Terrorist threat in Russia decreased: Top FSB official

Moscow, Mar 13 (UNI) The Director-General of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB-former KGB) General Nikolai Patrushev today said terrorist threats have decreased significantly.

"Today, we cannot guarantee that every terrorist attack will be prevented. However, the fact is that the efficiency of the activity to prevent them has increased," General Patrushev said at a press conference.

General Patrushev who also heads the National Anti-Terrorist Committee said more than 300 terrorist attacks were prevented in Russia in 2006.

He urged the government to amend the laws to effectively counter terrorist propaganda on the Internet.

"Like other countries, we have yet to develop legislation to solve the problem," he said stressing "The problem of using the Internet to pursue terrorist interests should be dealt with." He announced that Russia was developing a scale of threat system to inform Russians of possible terrorist attacks.

"Together with other federal executive bodies, the administration of the National Anti-Terrorist Committee is developing a scale of terrorist threats in order to inform the population of possible terrorist attacks in a more detailed manner. The Committee is planning to come up with a legislative initiative," he said.

UNI