By empty (9/24/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Lieutenant General Yevgenii Abrashin, who is first deputy commander of the North Caucasus Military District\'s Interior Ministry forces, wrote a commentary in \"Izvestiya\" on 24 September in which he critically analyzed the security lapses that lead to the Beslan tragedy. Abrashin said that officials had considerable vague information that a terrorist attack was being prepared but the only precaution taken was enhanced security of military headquarters in the region in order to prevent an attack like the one on police installations in Ingushetia in June. He said that officials failed to increase checkpoints on roads, to conduct helicopter patrols along the North Ossetia-Chechnya border, to increase the police presence in North Ossetian towns, and to send patrols to check out and secure ruined buildings in the vicinities of Vladikavkaz and Beslan.

By empty (9/24/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the 59th UN General Assembly in New York on 23 September, laying out Moscow\'s vision for how best to conduct the war against international terrorism. Lavrov stressed the need for international unity in the face of terrorism. He also called for the \"development and perfection\" of international law in order to combat terrorism.

By empty (9/24/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Several Kyrgyz opposition parties have decided to form a new political bloc under the leadership of former Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiev. Called the People\'s Movement of Kyrgyzstan, the bloc will bring together both of the country\'s communist parties, the New Kyrgyzstan party, the Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan, Erkindik, Erk, Asaba, Kairan El, and Respublika. The new bloc\'s primary aim is to ensure fair and honest elections, New Kyrgyzstan leader Dosbol Nur uulu said.