Russian MPs link London blasts with Iraq, terrorists in UK
RIA Novosti
Moscow, 8 July: A number of Russian State Duma deputies are of the view that the series of terrorists acts in London yesterday is linked with the UK's participation in the Iraq war and with the presence on the territory of the UK of terrorist organizations.
"London has become a refuge for all kinds of terrorist organizations," leader of the Motherland faction Dmitriy Rogozin told the Duma's plenary sitting today.
Headquarters of all international terrorist organizations, including those which fought and perpetrated terrorist acts on the territory of Russia are situated in London, Rogozin stressed.
"To keep terrorists at home means to have a bomb by one's side," Rogozin said.
He suggested that the Duma Committee on Security and the Duma Committee on International Affairs should be instructed to draft a statement on behalf of the State Duma concerning the existence of offices of terrorist organizations on the territory of the UK.
Rogozin suggested the statement should be debated during the autumn session at the start of September. "Lectures in morality would be out of place today," he noted.
Boris Gryzlov, Russian State Duma speaker, supported Rogozin's proposal concerning this.
Aleksey Mitrofanov, representing the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia faction, links the events in London with UK's participation in the military activities in Iraq. Mitrofanov proposed that a statement should be issued to the effect that it is necessary to stop the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Anglo-American troops must be pulled out of Afghanistan and Iraq," Mitrofanov said.
"It must be borne in mind that just as many adults and children die in Baghdad and Afghanistan. The sacrifices of the great Iraqi people must also be borne in mind," he said.