Criticism of Mysterious Russian Lethal Gas Mounting
Russia began a day of mourning Monday, October 28, for the victims of last week's hostage drama in a Moscow theater in which 117 people died, amidst mounting criticism of Russia's "callous" use of a mystery gas which experts believe may have been a chemical weapon developed during the Cold War.
A blind man could have seen that one coming. As I've said before, it was less callous to gas them and rescue as many as they could than it would have been to allow the crazed killed to slaughter them all by dropping the building on them, or by shooting them one at a time...
One hundred and fifteen people died during the special forces operation to rescue more than 800 people taken hostage by a group of Chechen terrorists fighters, who seized a Moscow theater Wednesday, October 23, during a performance of a hit musical. One hundred and forty-five people are still in intensive care in hospitals around the city, 45 of them in serious condition, suffering from the after-effects of the gas. Russian officials have refused to provide details of the gas, which experts believe may have been a chemical weapon of a non-lethal nature developed during the Cold War.
That would make it a handy thing to have for antiterror operations, too. Sounds like it still needs work, though...
A Russian expert on Moscow Echo radio said that the dosage of the gas used in the rescue operation had not taken into account the weakened condition of most of the hostages, and the fact that many of them would have been middle-aged, elderly or in uncertain health.
On the other hand, the majority are still alive. Had it not been used, chances are they'd all be dead now. Y'pays yer money, and y'takes yer chance.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2002-10-28 |