RUSSIAN "FORCE MINISTRIES" CRITICIZED FOR INEFFECTIVENESS IN NORTH CAUCASUS.

Russian Vice Premier Ramazan Abdulatipov has unambiguously expressed his dissatisfaction with the actions of Russia’s force ministries (i.e., the armed forces, internal security forces and the forces of various security agencies) in the Northern Caucasus. According to the vice premier, dozens of medals have been given to representatives of these ministries, despite their involvement in a series of disastrous operations in the region. Only a handful have been punished.

Although the Russian security services talk about how fighters are being trained in Chechnya under the banner of Wahhabism, Abdulatipov said, nothing is being done to stop the training. In effect, a group of "Islamic Cossacks" is being created. Their ideas, Abdulatipov says, contradict traditional Islam.

It is worth noting that Russian Security Council Secretary Ivan Rybkin had, only a few days earlier, voiced similar criticism of the force ministries. In an interview with "Itogi" magazine, Rybkin said that the majority of the camps and training bases of field commander Emir Khattab (the leader of the Chechen Wahhabis — Monitor) were located in Dagestan. In Rybkin’s opinion, these bandits must be stopped while it is still possible to do so. (Itogi, February 10)

North Caucasus Officials Discuss Law Enforcement.