The Hostage Killing Starts

The Chechen "rebels" who have taken an entire Moscow theatre hostage (ABC News story here) have apparently been too impatient to quell their blood lust. An AP update provided by the online New York Times states that "The report of the killing came as the crisis showed no signs of resolution".

So, what is the demand? According to the AP, a pro-rebel Web site, www.kavkaz.org, link not working at time of posting, said Thursday that Russia had seven days to begin withdrawing from Chechnya (Like that's going to happen) or the theater would be blown up. Well, at least the terrorists aren't blowing up first and making their demands later as was the case when 300 or so were killed in apartment building explosions.

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, in a report by ABC News-Australia "has often said the activities of Chechen rebels are part of the wider phenomenon of Islamic extremism". Who would think such a thing?? As for withdrawing from Chechnya, ABC-AU notes, dryly, "Mr Putin is unlikely to agree". Yup, I think that's accurate.

It seems clear that unless the Russians assault the theatre, with its estimated 40 terrorists (not "militants", not "rebels", just cowardly terrorists), there will be many more innocents lost, as the theatre is estimated to have approximately 700 patrons. Now, let's not get all weepy and maudlin about our "friends" the Russians; they are still in the very, very long hangover period from their experiment with the perfectability of the modern state, a/k/a Soviet-style communism. On the other hand, we continue to have much more in common with the Russians than with the terrorists who continue in their killing of Russians.