MOSCOW, September 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia can deliver pre-emptive pinpoint strikes on terrorist bases in various regions, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said in an interview with prominent NTV anchor Vladimir Solovyov in a Sunday NTV program.
"This by no means implies using large units, frontline aviation, warships, and the like, though we do have all this. A pre-emptive strike can be delivered anyhow, except for nuclear weapons," the Russian minister said.
"A la guerre comme a la guerre, dear sir, now that a war has been declared on us, and we have suffered an attack," he emphasized.
"As to Beslan, I will say one thing which I have never said in public. Not all of the [terrorists] were ready to commit suicide. In fact, far from all of them were. [This I know] because on the very first night after the seizure, between September 1 and 2, part of the terrorists at one point left the school to reconnoiter possible ways of retreat," Ivanov said.
