Posted on 08/28/2004 3:59:28 PM PDT by Selene
MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian officials said Friday they detected traces of a high explosive in the wreckage of one of two crashed jetliners, branding it the work of terrorists, while an Islamic group claimed its suicide attackers brought down both planes because of the war in Chechnya.
At least one crash was "the result of a terrorist act," a spokesman for the Federal Security Service, Sergei Ignatchenko, told the ITAR-Tass news agency. In Washington, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said evidence was growing that both crashes "were acts of terrorism."
Russia's leaders didn't speculate publicly about who might be responsible for the crashes, which killed a total of 90 people. But officials confirmed they were looking into the backgrounds of two female passengers with Chechen names who booked tickets on the doomed flights at the last minute and who were the only victims whose relatives did not contact authorities.
I would not want to be in Grozny anytime soon.
If you don't hurry, you never will be...
Hmmmm. Wonder if Russian officials will later blame the crashes on a fwd fuel tank explosion.
Calling Janet Reno. Pick up the white courtesy telephone. We need some lessons on covering up some evidence.
Well, now is the time for Putin to act. If he obliterates Chechnya while Bush is still in office, the world media won't even notice, obsessed as they are with trashing Bush 24/7.
If Kerry wins, the media won't have anything to do (no one to attack except a few Senate Repubs), so they might actually say something about Putin slaughtering thousands of Chechnyans...
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