Russia vows pre-emptive terror hits

A top Russian general yesterday claimed the right to strike pre-emptively “terrorist bases” anywhere in the world — a grave warning only days after a school siege in southern Russia claimed the lives of hundreds of children.

The remarks of Col. Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, chief of the Russian General Staff, reminded of President Bush’s doctrine of pre-emption adopted after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

“As for carrying out preventive strikes against terrorist bases, we will take all measures to liquidate terrorist bases in any region of the world,” Gen. Baluyevsky told reporters in Moscow during a press conference with NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe, Gen. James Jones.

Although Gen. Baluyevsky did not specify what kind of terrorists and what parts of the world he had in mind, Moscow blamed the school siege in the Northern Ossetian town of Beslan on rebels in the breakaway republic of Chechnya.

Yesterday, authorities offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the top rebel leaders, Shamil Basayev and Aslan Maskhadov.

At least 326 hostages and 30 terrorists died in the three-day siege.

Chechen separatists are also being held responsible for two plane crashes and a Moscow subway station bombing, both of which occurred days before last week’s attack.

The Russian government claims that Chechen terrorists have bases in other countries, including former Soviet republics such as Georgia.

The initial foreign reaction to the warning was cautious and mixed, as policy-makers from the United States to Europe to the Muslim world struggled to analyze the consequences of such action.

U.S. officials declined to comment publicly on Gen. Baluyevsky’s remarks, citing a need for further clarification on what he meant.

“I have seen some reports of that,” said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. “I’m not really in a position to interpret it. Any interpretation would have to come from the Russians.”

Russian officials, however, were equally cautious and evasive. One diplomat said he was not sure how much to read into Gen. Baluyevsky’s comments and noted that no political leaders had echoed them.

Privately, U.S. officials said they were not surprised by the general’s warning and did not challenge it.

“We understand that the Russians face quite an enormous threat — something we appreciate,” one official said. “Now they feel renewed urgency to go after the terrorists in a serious way.”

Another official said: “If someone attacks you, you have the right to go after them.”

Story Continues →