WHO’S REALLY IN CHARGE OF THE CHECHNYA OPERATION?

Russia’s “anti-terrorist operation” in Chechnya is nominally conducted by a combined force reporting to the federal Interior Ministry. But an analysis recently published by the Agentura.ru website provides further evidence that it is the FSB that is really in charge.

The head of the ROSh (“Regionalny operativny shtab po provedeniyu kontrterroristicheskoi operatsii” or “Regional operations headquarters for conducting the anti-terrorist operation”) at the Khankala military base outside Grozny is identified in the website’s analysis as one “Lieutenant-general of the militia Arkady Yedelev,” who has occupied that post since September 12. Yedelev is described as a career FSB officer who previously directed FSB operations in the North Caucasus. He has now been transferred to the interior ministry.