GRYZLOV ANNOUNCES COUNTERBALANCE TO RADIO LIBERTY BROADCASTS.

In an indication that the regime’s commitment to “Chechenization” of the conflict was still on the rise, the Russian minister for internal affairs, Boris Gryzlov, stated during a meeting of the MVD for the Southern Federal District held in Rostov-on-Don on April 12 that henceforth police personnel would not be sent into Chechnya from other regions of Russia. Instead, local Chechen departments of internal affairs would be formed on a permanent basis (Kommersant, April 13). Gryzlov also announced the creation of a new “counterpropaganda” agency to broadcast to Chechnya, aimed at counteracting Chechen-language news broadcasts made by U.S.-funded Radio Liberty. Gryzlov stated that the new agency would be based in Rostov-on-Don (AP, April 15).