Chechen extremist units to be proclaimed terrorist organizations

The Russian Foreign Ministry addressed the U.S. Department of the State to proclaim Chechen extremist units terrorist organizations, informed sources reported.

According to RIA Novosti, the address of the Russian Foreign Ministry stresses, in particular, that the international community, the UN Security Council as well as the Group of Eight have unanimously described the brutal seizure of hostages in Moscow on October 23rd as a terrorist attack that led to numerous victims and where Chechen extremists come out in their true colours.

Moreover, the address stresses that it is not acceptable to use double standards in estimates of criminal activities of Chechen extremists.

On October 8, 1999 a qualification resolution of the former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was released. The decree was a list of 28 largest terrorist organizations for 1999. "ETA", "HAMAS", "Hezbollah" and "Al-Qaeda" were among them.

The list is published and being renewed annually. The last one was released in March 2002.