Terrorism in Moscow

[shikarnov 7]

Twenty-four died in the first blast at 0756 (0356 GMT) as a train stood at the central Lubyanka station, beneath the offices of the FSB intelligence agency.

About 40 minutes later, a second explosion ripped through a train at Park Kultury, leaving another 13 dead.

The FSB said it was likely a group from the North Caucasus was responsible.

The BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says no group has yet said it carried out the attacks, but past suicide bombings in the capital have been carried out by or blamed on Islamist rebels fighting for independence in Chechnya.

Link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8592190.stm

Sad news to start the week. My wife and I offer our condolences to anybody who has friends or family effected by this event.

[mox 298]

Tragic.

[AKguy 1]

I just caught this news and came here in hopes no one here was directly affected by it... Very sad and alarming.

[SuperDuper! 230]

Unfortunately, just another round and manifestation of Russian unrest.

These incidents make Putin look weak. He don't like that. He will destroy a village in response, at the very least. I can hear the tanks rolling now.....

As a matter of historical reference, the Chechen rebellion began in the 1990s as a largely ethnic nationalist movement, fired by a sense of injustice over the 1940s transportation of Chechens to Central Asia, with enormous loss of life, by dictator Josef Stalin. Largely since the second war, Russian officials say, Islamic militants from outside Russia have joined the campaign, lending it a new intensity.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Hopp

[mox 298]

My Moscow geography is a little bit hazy, but I think the US Embassy isn't very close to either of the attacks. The second attack at Park Kultury was closer than the first, but I don't think it was very near, and also on a different line than the one that serves the US embassy area. Still very tragic of course, the death toll is up to 38.

[eekee 182]

On the contrary, Hopp. Such incidents cause panic and shore up support for Putin. Think of the US in late 2001/2002.

[mox 298]

On the contrary, Hopp. Such incidents cause panic and shore up support for Putin. Think of the US in late 2001/2002.

Exactly. You can pretty much bet Putin's "polling numbers" will go up in the wake of these attacks.

[SuperDuper! 230]

On the contrary, Hopp. Such incidents cause panic and shore up support for Putin. Think of the US in late 2001/2002.

Well, certainly he and his spin doctors can turn any political event to his favor, but we know Putin's masculine image is most important to him, and terror attacks in the heart of Moscow are an affront to that image.

Dead Muscovites going to work and school, including children, don't easily translate into political hay.

His polling numbers go up when things are going well domestically, and because oil has been above $75 for several months, the economy has improved, and he can once again be on the international stage with power and political support.

Let's just hope personal issues and egos don't mean more lives lost.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Hopp

[shikarnov 7]

On the contrary, Hopp. Such incidents cause panic and shore up support for Putin. Think of the US in late 2001/2002.

Agreed. Many people will urge the Kremlin to take swift and strong action in retaliation for this. They'll support tighter security measures and the increased control necessary to achieve it. And Putin / Medvedev will be their flag. And I don't see that as a necessarily bad thing. An overwhelming majority of the Russians I met want a strong government they can be proud of -- and they want that government to react to terrorist smacks across the face appropriately: with a jaw-breaking right hook.

[mox 298]

Well, even if he's just a puppet, you should remember that Dmitry Medvedev is the Russian President, not Putin. But as ekee said, just look to 9/11 and how it boosted support for Bush. The same thing happened for Tony Blair after the London bombings. In fact, when the St. Petersburg express train was bombed, there was an outpouring of support for the Medvedev government.

How the Russian government reacts is another story. Hopefully they will look to how the US Government tends to botch responses to terrorist attacks and learn something. I'm not optimistic that this will happen, but hope springs eternal.

By the way, here's a snapshot of current headlines (about a half hour ago) on the big news outlets:

BBC: Suicide bombings hit Moscow Metro

CNN: Job-seekers hide Facebook pages

MSNBC: Niche matchmaking sites attract date ‘crashers’

FOX: Return to terror: What happens when wrong Gitmo detainees go free?

It's good to see the American press has their journalistic priorities in place.

[shikarnov 7]

By the way, here's a snapshot of current headlines (about a half hour ago) on the big news outlets:

BBC: Suicide bombings hit Moscow Metro

CNN: Job-seekers hide Facebook pages

MSNBC: Niche matchmaking sites attract date ‘crashers’

FOX: Return to terror: What happens when wrong Gitmo detainees go free?

It's good to see the American press has their journalistic priorities in place.

I've been following Moscow Bombing threads on various other forums... And based my the wholly unscientific observation of the threads being pushed further and further down the lists of topics, I'd say the news sites are just giving people what they want in order to reap some more advertising dollars. Sad, yes. Journalistic malpractice, yes. Bad business, dunno... It does say a lot about our society, though, doesn't it?

[SMR 368]

Well, even if he's just a puppet, you should remember that Dmitry Medvedev is the Russian President, not Putin. But as ekee said, just look to 9/11 and how it boosted support for Bush. The same thing happened for Tony Blair after the London bombings. In fact, when the St. Petersburg express train was bombed, there was an outpouring of support for the Medvedev government.

How the Russian government reacts is another story. Hopefully they will look to how the US Government tends to botch responses to terrorist attacks and learn something. I'm not optimistic that this will happen, but hope springs eternal.

By the way, here's a snapshot of current headlines (about a half hour ago) on the big news outlets:

BBC: Suicide bombings hit Moscow Metro

CNN: Job-seekers hide Facebook pages

MSNBC: Niche matchmaking sites attract date ‘crashers’

FOX: Return to terror: What happens when wrong Gitmo detainees go free?

It's good to see the American press has their journalistic priorities in place.

There are a lot of differences between Russia and the US, but I think you need to remember that people are people everywhere. When gauging public opinion and reactions, what would happen in the US is usually what would happen in Russia. When people feel threatened, they want a leader who offers protection. I doubt this will lead to a weakening of support for the Kremlin.

On a slightly different note, I think it's interesting to note that these attacks come in the wake of attempts by Medvedev to normalize relations and conditions in Chechnya. When it comes to Islamic terrorists, giving them what they want is not going to curb the violence.

[SuperDuper! 230]

Good analysis, men. But most Russians agree that Putin has the 9" swinging male member, not Medvedev.

I'd rather be the big-baller, shot caller anyday.

[mox 298]

Good analysis, men. But most Russians agree that Putin has the 9" swinging male member, not Medvedev.

I'd rather be the big-baller, shot caller anyday.

Which is apropos of nothing.

[Martyshk 137]

Remember how Putin's "Мочить в сортирах будем" gave him unimaginable support back in 1999. I think this time around it's just going to be quite the same.

It's a terrible tragedy, what happened today

When it comes to Islamic terrorists, giving them what they want is not going to curb the violence.

It just proliferates it

BBC: Suicide bombings hit Moscow Metro

CNN: Job-seekers hide Facebook pages

MSNBC: Niche matchmaking sites attract date 'crashers'

FOX: Return to terror: What happens when wrong Gitmo detainees go free?

It's good to see the American press has their journalistic priorities in place.

Yeah... one little article on HuffPo about the suicide bombing in their world section...when it happened.

I imagine as day goes by at least THERE it'll be a big front page type of headline.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Мартышк+Мартышка