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.

[GovernmentShrinker]

True. But it would be fun to see what would happen if we carted off that big black box they make pilgrimages to, and put it on top of a Swiss alp or in the middle of the Everglades. Would they go wherever we put it? Or would they keep going to its former site? Would they try to cart it back? Mischievous minds want to know.

[steveegg]

You forget that they already have undying hatred toward us and a very large portion are already attempting to kill us. For them, it doesn't matter if we nuke Mecca or sacrifice half our population in appeasement; they won't stop until they either finish us off or have the fight shocked out of them.

[MineralMan]

The word Grenade came from the word for pomegranite, due to the similarity in shape of early grenades and the fragmentary nature of the fruit.

[mvonfr]

Update:

01:20 — Seven shots inside the building. One terrorist wounded.

[txhurl]

Oh, I'm not protesting, I just visualize Iraq as somebody's grandma on her deathbed with her kids arguing over constructing a will for comatose grandma to sign before they pull the plug. Makes me laugh.

[swarthyguy]

Stay Safe.

[livius]

Yes, definitely for the children! Dealing with this ain't gonna be fun for our heirs.

[BrooklynGOP]

More breaking...

Russian police has informed the press that by 1:30am (moscow time), cops succesfully sneaked into the building and lead out 17 people....Cars are being moved/towed from around the theater... Armoured cars were removed as well. One of the hostages has informed the authorities that all the hostages were brought into one hall. There's blood on the floor, because of beatings - not murder. Several journalists are reporting a sound of an explosion - unconfirmed. ... This is from www.rtr-vesti.ru

[MarMema]

Thanks, I don't hold much hope for them in this situation.
Just thanking God for the children released.

[laconic]

Brooklyn, the new pravda.ru (not the old Bolshevik mouthpiece) is pretty good too and almost real-time, although their English translation is badly lagging their ontime Russian language reports tonite.

[Smogger]

Damn. Stay safe man. More from Lenta:

It Is updated 24.10.2002 at 01:04:41
The version for a seal

The Municipal Department of Internal Affairs asks muscovites to not leave on street

The Municipal Department of Internal Affairs of Moscow has addressed to inhabitants of capital. Muscovites ask to not leave on street and to observe calmness.

According to correspondent ÍÒÂ conducting the reporting from a building of the theatrical centre "Northeast", seized by the Chechen terrorists, all districts of Moscow now are surrounded and patroled.

The Militia of Moscow works in a special mode. On all öåíòðàëüíõ highways posts are exposed. Besides according to the correspondent, the militia completely blocked area Kapotni.

The Director of FSB Nikolay Patrushev has informed on the air of the First channel, that in alertness divisions of the Centre of special purpose(assignment) of FSB, ñïåöñèëû the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Defence are given.

[mvonfr]

Update (voina.ru):

01:32 Moscow Time: Police is blocking mobile phones around the area.

[A. Pole]

I wonder how long it will take Russia to come around to our side of the War on Terrorism.

Russia fought the War on Terrorism for years, ALONE. The question is how long it will take West to come aroung to HER side, instead of cheering up Saudi Wahabites in Chechnya who specialise in conquering hospitals, theaters, invading other provinces, slave-trading and blowing up apartment buildings (notwithstanding Western media insinuations that Russians do those things to themselves to make Chechen "freedom" fighters look bad).

[GovernmentShrinker]

Yikes! Haven't we got any Russian freepers who could help decipher these articles?

[Naspino]

Watching TV and listening to Hannity and no mention of this is pissing me off. If we don't take interest in other nations misfortunes we can't go around pointing fingers at them for not taking interest in ours. We end up being the snobby cheerleader who wants all attention on her. Hmm. Maybe this is what the media wants -- they probably hate all the attention the US got for 9/11. They probably thought to themselves "Can't it just be a common everyday thing?"

[mitchbert]

Are you within eyesight/earshot of the area, Viktor. I know Moscow is huge but I thought I'd ask. I used to be able to see for kilometers from an apartment years ago in Toronto. Any news greatly appreciated.

Stay safe fellow Freeper!

[AdvisorB]

Russia is probably the most pro-Christian nation in
Europe. Seventy-five years of bolshevik oppression
and murder have only strengthened the spirituality of
the Russian people.

[Eala]

And of course in English "pineapple" is slang for grenade. That would be confusing in a mechanical translation.

[BrooklynGOP]

More breaking news...

Several police cars have been damaged by gunshots. Police is moving back, armoured cars are being moved to the front... Something is going down...