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BESLAN SCHOOL STORM UNINTENDED: FSB CHIEF TO SENATORS

MOSCOW, September 20 (RIA Novosti) - Nikolai Patrushev, Director of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, held conference today with members of the Federation Council, parliament's upper house. Alexei Mitrofanov, deputy leader of the Liberal Democratic group at the State Duma, lower house, attended the event, and later offered details to newsmen.

Secret services did not intend the terrorist-seized Beslan school taken by storm, though the option was taken into account, Mr. Patrushev said to his audience as a Senator asked him about it point-blank.

"As Patrushev has it, the school blasts came by accident, and took [security men] by surprise. Patrushev also pointed out that the school was not mined previously. The terrorists had on them whatever weapons and explosives were on the premises, he said," added Mr. Mitrofanov.

Rashid Nurgaliev, federal Interior Minister, also took part in the conference. The State Duma will soon receive for debates a federal bill on citizen registration, he said to the Senators. The bill is part of an anti-terror package urgently drawn now, added Alexei Mitrofanov, who did not offer any details.

Meanwhile, citizen registration in Russia complies with federal law No. 5242-I, of June 25, 1993, "On the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation for Freedom of Travel, and Choice of the Place of Residence and Sojourn within the Russian Federation."

Russian secret services are aware of steady Chechen separatist contacts with international terrorist organizations, stressed the MP.