The New York Times reports on more bloody violence in Chechnya. Despite overwhelming military power Russia still cannot subdue breakaway Chechnya; in America, continuing violence of this kind has caused President Bush's poll numbers and support to plummet, but in Russia Vladimir Putin only becomes more popular. That, of course, is because America is a thriving democracy while Russia is a basket-case dictatorship.

MOSCOW, June 9 — Two pro-Kremlin officials were assassinated minutes apart on Friday in Ingushetia, a republic bordering Chechnya in Russia's volatile North Caucasus.An administrator responsible for helping Russian families resettle in the region was gunned down, and then a senior police commander was killed as he drove his three children to school. The children were also killed, as were the commander's two guards, bringing the death toll in the shootings to seven. An Islamic force in Ingushetia, aligned with Chechen separatists, has said it has been carrying out "responsive measures" against officials involved in counterterrorism activities.