31.   Armed with machine guns, mortars and anti-tank grenades, their goal was to bloody the Russian troops and prevent them from encircling the Chechen capital.

32.   As cars and trucks stuffed with belongings crept towards Ingushetia, a large armored column of Russian troops moved in the opposite direction toward Chechnya.

33.   Arrangements for adding Russian troops can be similar to those devised for Bosnia, where Russians do not take orders directly from NATO.

34.   As a result, Russian troops are now fighting a two-front war.

35.   As they spoke, American and Russian infantrymen huddled side by side in trenches across this desolate steppe, trying to repulse volunteer Russian troops serving as mock infiltrators.

36.   As the Russian troops unexpectedly became bogged down in their drive to capture Grozny, the Chechen capital, the Korzhakov stories faded.

37.   As the militants raced through the minefield and a nearby pathway to the village, Russian troops fired mortars while helicopters blasted the rebels from overhead.

38.   As the rebels pressed their attack, a rebel negotiating team carrying a white flag approached Russian troops at the railway station, the scene of the fiercest fighting.

39.   At a recent meeting with Chechen officials, Lebed brushed aside a question about the pace of Russian troops withdrawals.

40.   At present, most of the potential leaders have fled Chechnya and are reluctant to return because of fear of Russian troops and security forces.