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| Caucasus | |
| US seeking al-Qaeda link to rebels’ seige of Moscow theater | |
| 2003-11-19 | |
| What, Binny’s (or his stand-in’s) own word on it back in November isn’t good enough? American law enforcement officials are investigating last year’s deadly takeover of a Moscow theater by Chechen rebels to determine whether al-Qaida was involved and whether criminal charges should be brought in the United States, officials said. I have this strong hunch that the answer is yes on both counts. The death of an American citizen from Oklahoma City who was held hostage in the attack in October 2002 has allowed federal prosecutors to consider charges in the United States against Chechen organizers who they suspect may be linked to al-Qaida, officials said. I’m suspected of being linked to my mother as well. Shamil Basayev is himself an alumni of the Afghan training program and Khattab has been working for Binny since at least the Tajik Civil War, with his successor being none other than a member of the infamously homicidal al-Ghamdi family. Gelayev I’m not too sure about, but he’s got bases in the Pankisi Gorge where Abu Khabab, Saif al-Islam al-Masri, and Abu Iyad were all reputed to be hanging out despite the pious denials of Georgian government. Al-Masri has been in US custody for awhile, so if he’s singing we probably know a lot more about al-Qaeda connections in the Caucasus than we’re willing to let on, it’s simply a matter of whether or not it’s politically expedient to do so. In addition, the Russian government claimed a connection between the seige and controllers throughout the Gulf that are almost certainly al-Qaeda as well as the IMU in the Ferghana Valley. A federal grand jury here heard testimony last week from a survivor of the harrowing 57-hour episode who was engaged to the American citizen. The woman, Svetlana N. Gubareva, 46, had reported speaking repeatedly to the Chechen ringleader in the theater. She was questioned not only about him, but about the powerful, untested opiate gas the Russian authorities used to end the siege. At least 129 of the nearly 800 hostages in the theater died, most due to the effects of the gas.
"I can say no more!" The Russians have long argued that operatives have used the separatist struggle in Chechnya as a breeding ground for terrorism by financing and organizing violent attacks there. Although some Western officials have previously played down that assertion, the FBI has been intensifying efforts to investigate financial and logistical links between the two groups. Which they should have done immediately after 9/11 ... | |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #3 I had heard a theory that the heavy smoking habits of Moscovites played a part in the high deathtoll for the gas. I wonder if Dr White has any thoughts. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-11-19 9:39:33 PM |
| #2 "That's... ummm... 671 who survived. Cost-benefit analysis, anyone?" In a hostage sit like that, you assume that all the folks there are dead. If you save even one you are ahead. The goal is of course to save 'em all, but... The Russians did reasonably well given the circumstances. |
| Posted by: Bones 2003-11-19 7:05:24 PM |
| #1 If I remember correctly, the terrorrist in the theatre were all killed by the Russians before they woke up from the gas, which did not allow for much intellegence to be gathered. |
| Posted by: john 2003-11-19 1:14:55 PM |