09.10.2004:Chechnya Female Bombers

excerpt from July 3, 2003 article at bbcnews :

One of the most shocking aspects of recent Chechen rebel suicide attacks has been that many of the perpetrators were women.

Chechen women first appeared on the scene during the Moscow theatre siege

Russian President Vladimir Putin says they have adopted the tactics of Middle Eastern terrorist organisations - and will be, in his words, "wiped out".

Yet Chechen women have traditionally not featured prominently as fighters in the conflict, and little research has been done into their motivations.

Specialists say nearly all Chechen women in the conflict areas are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders

Hundreds of thousands of Chechen women have fled their homeland and sought shelter in often dismal conditions in neighbouring regions.

But now, there is the new reality of female Chechen suicide bombers.

First seen during last year's Moscow theatre siege, they have conducted a number of bloody attacks in the subsequent months.