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#11 - JRL 8057
Top Russian security official seeks "additional powers" in war on terror
RIA Novosti

Domodedovo (Moscow Region), 9 February: The Russian Federal Security Service [FSB] considers it essential to grant the special services additional powers in the fight against terrorism, deputy head of the FSB Vyacheslav Ushakov said today.

Addressing newly elected members of the State Duma, Ushakov said it was primarily necessary to draw up and pass laws which would make it possible to work towards "prevention and the possibility of uncovering terrorist organizations in the early stages of their activity".

Ushakov said the number of terrorist acts in Russia might not go down this year. In particular, he did not rule out the possibility of terrorist acts "on transport, at nuclear facilities and in the energy sector".

He said the intensification of terrorist activity, not only in Chechnya but also outside the republic, could be evidence that certain countries have an interest in "turning the republic into a centre of world terrorism".

Ushakov recalled that a national-patriotic act was passed in the USA after 11 September 2001 which was subsequently given the form of a law, in accordance with which the special services were given "unprecedented powers in the fight against terrorism".

"Clearly the time has come for us to think about this as well," he said.