And assign UNA-UNSO the role of Chechen guerrillas?

“Several UNA-UNSO representatives, considered topnotch military experts, have been approached by officials from government structures with proposals to organize explosions in Kyiv. Without doubt, they want to create the preconditions for an emergency situation in Ukraine,” Anatoly Lupynis , member of the UNA-UNSO leadership, declared in Lviv. He told journalists, “Rank-and-file members of the organization have on three occasions been approached with proposals to stage acts of terrorism,” UNIAN reports.

There is nothing strange about the regime trying to assign the radical UNA-UNSO the role of Chechen guerrillas. “The authorities want to use the UNA-UNSO image to start chaos in this state,” Mr. Lupynis said.

All last week the government-run media carried numerous reports about acts of terrorism prevented by the valorous militia and “potentially dangerous elements” being hauled in by the dozen, found in possession of an incredible amount of explosives. Thus, “two brothers were detained, found in possession of a bomb and 1.8 kilograms of explosives” September 20 in Ladyzhyn, Vinnytsia oblast (courtesy UNIAN). That same date four electric detonators and 250 grams of explosives were found in the basement of an apartment building; 5,000 residents of Simferopol had to be evacuated following anonymous phone calls about explosives allegedly planted on the premises (Interfax Ukraine). According to Anatoly Matviyenko , leader of the Open Politics Association, “Even now Ukrainian society is morally prepared for measures to ‘establish law and order' and the appearance of a homegrown Pinochet.”

Even though Yevhen Marchuk is convinced that there are social taboos forbidding the regime to “disseminate fear and panic in this society, increase tensions by pulling rank and using the government machine,” the acting President needs to go through the motions of decisive steps now as never before. Precisely for this reason the government TV channel's last 7 Days release was practically wholly dedicated to law enforcement and customs authorities' reports which, although repeatedly stressing that no one is trying to scare the populace, dwelt on Operation Explosives which had, allegedly, helped prevent 547 criminal offenses, confiscating 39 tons of TNT and 41 grenades. The number of illegal crossings of the Ukrainian-Russian border was found to have doubled. Of course, all this called for adequate countermeasures. Considering that the wave of terrorism in Russia was ebbing and nothing was actually happening in Ukraine, despite the impressive amount of explosives discovered, fresh excitement was in order. In other words, to scare the populace something more frightening than anonymous phone calls about explosives planted on dwelling premises was required.

This called for an organized force (party), rather than solo terrorists. If “exposed,” it would be a real bogie. Hasty measures had to be taken to revive the UNA-UNSO formidable image (not so long ago described by authorities as a “marginal organization being used, among many others, to create the illusion of a massive support of one of the presidential candidates”). Mr. Lupynis, fully aware of the unattractive role being assigned his organization, declared that “in case events take this course an emergency situation will be instituted in Ukraine, allowing the current regime to remain in power.”

Remarkably, the General Prosecutor's Office has not responded in any way to the above sensational statement made by a political party officially registered with the Ministry of Justice. Normally, criminal investigation would be initiated immediately, considering that national security is directly involved. In any case, The Day was told by the GPO's press service that “so far there is no information on the subject, although we are familiar with the UNA-UNSO statement.” The Day 's Oleksandr MIKHELSON was told by counterparts at the Internal Affairs Ministry that they knew nothing about any such statements, thus no comment, and also nothing from the National Security and Defense Council.

Anatoly Matviyenko told The Day that he does not believe in official structures approaching UNA- UNSO with such proposals, yet one must not rule out the possibility that “Leonid Kuchma's entourage will go beyond the law for the sake of the ‘common good' and institute an emergency situation with subsequent cancellation of the elections.” He added, “Indeed, one should not understate the threat of terrorism, but events in Russia show that simple solutions to complex problems, attractive as they are, give rise to phenomena with consequences calling for further enforcement. A vicious circle emerges, and breaking out of it becomes increasingly difficult. Today, the executive is in precisely this circle.” Interviewed by The Day 's Oleksandr MIKHELSON, Iryna Holovneva, candidate of science in psychology, noted, “The general feeling of being under threat increases as a result of such events. So-called defensive reactions become more intensive; in other words, one tends to visit public places less often and become less sociable, while society's aggressiveness and depression increases. Without doubt, this threatens democracy, because in a situation such as this, people stop thinking about abstract rights and freedoms; they are primarily worried about survival. In principle, their mounting aggressiveness could be directed at a certain person whom they would regard as the ‘wrong' one. All this offers opportunities for political speculation.”