Colonel Maskhadov is still dead.

Chechnya loses its Yasser Arafat, says Guardian, and I, for the first time in a while, agree with them.

Not completely, because their description of both needs some additional clarification:
For some outside observers, Maskhadov was the Yasser Arafat of the Chechen conflict - beyond the pale for negotiations as far as the occupying power was concerned, but the only person with the combination of military credibility and diplomatic experience to carry his people to the peace table.
..., and, with the opponents' hands tied with 'peace process', to unleash a wave of terror while getting financial support from both Western democracies and Arab terror-charities.

However, we have to remember that it wasn't the death of Arafat alone that brought positive changes to the Arab territories. The death of Yasin and Rantisi was also required. So our guys still have a lot of work. Nevertheless, kudos to them.