Russians in control of the theater! On CNN

cnn ^ | now | cnn

[Diddle E. Squat]

Looks like a pretty good conclusion

[clintonh8r]

Yes, FNC is blowing it. Their breaking news coverage leaves a LOT to be desired, especially after prime time and on weekends.

[derllak]

I never thought I would be cheering the Russians. But damn I'm so glad this worked out for them. I was so afraid this was going to be their 9/11.
I remember back in the mid seventies, setting behind the barbed wire fence that surrounded our small com site in England, knowing the sabatours had the place marked. We knew we were one of their first targets should ww3 have erupted. That experience in the Air Force changed my world view and I changed my voter registration to Republican. Unfortuantely, not before I had voted for Jimmy Carter ... (I'm so ashamed!)

[VaBthang4]

If it actually is this successful then I would have to think Spetsnaz as opposed to OMAN.

They had the buildings blueprints...so they had access to ventilation shafts, substructures and the like in which to place heartbeat sensors and cameras, everything. Reporters said initially there were some explosions [probably diversion/breaching charges as well as flash bangs to disorient[sp?] the Muslims].

[11th_VA]

Keep your haed down, and don't say anything to inflame anyone ...

[gcruse]

Did anyone here over 30 think we'd ever be rooting for the Russians?

I've been rooting for them since Yeltsin stood atop a tank at the Russian White House.

[ArcLight]

Ever think you'd be cheering for the Russian Army?

Go! Go! Go!

God bless you, boys!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Yes, they were actually doing the best job until 10pm central, then they tried to squeeze Amy's report into their brief news slot, and cut her off!

I know what the strategy of that bastard producer was. Maximize revenue with the O'Reilly repeat(because they think that was going to draw more viewers) and wait as long as possible until going to Amy, hopefully at the bottom of the hour newsbreak, waiting until CNN goes live before they would. Maximizing revenue. Sure enough, Fox was about 5 minutes behind CNN in going live.

[SarahW]

One of his 72 martyr greeters:

[montanus]

I'm amazed that the Russians took any of the islamofacists alive. Standard op is to double tap hostage takers if there is even a chance that not killing them immediately will endanger hostages or yourself.

Actually, this could be very good news. I'm sure the Russians have ways of making the arrestees spill the beans on any other terrorist plots they know about.

[DaughterofEve]

Amen to that!

[Brad’s Gramma]

I thought the same thing. To answer your question, no.

[VaBthang4]

LOL

[F-117A]

Having trouble letting go of the Cold War?

[Riley]

Reporters said initially there were some explosions [probably diversion/breaching charges as well as flash bangs to disorient[sp?] the Muslims].

More than likely. Standard fare.

[hole_n_one]

Russian newsroom, Dan Ratherschlovolskovy, reporting......

[TheConservator]

A lot of people seem to be characterizing the "hostage takers" (trying to use a neutral term) as "terrorists," simply because they are Islamic. But the Chechens actually have a reasonably legitimate nationalistic beef with the Russians, who only conquered their previously independent country in the mid-nineteenth century. Uncle Joe deported the entire population to Siberia in the 1930s. And the Russians haven't necessarily been a lot more civilized than the Chechens in waging the civil war that has been going on there.

I think a lot of peoples that were subject to the iron fist of the former Soviet Union have legitimate reasons to complain. If I were a non-religious Chechen, I sure as hell would be wondering why Georgia and Armenia are independent now, but my country is still subject to imperial rule. Therefore, I'm not sure its right to automatically condemn the Chechen cause simply because Chechnya is Islamic.

Don't get me wrong. I certainly agree that the kind of militant Islamo-facism exhibited by El Qaeda et al. is primitive, barbaric, and needs to be eradicated. And I abhor hostage taking (and even more so, hostage killing)that the Chechens have engaged in here. But I am not sure "levelling Grozny" is really the "final solution" to this particular problem.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

I hope we have these guys on our side when the next world war arrives (and maybe it already has).

[MJY1288]

Look at all those Ford Crown Victorias driven by the Russian police :-),

[clintonh8r]

What's the frequency, Kennethski?

[SamAdams76]

I'm still cubicle bound ...

Man, it's 11:30 on a Friday night. Who do you work for, Scrooge & Marley? Get the hell out of the office and grab a beer. Let's toast the Russians for a job well done tonight.