Up to 700 people believed to be held hostage in Moscow

[Ming]

If you want to go at each other, do it somewhere else.

Let's stay on topic folks...

[DanS]

What makes people think that attacking obvious innocents is a good tactic? What a fundamental miscalculation.

[Eli]

Originally posted by DanS
What makes people think that attacking obvious innocents is a good tactic? What a fundamental miscalculation.

Because it IS a good tactic.

[Lars-E]

Wonder if the Stockholm syndrome will manifest itself... Doesn't look like it so far...

[lightblue]

BBC says that the woman who was stretchered out dead might have died of an illness too:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2357729.stm

[DanS]

"Because it IS a good tactic."

Explain to me how this tactic will lead to Chechen independence.

[Saint Marcus]

Chechens won't gain independence either way. They just want to take as many Russians with them when they go down.

[RGBVideo]

****. I hope that this doesn't get ugly.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Tuomerehu
****. I hope that this doesn't get ugly.

It's already ugly, alas.

(PS-Mobius has a pm from me, I am taking it off the board, but also find his posturing baffling considering ME threads.)

I do wonder how this will effect the Russian stance on Iraq at the UN. While not immediately related, this kind of action might make Russians more amenable to action provided the US be less vocal about what action they might take in Chechnya as a response.

[Richelieu]

Explosions reported in the theatre

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/10/24/moscow.siege/index.html

[GePap]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov

I do wonder how this will effect the Russian stance on Iraq at the UN. While not immediately related, this kind of action might make Russians more amenable to action provided the US be less vocal about what action they might take in Chechnya as a response.

The situation won't change Russia's stand one bit: connections between Iraq and Chechnya are about 0, and since the Russians don't buy the Iraq-Al Qaeda connection anymore than I do, you won't see much change, as long as Saddam doesn't praise the chechen, which he would never do. Russia's gov and elite make foreign policy: they don't see Iraq as part of the 'war on terror', never have, and they still won't.

I think the sitation will end badly. It obvious that the demands wil not be met, and the track record for endidng these mass hostage situations is rather poor (about 100 killed back in '97 after 1000 hostages taken, and 78 killed in another hostage situation). The Chechens have gained much skill it seem, in their favorite type of attack within Russia, though this is obviously the most brazen and spectacular of them, since its in Moscow itself.

[Serb]

Yes, it was confirmed that they killed one hostage yesterday- a 20 years old girl. The body was removed from theater.
Two 18 years girls managed to escape not so long ago. Terrorists opened fire from RPG, on them. There were two explosions. Fortunately they weren’t injured, however one specnaz fighter received light injury.
Also it was said again that citizens of 18 foreign countries among the hostages.

Wonder if the Stockholm syndrome will manifest itself... Doesn't look like it so far...

It is already. They released one woman to make a declaration. It seems hostages already in deep psychological crisis and considers terrorists as their protectors.

[Bereta_Eder]

Serb I am very sorry for all of this and I hope that everything will go as best as it can.

[Serb]

Originally posted by Saint Marcus
Chechens won't gain independence either way. They just want to take as many Russians with them when they go down.

Don’t use this Chechens=terrorists. A lot of Chechen people who live in Moscow offered themselves in exchange for hostages. The head of Chechnya Akhmad Kadyrov said that Chechens ready to help to solve the situation by any means. There are meetings in Chechnya to condemn terrorists.

[Serb]

Thanks Paiktis I hope so.