Foreign special services funding rebels in North Caucasus - Russian official
KABARDA-BALKARIA, 16 February, Caucasus Times - "We have information regarding the financing of militant activities by foreign special services," the deputy chief of the republic's Interior Ministry department to combat organized crime, Albert Sizhazhev, said during a round table at the Interior Ministry of Kabarda-Balkaria yesterday.

According to the law enforcement chief, "foreigners from the Middle East were involved in the events of 13-14 October last year". He said that during a special operation, as a result of which three militants were killed, one of them turned out to be a foreigner. According to the preliminary investigation, the killed militant was a Turkish citizen of
Adygeyan origin, Albert Sizhazhev said.

"Members of bandit formations still intend to carry out sabotage and terrorist acts in Kabarda-Balkaria," he said. This is proved by large weapons caches which are still found in various parts of the republic, he added.

"After repeated conversations with relatives [of rebels], two participants in the 13 October attack on Nalchik surrendered to the law-enforcement agencies," Albert Sizhazhev told those present at the session. He also expressed the hope that others participants, who were directly or indirectly involved in the events of 13-14 October, will surrender in the near future.

As a result of the investigation into the 13 October 2005 attack on the capital of Kabarda-Balkaria, Nalchik, 95 militants have been killed, about 200 pieces of weapons seized, 70 people arrested and 21 people are on the federal wanted list, according to updated information from the Interior Ministry of Kabarda-Balkaria.

Participants in the round table, which was also attended by representatives of the Kabarda-Balkar Ministry of Youth and Sports, religious confessions and journalists, also touched on the issue of preventing religious extremism in the republic. Almost all the participants in the round table spoke about the need to control religious literature arriving in Kabarda-Balkaria. The causes of the October tragedy in the republic were
analyzed once again.
Madina Dishekova, Nalchik, Caucasus Times
http://www.caucasustimes.com/article.asp?id=7522