RFE/RL: Daghestan's Leaders Seek to Allay Public Panic
posted by circassiankama on August, 2009 as DAGESTAN
ugust 19, 2009
Daghestan's Leaders Seek To Allay Public Panic
In the four weeks since Daghestan Security Council Chairman Ali Magomedov was named
to head the republic's Interior Ministry, 16 police officers have been
killed in 10 separate militant attacks in five towns or regions.
By
comparison, the death toll among Interior Ministry personnel during the
first six months of this year was around 30, the most prominent victim
being Magomedov's predecessor as minister, Adilgirey Magomedtagirov.
Daghestan's
Shariat jamaat has in the past sought to avoid civilian casualties. But
on August 13, unidentified militants shot dead seven prostitutes
employed at a sauna-cum-bordello in the town of Buynaksk, southwest of
Makhachkala. The upsurge in violence, coinciding as it does with a
series of official events to commemorate the successful repulsion of
successive incursions into Daghestan 10 years ago by Islamic militants
headed by radical Chechen field commander Shamil Basayev, has given
rise to a wave of apocalyptic rumors in Makhachkala.
Addressing
a session of the city's counterterrorism commission on August 18,
Makhachkala's longtime mayor, Said Amirov, categorically denied
that girls who eschew Islamic dress are being killed. He cited
persistent rumors that "terrorists" have seized hospitals or other
public buildings.
Amirov characterized the overall security
situation in the city as "difficult" and implicitly blamed President
Mukhu Aliyev for failing to respond decisively to the deteriorating
situation. At the same time, he noted that Magomedov's appointment as
interior minister gives grounds for hope the situation will improve. He
added that Magomedov has assured him of his determination to purge the
ministry of unreliable personnel and reverse the steady deterioration
in the crime situation.
In a televised address to the republic's population later on August 18, Magomedov affirmed
that his ministry is in control of the situation, and his men "remain
on the forefront of the struggle with 'terrorists'" who seek to sow
panic among the population. He also denied rumors (reported by the
radical resistance website kavkazcenter.com that demoralized police officers are submitting their resignations en masse.
President Aliyev for his part has stressed
the need for coordinated action by police to combat the resurgence of
extremist violence. Meeting on August 15 with senior officials, Aliyev
issued instructions to local officials to check out gaming parlors and
other dubious establishments that might be targeted by the insurgency.
Makhachkala
police chief Rasul Gazimagomedov complained in response that his
department suffers from a manpower shortage and a lack of modern
equipment, even patrol vehicles. Speaking three days later at the
meeting convened by Amirov, Gazimagomedov cited one occasion when an
ancient police patrol car broke down while pursuing suspected militants.
Such admissions are unlikely to reassure a population clearly alarmed and unnerved at the prospect of further violence.
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