The death of Aslan Maskhadov (see picture) (WAR Report) is as murky as Chechnya itself, as are the ramifications for peace and stability in the region. Coming so shortly after a cease-fire called for by Maskhadov, his death would only seem to inflame tensions in the region. There are conflicting reports that Maskhadov died when he refused to come out of his hide-out and a grenade was thrown; other reports indicate that one of his bodyguards ?accidently? shot him. The bunker where the stand-off occurred is also circumspect. It has been suggested that Maskhadov was actually killed elsewhere and deposited in the bunker for theatric effect and to hide the truth about how and where he was killed. Many point out that the bunker would have been uninhabitable to be Maskhadov?s lair. In any case, Russian forces destroyed the bunker, citing booby trap concerns, so any evidence contrary to the official version is gone. Publicly displaying his crumpled body also demonstrates their resolve to show they got their man and to send a message to other terrorists.

Russian authorities also acknowledge that Maskhadov?s location was revealed by his own people who turned him in for the $10 million bounty on his head. Whether these were members of the general Chechen population or his inner circle remains unclear. It could be both; many citizens are sick of war and poverty. Or, the Chechen Rebel movement is not monolithic (Intel Report); it is possible that more hard-core elements wanted to remove Maskhadov?viewed as a moderate–from the nominal power he still wielded. There is also the possibility that his death is a ploy by Moscow to make Chechen rebel members distrust each other.