Terror Reports grip Russian Media

BBC News ^ | 9/1/2004 | BBC Monitoring

[mondoman]

As news of the school siege broke, commercial NTV broke into its regular programming and a news presenter read out reports of Russia's latest terror attack.

The first TV pictures from the siege, of troops surrounding the school and dragging civilians to cover, appeared on state-owned Russia TV .

The story was the lead item in all television and radio news, pushing aside the suicide bomb attack on a Moscow underground station just hours earlier, which killed 10 people and wounded 51.

Russia TV did not break into programmes but carried news of the school siege in its regular news bulletins.

"Three people have been killed and children have been placed at the windows as human shields," Ekho Moskvy radio reported from the siege in the town of Beslan.

Dramatic pictures

Television footage from outside the school showed men in camouflage with heavy-calibre machine guns taking up positions on the perimeter and other men in civilian dress with light automatic rifles pacing nervously.

At one point, a flak-jacketed soldier pulled a girl aged about seven in a floral print dress and a red bow in her hair around a corner, followed by an older woman, apparently fleeing from the school.

Crusade. Suicide-bomber terrorism is gathering pace Kommersant

Heightened tension in Moscow itself was captured by Ekho Moskvy radio during the morning: "Moscow awaits new terrorist attacks," it announced.

Ekho Moskvy said police guarding schools on the first day of the school term received photographs of female terrorist suspects reported by the press to be at large in the city.

Newspaper headlines told a similar story. "Crusade. Suicide-bomber terrorism is gathering pace", said Kommersant . "Again a terrorist act" headlined Vedomosti .

Vulnerable state

In one bulletin, an Ekho Moskvy correspondent took a vox-pop of opinions on the streets of Moscow about measures to improve their security.

"People have different views but are generally unsure of what they can do. All agree that the state must lead the fight against terrorism," the radio said.

The methods used at present to fight terrorism are totally ineffective Gazeta

The press, the radio and commercial NTV television all mulled over theories behind the attacks on the metro station and the two passenger airliners last week.

An Islamic group called the Islambuli Brigades claimed responsibility for the metro bombing, Russia TV reported.

Some papers named a woman believed to be last night's suicide bomber and said she was connected to the two Chechen women suspected of blowing up the airliners.

But Gazeta voiced anger at ordinary Russians' increasing sense of vulnerability.

"How many more victims are needed for the authorities finally to admit and draw conclusions from the obvious fact: the methods used at present to fight terrorism are totally ineffective. In one week there are 100 innocent Russians killed and nearly 60 injured."

BBC Monitoring , based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.

[Braak]

First off, considering how bad Alfa dropped the ball in the Theater siege, I must say this. I hope the President offered the use of Delta or the FBI HRT, it's what they train for (I know about Waco, but that was a severe misuse of the HRT and we all know why that was, down in front Mrs. Reno!).

Also, we'd better begin to plan for this in American schools, if they're worried about a couple of kids with Tech-9s and ammonia nitrate, wait till they meet Walid and freinds with folding stock AK or other ugliness and Semtex. Unless it's the NYPD or federal law, a lot of departments are going to have trouble confronting this kind of thing, and god forbid the bad guys have an RPG.

I hate this, because I remember seeing an article about Al-Queda thinking about hitting schools right after we began to remodel Afghanistan. They're soft targets for the most part, and I really don't see a lot of teachers doing more than just upping the body count. This is something I have worried about for A LONG TIME.

[germanicus]

Target and attack American children, and you won't get measured and rational responses like President Bush's response to 9-11.

You've got that right. How many out there want to bet that if this current situation with the school kids turns into a massacre, there will be a major violent backlash(rampage) against Muslims and mosques all over Russia (with the authorities standing out of the way)? Eastern Europeans, including Russians, live by a different code of conduct than we in the West do. An eye for an eye plus some is the rule.

[GodBlessUSA]

Great Post:)!

[hiredhand]

Thank you! :-)

[Honorary Serb]

O Lord, save Your people,
And bless You inheritance.
Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians
Over their adversaries.
And by virtue of Your Cross,
Preserve Your habitation.

[stboz]

...America would go ballistic against Muslims in America...

It's time. Either you are with us or your are with the terrorists.

[dimk]

It wasnt Alfa's fault that people on top didnt bother to let medics know what type of gas was used and failed to distribute antidotes. Alfa did a briliant job in the theater considering the incredible difficulty of the operation. Problem is that terrorists learn and this time the gas might not work. Plus mined school is probably one of the nightmare scenarios for any counter terrorist units. The only thing worse is plane filled with explosives.

Terrorists used to want and live, so you could negotiate with them, get them into bus or some other semi open place where they could be taken out. They learned, these guys know they are dead men, their only goal is to take as many people with them as they can. Russians will have to storm school filled with explosives, hopefully they get lucky and can get to some of the charges before they are activated.

[MarMema]

I have been quite ill for the last week or so, but checked in to look for this, after listening to my husband talking about it all day.

My heart is broken over this event. My husband has been checking the Russian news all day. They say there are diabetic children in there who have no medicines. They will die a *horrid* death in a few days without insulin. Some of you know one of my sons has diabetes ( juvenile).

I want to personally go and take out Basayev myself. I detest Basayev so much it is painful. I wish for him to die a horrid death. He has always targeted children, sick people (hospitals) and the weak. I believe he is a sadist or psychpath and does not belong on this planet with the rest of us.

God have mercy on these poor hostages. I have been praying on and off most of the day for them. I hope you will join me.

May Our Lord bring these hostages to safety and keep them from suffering and pain.

[MarMema]

O Lord, save Your people,
And bless You inheritance.
Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians
Over their adversaries.
And by virtue of Your Cross,
Preserve Your habitation.

Amen. Thank you for this prayer, HS.

Today is the feastday of our Saint!!!

"St. Basil the Great speaks thus about the holy Martyr Mamas in a sermon to the people: "Remember the holy martyr, you who live here and have him as a helper. You who call on his name have been helped by him. Those in error he has guided into life. Those whom he has healed of infirmity, those whose children were dead he has restored to life, those whose life he has prolonged: let us all come together as one, and praise the martyr!"

[RussianConservative]

Yes, reality is these children dead, all dead...the Orthodox Christian Ossessians will now go to pay back and the Russian soldier have this much more to fight for...they do not undermine Russian soldier resolve, only strengthen....there will be many more fewer Chechins in next few weeks. Blood begets blood and soon the Tarek will be red indeed.

[Centurion2000]

the Russian will, might already be too late.

It is too late

[kosta50]

That is a preposterous prayer! That's not what Jesus taught us to pray.

He said

"But I say to you not to oppose the evil one"? (Mat 5:39)

"Love your enemies and pray for the ones persecuting you" (Mat 5:44)

"For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have?" (Mat 5:46)

Who of us can do that? It's much harder being a Christian that we think. I am the first to fail.

We should not pray for victories and revenge over our enemies but for their souls so that they may become the children of God. If we truly believe in prayer, if we really know that prayers are answered, we should pray for our enemies so that they lay down their arms, reject hate, renounce violence, repent and be saved. Do you believe that's possible?

Loving those who love us is no challenge and test of faith. Loving those we hate is the ultimate test of faith -- because it is the ultimate trust in God that even our enemies are created in His image and can be saved.

[7.62 x 51mm]

Got that right. I've been calling them that since 9-12-01. I would never defame animals by mixing them up with subhuman Muslim filth.

[Honorary Serb]

A church of St. Mamas was recently bombed in Cyprus:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1201135/posts?page=4#4

[MarMema]

Let there always be sunshine.
Let there always be blue sky.
Let there always be Mama.
Let there always be me

[MarMema]

that even our enemies are created in His image and can be saved.

I do believe this, Kosta, except for these chechens. Basayev is evil brought to earth and is probably not truly a human, but a demon who has taken on human form.

[roadrunner96]

The mass murder of 2 days ago and taking over a school and kids as hostages;

There are no words to describe that this incenses one more than anything at all; but to take over a school.

[MarMema]

Most of freed North Ossetian hostages in hospital

Interfax. Thursday, Sep. 2, 2004, 6:32 PM Moscow Time

BESLAN/MOSCOW. Sept 2 (Interfax) - Most of the 26 hostages freed in the North Ossetian town of Beslan are at a local hospital now. "We have admitted ten children and their mothers. All of them will be examined and the appropriate medical attention will be given to them," the hospital's chief doctor told Interfax.

The Lord is good. These children are probably the ones mentioned in the earlier reports with diabetes. HS, your prayers are worthy ones!

[MarMema]

Britain ready to assist Russia in freeing hostages - foreign secretary Interfax. Thursday, Sep. 2, 2004, 6:11 PM Moscow Time MOSCOW. Sept 2 (Interfax) - British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by telephone on Thursday that Britain is prepared to assist Russia in freeing the hostages held in a North Ossetian school.

"Citing British Prime Minister Tony Blair's position, Jack Straw expressed support for the Russian leadership in connection with the hostage crisis in North Ossetia and said Britain is prepared to assist Russia in freeing the hostages," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement circulated on Thursday

[MarMema]

As I recall, with the theatre hostage situation, some 18 or so countries were in Russia, assisting Putin, including Israel and Britain. I was up all night translating and posting here the news (minute by minute practically) as it came over Lenta.ru.

I gained so much in my Russian that night! :-)