CHANGE IN TACTICS FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS.

On January 16, the first deputy chairman of the Russian Ministry of the Interior, Vladimir Vasil’ev, announced that troops from that ministry operating in Chechnya were “changing their tactics.” From now on, he said, the troops would abandon the tactics of so-called mopping up operations and, instead, would engage in “[targeted] special actions.” Vasil’ev said, further, that all checks being conducted in Chechnya were being “carried out with the participation of the heads of local municipalities, military prosecutors, muftis and, if necessary, the elders of each population center.” “This,” he contended, “ensures permanent control over the actions of law enforcement officers” (Itar-Tass, January 16).