20 killed in suicide attack at Moscow rock festival

Hindustan Times ^ | Moscow, July 5

[DeaconBenjamin]

At least 20 people died, and many more were seriously injured after two female suicide bombers blew themselves up at a rock concert being held at a Moscow airfield on Saturday, news agencies reported.

Meanwhile, a new explosion hit the city, agencies are quoting security officials as saying. The new explosion comes less than two hours after the concert blast. However, it has not been confirmed by the Emergencies Ministry.

Three explosions hit the Tushino airfield in north-west Moscow where around 40,000 people had gathered to celebrate the Krylya (wings) festival -- a popular summer event for young music fans in Moscow, Interfax news agency said quoting sources in the Interior Ministry and police.

The two women blew themselves up at a ticket booth at the entrance to the concert after police prevented them from entering the site, ITAR-TASS said.

A third blast went off at a nearby market, the FSB security services told news agencies.

Interfax quoted police as saying the death toll stood at 17, with 22 people hospitalisd in serious condition with shrapnel wounds. The bombs were packed with at least half-a-kilogram of explosives each, police said.

The concert organisers told ITAR-TASS around 40,000 people were attending the annual event.

President Vladimir Putin was immediately informed of the blasts and the state prosecutor's office launched an investigation into "terrorism," Interfax said.

Female suicide bombers carried out a series of kamikaze attacks that killed nearly 100 people in the breakaway republic of Chechnya in May.

Most of the Chechens who held some 800 people hostage in a Moscow theatre for three days in October were also women.

That attack brought the war in Chechnya to the heart of Russian capital for the first time since a series of fatal apartment blasts in August 1999 that prompted Putin to send troops back into the breakaway republic.

Russian troops have been fighting separatist rebels in the mainly Muslim republic ever since.

Daily battles and attacks continue despite Putin's declaration that the war has ended as a result of a peace plan and a constitutional referendum he launched in March.

Rebels appear to be following through on a pledge to step up attacks to disrupt the outcome of that referendum, in which Chechens approved a decision that their republic would remain within the Russian Federation.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

The Israeli's have been fighting just this type war for fifty years, and it stills go on. My fear is that the American people will fall prey to the Democrat Party mantra, and we will pull or forces back to the USA where the Democrats will destroy our intelligence and military capability, just like their boy Bill Clinton did. If that happens, 911 will look like a picnic and the American nation will cease to exist. I hope I am dead wrong, but that's the way I see it! The American people just do not realize we are in mortal danger abroad and at home! At the end of the day, they will have only themselves to blame!

[DeaconBenjamin]

Arms cache for Thai Muslim rebels seized

Police nab four men who say they were paid to transport the AK-47 rifles to Pattani, a Muslim-majority province

BANGKOK - Police in central Thailand arrested four people and seized arms that were apparently being sent to the troubled Muslim-majority south, officials said yesterday.

The arrests took place in Nakhon Ratchasima town on Thursday, hours before a series of attacks by unidentified gunmen in the southern province of Pattani left six people dead and three injured.

Three of the men arrested in Nakhon Ratchasima are Thai Muslims, said police Lt-Col Prasong Ruangdej. The fourth is a Buddhist.

Thailand has a Buddhist majority, although Muslims predominate in the far south.

Lt-Col Prasong said police, acting on a tip-off, intercepted a truck in which the four men were transporting 15 AK-47 rifles.

Interrogation led the police to a house in the neighbouring province of Sakeaw on the Cambodian border.

There, police found 10 more AK-47 rifles, 15,000 bullets, M-79 grenade launchers and grenades, Lt-Col Prasong said.

He said the four were expected to be charged with illegal possession of war weapons, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

'The suspects said they were paid to transport the weapons from Cambodia to Pattani and refused to say anything more,' he added.

Nakhon Ratchasima is 210km north-east of Bangkok.

Pattani is 1,100km south of the capital.

Lt-Col Prasong said the seized weapons might be linked to the spate of violence in the country's four Muslim-majority provinces, including Pattani, which has left more than 36 people dead since December 2001.

At least 16 people have been killed in the violence this year.

They include five policemen and a civilian killed in Pattani where three police checkpoints were attacked on Thursday.

An Islamic separatist movement had thrived in the south for years but it faded away in 1984, following an amnesty for the insurgents.

Violence resurfaced in the area in 2001. The government maintained it was the work of bandits or other common criminals.

However, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's government recently admitted that Islamic militants from the regional terror group Jemaah Islamiah were present in the country. -- AP

[Stallone]

Note to Self:

Polical Correctness is Dead.

It is counter to survival.

Good Riddance!

[Stallone]

Absolutely.

[Lijahsbubbe]

This is what WE have to look forward to. It IS coming.

I agree. I really thought it would have been here a long time ago. When was the first WTC bombing, about 10 years ago? Body-bombing(suicide bombing) seems only too easy of a thing for them to do here.

Body bombers = religion of peace.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[RightWhale]

the American nation will cease to exist

Will happen some day, or maybe not. Was listening to some of the historical shows about the events around 1776 yesterday. Have to wonder if they thought their new country would be in existence 20 years later. The signers of the Declaration of Independence might be surprised to find the United States still in business. Indeed, after Carter and Clinton it is surprising to find the country even stronger, although more vulnerable through dependency on a highly controlled international system.

[LurkedLongEnough]

rock concert bombers ping

[The_Reader_David]

It is already the longest war in history. Islam has been at war with Christendom since the 7th century. America just noticed.

[lawdude]

I heard someone on FOX news opine today, "I wonder what goes through a suicide bombers mind?"

Well, I have done some extensive investigation and can say that is is probably his/her collarbone!

Bwahahahahahahah

[Mr. Mojo]

terrorist tactics of having women do the fighting because the men are cowards.

The women-hating death cult (Islam) has finally found the perfect way to deal with their "women problem."

[Mr. Mojo]

Exactly. ....It's the 1300 Years War.

[bart99]

"Russian troops have been fighting separatist rebels in the mainly Muslim republic ever since. "

---

Hmmmmm Muslims again? Maybe it's time for a cuture change within the "rouge" states. Maybe Putin will be helpful to us. Maybe there's a link to muslims and terrorism. Maybe....... just maybe.

But far be it for me to do any kind of profiling. uh-uh. Not me.

[Centurion2000]

People are tired of hearing nuke Mecca ... but maybe that's just what the world needs.

Islam, practiced correctly, (by their book) is barbaric.

[Fred Mertz]

Thanks for the ping. They're only Chechens, so what do we have to worry about? < /sarcasm>

[PatrioticAmerican]

Islam, the religion of peace. Well, it's not really a religion.

[exnavy]

You are correct in that way of thinking, I prefer MUSLIM TERRORISTS.

[rockfish59]

They must have thought it was a 'Great White' concert!

[rockfish59]

Rebels

What are you rebelling against, Johnny?

[maestro]

Rebels?

What are you rebelling against, Johnny?

Al Capone.......................................'Gangsters'......!!