with Russia. Mr Alkhanov is Chechnya's former interior minister, which explains pretty much everything about …