Russian Television Shows Materials About the Involvement of Leader of Chechen Separatists Maskhadov in the Terrorist Act in Moscow

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) showed on Sunday in the programme the News of the Week on the RTR television video materials which prove the involvement of the head of Chechen bandit units, Aslan Maskhadov, in the terrorist act in the Theatre Centre in Dubrovka in Moscow when more than 800 spectators of the musical were taken hostage.

One of the materials showed the meeting between Maskhadov and Movsar Barayev, Abu Omar and other active members of illegal armed units. Official spokesman for the Russian Federal Security Service Sergei Ignatchenko said that "Abu Omar is even higher in rank than Maskhadov." "Abu Omar is the spiritual leader of the militants who blessed them to the perpetration of terrorist acts," said Ignatchenko. In the video material shown on the RTR television Abu Omar reports to Maskhadov about Barayev and how many terrorist acts he has committed, explains the official spokesman for the Russian Federal Security Service.

Apart from that, the News of the Week programme showed Maskhadov's TV address to the militants on October 18th, 2002, on the eve of the tragedy in Dubrovka, in which he said: "I am sure and I have no doubts at all that at the concluding stage we shall perform a more unique operation."