GRYZLOV ANNOUNCES COUNTERBALANCE TO RADIO LIBERTY BROADCASTS.

Publication: North Caucasus Weekly Volume: 3 Issue: 12

Age: 54 years

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).