Russia has prepared plans to launch air attacks on terrorist bases in Afghanistan if the need arises. This became an issue when the Taliban and Chechen rebels announced that they would be working together. Afghanistan is also a base for rebels who operate in central Asian nations that are ever more closely allied with Russia. The Taliban has said it would retaliate against Uzbekistan and Tajikistan if they provided bases for Russian attacks on training camps (for Moslem fundamentalists or Chechen rebels) in Afghanistan.