The law-enforcement bodies ordered to take the people away from the building of the music theatre at the distance of some 500 meters. The defense technology has been removed from all approaches to the theatre. Neighboring areas are being carefully patrolled. Moscow hospitals are being on constant alert.
The Federal Security Bureau (FSB) was charged with the operation to release the hostages. The special services need to analyze the situation on the whole. There is always an opportunity of another act of terrorism to happen. It might take place in another city. It has to be mentioned here that it is the first time, when the Moscow police and FSB have to conduct an operation of such scale. The people have been taken captives in the center of Moscow. Their number set a record.
The latest information as of 1:08 p.m. Moscow time
Chechen refugees in the city of Baku (the capital of the Azerbaijan republic) organized an action to support the act of terrorism in Moscow. The refugees demand the Russian troops should be withdrawn from the territory of the Chechnya republic. Nothing has been reported yet about the reaction of the Azerbaijan government.
The latest information as of 1:14 p.m. Moscow time
The gunmen agreed to let a group of REN TV journalists and Russian singer Joseph Kobzon in the building of the music theatre. It was allowed to bring in some medicines, but the gunmen would examine all the people. The journalists will have to have their IDs with them and no weapons at all. REN TV reported that the journalists would be allowed to go to the second story of the building.
The latest information as of 1:16 p.m. Moscow time
Russian deputy Boris Nemtsov is now inside the building. He is ready to start negotiations with the terrorists.
The latest information as of 1:30 p.m. Moscow time
The Russian State Duma believes that the first priority of the whole situation with the hostages is the preservation of their lives and health. This is mentioned in the special decree, which was approved by the Duma in connection with the state of emergency in Moscow. RIA Novosti reported that 421 deputies voted for the decree, no one was against it. One deputy abstained from the voting. The deputies stressed out that all the efforts of the authorities, society and mass media have to be aimed at keeping every hostage alive and healthy. The State Duma announced on its decisive support for consolidated efforts to overcome the critical situation with the hostages. It was also stressed in the document that federal negotiators, law-enforcement bodies will be taking professional and responsible actions. The deputies of the Russian parliament addressed to political parties, to public organizations, urging everyone to realize the seriousness of the challenge to the Russian society. The deputies urged everyone to stand up against it, despite all political differences. “The unity of all forces is vital as never before under the current extreme conditions,” – runs the document.
Article comments
1 - John Tobin
You may want to include what the Russians are saying about this. Check out http://english.pravda.ru/
Moscow: Chechen terrorists take theatre
Chechen kamikaze squad take theatre with 1,000 hostages in Moscow
A group of between 20 and 30 kamikaze Chechen terrorists stormed a packed Moscow theatre tonight, threatening to blow the building up unless their demands are met. It is feared that due to the fact that their demands are unrealistic, they will prefer to become martyrs, rather than prisoners. ....
2 - Eric Olsen
Excellent John, thanks. You kind of figured the Russians wouldn't hesitate to characterize the situation as such.
3 - Tom
So do the Russkies continue to oppose us on Iraq, or do we team up and get to work on removing this blight once and for all? And when we're done with the filthy French, we can go after the Islamofacists
4 - Michael Levy
The headline over at The Guardian is "Muslim Peace Activists Detain Russian Theatergoers in Mass Protest"
Okay, I made that up. But it's almost believable.
5 - RC
Why such an increase in activity (Bali, Moscow, Phillippines) when it would appear such terrorist activity would bring more allies to our side? These nutjobs need a course in game theory or marketing or something.
One thing though. Were any of us calling the Chechens 'terrorists' prior to 9/11? Probably not. I think most American right/left-wingers thought the Moscow apartment bombings were some sort of Russian conspiracy to allow Putin to re-invade Chechnya.
Actually, considering this country's isolationist bent at the time, most of us probably didn't really care.
6 - pj
It does cause me to rethink my view of Russian's war in Chechnya, particularly the second war. If I were the Russians, I'd pump the theater full of carbon monoxide, which is odorless and invisible, then drag out the hostages and try to revive them with oxygen. The "mining" activity described in news reports might make that impossible though, because you'd have to move very quickly after everyone passed out to save the hostages.
7 - David Gillies
I certainly thought of the Chechen separatists as terrorists long before 9/11. As far as I'm concerned we should give Russia a free hand to deal with the problem in as brutal a fashion as they see fit.
8 - Thomas Dent
Does anyone here know any Chechen/Russian history? Does it make no difference at all that Russia/USSR has treated the people there like shit since the Russian invasion and conquest of the land a century and a half ago? In this case, as in the case of Ireland post potato famine, "root causes" demonstrably exist and have little to do with religious fanaticism.
If you have a little time to read history, try
http://www.newsbee.net/moscow/chhistory.html
in which you will find the elegant solution of Stalin to the "Islamic fundamentalists" of his day (i.e. Muslims who resisted his authority): deport the whole population hundreds of miles away. Compared to the Russian war in 1995, that was pretty humane.
9 - Eric Olsen
Everyone has legitimate grievances - what counts most is how you deal with them.