Opinion - News Analysis   

Russia gains global support

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, SEPT. 2. Moscow has welcomed the strong show of support that the United Nations Security Council demonstrated over the recent spate of terrorist attacks in Russia that have killed over 100 people.

"We are grateful to the U.N. Security Council, to all heads of state and Government, who expressed their solidarity with Russia," the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said today, pointing out that the terror strikes were directed not only against individuals, but against Russia as a whole.

It is for the first time that Russia sought a meeting of the Security Council to discuss terrorism on its territory.

It did so after an unprecedented wave of terrorist attacks that began with the downing of two Russian airliners last week in which 90 people died, continued with the suicide bomb blast in a Moscow street on Tuesday that killed 11 people and culminated with the seizure of a packed school in southern Russia on Wednesday which claimed seven lives on the first day of the ongoing drama.

Explaining Moscow's appeal to the Security Council, the Russian U.N. envoy, Andrei Denisov, said Russia sought "firm, unqualified support" for its anti-terrorist struggle. And it has received this support.

`Heinous act'

Calling the hostage-taking a "heinous act," the 15-nation Security Council unanimously denounced acts of terrorism as "criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation," and reaffirmed U.N. determination to combat terrorism that "constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security."

The Security Council called on all states to actively cooperate with Russian authorities in tracking down and bringing to justice those who carried out the recent terrorist attacks.

Russia has maintained that the rebel movement in Chechnya has established close ties with international terrorism and is being funded by international extremist organisations. The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said the latest terrorist acts also "have international roots." Responsibility for the seizure of the school has been claimed by a group calling itself "Salakhin Riadus Shahidi," which is led by Chechnya's notorious warlord Shamil Basayev and is linked to Al-Qaeda.

Another Al-Qaeda group, "The Islambouli Brigages" said it was responsible for the bombing of the two airliners. However, the West has been reluctant to recognise Chechnya as a terrorist issue. Earlier this year, Britain gave asylum to Akhmed Zakayev, a representative of the Chechen leader, Aslan Maskhadov.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE KEY
• WHO'S AFRAID OF MICHAEL MOORE?
• Countering terror
• When neighbours meet
• Russia gains global support
• Hostage release
• Inhuman
• Manmohan & Opposition
• Aiyar-Sena row
• Reservation debate
• Declining sex ratio

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu