Anyone find it interesting how Russia's occupation of Chechnya is not considered the same way as Iraq?

Look at the post for December 8th. Now Chechnya is an expensive training grounds.

Russia does not plan on giving Chechnya up. The US plans on leaving Iraq when Iraq is stable enough.

What gives here? Which is a bigger threat to the Muslims? Permanent occupation or temporary? Or is it really that either:

• the Jihadists are afraid of taking on the Russians (because the world will not cry bloody murder over any attrocities the Russians commit)
• the Jihadists are really afraid of letting Democracy take root, and hence have a harder time creating another nightmare place like Afghanistan under the Taliban or Iran.