Head of General Headquarters examines check-points in Grozny without bodyguards

Head of the Russian General Headquarters Anatoly Kvashnin made aninspection trip in Grozny, the Chechen capital, without bodyguards.Kvashnin arrived in Grozny from Khankala by car in order to examinesecurity check-points. Reporting today at a meeting in the House ofGovernment, the official said he had seen the guards at one of thecheck-points receive money for allowing cars to pass. The head of theGeneral Headquarters reported he had talked with local inhabitants and noneof those people "knew who the head of the district is, who the commandantor who the police chief is", which, according to Kvashnin, points to lowactivity of local authorities. At the invitation of the military official, four women living in Groznyattended the meeting. Each of them told about the problems of the city:lack of security, unemployment and small pensions. The head of the GeneralHeadquarters slated the activities of military and regional authorities."Military authorities are designed to provide life support in the city, noterect obstacles and achieve a benefit for oneself", he stressed. The pressservice of the military official reported it was the first timecheck-points had been inspected in this way..