Up to 700 people believed to be held hostage in Moscow

[Ned]

Simply amazing that muslim terrorists can find 40 men and women to undertake a suicide mission. This is just as about as bad as 9/11.

[Gatekeeper]

I'm not so sure the Chechens are doing this strictly because they're devout Sharia-observing Muslim. There are women w/i the group of hostage-takers and a number of stories have mentioned that some of the terrorists have lost family members in the war against Russia.

Gatekeeper

[Sonic]

Yes, Boris Godunov is right, I DID'NT justified terrorist by any means, I just said it isn't big surprise that they taken these hostages. I didn't said that it is right. Yet another troll from Serb it seems.

[Sonic]

MichelTheGreat, probably you would be right if that would be first such Serb's attack. However he keeps insulting me, he claims I am neo-nazi, also uses a lot of **** words in many posts.

[Al'Kimiya]

If only somehow this will change Russia's opinion about war in Iraq...

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Sonic
MichelTheGreat, probably you would be right if that would be first such Serb's attack. However he keeps insulting me, he claims I am neo-nazi, also uses a lot of **** words in many posts.

I've banned Serb before. Considering the gravity of the subject of this thread, though, I'm giving him more slack in responding here than I would elsewhere.

In a way, right now it's emotionally worse than September 11 for those most closely affected, because the fate of these people is still hanging in the balance, and we know neither when or how the situation will be resolved.

Before suggesting that Serb was the one trolling (in this thread ), perhaps one should reconsider the timing of discussing Russia's perceived sins in Chechnya or elsewhere.

I hope that's not too subtle of a hint.

[Serb]

Sonic:... mummy....this bad guy is hurt me.
*throw up*
Keep to post the same crap as you posted in different topic and I will never change my attitude toward you, even if I'll be banned forever.
And next time when you want to sell somebody PM to moderator, not post your whine in topcs.

back to news,
Terrorists refused to release foreign citizens. Last time news said about 67 forign citizens inside of the theater, Yougoslavia and Hungary added to list, also news said that one American citizen could be there and that few FBI officers were sighted near theater. Also Australia wasn't mentioned in this list, which is strange, because in previous reports they show a car with small Australian flag near theater and voice was saying that its a car of Australian embassador. So they refused to release them and made new demands. They demand representatives of "Red cross" and members of "Doctors without borders". Also they demanded meeting with two members of Russian parlament (actually leaders of two parties) Grigory Yavlinsky and Irina Hackamada. Also they wanted meeting with one Russian reporter (don't remember her name).
Two TV journalist's groups was allowed to go inside the theater they already there and suppose to return soon.

It's admited again that there are many children among the hostages, entire two classes of school pupils were in theater when it was took by terrorists.
I don't heard nothing new. I was outside for lunch and noticed additional police units, consider how far away I live from Moscow I could only imagine what's goin on in capital.

[Serb]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
In a way, right now it's emotionally worse than September 11 for those most closely affected, because the fate of these people is still hanging in the balance, and we know neither when or how the situation will be resolved.

Exactly Thanks for understanding.

[MOBIUS]

Man I can't believe this thread!

There are hundreds of innocent civilians taken hostage in a situation which has the potential of becoming a bloodbath and the overwhelming posts on this thread are either joking about the situation, claiming the Russians deserved this, or using this moment of extreme vulnerability to post a raft of anti Russian, or in Boris' case assuming some kind of smugly holier than thou attitude over the way Serb is taking the fact that hundreds of his countryfolk's lives are hanging in the balance!!!

I'm not sure what's worse - the Israeli nonchalance (they should f*cking know better!!! ), Boris in preach mode or Sonic choosing this moment to time his anti Russian attack...?

Sure Russia is not the most innocent of nations in it's past, but if this level of disrespect were to have occurred during 9/11 the offenders would have been vilified and run out of Dodge in a hurry! If I remember rightly some of the stuff that was posted around then made Serb's little outburst positively saintly! MtG is right to give Serb the slack here that was given back in 9/11 - it is a situation with a potentially similar gravity...

As for the merits of Russia's involvement in Chechnya - that is for discussion in another thread, but it's not the one sided traffic that some of the posters here would have us believe...

Some of you here ought to be really ashamed!

[The Mad Monk]

Agreed.

[MOBIUS]

Serb, Tass et al. Russia has my utmost sympathy and it is my sincere hope that there will be no loss of life during this crisis...

[Serb]

Thank you. I also want to thank people of all countries of the World who showed their solidarity to Russian people. Thank you friends.

Last news,
They released 3 children, one women and citizen of Great Britain. He is 50-60 years old and has bad health.
Overall 711 tickets were sold to musical and there were over 100 artists and theater personal. As I said earlier terrorists released all Chechens, Georgians, Abkhazians and foreigners from Arabic countries. Also many actors managed to escape. Overall 180 escaped. 41 people were released by terrorists. Still about 500 hostages held inside.

Terrorists threaten that they will kill 10 hostages every hour if their demands wouldn’t be fulfilled. Grigory Yavlinsky they demanded to meet is in different city but already on plane to Moscow. Now they demand meeting with different party leader- Boris Nemzov. Also they demanded meeting with reporter Anna Politovskaya, but she is in USA now. They said that they are ready to exchange 10 hostages for every member of Russian parliament.
Russian parliament after emergency session made declaration when they said that main goal is to save people lives. Russian president made declaration too, when he said that this act was part of worldwide terrorism and that people who did this received instructions from foreign countries and they close connected to worldwide terroristic network. TV says that released hostages say that terrorists call themselves “Shahids”.

[Saint Marcus]

hey! leave Serb alone! when it was Sept.11th, we didn't tell all you Americans that you had it coming, did we?

[Az]

you really should've posted a smiley there, Marky Mark.

my sencerest hopes that no hostages or Russian soldiers will get hurt. The chechens, however....

[aaglo]

I'm glad that my sister isn't among the hostages.