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Moscow theater hostage crisis

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The Moscow theatre hostage crisis was the seizure on October 23, 2002 of a crowded Moscow theatre by armed Chechen men and women who claimed allegiance to the separatist movement in Chechnya. They took over 900 hostages and demanded the withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya. After a siege of two and a half days, Russian Spetsnaz ("special forces") raided the building with the assistance of an unidentified "knockout gas". All of the 42 terrorists were killed, along with 130 of the hostages, with no Spetsnaz casualties.

Contents

Hostage-taking

The attack took place at the House of Culture of the State Ball-Bearing Plant Number 1, a Moscow theatre, in the Dubrovka area, named after its former owner. During Act II of a sold out performance of Nord-Ost, 42 heavily armed men and women entered the theatre and took everyone present hostage, both audience and performers. The gunmen - led by Movsar Barayev, nephew of a slain Chechen military leader - threatened to kill the hostages unless Russian forces immediately and unconditionally withdrew from Chechnya.

Some performers who had been resting backstage escaped through an open window and called the police. The escapees reported that approximately half of the terrorists were women, which was highly unusual. Cellphone conversations with hostages trapped in the building revealed that the hostage-takers had grenades and other explosives strapped to their bodies, and had deployed more explosives throughout the theatre. A videotaped statement was acquired by the media, in which the gunmen declared their willingness to die for their cause.

Over the course of the first day or so, Muslim members of the audience, as well as some children, and a man with a heart condition were released. However, all requests to release non-Russian nationals were refused. Several hostages did manage to escape through rear or side windows of the building, whilst others were shot at as they attempted to do so. On day two (October 24), an unidentified civilian woman managed to make her way through the Russians' blockade and enter the theater. She confronted the hostages to stand up to the terrorists. She was seen to be pushed through a side door and presumably executed when three shots were heard.

The next day another civilian also managed to gain entry to the theater. It is said that he told the gunmen that he was there to fetch his son, but when his son did not seem to be present, he too was shot outside.

Statement

The videotaped statement contained the following text:

Raid

Early Saturday morning, October 26, forces from Russia's Spetsnaz (or "special forces") from the Federal Security Service (FSB) surrounded and stormed the building from the roof and from all entrances.

In the absence of any subsequent public enquiry, the chain of events is unclear as it relies upon ultimately divergent reporting and witness testimony.

The raid was preceded by the sound of sporadic gunfire and explosions from within the theater. There had been reports earlier that the gunmen had announced that hostage executions would commence on the Saturday unless demands were met. Actually, the gun fire may have been Chechens firing on a man or boy that had thrown a bottle and was attempting an escape.

It is settled that the security services pumped an aerosol anesthetic into the theater. This was either by blasting hole into a side wall of the building or by means of the air conditioning system. After thirty minutes the physical assault commenced from the roof and all entrances and, it is said, including through the sewers.

Within the theater, it became apparent to gunmen and hostages alike that a gas had been emitted into the building. Hostages reported those people in the audience falling asleep, and the gunmen preparing to receive a raid. Ultimately, there was a gunfight between the Chechens and the Russian security forces within the auditorium, with the hostages caught in between. The fight spread through out the building as the special forces systematically searched and fired upon persons that they identified as terrorists.

Aftermath

At least 42 terrorists and 120 hostages (official figures – 33 and 128 respectively) died in the raid or in the following days. The senior doctor within the Moscow public health department announced that all but one of the hostages that were killed in the raid had died of the effects of the unknown gas, rather than from gunshot wounds.

Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the raid in a televised address later that morning, stating that the government had "achieved the near impossible, saving hundreds, hundreds of people," asked forgiveness for not being able to save more of the hostages, and declared Monday a national day of mourning for those who died. 

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The security forces further justified using the anesthetic because the gunmen and women, armed with explosives, were dispersed throughout the large building, and there was a likelihood that either the heavy explosives planted inside the building would be detonated or hostages killed if it was realized that they were under attack. During the raid, many of the Chechens were shot in the head at point-blank range after already losing consciousness from the gas. One Russian Alpha Group commando told the media, "I understand that this is cruel, but when there are two kilograms of plastic explosives hanging on a person, we see no other way of rendering them safe."

Armed guards were posted at the hospitals the victims were taken to, and doctors were ordered not to release any of the theater patients, in case terrorists had somehow hidden themselves among the hostages. Family members of hostages panicked as the government refused to release any information about which hospitals their loved ones had been taken to, or even whether their relatives were among the dead.

The attack itself was condemned by industrialised nations as an act of terrorism, although within Chechnya it is seen as part of a continuing armed and political campaign for independence from the Russian Federation.

Identifying the Gas

It was reported that efforts to treat victims were complicated because the Russian government refused to inform doctors what type of gas had been used. At the time, the gas was surmised to be some sort of surgical anesthetic or chemical weapon. Foreign embassies in Moscow issued official requests for more information on the gas to aid in treatment, but were publicly ignored.

While still refusing to identify the gas, on October 28 the Russian government informed the US Embassy of some of the gas' effects. Based on this information and examinations of victims, doctors concluded the gas was a morphine derivative.

On Wednesday, October 30, Russia responded to increasing domestic and international pressure with a statement on the unknown gas by Health Minister Yuri Shevchenko. He identified it as an aerosol of a Fentanyl derivative (possibly the large animal immobilant Carfentanil), a powerful opioid.

A German toxicology professor who examined several German hostages said that their blood and urine contained halothane, a surgical anesthetic not commonly used in the West, and that it was likely the gas had additional components. However, halothane has a strong odor (although often defined as "pleasant" by comparison with other anesthetic gases). Thus, by the time the whole theatre area would be filled with halothane to a concentration compatible with loss of consciousness (0.5% - 3%), it is likely that terrorists inside would have realized they were being attacked. Additionally, recovery of consciousness is rapid after the flow of gas is interrupted, unlike with high-dose fentanyl administration. Therefore, although halothane might have been a component in the aerosol, it was probably not a major component.

Long-term effects

While the siege was underway, the Russian government closed one television station, censored the coverage of another television station and a radio station, and publicly rebuked a newspaper for its coverage. On November 1, the lower house of the Duma approved broad new restrictions on press coverage of terrorism-related incidents, widely expected to meet with swift approval by the upper house and then Putin. The Duma refused to consider a proposal by the liberal Union of Right Forces party to form an investigative commission charged with probing the government's actions in the theatre siege. These new policies prompted renewed fears in Russia that Putin is systematically taking control of all Russian media.

Rebel military commander Shamil Basayev posted a statement on his website claiming responsibility for the incident, resigning all official positions within the Chechen government, and apologizing to Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov for not informing him of the planned raid. The Russian government claims that wiretapped phone conversations prove that Maskhadov knew of the plans in advance, which he denied.

The attacks prompted Putin to tighten Russia's grip on Chechnya. The Russian government's media agency reported that 30 rebel fighters were killed in a battle outside Grozny on October 28, and Putin announced that unspecified "measures adequate to the threat" would henceforth be taken in response to terrorist activity. The Chechens have responded in kind to the increased frequency of Russian raids following the siege. President Maskhadov's unconditional offer for talks with Russia was dismissed, as the Russians believed he exerted little influence in Chechnya.

Russia also accused Akhmed Zakayev, a Chechen envoy and associate of Aslan Maskhadov of involvement. When he visited Denmark for a congress in October 2002, the Russians demanded his arrest and extradition. In Denmark he was held for over a month, but released when the Danish authorities were not convinced that sufficient evidence had been provided. On December 7, Zakajev claimed asylum in London. The British authorities arrested him but he was released on bail, paid by Vanessa Redgrave among others. His extradition proceedings then collapsed and he was given political asylum in Britain.

A similar hostage-taking by Chechen nationalists occurred in a Beslan school in September 2004 (see Beslan school hostage crisis).

The play Checklist for an Armed Robber, by Vanessa Bates, was inspired by the events that occurred in both this incident and an armed holdup in Australia [link].

See also

External links and references

 

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