POLLS SHOW SUPPORT FOR CHECHEN OPERATION ON INCREASE.

POLLS SHOW SUPPORT FOR CHECHEN OPERATION ON INCREASE.

According to the prestigious polling organization the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM), the actions of Russian forces in Chechnya are now supported by 41 percent of Russian respondents, a 5 percent increase over July. Forty-four percent of respondents, by contrast, advocate the beginning of peace negotiations with the separatists, down from 53 percent in July (Presscenter.ru, October 2).