"The capture of Russian citizens in Iraq is, to my mind, an open provocation. There are forces in Iraq not interested in a peaceful settlement and which are trying to involve as many as possible countries into the Iraqi conflict," he said.
"It is this aim, the aim of involving Russia into the conflict, which guides those, to my opinion, who have kidnapped our citizens," underscored the parliamentarian.
"These actions cannot be called otherwise as terrorist, and the main thing for us today is not to yield to terrorist blackmail," Mikhail Margelov is convinced.
"Emotions should not take the upper hand over the reason. Russia, which has always been against the war in Iraq, must not change its point of view because of terrorist provocations," he said. "Iraq is also a sphere of our interests, and we shall not leave it, just as we shall not come there to fight against the Iraqi people." "We stand for peace in the country and for a peaceful settlement under the aegis of the United Nations, and no terrorists would force us to turn from this path," emphasised the senator.
