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| September 15, 2004 |
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| Russia Announces More Than $10 Billion in Security Funding |
WASHINGTON - September 15, 2005. In response to a series of terrorist attacks in the last few weeks, Russia has announced that it will allocate additional funding to its security and law enforcement agencies in 2005. Some $5.4 billion will reportedly go towards these entities as Russia has vowed to mobilize and combat terrorism within its borders.
Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin has announced that the Federal Security Service, Interior Ministry, Border Guards Service, and Foreign Intelligence Service will split an additional $1.71 billion in funding. The Defense Ministry will receive an additional $3.66 billion. These monies will be used for purchasing equipment, training, and contract troops. "New tools for fighting terrorism are needed, including legislative," Kudrin said.
President Vladimir Putin stated that a central, anti-terrorism agency must be created and that Russia’s electoral system must be restructured in a way that would increase Kremlin control over all aspects of political life. Under this plan, Putin would replace popularly elected governors with his own appointments and voters would vote for parties, rather than individual candidates.
These actions have been spurred by the recent attack on a school in Beslan in which over 300 people were killed. The chairman of the Russian Audit Chamber, Sergei Stepashin, has been quoted as saying that the increase of defense and security spending were foreseen even before the September tragedy.
"The organizers and perpetrators of the terror attack are aiming at the disintegration of the state, the breakup of Russia," Putin said. "We need a single organization capable of not only dealing with terror attacks but also working to avert them, destroy criminals in their hideouts, and if necessary, abroad."
Source: Equity International |
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