Russian President demands more intensive anti-terrorist activities

On Sunday night Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed anti-terrorist measures and assistance to those who were injured in a terrorist attack in the North Ossetian town of Mozdok.

At his meeting with Chairman of the Russian Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev and Russian Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov, Vladimir Putin demanded from both judicial and law-enforcement bodies more effective measures against laxity that makes it easier to commit crimes.

"Laxity we can see in some cases only makes it easier to carry out terrorist attacks and commit crimes and it is beyond all limits," Vladimir Putin said.

"Let us have a look at how recent notorious cases are investigated. The investigation lasts for months or even years and the hearing also lasts months or even years," Vladimir Putin said. "One can think the state does not want or is not able to do something to change the situation." "We have several branches of power as every constitutional state has. We have legislative, executive and judicial branches of power. And not just an abstract destiny of the state but real lives of tens, hundreds and thousands of people depend on the activities of every branch of power," Vladimir Putin recalled.

After the meeting Russian Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov said that "issues concerning investigation of a number of specific terrorist cases were discussed." Chairman of the Russian Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev said that representatives of courts of general jurisdiction would hold a meeting in the near future to discuss the hearing procedure of specific terrorist cases.

At his second meeting with North Ossetian President Alexander Dzasokhov, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Galina Karelova and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov participating Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded they do their best to render assistance to those who had been injured in the terrorist attack in Mozdok.

"The terrorist attack in Mozdok is a special crime, a very cruel one. Those who committed this crime are cynics because they committed a crime against people treated in a hospital, against doctors and those wounded. It is against all legal norms, moral and humanity," Vladimir Putin said.

When speaking about the terrorists Vladimir Putin emphasized that "it is the very enemy we are fighting now, our countermeasures must be adequate but sensible, we must find those who are responsible for the attack." On Friday, a KamAZ truck filled with explosives penetrated to the territory of a military hospital in Mozdok and blew up. The explosion claimed lives of 50 people, more than 60 people were injured.

"We must do our best to aid those who were injured," Vladimir Putin said.

Measures will be taken to provide children and senior citizens as well as those who lost their earners with all necessary things, Russian Deputy Prime Minister reported.

"We have an individual approach to every citizen," she said.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said that it had been decided to make Monday a day of mourning in all military units of the North Caucasian military district.

Sergei Ivanov pointed out that instructions by the Russian Defense Minister, head of the Russian General Staff and Commander of the North Caucasian military district including those according to which all approaches were to be equipped with compulsory vehicle stopping devices had not been fulfilled.

"In this connection I have decided to drop from command commander of the 429th regiment who is the senior officer of the Mozdok garrison and head of the military hospital for failure to properly execute orders," Sergei Ivanov said.

Mr. Ivanov also said that "the Russian Defense Ministry together with the Russian General Prosecutor's Office is investigating the accident."