Russia. The New York Times reported on Chechnya and Russia between 1994 and 2004 during the peak of the conflict; it's reports often questioned and speculated why women would join the Chechen terrorist groups and largely did not interview the Chechen's involved in the cause. A common media narrative about the Chechen Black Widows is that they joined due to family connections; because they were following men or avenging the deaths of their husbands. Women may also be portrayed as being a terrorist for 'the sake of love'; meaning they join because they have a personal connection to the organization, such as a husband or a boyfriend in the organization. This narrative describes the female terrorists as feminine and passive because they are following the men in their lives to join the terrorist organization. On the other hand, women may also be depicted as tough as a man and given more masculine qualities; and the media may question her feminine qualities. In 1994, the Russian press began to note rumors of female suicide bombers and female snipers; these rumors were proven credible due to the occasional arrests and the known involvement of women in the attacks during the Russian-Chechen Conflict. On November 29, 2001, journalists reported the attempted assassination of General Gadzhiyez by a suicide bomber attack This attack received relatively little attention from the western press, but may have been the first Black Widow attack. On October 23, 2002, the female terrorists gained international media attention when they seized the Dubrovka Theater. During this attack, female terrorists were filmed and interviewed by the press. This is one of the first times the Black Widows had a voice in the media. Notable attacks The main perpetrator Khava Barayeva is considered first known ‘Black Widow’. She is the cousin of the well-known field commander warlord Arbi Barayeva and sister of Movsar Barayeva, head of the moscow commando. She and Luisa Magomadova were the first to attack and became known as the “Black Widows”. Before her attack Khava Barayeva made a martyr video. In the video, Khava Barayeva claimed she was attacking for Chechen independence and tried to spread the message to others to do the same. On June 6, 2000, Khava Barayeva, who was only 17 years old, and Luisa Magomadova drove a truck of explosives at a checkpoint of Omon, a base named Alkhan-Yurt. Barayeva detonated the bombs, which is