The recent terrorist acts in the US showed how vulnerable the most powerful country in the world could be. Crashes of airplanes into the World Trade centers and Pentagon were a complete surprise for the American special services and the military. Meanwhile, such style of Muslim extremists could already be seen during the attempts of Wahhabis to blow up American embassies in some countries and their attacks on a military ship in Yemen. Terrorists were getting ready to destroy governmental institutions in Uzbekistan in 1999, and also exploded residential houses in Moscow and other Russian cities. They are currently operating in the North Caucasus and Chechnya.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has frequently stated that terrorism is the main threat in the new millennium, and it is necessary to pool efforts of various countries to counteract to it. However, the world simply did not understand how destructive and monstrous the terrorism could be. Only after the explosions on September 11 in the US, the UN, NATO and other international organizations started taking antiterrorist measures.
Meanwhile, the ability of kamikaze terrorists to seize airplanes in the country and, what is the most terrible, to aim them at important objects, demonstrates a practical use of new forms of armed struggle, where butcher fanaticism strives to achieve mass death of people plays the most important role. It is possible only to guess what would have happened if an airplane taken by terrorists was aimed at, for example, a nuclear power station.
The US is getting ready to create its national antimissile defense system to protect nuclear power stations and other strategic objects from missiles of the so-called rogue states, but who will protect this country from lone terrorists?
Dmitry Rogozin, chair of the Duma international affairs committee, announced that US authorities “Should begin negotiations with Russia immediately about the real threats which exist, namely the threats of terrorist acts.” According to Rogozin, one of conclusions from the recent events is that Americans are developing an antimissile shield and destabilizing the global situation. Rogozin pointed out that this shield could not protect from what had happened recently.
Naturally, official Washington will find a method and forces to punish organizers of the terrorist acts, but who are they? At present there is contradictory information available about the possible organizers of the terrorist acts. Initially the Democratic Front of Palestine Liberation undertook the entire responsibility for the terrorist acts, but later its leaders denied these reports. Then Japanese extremist organizations announced their involvement in the attacks, and so on. But this is also unrealistic. People also speak about involvement of terrorist number one Ossama bin Laden in the recent attacks on the US. However, leader of the Afghan movement Taliban Mohammad Omar condemned the acts of terrorism in America, and reported to some mass media that these acts were so big and difficult to organize that they could not be prepared by bin Laden. Omar adds that Afghanistan is a very poor country and cannot have anything to do with such complicated terrorist acts. “What has happened in the United States is not a matter of ordinary people. Most likely this is the work of governments. Neither bin laden nor we are involved into this. Explosions in New York and Washington are probably a matter of either internal enemies of the US or their chief enemies in the world,” announced Abdul Mutmaen, a spokesperson for the Taliban administration in Kandagar. According to the Talibs, international terrorist bin Laden is their “guest” and has no connections with the outer world after the Talibs confiscated technical communication devices from him three years ago.
Meanwhile, American special services reported that they intercepted telephone conversations of supports of bin Laden in which they discussed consequences of the terrorist acts in New York and Washington. Senator Warren Hetch reported to journalists about this. According to him, there is also information available that at least one of the terrorists was connected with bin Laden.
Thus, it is impossible to rule out that it was bin Laden who prepared retaliation acts in the US. He recently became the Defense Minister of unrecognized government of Afghanistan consisting of Talibs. An attempt to assassinate the leader of the Northern Alliance Ahmad Shah Masud was made evidently with his participation. His possible involvement into the terrorist acts in the US manifests seriousness of his future intentions and unlimited aggressiveness in struggle for radical Islamic ideas.
It is also impossible to rule out that the facts, which occurred on September 11 in the US, may be repeated in Russia. Hence just a few hours after the tragedies in Washington and New York President Vladimir Putin met in the Kremlin with officials of security agencies and General Staff Chief General Anatoly Kvashnin. Putin and officials of security agencies discussed the measures for strengthening of the antiterrorist protection of strategic industrial and military objects of Russia. First of all, the President and state officials spoke about protection and possible defense of nuclear power stations, chemical plants, nuclear storage facilities, airfields, hangars with airplanes, Air Force and Air Defense Forces units not only in Russia, but also in CIS member states. Participants of the meeting focused their attention on the problems associated with strengthening of combat readiness of units of air defense of Moscow.
Military sources note that the defense of Russian military objects will be reinforced with Air Defense Forces units, which will have to down airplanes in case of air attacks of terrorists.
Military intelligence and counterintelligence will also work more actively on the detection of adherents of Wahhabiya and other extremist doctrines among servicemen. Participants of the meeting proposed material incentives for the Federal Security Service and Main Intelligence Department agents. According to military sources, the President is considering a draft decree on equalizing the money allowances of officers of these services with wages of state officials.
So far it is not known whether these measures will help avoid tragedies similar to those, which recently happened in the US. There is no absolute protection from terrorists. This means that, first of all, international community needs to join its efforts in combating this evil. Second, to protect strategic objects in Russia and other countries it is necessary to use potential of the army Air Defense Forces and Air Force. Third, special services should change their work radically. Success of the cause and ability of the state to control extremist organizations located in its territory will primarily depend on their work.
