OREANDA-NEWS. February 22, 2011. The meeting was attended by the heads of special services and security agencies, a number of federal ministers, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoys to the Federal Districts, regional governors of the North Caucasus Federal District and the heads of the region’s law enforcement agencies.

Dmitry Medvedev also visited Beslan, where he laid a wreath to the Tree of Grief, a memorial to the victims of the 2004 terrorist attack. The President paid tribute to officers of the special forces who died liberating hostages.

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PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Good afternoon, colleagues,

Today's meeting of the National Antiterrorism Committee is being held in the North Caucasus, in Vladikavkaz, rather than in Moscow. This is the first National Antiterrorism Committee meeting chaired by the President of the Russian Federation. I have decided to hold this meeting here in North Ossetia. Why? I am sure all of you know the answer to this question.

It is here that our citizens are faced with terror almost on a daily basis. Terror exists in other parts of our country too, but in the North Caucasus it is present almost everywhere, and terrorist attacks occur quite regularly, unfortunately. The root of contradictions that generate extremism and radicalism is here.

It is not the first event to be held in the North Caucasus. Today I would like to review what we spoke about almost a year ago, on April 1, 2010. I held a meeting on counterterrorism in Daghestan, and in the course of the meeting I outlined five areas for combating the worst evil of the 21st century, at least in the context of our situation and taking into account our concerns. Today I propose that we analyse what has been done since then in each of these areas.

First. I talked about strengthening the law enforcement and security component in the North Caucasus, which applies to our main agencies – the Interior Ministry, the Federal Security Service and other security agencies – as well as the protection of judges. On the whole, the decisions that were necessary to optimise the resources of these agencies in the North Caucasus Federal District have been adopted.

Despite the fact that in some cases (as in the case of the Interior Ministry, for example) overall efforts are being aimed at cutting personnel, this measure does not apply to the North Caucasus in line with my decision. On the contrary, in many situations we have increased the number of military personnel and established specialised units in several North Caucasus republics.

Measures to protect judges are also being implemented, although this process is not without its problems. We have adopted laws aimed at ensuring quality independent legal proceedings in terrorism cases, in order to exclude coercion or intimidation of judges and jurors. But this is only the beginning and our efforts must continue.

The second issue I discussed a year ago is strikes against terrorists. Active efforts were made in this area during the whole of the past year.  332 militants were killed, of whom over 40 were ringleaders of gangs. More than 600 gang members, including both the perpetrators and their accomplices, were arrested and will go on trial. Federal Security Service Director and other heads of law enforcement agencies will give us more detailed information about this.

Our colleagues from the Interior Ministry, the Federal Security Service and other agencies acted heroically on a number of occasions, giving their lives to rescue people and destroy the militants. A large number of our comrades were killed. In 2010, this figure is 268 officers of law enforcement and security agencies.

I instruct the Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Service to prepare further proposals on the support to the families of the fallen officers, provide them with assistance, housing and cover their education expenses. This work is already underway but given the fact that the terrorist threat persists, further action is required.

At the same time strikes against terrorists, the destruction of those who refuse to surrender must continue. We are not talking only about retaliation strikes against terrorists. Of course, the terrorists must be brought to justice, and if they resist, then do not hesitate to destroy them ruthlessly.

These degenerates have no pity for women or children, and we must not show mercy for them. I emphasise, however, that we are not just talking about retaliation. We must also conduct preventive action, as it is done in many other states, that is, attack them in their lairs, in their dens, in their hiding places, wherever they are. These efforts must be brought to an end and they cannot be interrupted.

The third area I talked about is helping those who have broken off from the militants.  I expect to receive more detailed information from regional governors: what has been done, how many people have left the militants’ ranks, how is their social adaptation proceeding, have they found jobs or enrolled in schools. Here, much depends on the implementation of socioeconomic programmes, and this is the direct responsibility of the Government of the Russian Federation and the regional heads in the North Caucasus Federal District. I want to hear your report on what has been achieved.

The fourth issue we discussed last year was the development of socioeconomic infrastructure of the North Caucasus republics. I must say that everyone has been involved in this effort. In the intervening period, I visited all the republics in the region, as well as the Stavropol Territory, which is part of the North Caucasus Federal District. The socioeconomic development programmes are being implemented at different speed but I cannot say that the situation is at a standstill. It is not, progress is evident, both federal and regional programmes are being initiated, new production facilities are established everywhere, which had not been the case for a long time, new jobs are being created, the situation in Daghestan is improving, which is encouraging, and new economic projects have been launched.

We must continue to develop these projects and to initiate new ones, including large-scale projects. Whatever the bandits try to do, we will continue working on such large projects, including the development of an alpine tourism cluster in the North Caucasus. Everything must be restored and the efforts must continue.

Only the creation of new jobs can bring hope to young people, who have no jobs and who are first recruited and then brainwashed by the extremists. The fight against unemployment, job creation, educational programmes, tours of cultural institutions in the North Caucasus, tours of various performance artists – all of this is very important. People who live in the North Caucasus live in Russia and must feel like its full-fledged citizens.

Fifth, the strengthening of moral and spiritual values. In fact, this issue can be moved up to the forefront. Assistance to religious leaders is an extremely important topic. We are talking about the spiritual realm, and this is the most complex, most delicate area.

For centuries, Islam has developed in Russia as one of our traditional religions, but the injections of extremism and radical movements have appeared only recently and they are extremely dangerous. It is not for state officials to deal with this or, in any case, not only for state officials. This, above all, is a job for the clergy, because this problem exists throughout the Muslim world.

Muslim clerics, imams and muftis often behave like heroes. Yesterday I presented state awards to relatives of the clerics who had been killed. Their lives are an example of service to the Motherland, the Russian Federation, and an example of service to their faith, to Islam. They are the true martyrs for their faith, and not those bastards who blow up children.

Finally, the terrorist attacks last year and this year indicate that our country still has many problems with security. We must not relax, just as there can be no simple prescription like the ones we sometimes hear from the media and from some analysts, both homegrown and foreign. There is no universal or quick formula, no one in the world has come up with it and we will not be able to either.

Look at the current situation in the Middle East and the Arab world. It is extremely difficult and great problems still lie ahead. In some cases it may even come to the disintegration of large, heavily populated states, their break-up into smaller fragments.  The character of these states if far from straightforward. It may come to very complex events, including the arrival of fanatics into power. This will mean decades of fires and further spread of extremism.

We must face the truth. In the past such a scenario was harboured for us, and now attempts to implement it are even more likely. In any case, this plot will not work. But everything that happens there will have a direct impact on our domestic situation in the long term, as long as decades.

Let's be honest and not deceive ourselves or the people: this is a big and complicated problem, and we will have to make extensive efforts to tackle it over a prolonged period of time. But the conclusion is obvious: no one but us can restore order in this sphere.

Common approaches are equally clear: regional development, comprehensive development of the North Caucasus regions, social programmes, job creation, ongoing efforts to create jobs, to develop educational programmes, to support education and, finally, to provide comprehensive support for Russian Islam.

Those who are willing to change should get a chance. Those who want blood will choke on their own blood. There can be no other approach here or in other countries. Even those who criticised us harshly ten years ago have come to realise that. Once again, to conclude, I would like to say this: this is our country and our land, and it is our responsibility to restore order – for all of us and, above all, for our children. And we will restore it.