A policeman stands near FSB's billboard reading: “Your call will tie hands of terrorists.”
Photo: PhotoXpress
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FSB Makes Clear What Information It Needs
FSB disclosed yesterday its internal regulations setting forth new procedures to consider individual complaints. The purpose of new rules is to narrow the information flow that doesn’t relate to the state security. Inspired by the FSB's call to be on watch, the Russians overburdened its officers by data of no interest to them.
Under the new regulations, the Federal Security Service (Russia’s abbreviation is FSB) will be spared from the information outside its competence. If not related to security, the written complaints of individuals will be forwarded to bodies committed to make respective decisions. From now on, FSB is entitled not to respond to repeated questions of the nation. It will react neither to unreadable complaints nor to obscene or abusive ones.
Till yesterday, FSB had been governed by the rules of 2000-year shaped in the wake of terror actions staged in a few cities of Russia. Those rules urged residents to inform about all persons or facts should they find them suspicious. At that time, the billboards with FSB’s hot line numbers could be often seen in the cities of Russia. The slogans read: “Your call will tie hands of terrorists,” “Inform about suspicious objects before you read about them in newspapers” and others. The amount spent for such advertising of FSB has been never officially disclosed. The sources say that in Moscow separately, the cost of that joint effort of FSB and Interior Ministry reached $0.5 million.
The enthusiasm of the nation exceeded any and all expectations of security officers. From 12,000 to 18,000 phoned or personally showed up in FSB and another 50,000 to 60,000 wrote letters to it each day in 2001 to 2005.
FSB public relations department declined to comment on the new regulations yesterday. The document is needed “to establish order,” said a source with FSB on condition of anonymity.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 12, 2007
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