FGV/2005
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MORE CRASH MYSTERIES Russian officials finally confirmed that terrorism was the likely cause of two nearly simultaneous crashes of airliners that took off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport on Aug. 24. But to many Russians, the announcement took far too long. In the days immediately following the crashes, the government suggested they were caused by mechanical problems or contaminated fuel. Only after the Russian media reported the presence of two Chechen women (one on each flight) whose families had yet to come forward to claim them, did the Federal Security Service change tack, announcing that traces of the explosive hexogen had been found amid the wreckage of both planes. One theory: the crashes were the work of a cultlike band of militant Chechen women, known as "Black Widows" because their husbands were killed fighting Russian security forces. In the past Moscow has been quick to blame Chechen rebels for mysterious explosions, with often thin evidence. But some Kremlin-watchers argue that pointing the finger at Chechnya right now could be politically dangerous for Russian President Vladimir Putin. With Kremlin-backed candidate Alu Alkhanov likely to win Chechen presidential elections on Aug. 29, the last thing Putin wants is more anti-Moscow sentiment in the region. "The elections have come under so much criticism," says Rustam Kaliyev, a Moscow -based Caucasus analyst. "Putin needs to show there's unity in the country." The Kremlin is particularly wary of offending Chechen voters, who are sensitive about being associated with terrorists, adds Kaliyev. A major new terrorist attack would also suggest that Putin has failed to achieve the stability he keeps promising in Chechnya. Two attacks would practically prove it. ANNA KUCHMENT and MARK HOSENBALL (NEWSWEEK) According to the information in the article, many Russians