Decision to use gas during storm of Moscow theater approved by hostages

Interfax, Russia ^ | October 27, 2002 | Interfax

[FairOpinion]

MOSCOW. Oct 27 (Interfax) - Former hostages agree that if the gas used before the storm of a Moscow theater had not been sufficiently strong, the terrorists would have had time to blast their explosives.

"When gas seeped into the theater after the terrorists killed the first hostages, I saw that one of the terrorists, who sat on the stage, jumped up and tried to put on a respirator. He made several convulsive moves, trying to pull the mask over his face, and fell," a former hostage, currently undergoing medical treatment at a Moscow hospital, told Interfax, recalling the first minutes of the storm.

He said the terrorists had expected the use of incapacitating agents and brought in respirators and gas masks. "If they had not been incapacitated so quickly, they would have had time to carry their plans through," he said.

He also said that a woman, obviously a teacher, who sat not far from him, sprinkled water on napkins and pressed them on her pupils' mouths.

"She kept the napkins that way until she lost consciousness, and she saved the children," he said.

Among the children, saved by the teacher, was Anna Laba, the 12 year-old daughter of an Interfax journalist.

[Psycho Francis]

Sounds like good news to me.......

They were counting 35 terrorists. Really ticked me off to see that.

[FReepaholic]

>>...The subsequent change in post 9-11 Senate leadership is in part why we are now faced with giving up so many of our freedoms rather than fighting for them...<<

The very fact that we have NOT closed our borders shows that our "leaders" are NOT serious about this war.

[per loin]

I'd guess that the Islamics will use this event as justification for their coming use of chemical agents against civilians.

[aruanan]

[The terrorist] made several convulsive moves, trying to pull the mask over his face, and fell...

May this happen over and over and over again throughout the world.

[gcruse]

This is similar to what we would have done
if we ordered a passenger plane shot down.

Bingo.

[anymouse]

How do you say, "Let's roll" in Russian? "Pokatili" according to Russian FReeper, Ivan Ivanov.

D@mn reporters can't bear to admit that regular civilians are capable of defending themselves from evil preditors like these Chechen terrorists. They have to paint them as "panicked" and "desperate."

I say these brave Russian citizens deserve medals. I suspect Russian President Putin and the members of the Duma will agree.

[stands2reason]

I did not know they had gas masks. Wow. Amazing anyone came out of there alive at all...

[stands2reason]

You're right. Sacrifice a few to save many. It's harsh, but there's often no choice.

[Anticommie]

This is similar to what we would have done if we ordered a passenger plane shot down.

Not really, if you shoot down a plane you kill all people on board, in the Moscow case there was more survivers than in just about any plane disaster.

[1rudeboy]

I'd guess that the Islamics will use this event as justification for their coming use of chemical agents against civilians.

Yeah, but so what? Even though our media outlets will agree, your typical Islamo-boy-fascist is not a model of restraint.

[Aracelis]

"She kept the napkins that way until she lost consciousness, and she saved the children," he said.

A heroic act of caring, devotion and compassion...in stark contrast to the attitudes of the terrorist thugs who engineered this horror.

Oh, but I forgot...Islam is a religion of peace that champions and protects innocents.

[sneakypete]

the shame of it is, it's always a win for terorists if they can kill off some innocent people .

This was a total loss for the terrorists. They didn't accomplish a single one of their goals,and didn't even manage to kill the hostages and bring the building down. They look like murderous bumbling fools.

[jiggyboy]

I've been trying to find some info about this gas, but it looks like Russia is better about keeping its military secrets from the media than the U.S. is. I'd also bet (being a completely uninformed in these matters) that we don't have anything like it -- we certainly have had plenty of opportunities to use it over the past few years.

[sneakypete]

We have made the conscious decision to increase our governments incursion into our lives vis-à-vis homeland security,et al rather than dissuade future attacks through a war.

But...,but,...,but,how can this be? Bubba-2 was personally picked by GAWD to lead us out of our moral depravity and onto the right path! If he wants a new Office of Reich Security,well,it's only Gawd's will.

BTW,you DID know Jorge "Ah juz LUV illegal aliens" Bush is the "new Messiah",right?

[Boxsford]

That's a very good analogy and reminder of what our country has said it would do--though its not at all comfortable to think about.

[Bobby777]

well I certainly don't want to give them ANY credit ... that's not my point ... but they did kill a hostage or two ... and they could have killed many of them and brought the building down ... and now about 120 Russians are dead, either way ...

I'm certainly with you on not giving them a moral victory ... but they inflicted damage and that was their minimum goal ... they fight a war of attrition, like when they attack Israelis ...

[TigersEye]

The Russians did the right thing, in my opinion.

I would say so too. What else could they do? Given the situation I am absolutely amazed that they rescued as many as they did. The team that went in had to accept it as almost a given that they would die trying. They tried and they succeeded big time!

[Capt. Tom]

Geneva Protocol Anniversary
US Statement Disarmament Diplomacy -- Issue No 47

‘Statement by the President,’ The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, June 17, 2000.

"Seventy-five years ago today, June 17, 1925, the international community took a major step toward protecting the world from the dangers of weapons of mass destruction by concluding the Geneva Protocol of 1925. In the aftermath of the terrible casualties caused by poison gas in World War I, the Geneva Protocol banned the use in war of chemical and biological weapons.

I guess peace time use is OK. Or maybe Russia doesn't subscribe to the Geneva Convention. - Tom

[FairOpinion]

Capt. Tom: "In the aftermath of the terrible casualties caused by poison gas in World War I, the Geneva Protocol banned the use in war of chemical and biological weapons.

I guess peace time use is OK. Or maybe Russia doesn't subscribe to the Geneva Convention. - Tom "

----
Two points:

1. Everyone knew all along that the Soviet Union has been ignoring it. The only country who adheres to agreements is the US.

2. We don't know what they used -- it was not supposed to have been lethal, they were trying to get the hostages out alive. But they did need something to immediately immobilize the terrorists, who had gas masks and had explosives all set in 30 locations inside the theater, so if they had time, they would have blown everyone up.

I think Russia made the best decision they could under the circumstances.

[spetznaz]

ping