The Taliban had close links to separatist Islamic insurgents in the [[Russian Federation]] province of [[Chechnya]], who waged [[Chechen Wars]] in 1994 and 2000 against the Russian government. Chechen fighters solidified the link to their Taliban allies by aiding them in their current struggle against the NATO occupation. Anecdotally, it has been noted that the Chechnyans are valued by the Taliban military commanders, as they have extensive training and experience in the operation of Soviet heavy weapons against high value targets. .<ref>http://muslimvillage.net/story.php?id=370</ref> | The Taliban had close links to separatist Islamic insurgents in the [[Russian Federation]] province of [[Chechnya]], who waged [[Chechen Wars]] in 1994 and 2000 against the Russian government. Chechen fighters solidified the link to their Taliban allies by aiding them in their current struggle against the NATO occupation. Anecdotally, it has been noted that the Chechnyans are valued by the Taliban military commanders, as they have extensive training and experience in the operation of Soviet heavy weapons against high value targets. .<ref>http://muslimvillage.net/story.php?id=370</ref> |