| Duma Deputy Speaker Oleg Morozov (Unified Russia) charged that the "epaulets should be stripped from those military leaders who allowed the rebel raids on the republic" of Ingushetia on 21-22 June, "Krasnaya zvezda" reported on 24 June. Morozov speculated that the deadly operation was aimed at forcing Moscow to impose direct presidential rule in neighboring Chechnya and thus torpedo plans for a presidential election in the republic. Issa Kostoev, a member of the Federation Council from Ingushetia, expressed outrage at the "negligence and carelessness of the military." He also said he could not rule out further instability in Ingushetia because of the large number of displaced persons from neighboring Chechnya. |