the conflict in chechnya is partly religious but mostly nationalist, reflecting chechnya's distaste for russian control. but dagestan's case is quite different from that of neighbong chechnya. despite similar histories is quiand religion, dagestan exhibits little of the volatility th characterizeshechny why is that? geographers look at places for evidence of two opposing forces. take the old soviet union. military power, communist ideology and economic integration were centripetal forces that helped hold the union together. but they were weak, and when the centralized economy proved bankrupt, centrifugal-- or devolutionary-- forces proved stronger. different languages, religions and large distances helped these areas spin away, as in a centrifuge. the new central asian republics joined the slavic countries in the southern caucasus to form the commonwealth of independent states. but the north caucasus remained within russia itself, despite a bloody resistance that goes back to the 19th century. geographer ronald wixman. wixman: when the czarist government came into the caucasus, they com

two chech chechnya -- chechnyaen officials were involved. >>> last week, franklin graham cast doubt once more about president obama's religion suggesting the spred a "son of islam." the san francisco branch of the naacp say graham's statements are politically motivated. >> the naacp also says the president has repeatedly expressed his faith and belief in christianity. >>> more troubles for the lift lounge in walnut creek. the contra costa times reports police found six grams of cocaine just outside the entrance on friday night. street value is stilted at $500. >>> and walnut creek police have arrested three southern california men accused of a major gift card scam involving nordstrom department stores throughout the state. store officials say they called police to report the men you see on their screen. they are accused of using fraudulent credit cards to buy gift cards. the search of the men's van showed up more than $10,000 worth of exist cards as well as credit cards belonging -- belonging to other people n about 45 minute, the mayor is scheduled to take a tour -- tour of the faciliti

that led to the dramatic arrest in february of chechnya and who today appeared on a state-owned channel. confessing to his involvement in a plot to kill russia's most powerful politician. quickly ousted to moscow to carry out an attack on vladimir putin -- >> we were asked to go to moscow to carry out an attack on vladimir putin. >> the timing of the tv report was attacked by opposition leaders who said vladimir putin was trying to gain advantage six days before the polls. vladimir putin's press secretary tell me this was absolutely a plot to kill his boss. in phone calls, the security force did not want to confirm that on the record. it is an organization holding the main suspect in a plot to kill world leader. the report even contained footage that appeared to show interrogation of another suspect who said they were learning to use explosives in odessa before going to moscow to carry out a series of attacks. russian television said the men had been ordered to carry out the attack by an infamous chechnyan were born still fighting against russian rule. he claimed to have carried out and

an ongoing gunfight on the border between russia's republics of chechnya and dagestan has already taken the lives of thirteen officers special forces are fighting suspected terrorists as part of a counterterrorism operation the fight started three days ago and shows a new sort of being over three groups of militants are being hunted amid harsh weather conditions in mountainous terrain the area where militants are thought to be hiding has been blocked off by special forces. and some other world news in brief for you now the sounds of the leaders of britain and france france discuss an increase in practical help to syrian rebels which could involve giving the military advice david cameron nicolas sarkozy will hold a summit in paris to talk about what more can be done to a syrian army also some good deal which would see the two nations work more closely in civil nuclear technology. gunman from the radical islamist sect burkle her have stormed the nigerian prison freeing one hundred nineteen mates one guard was killed in syria gunfight to the group last through the prison gates using explos

. >> marie colvin covered conflicts in the balk ins, chechnya and was one of the last journalists to interview moammar gadhafi before he was killed last october. >>> former university of virginia lacrosse player george huguely will likely be sentenced this summer for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. a jury found him guilty of second degree murder yesterday and recommended a 26-year prison term. prosecutors say huguely killed yeardley love in a drunken jealous rage. police say the shooting of an eight-year-old girl at a washington state elementary school was an accident. the girl who is in critical condition this morning was shot at the school in bremerton, about 20 miles west of seattle yesterday afternoon. police say a third grade boy brought a loaded gun to school and it went off while still in his backpack. the school will reopen today, but parents want answers. >> i don't even want my kids coming back here tomorrow. because it's obviously not safe. this is one of our smaller schools with cameras everywhere. you think it's one of the secure ones. but i don't know. >> the boy who b

was responsible for a number of attacks in the region the anti terror operation on the border of chechnya and dagestan has been underway since monday officials say seven thirty gunmen have been hiding in the area helicopters and artillery have been deployed to hunt them down reports up to thirteen police. officers have been killed in the ongoing operation. turning out of some other stories making headlines across the globe a suicide bomb targeting worshipers has killed twenty six and wounded dozens in northwest pakistan the blast went off outside a mosque in a busy market in the town of parrish in are close to the afghan border thousands of pakistani civilians have died in bombings over the last five years most of them carried out by sunni islamist militias. german president christian walther has resigned the opposition demanded he step down over accusations he accepted illicit favors while serving as the governor of lower saxony including a private home loan from a friend's wife thursday prosecutors called for his immunity to be lifted chancellor angela merkel expressed regret at wolves

>>the boy's family fled the war in chechnya when he was three. his parents barely speak german., boxing is more than just a sport. the organization's director says a box ring provides support for refugee families and offers assistance in dealing with various bureaucracies. >> a lot of them are left on their own after school. for the kids who come here, this can be a jumping off point so they can go on to get an apprentice ship and did not become marginalized. >> she also organizes several tournaments a year. a chance for the young boxers to see how they measure up with others and get some recognition from their peers. on this day, 60 young boxes will -- boxer's work -- young boxers will enter the ring. he is falling confidence. >> i am going to win. >> is full of ambition, and he has come out ahead in 17 of 18 previous fights. today, he is fighting in his own ring in front of his friends. they're here to cheer him on. their praise is encouraging and a key experience for the boy. the match consists of three rounds, each two minutes long. his opponent does not stand a chance, and

forces helicopters and artillery have been deployed to an area on the border of russia's republics of chechnya and dagestan where militants are hiding out now on going counterterrorism operation the scene thirteen police officers killed before it started three days ago and shows no signs of ending three groups of militants are being hunted in harsh weather conditions in mountainous terrain officials say there are around thirty gunman currently blocked in by security forces in the area . or some other world news in brief for you now this hour the leaders of britain and france plan to discuss an increase of practical help for syrian rebels which could involve military advice david cameron and they will hold a summit in paris to talk about what more can be done to aid the free syrian army also signed a major deal which would see.

but ongoing gunfight on the border between russia's republics of chechnya and pakistan has already taken the lives of seven police officers with six others injured special forces are fighting suspected terrorists as part of a counterterrorism operation thirteen officers have been killed in the past three days of learning three groups of militants are being hunted amid harsh weather conditions in mountainous terrain in the area where militants are thought to be hiding in. some well news in brief.

believed that it was just journalism that in fact in particular revelations of human rights offenses in chechnya what public jenkins is saying is that politkovskaya quarreled with. his old ski in london and that is what led to that essentially ordering. now lots of people have been arrested for having organized the killing but nobody has so far had the finger pointed at them for ordering it so this could be a key development but certainly particularly for betty's obviously this is not the first time that his name has come up in connection with the murder of public it's come up lots of times before. laura smith reporting there war you can track the entire course of the political trial just by logging on to our web site of course r.t. dot com now let's check out what other stories are just a click away for you right now on our web site viewer of this political exodus the e.u. recalled twenty seven ambassadors from below roofs as a diplomatic fallout between the country and the union grows. and bringing destruction from above scientists warn the earth may need to protect itself against a giant come

forces helicopters and artillery have been deployed to an area on the border of russia's republics of chechnya and dagestan where militants are hiding out the ongoing counterterrorism operation has seen thirteen police officers killed the fight started three days ago and shows no signs of ending three groups of militants are being hunted in harsh weather conditions in a mountainous terrain officials say there are around thirty gunmen currently blocked in by security forces in the area. some world news and briefly this hour. german president are still moving.

here that russia has had its own share of problems in the past with islamic fundamentalists like in chechnya for example so i think russia here at the time where the rest of the violence will escalate and some arab sunni states will try and get more and more involved in cause more casualties i think at the same time we're going to see a rush also further more assisting the syrian leadership to deal with these people to live with these and as you say you know as you say they also you discussed the fact that russia has had a policy history with islamic fundamentalists as we all know moscow's been trying to bring all sides of the conflict to the negotiating table do you think this will work out with the armed opposition still receiving strong political backing from western and arab states. the problem is that in order to have negotiations you need two sides to be ready to accept negotiations now until now as we heard bashar assad after the meeting with the russian foreign minister sergei lavrov expressed his readiness however the other side is not expressing its readiness there are some members

believes that it was journalism that in fact in particular revelations of human rights offenses in chechnya what what people saying is that quarreled with. his old ski in london and that that is what led to that essentially ordering. lots of people have been arrested for having organized the killing but nobody has so far had the finger pointed at them for ordering it so this could be a key development but certainly particularly for betty is obviously this is not the first time that his name has come up in connection with the murder of public it's come up lots of times before. with reporting there from london where you want your life from the interpol website is reportedly become the latest target of the so-called activist anonymous a group which advocates internet freedom and the time came as into poland now instead arrested twenty five suspected hackers from the movement in europe and south america in brussels reporting is. interpol it said the twenty five allegedly members of the anonymous online how king activist group or activist group were taken into their custody right after their own

believed that it was just journalism that in fact in particular revelations of human rights offenses in chechnya what public chunk of his saying is that politkovskaya quarreled with. that is all ski in london and that is what led to that essentially ordering. now lots of people have been arrested for having organized the killing but nobody has so far had the finger pointed at them for ordering it so this could be a key development but certainly particularly for betty is obviously this is not the first time that his name has come up in connection with the murder of public it's come up lots of times before. that the group known simply as anonymous claims to have brought down the international criminal police organizations website crashed shortly after interpol announced the arrest of twenty five has in spain and latin america as a part of the agency's operational mosque. has more now on the latest battle in an ongoing cyber war. interpol had said the twenty five allegedly members of the anonymous online how king activist group or hacktivist group were taken into their custody right after their own

she spent decades in war zones like the balkans, chechnya, and most recently libya, focusing on the suffering hard to recover her. i'd like her to go home one more time. >> reporter: it will be difficult for marie colvin's family to get her body out of syria. there are no u.s. embassies left there. the "sunday times" of london is trying to help. in oyster bay, long island, kristin thorne, abc news. >> really an amazing woman. you saw the eye patch there. she had lost her eye covering war ten years ago and still kept going. i watched so many folks in the media comment on this story. we sit here at this comfortable desk in our air-conditioned studio every night. look at folks like that out there in the field, literally sacrificing their life for what they do. for all of us it's a public service, but for some it's an even higher calling. she certainly falls in that category. so with everyone else in the media i tip my hat because she was a woman of uncommon bravery. >> she wanted to bring you those stories that you weren't able to see otherwise. and of course they risk their lives. they're true

>> i think -- well, i wouldn't say -- chechnya was pretty bad, but it's a dangerous environment, largelyuilding the entire time -- and when i say front, we're talking about, you know, rebels who two months ago hadn't even seen a gun, so they're unpredictable. remember, you know, as much as libya is kind of the heart of darkness to a lot of us americans, libyans haven't actually ever been in a war, so they don't know what they're doing, and they're fighting. >>> sad day for all of us. we'll always remember marie colvin as a very courageous journalist. ♪ [ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories, america's beverage companies are delivering. >>> republican presidential candidate newt gingrich has certainly made it no secret he's

i mean, she's been to every major conflict from kosovo to chechnya to iraq to afghanistan.t out today also another western journalist appeared to have been killed, some others injured, and i'm sure marie herself would want everybody to know that another nine people were killed in homs today who were just civilians living there, killed by the shelling too. >> and do we know if her family has been contacted? >> reporter: we understand that is the case. i think that's one of the reasons why the "sunday times" trying to be cautious about when they released news of her death to make sure her relatives were informed. so, yes, i believe that has now occurred, zoraida. >> nick payton walsh live for us. we appreciate it. >> i worked with marie colvin. she was an amazing journalist, a consummate professional. we are all better for the reporting she has done. it all underscores what we have been saying on this program, any western journalist, any journalist at all who tries to make their way into syria is at great personal risk. >> i was reading a report about her. they called her abs

is this a question of we have chechnya in our backyard and -- in -- in china, we have other -- we have tibet and other provinces we don't nosily want the u.n. sticking their nose into and so -- i. >> i think that they would say that they believe in sovereign equality patience and that this was effectively -- effective regime change resolution. i think it does pose a question which is support for the free syrian army, support for the legitimate aspiration of the syrian people. somehow less legitimate because the -- governments of china and russia vetoed this resolution. >> why do you say that? you are saying if you are liberal internationalist and you were someone that says that you would -- we immediate to run interventions and we need to round this sort of thing through the u.n. because the u.n. is the -- duly constituted body of governance, international law says you cannot have attacks in absence of the u.n. resolutions. you have these two cynical vetoes from china and russia pose as problem why? >> because the -- one of the main arguments against the iraq intervention was it was no