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Men Take Moscow Audience Hostage
Armed men entered a crowded Moscow theater Wednesday and took the audience hostage, the Federal Security Service said. The rare takeover in the Russian capital put police and security forces on high alert. The Interfax news agency said one of its reporters was inside the theater at the time of the raid. She told them by telephone that the armed men fired into the air and would not let the audience leave. Interfax said its reporter believed there were about 20 men in the group. Interfax said some children had been allowed to leave the theater. Russia media reported about 700 people were inside the theater. The report could not be immediately confirmed. An AP reporter saw two ambulances, but it was unclear what connection they had with events in the theater. Maybe anticipation? Maybe prudence? Maybe expecting something terrible to happen even while they're hoping it doesn't? It doesn't take much sense to be an AP reporter, does it? Police units and an Alpha special forces unit went to the scene and sealed off the area in the freezing, wet weather. The Federal Security Service, the successor to the Soviet KGB, and the Interior Ministry put plan "Thunderstorm" into effect, which required all officers to report to their units. Russian President Vladimir Putin was immediately told of the hostage taking, Interfax reported. Mosow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov went to the theater. If it's Chechens â or some other flavor of al-Qaeda â they might very well plan on killing everyone in sight. That'd be the Russian equivalent of the Bali bombing. FOLLOWUP: Reuters adds the kicker: Muslim members of the audience attending the production of "North-East" were also allowed to leave, Interfax said. Police said they had as yet received no demands from the gunmen.More from Gazeta.ru: The Kavkaz.org web â an official information body of Chechen insurgents reported that the hostage taking was conducted by a group of 40 Chechen rebels, headed by certain Movsar Barayev. The web site said that the team of hostage takers includes 40 Chechen fightersâ widows. All hostage takers wear bombs on their bodies and their commander Barayev has announced that they were suicides. They forwarded a demand to stop the war in Chechnya and to immediately start withdrawal of Russian troops from the country. Barayev claimed that Chechen fighters had come to Moscow ânot to survive, but to die.âIf you don't believe this is coordinated as part of a world-wide series of attacks, maybe you can loan me a few bucks? I'll pay you back next time the Tooth Fairy comes to visit me... And more, from the Guardian: A woman who made her way out of the theater said in an interview on Russia's NTV television that men wearing camouflage went on stage, fired in the air and said: ``Don't you understand what's going on? We are Chechens. We are not hiding it.''Laying mines... Doesn't sound like they expect to get out. I don't think they intend for the hostages to get out, either. 700 deaders isn't WTC size, but it outdoes the Bali bombers in sheer numbers. Wonder if Russia's reconsidered its opposition to the wording of the Iraq resolution yet? Followup 11 p.m. The Russian authorities have begun negotiations with Chechen rebels who have seized a Moscow theatre and are holding hundreds of people hostage. Heavily-armed Russian elite troops are surrounding the building, but the security forces have said they will not attempt to intervene for now. Chechen spokesman has issued a pious denunciation of taking civilians hostage. He hasn't told the Bad Guys to come out with their hands up... Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2002-10-23 |
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