ETHNIC CHECHEN NOMINATED AS HEAD OF CHECHEN MVD.

On November 15, Minister of the Interior Boris Gryzlov announced to the Russian press that Said Peskhoev, an ethnic Chechen, was being proposed to President Putin for the post of head of the pro-Moscow Chechen MVD. Gryzlov added that all the necessary papers were being studied in the Russian Presidential Administration, and that it would take ten to fifteen more days for Peskhoev’s candidacy to be considered and approved (RIA Novosti, November 15). Peskhoev, who is slated to replace Major General Sergei Arenin, a Russian, as head of the Chechen MVD, had earlier served as deputy head of the pro-Moscow FSB of Chechnya. “He is a professional chekist, graduated from the Academy of the FSB and in various years worked in the structures of the special services in the North Caucasus and Samara. He also fought in the first [1994-1996] campaign on the side of the [Russian] federal forces” (Kommersant, November 13).