Chechen Ahhmad Kadyrov, appointed by Russia to run Chechnya, says that the war there could last 10-20 years, and that Chechens are more likely to settle the war than Russian troops. Many Chechens do not agree with the rebels and there has been much talk of a Chechen civil war to settle the disputes over who should run the province. Meanwhile, Russia announced that they had freed 164 hostages in the north Caucasus this year. Seven of these kidnapping victims were foreigners and most of the hostages were held in Chechnya.