A TERRORIST ACT IN CHECHNYA
Tribuna, October 13, 2000, p. 1
On October 12 an UAZ-469 truck full of TNT exploded near the headquarters of the police department in Grozny: 15 policemen, prosecutors and civilians were killed.
According to the General Staff, over the year of the second campaign in Chechnya, more than 2,700 servicemen have died, with about 9,000 being wounded. The losses of the separatists are about 13-14,000.
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN BELARUS
Rossyskaya Gazeta, October 13, 2000, p. 3
According to Lidia Yarmoshina, Secretary of the Central Election Commission, about 160 foreign observers from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, Israel, Austria, India, Egypt, Iran, Latvia and almost all CIS countries will work in Belarus during the parliamentary elections.
CHECHENS TO SUPPORT THE PALESTINIANS
Moskovsky Komsomolets, October 13, 2000, p. 3
Some Chechen guerrillas intend to go to Jerusalem in order to support Palestinian Muslims. If they manage to break through the Russian-Georgian border, the results of the work of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which is trying to help find a peace settlement in the Middle East, could be threatened.
OSCE MISSION WILL RETURN TO CHECHNYA
Moskovsky Komsomolets, October 13, 2000, p. 4
The Chechen war seems to be drawing to a close. Victor Kazantsev, presidential envoy for the Southern federal district, has said that the Army should be withdrawn from Chechnya by the end of the year. But if the Army leaves the republic, separatist guerrillas will gain control over Chechnya again – because the Interior Troops, police and the Federal Security Service will not be able to oppose them.
The OSCE mission intends to return to Chechnya. This indicates that the war in Chechnya is no longer to the Kremlin’s advantage.
STILL NO DEFINITE ANSWER TO WHY THE KURSK SUB SANK
Izvestia, October 13, 2000, p. 2
The “Mstislav Keldysh” research vessel has finished examining the hull of the sunken Kursk submarine. Judging by the results, the hull of the submarine was wrecked as a result of several impacts. The government commission which is in charge of investigating the tragedy has not received any radically new information. The cause of the tragedy still remains uncertain. It is unlikely that we will ever learn the actual reason for the tragedy – because, according to specialists, such revelations could damage Russia’s national interests.
DORENKO HEADING FOR THE DUMA
Moskovsky Komsomolets, October 13, 2000, p. 1
According to our sources, TV anchorman Sergei Dorenko intends to run for the Duma in the Kolomna region (instead of Herman Titov, a former astronaut who recently died). Dorenko will have serious competitors in this election: Alexander Titov (recently released from custody), Sergei Baburin, Boris Fyodorov (former Finance Minister) and Anatoly Bykov (the Krasnoyarsk aluminum magnate who keeps getting arrested and released).
