Wahhabi terrorists face trial

All nine persons, who had been detained in connection with the March 24 explosions in Mineralnye Vody and Yessentuki, are members of an armed group that comprises religious Wahhabi extremists; meanwhile criminal proceedings have already been instituted against them. (Both cities are located in the North Caucasus -- Ed.) This was disclosed here today by the North Caucasus division of the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office. According to that division, investigators have received evidence to the effect that all nine men had prepared for terrorist acts on orders from Chechen bandit leaders; they were ordered to commit such acts of terrorism in some populated locality on the territory of the Karachai-Circassian republic, which ranks among other North Caucasus republics. The nine persons had been trained at Chechen bandit camps well in advance; quite possibly, they were motivated by a desire to earn more dollars, rather than by those militant Wahhabi ideas, officials at the above-mentioned North Caucasus division stressed. Video-taped interrogations show that all men had taken part in combat operations against the federal combined-army group on Chechen territory.

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