Medvedev for tough fight against terrorism

“There should be no delays or pauses (in anti-terror combat). Various retaliatory measures should be promptly taken,” Medvedev said in an interview to Norwegian daily Aftenposten ahead of his Norway visit next week.

At least 52 people were killed and over 100 injured in the chain of terror attacks in Russia in recent weeks,including twin suicide bombing in busy Moscow metro,allegedly carried out by radical Islamists active in the pre-dominantly Muslim North Caucasus.

“Not only the terrorists and underground militants,but also those who with the help of terror are sowing fear should be severely dealt with,” he said.

“They should be eliminated and simultaneously conditions should be created for life in the Caucasus to become modern,acceptable for people,for them to be able to implement their desires: both material and spiritual,” Medvedev said.

Elaborating what he meant by ‘material and spiritual’ conditions,he said: “Material means the desire to have a normal welfare and acquire normal property. Spiritual – for Muslim regions mainly – means for them to be able to normally profess Islam”.

Medvedev alleged that attempts were being made by groups based outside Russia,to replace the moderate version of Islam that is traditionally professed in the country with a hardline version.

“This should be Islam traditional for our country and not the one they are trying to bring from abroad,often in the terrorist package,” Medvedev underscored.

He said the combat against terrorists should have the three components of force,economic and social.

“This is the precise reason,why I have appointed new presidential envoy,vice premier Alexander Khloponin,who should not only deal with the matters related to force,to combat terrorism with the help of law enforcement measures,but also normalise life in North Caucasus,” Medvedev said.

He also lashed out at the Western media for referring to Chechen fighters as ‘rebels’,’guerrillas’ and ‘freedom fighters’ rather than terrorists.

“You should know that rebels and freedom fighters,who kill innocent civilians by blowing bombs on metro trains are not rebels,they are trash and scum,” Medvedev said.