Translated material
Program "Time H"
A national anti-terrorist body will appear in Russia
In the near future, the State Duma will consider in the second reading the draft federal law “On Countering Terrorism.” Last November, the President became acquainted with the concept of this document and approved it. The new bill will replace the 1998 Anti-Terrorism Law, which has become outdated. The creators of the new bill considered that the concept of “countering terrorism” is no weaker, but even broader and more comprehensive than the more familiar “fight”, since it also includes prevention. The document will finally provide, as the creators of the bill promise, a short, succinct and understandable definition of terrorism. Let us recall that in the 1998 law this definition took up more than one typewritten page.The new bill also provides for compensation for damage caused by the actions of terrorists and defines measures to combat the financing of terrorist organizations - up to the confiscation of property and freezing of bank accounts. The purely military, tactical side of the matter is not ignored either. The bill defines the algorithm of the counter-terrorism operation, the signs of a state of emergency and the regime of terrorist danger. The latter, in the opinion of many liberal politicians, infringes on human rights. It does provide for the restriction of some constitutional rights of a citizen. This mode can be used, for example, if information has been received about the preparation of a terrorist act in a crowded place. Some restrictions will also be imposed on the work of journalists at the site of the counter-terrorism operation.
But the main thing in the new bill is different: it is aimed at preempting the actions of terrorists and making them senseless.
Since almost all security forces are now involved in the fight against terrorism, an anti-terrorist body will be created to coordinate their actions. In accordance with the draft law, such a body should become the Federal Anti-Terrorism Commission. But perhaps the organ will be named differently. For example, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee. The head of the new body will be the chairman of the government, the deputy prime minister, or one of the security officials, appointed by presidential decree, whose department will become the main one. The leader will bear personal responsibility for both preventive and analytical work and for carrying out specific special operations. The leader will be able to rely on the established operational headquarters, which, if necessary (as the military says, when the time “H” comes) turns into the headquarters of the counter-terrorism operation.
The current law provides for the use of only special services to counter terrorism. The new bill contains a number of fundamentally new provisions. In particular, the country's armed forces, which were preparing primarily for large-scale army and front-line operations and nuclear war, can now be involved in the fight against terrorists. Moreover, in all three natural spheres - on earth, in the sky and at sea. The draft devotes an entire chapter to this new practice of using the army.
The naval forces are ordered to fight pirates in internal and territorial waters, protect objects on the maritime continental shelf, and ensure the safety of national maritime navigation. The new law allows them to pursue terrorists under water. In the air, the Air Force will have to stop the flights of intruders if it is clear that they are aimed at important military and industrial facilities, nuclear complex facilities, and life support facilities. The list of such objects will be approved by the president. And of course, to stop the flights of aircraft hijacked by terrorists. Moreover, all actions of military duty forces are expected to be outlined by a separate government decree and detailed by departmental orders. According to the new law, armed forces can be used both inside Russia and abroad. In the second case, only the supreme commander in chief can give the go-ahead.
With the advent of the new, basic law, amendments will have to be made to another 14 legislative acts, in particular to the Criminal, Criminal Procedure and Administrative Codes, to the law on the media, etc. These changes will be made immediately after the second reading of the basic bill.
But today the military is preparing for the fact that they will have to create special counter-terrorism units in the districts and in the fleets. Most likely on the basis of airborne units or special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff. Apparently, these army and navy units will be allowed for the first time to use weapons, equipment and equipment with the prefix “special”. In Russia, such funds are already produced and used by special services. In particular, CJSC Daedalus produces day and night vision sights, the products of the Center for Speech Technologies company allow you to identify a person by voice, the equipment of Papillon Systems LLC - by fingerprints, palms and eye pupils, the equipment of Bars International - - from a photograph, and even a surgical change in appearance will not save you from exposure. The Microlight company produces invisible illumination systems, and Areopag-M produces polygraphs, or “lie detectors.” Personal protective equipment, body armor, and protective suits for sappers are manufactured by Fort Technology CJSC.
Russian manufacturers have the opportunity to supply special weapons and special technical equipment to foreign customers. Two years ago, the state intermediary in the arms trade - the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Rosoboronexport" and OJSC "Scientific and Technical Center "Commonwealth of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation" entered into an agreement under which the Scientific and Technical Center provides equipped exhibition premises to arms dealers, assists in organizing displays of weapons and equipment to foreign customers anti-terror weapons. Such shows are now taking place in the very center of Moscow, near the Kitay-Gorod metro station. Previously, thematic shows and presentations of special equipment were held in different places, usually on the outskirts of the capital.
Representatives of the diplomatic corps alone have already visited the new location for 40 delegations; representatives of foreign intelligence and counterintelligence services, and specialists from the security services of presidents of various countries do not bypass the hall. In general, exhibitions are organized depending on the interests of foreign customers; all shows are closed and are held under the supervision of the ROE information security service. Depending on the order, units of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Russian enterprises that manufacture anti-terrorism equipment are involved: systems for protecting important facilities, equipment for intelligence and counterintelligence agencies, border guards, etc.
Anti-terrorist weapons occupy an increasingly important place in the total volume of Russian military trade, and profits from sales are growing. However, something else is more important here: the trade in anti-terror weapons is a political direction, since the work is carried out with foreign intelligence services. The task of the Russians is to conquer new markets, which have traditionally been the sphere of influence of our opponents and competitors. And this succeeds - Russian special equipment and special weapons often have no analogues or are qualitatively superior to the best foreign models, while differing favorably in price.
Export supplies of special weapons and special equipment are one of the most rapidly developing areas of work of Rosoboronexport. This is also related to the functioning of the exhibition hall. The volume of applications for viewing and the number of delegations have increased significantly, and the number of contracts has also increased. Russian enterprises receive new orders and are actively promoting their products on the world market. Among the customers are almost all countries of Southeast Asia, two thirds of the countries of the Arab East, and some countries of Latin America. Guests are shown a large list of special technical equipment and special weapons. At the training ground in Klimovsk near Moscow, guests can shoot with all types of weapons, and construction of a unique indoor pool for demonstrating underwater weapons is also being completed. But it all starts with a hall in the center of Moscow. Representatives of Rosoboronexport assure that they are ready to increase the export of special technical equipment and special weapons. So the country is meeting the new law on countering terrorism in terms of equipment with special equipment in a much more prepared state than in terms of the effectiveness of special services or the social development of regions that remain most vulnerable to terrorist attacks.