-Caveat Lector- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2354753.stm
Wednesday, 23 October, 2002, 21:00 GMT 22:00 UK Guerrillas seize Moscow theatre The Palace of Culture is in a run-down area of Moscow At least 20 armed attackers have stormed a packed Moscow theatre, taking up to 1,000 people hostage. People in camouflage uniform ran onto the stage when the show was already in progress Unnamed witness A man claiming to be the leader of the group - a nephew of Chechen warlord Arbi Barayev - said he and his followers were suicide attackers who had come to Moscow "not to survive, but to die". Witnesses at the scene said the attackers were mining the building and threatening to blow it up if security forces tried to intervene. Russian special forces have taken up positions around the building which is at a factory site in the south of the city. The group's leader told the Chechen rebel news agency Kavkaz-Tsentr that he and his "mujahideen" followers had mines strapped to their bodies and were mining the building. He said they were accompanied by 40 widows of Chechen fighters. He was named as Movsar Barayev, a nephew of the late Chechen warlord Arbi Barayev. 'Blood in the aisles' The theatre, in a factory cultural centre on Melnikov Street, was holding a performance of a popular Russian musical, North-East. "It was the beginning of the second act," a woman who managed to escape from the theatre told Russian media. Special forces have been deployed at the scene "People in camouflage uniform ran onto the stage when the show was already in progress. They started shooting into the air from assault rifles. At first we did not understand anything. Then they shouted: can't you see what is happening?" The witness, who managed to escape as she was behind the curtain at the time, said another woman released by the gunmen saw blood in the aisles: "A crying woman came out. She also said that there was much blood in the aisles - it seems they did not shoot anyone but they must have beaten people up." Some people freed The gunmen initially allowed members of the audience to use mobile phones to tell people outside. Children and Muslims were freed from the theatre Children and Muslim members of the audience have been reportedly released. The audience and those people released said the attackers, who consisted of men wearing combat uniforms and women in veils, had explosives strapped to their bodies. Up to five actors who managed to escape from the building told reporters the entire building had been booby-trapped. The exact number of people taken hostage is unknown, but the play is very popular and always attracts a capacity crowd. The area has been sealed off and President Vladimir Putin is said to be watching the situation closely. Our correspondent in Moscow says the Chechen rebels have been threatening to strike in Moscow, so this was probably a well-planned operation. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http://archive.jab.org/ctrl@;listserv.aol.com/ <A HREF="http://archive.jab.org/ctrl@;listserv.aol.com/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
