Men Hold Moscow Audience Hostage [Reports of 1000 Hostages]

AP News ^ | OCTOBER 23, 14:03 ET

[McGruff]

MOSCOW (AP) — Armed men entered a Moscow theater Wednesday and took the audience hostage, the Federal Security Service said.

The theater was holding a performance of the musical Nord-Ost, one of the Russian capital's most popular productions.

The Interfax news agency said one of its reporters was inside the theater at the time of the raid. She told them in a telephone call that the men had fired into the air and were preventing the audience from leaving, the agency said.

Police units were on their way to the scene.

[The KG9 Kid]

Nine or ten hours ahead. Late evening.

[Wordsmith]

What the ... ?!?

[Lucas1]

Not a huge number of police or FBI agents on the scene...looking at video here.

[OldFriend]

More like how long will it take for President Bush to see that Russia has the right to eliminate the Chechnyan terrorists that have been plagueing Russia for several years now. I just don't get it!

[PoisedWoman]

BBC update: "Chechen separatists who contacted the BBC said they were behind the operation and had planted bombs in the theatre. "

The Muslim Chechens are working the press, just as the D.C. sniper is doing.

[BrooklynGOP]

Ok, this should be in BREAKING news. More details as reported by NTV: 1) Hostage tackers fired at the ceiling as they were taking over. 2) They are armed with assault rifles. 3) russian SWAT (Group ALPHA) is on location. 4) Total number of hostages is 700 5) Number of hostage takers - around 20 6) They arrived in SUV's. Again, the hostage tackers are supposedly chechen, they let out children and muslims.

[txhurl]

Doesn't sound good.

Especially when the secret police get a hold of them. Say bye-bye. There's no Gitmo in Moscow.

Wicked, wicked. I love it.

[tarator]

So how did that work? 'Any muslims here before we get started?' 'Oh, me! Me!' 'OK, lessee ya prove it.'

Do muslims have a tattoo or something?

For males, circumcision is a very reliable method outside the US and Israel.

[monkeywrench]

Fox is reporting this, and leaving out the fact that muslems were allowed to leave. Only mentioned children.

[Eala]

Do muslims have a tattoo or something?

They will likely know Arabic. They are supposed to read the Koran in the original, not in translation.

[Lucas1]

Total number of hostages is 700

wow

[Mo1]

Sorry, I didn't hear all the details

[nicmarlo]

and leaving out the fact that muslems were allowed to leave. Only mentioned children.

I thought they were less PC than the alphabet channels...they changing?

[isom35]

You know what would have been amazing? If the play on stage
had been "The Ransom of Red Chief" or maybe "Dog Day Afternoon"

[iceskater]

Isn't this like one of the scenarios in the AQ training manuals that were found? I thought I remembered hearing about scenarios where the AQ planned to take groups hostage with no intention of letting them go. There was even discussion of decapitations and the like.

This sounds really bad.

[My Favorite Headache]

I wonder if Putin is rethinking the war on terror right now?

[Velveeta]

Up to 1000 being held hostage according to MSNBC reporter Thomas Bonifield.

[BrooklynGOP]

wow

Exactly. This is *bad*

[iceskater]

Maybe he'll go for the "unilateral solution."

[nicmarlo]

Yeah, I just heard this a.m. that Russia was against US on UN desired resolutions.