Russia mulls color-coded alerts
MOSCOW, Russia -- Russia may implement a system of terrorist threat updates, similar to that used in the United States, according to Igor Ivanov, the head of the Russian Security Council.
Speaking at a press conference at Russia's Interfax news agency, Ivanov said Russia is working on a system that would assess the current terrorist threat level in the country and list actions that should be taken in response to that threat.
Asked whether Moscow will use a color-coded system as the United States does, Ivanov said that issue has not been settled yet.
The security council chief said the concept is to have an "array of measures and actions" to be taken in response to terrorist threats.
Ivanov said Russian officials were still working out how such a system would be conveyed to the public. "Maybe by color, maybe by number, maybe something else," he said.
The most important thing, Ivanov said, is that "everyone -- from the top officials down to the bottom -- understands what to do."
"Unfortunately," he said, "recent events have shown that we do not have this, that this mechanism is not developed. We are not prepared."
Shocked by a series of recent terrorist attacks, including the Beslan school massacre, and responding to strong statements from Russian President Vladimir Putin, all agencies of the Russian government are in the process of a major revision of security measures in the country.
Russian officials have said the recent attacks -- which Chechen rebel warlord Shamil Basayev claimed credit for -- are linked to international terrorism and Moscow's response has in some cases echoed Washington's after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The U.S. system -- which has five colors ranging from green for a low risk of terrorist attack to red for a severe risk -- has been criticized by security experts for being too vague.
Another measure under consideration in Russia is to teach civilians how to respond better to terrorism.
"Traditionally, (our) citizens know civil defense well," Ivanov said, referring to Soviet and post-Soviet school lessons that have taught children how to assembly AK-47s rifles, put on a gas mask and provide first aid to victims of a nuclear war.
Those scenarios "were connected with concrete military threats ... now the threats have changed," Ivanov said.
The goal, he said, should be "to work out a system of steps in which everyone, from the highest boss to the lowest person, would know what to do in any situation."
"Unfortunately, the latest events have shown that we don't have it," Ivanov said.
Moscow's response to the terror attacks has ranged from President Vladimir Putin's call to overhaul the electoral system to give the Kremlin more control to a rash of new bills now being considered by parliament, which include tightening controls on foreigners, toughening up the criminal code and giving security organs broader power.
Meanwhile, Russia's upper house of parliament Wednesday adopted a general anti-terror measure that orders the Audit Chamber to review the effectiveness of 2002-2004 anti-terror spending and calls for increased funding for 2005, the Interfax news agency reported.
CNN Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty contributed to this report
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
