MOSCOW. Sept 1 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia should set up a single anti-terrorist center to coordinate actions of uniformed agencies in combating terrorism, Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the Federation Council committee for defense and security, said on Wednesday.
"The latest series of notorious rebel attacks with heavy human casualties requires quick and emergency actions from the country's uniformed agencies, which, I believe, can only be made if a single anti-terrorist center functions in Russia," Ozerov told Interfax-Military News Agency, commenting on the Tuesday terrorist blast in Moscow and on the seizure of a school in North Ossetia.
Such a center must become a sort of headquarters coordinating the fight against terrorism throughout Russia, he said.
"If we established the CIS Anti-terrorist Center, why can't we make a decision on setting up such a structure in Russia, where terrorist attacks are unfortunately becoming routine? Such a center could be a sort of headquarters coordinating the entire work, related not only to combating, but also to preventing terrorist attacks. What is more important, it could attract necessary forces and assets of all uniformed agencies in case of emergency," Ozerov noted.
According to him, the defense and security committee has teamed up with the Defense Ministry, Justice Ministry and Federal Security Service to draft a new bill on combating terrorism. "The bill will indicate in detail the role of the Russian Armed Forces and other uniformed agencies in combating terrorism, as well as outline functions of the Russian Anti-terrorist Commission," Ozerov said.
He also said that the committee's first session in September will address measures to prevent terrorist attacks in the country. "The problem of combating terrorism must be considered as a whole, not only through the prism of the situation in the North Caucasus. We need coordination of actions on the inter- regional level," the lawmaker stressed.