National Anti-Terrorism Committee of the Russian Federation: tasks, recommendations

In recent decades, terrorism has become a factor that poses a threat not to individuals (as it was in the Russian Empire), but even to states or international security in general. In Russia, some states of the former Soviet Union and the Middle East, terrorism has become an instrument of negative impact on the existing constitutional system and violation of territorial integrity. In this regard, in 2006 the National Anti-Terrorism Committee was established.

The main tasks of the anti-terrorism committee

The organization is engaged in countering terrorism. This concept includes the following actions:

• identification and further elimination of the causes and conditions that in the past contributed to the commission of terrorist acts (terrorism prevention) ;
• the identification, suppression, disclosure, prevention and investigation of terrorist acts (directly the fight);
• minimize or completely eliminate the consequences of terrorism.

In addition, the anti-terrorism committee conducts administrative activities. The latter involves:

• preparation of proposals to the President of the Russian Federation and the government in the field of the fight against terrorism;
• improving the legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of countering terrorism;
• participation in international cooperation, joint development and implementation of projects, international treaties;
• preparation of proposals to ensure the protection of the population from terrorist acts.

Rights granted to the committee by law

The National Anti-Terrorism Committee in its activities has the right:

• make decisions independently regarding safety;
• control the actions of the federal authorities in countering terrorism;
• receive the necessary information from authorities, local governments and public organizations;
• create working bodies and involve officials and individual specialists in the work on countering terrorism;
• make suggestions on issues that require a decision by the President of the Russian Federation.

So, the anti-terrorist committee is endowed with sufficient rights for the successful implementation of the tasks.

The composition of the operational headquarters

The composition of the committee, quick reaction groups and operational headquarters is regulated by presidential decrees. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee of the Russian Federation (the operational headquarters of the organization) today includes the chiefs of the territorial bodies of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who, respectively, are the chief of staff and his deputy; Head of the Federal Ministry of Emergencies; the head of the territorial body of the Federal Drug Control Service; a representative of the armed forces (as agreed) and a deputy of one of the highest officials at the federal level.

Anti-terrorist operations

The activities of the authorized body, if it was limited exclusively to major terrorist acts, would be completely ineffective. The Anti-Terrorism Committee of Russia constantly monitors the level of the terrorist threat and, if necessary, promptly conducts anti-terrorist operations.

Recently, the committee’s counterterrorism operations have focused on the North Caucasus. In 2014, it was noted that as a result of the organization’s activities, the number of terrorist crimes decreased threefold compared to the previous reporting period. However, the situation still remains tense.

In August 2016, the Anti-Terrorism Committee prevented terrorist attacks in the Republic of Crimea. The objects of unlawful actions assumed the most important elements of the peninsula's infrastructure and livelihoods.

Terrorist threat levels

The National Anti-Terrorism Committee is also a body that carries out preventive and educational activities. The structure has developed a classification of terrorist threat levels and relevant recommendations to the population. So, allocate:

1. Blue (increased) level of terrorist threat: if there is information requiring additional confirmation about the alleged terrorist attack.
2. Yellow (high) level of terrorist threat: if there is confirmed information about the impending terrorist attack.
3. Red (critical) level of terrorist threat: in the event of a terrorist act or actions that directly indicate the alleged terrorist act.

NAC recommendations to the public

The Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee, in the course of measures to prevent terrorist attacks and inform the population, issues recommendations and conducts exercises (for journalists). Clear instructions to the public have been developed for the following cases:

• detection of a bomb or any suspicious object;
• behavior in a crowd during a terrorist attack (with a crush);
• the procedure for the actions of officials in the event of a terrorist threat;
• hostage-taking behavior, and so on.

General recommendations

The most common were the general recommendations of the anti-terrorist committee and a description of the procedure for citizens at each level of the terrorist threat. General recommendations include a complete list of permissible, necessary and unsafe actions:

1. When detecting an object that could potentially be an explosive device: you must not touch the object or move it, you should record the time of detection of the object, take people as far as possible and wait for the arrival of the operational group.
2. Receive a message about the evacuation announcement: take the necessary personal belongings and documents, turn off the gas, water, turn off the electricity, provide assistance to the sick, elderly, disabled and children, and so on.
3. Behavior in the crowd: by any means try to stay on your feet, not try to get out (this is fraught with injuries), but also not to join, if the person is still not directly in the crowd, do not keep your hands in your pockets and so on.
4. When taking hostages: not to allow actions that could provoke terrorists to use weapons, not to show heroism, follow the instructions of terrorists if necessary, in cases where medical assistance is needed, criminals should be informed briefly and calmly.
5. Behavior during the counter-terrorist operation: do not run towards the security services, lie on the floor with your head in your hands, talk to terrorists, if they make contact, maintain composure.
6. Air traffic hijacking (hijacking of an airplane by terrorists): any actions that could provoke terrorists should be avoided; at the start of the rescue operation, take a position that will not allow the hostage to be used as a human shield (fall or hide behind the back of the chair, covering his head with his hands).
7. The threat of a terrorist act.

The recommendations of the NAC are distributed among the population as part of preventive activities to combat terrorism.