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President Vladimir Putin said Monday he will give the military broader power to strike against suspected terrorists "where ever they may be" in response to a three-day hostage siege at a Moscow theater that left at least 118 captives dead after a rescue operation.
Putin told Cabinet officials he would order the Russian general staff to change its guidelines on the use of military forces because of the growing threat of international terrorism and the possibility of them using weapons that could cause as much damage as weapons of mass destruction.
"Russia will not ... give in to any blackmail," Interfax quoted Putin as saying.
Putin has sought to portray the Chechen conflict as a battle with international terrorists, partly in efforts to get broader support abroad.
Putin declared Monday a day of national mourning for the victims of the hostage crisis. Schools in Moscow were open Monday and started the day with a moment of silence, but many children's activities were canceled.
The death toll among the hostages stood at 118 on Sunday, including the 116 who died from effects of the gas, a woman who was shot in the early hours of the crisis and a hostage killed by a gunshot wound to the head early Saturday.
( October 29, 2002)
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