The Killing Zone

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That hesitation was in part due to Moscow's fear of repeating last April's crackdown in the republic of Georgia, which resulted in 20 deaths. It also stemmed from the absence of any clear signal from the Azerbaijani government that it wanted assistance. Local authorities have been paralyzed in recent months by strikes, blockades and rallies, all but ceding power to the Azerbaijani Popular Front. This movement, founded by intellectuals calling for greater autonomy, soon attracted the loyalty of the seething Azerbaijani refugees. Now the intellectuals have been eclipsed by the militants, who find the answer to their ancient enmities in violence.

As yet, Gorbachev's determination to finally act has met with no resistance outside the contested republics. His proclaimed state of emergency received a sympathetic endorsement from Washington and was warmly applauded in Moscow. But even if Russians, and Soviets elsewhere, accept Gorbachev's crackdown in the Caucasus, they are not likely to forget their own demands, whether they concern self-determination or soap on the shelves.

With reporting by John Kohan/Moscow

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