(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Most people in Russia express concerns about terrorism, according to a poll by the Yury Levada Analytical Center. 73 per cent of respondents fear greatly or to a certain degree that they or someone close to them will become a victim of terrorism.

Chechen rebels have tried to secede from the Russian Federation since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Several terrorist incidents in Russia have been blamed on the loose group, including two airplane crashes, a suicide bombing in Moscow and the assassination of Chechnya's president Akhmad Kadyrov in May 2004.

In September 2004, militants took control of a middle school in Beslan, North Ossetia. The three-day siege left 344 civilians dead, including 172 children. Chechen separatist leader Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for the attack. 47 per cent of respondents think Russian authorities are at least somewhat prepared to deal with a terrorist threat, while 42 per cent of respondents disagree.

On Jul. 25, Russian president Vladimir Putin vowed to expand the country's international spy network in order to counter "imbalances" caused by the United States. Putin justified his decision, saying "The growing imbalances aren't limited to conventional arms."

Putin also said Russia's domestic spy agency, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), has worked well in "combating terrorism and extremism", adding, "The number of terrorist attacks has fallen significantly, and the strengthening of the most dangerous border areas has raised a real barrier in the way of international terrorists seeking to enter Russia."

Polling Data

Do you fear that you or someone close to you will become a victim of terrorism?

Can Russian authorities adequately protect the population from a terrorist attack?

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