Mozdok to become special town?

Another terrorist attack has shown once again that it is necessary to make the town of Mozdok a "special territory," Secretary of the North Ossetian Economic and Social Security Council Uruzmag Ogoyev. (North Ossetia is a federal republic separated from the Chechen Republic by another North Caucasian republic of Ingushetia).

Mr. Ogoyev pointed out that the North Ossetian authorities did their best to control migration in the region, however, they could not close the channel through which terrorists under the guise of refugees get to Mozdok, center of federal forces in the North Caucasus.

Mr. Ogoyev believes that Moscow "must support activities of the North Ossetian authorities and officially give Mozdok a special status." He also recalled closed cities that "exist to pursue strategic purposes of the state and the fact that they are closed is not seen as an attempt to limit the freedom of movement or violation of the constitutional norms." Terrorist attacks and the unsettled issue concerning the status of Mozdok can only increase the drift of Russian-speaking population from the town that will lead to further escalation of violation in the region, Uruzmag Ogoyev said.