Hostage drama Russia (resolved: 200-250 dead)

Just saw this on tv: Around 200 children taken hostage in a school in Russia by Chechen suicide terrorists.
- Edit: Apparantly another school has been seized by terrorists.

I just heard about this on the radio. Hell of a situation.

hrm, not good. And this is why the war on terror is important people!

Bush won't "help" them; he doesn't like "Communists."

Relica Religia said:

Bush won't "help" them; he doesn't like "Communists."

Hello and welcome to the 21st century. Russia stopped being a communist state a decade ago.

Attention all threadjackers. This topic has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Iraq. NOTHING. Please keep that in mind.

Lord FlatHead said:

Attention all threadjackers. This topic has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Iraq. NOTHING. Please keep that in mind.

Sorry, went a bit offtopic.

Anyway, it's been a few hours now and it's still a standoff. 50 kids made it out alive by sneaking, and one father is dead after challenging the terrorists. That's all I've got so far

Thank you Flathead. Posts deleted.

No more threadjacking please.

I heard it was no more than 100 kids and just now on the news I think they said 15 have been released.

2 people are dead now though. I'm still hearing reports of it being around 200 kids, rather than 100. Even then, there is still 200 adults or so as well.

pritch said:
Thank you Flathead. Posts deleted.

No more threadjacking please.

I am unhappy with that decision, but I guess it is my problem.

Why did they do this? What do they want out of it?

From what I heard, they want all Russian soldiers out of Chechnya. Like that's ever going to happen...

desperate stuff.

I didn't think there was much of Chechnya left after the Russians had finished with it :/

What in Chechnya is so valuable that Russia is willing to let so much death and destruction take place over? Just give them independence and end it all, already. It's ridiculous.

Heh Russia's fucked

Captain Red said:

I am unhappy with that decision, but I guess it is my problem.

This is a thread about a current crisis in Russia, not the millionth Iraq debate. If you want yet another Iraq debate with Ralph, feel free to make a thread for it.

As far as Chechenya is concerned, I suppose it became a matter of government image long ago in Russia to keep it part of the federation but you wonder if the electorate is going to turn against that policy because of these continued acts.

Quasar said:

What in Chechnya is so valuable that Russia is willing to let so much death and destruction take place over? Just give them independence and end it all, already. It's ridiculous.

How will independence stop anything? I think Chechnya should be independent. But what will they do with all the fanatics who all of a sudden have nothing to do? I guess they will just pack up and live nice peacful lives. Could it be?

NiGHTMARE said:

Hello and welcome to the 21st century. Russia stopped being a communist state a decade ago.

What? I thought it was in 1917! :-)

etimmerAZ said:

How will independence stop anything? I think Chechnya should be independent. But what will they do with all the fanatics who all of a sudden have nothing to do? I guess they will just pack up and live nice peacful lives. Could it be?

This was a very pertinent issues in the peace process with the IRA here in Britain. Progress was ultimately only forthcoming when many convicted of murder had their sentences greatly cut. Of course this was a very controversial decision but as far as I know many have been completely quiet since their releases. Some may have joined the Real IRA though, but if Chechenya were to become fully independant there would be no need for a splinter movement like that either.

This is why teachers should be allowed to have Arms in school, this way shit like this wouldn't happen.

Terrible. First the Theater House several years ago and now this. Hopefully Russia has learned a thing or two since the last rescue operation, which ended in utter dissaster. Hopefully all the children will make it home safely. It's a crime that children who have no idea what's going on, have to be brought into this.

I do wonder, if this will be spun in a way to entice Russia to join in the fight against terrorism.

Bloodskull said:

This is why teachers should be allowed to have Arms in school, this way shit like this wouldn't happen.

That is by far the stupidest thing I have read in recent history. Ignoring everything else, there's no way a couple of teachers would be able to fend off an organized band of militants, no matter how well armed they were. Oooh, maybe they should post armed guards at all the entrances!!! And board up all the windows, dig some ditches around, put up sandbags, mine the surrounding area, etc...

Worse, if a teacher had a gun on them and tried to challange the terrorists, there would be a lot more than 2 dead at the moment.

TheDarkArchon said:

Worse, if a teacher had a gun on them and tried to challange the terrorists, there would be a lot more than 2 dead at the moment.

Yeah, especially since they are wearing bomb belts... Not much good a gun does against a group of people willing to blow themselves up along with the entire school.

Russia has been calling all of the Chechen separatists terrorists ever since calling people terrorists came into style as a way to discredit their beliefs and goals, regardless of what they actually are. This was before they were blowing up planes or taking over schools though -- back when it was more of a valid revolutionary movement.

etimmerAZ said:
But what will they do with all the fanatics who all of a sudden have nothing to do? I guess they will just pack up and live nice peacful lives. Could it be?

Yes, just take a look at football, hockey, or whatever fans in your area... I bet once in a while they do stupid stuff, but in their more comfortable and less oppressed lives they generally don't feel inclined to take kids hostages and whatnot.

insertwackynamehere said:

Why did they do this? What do they want out of it?

Probably because Russia is a force held union of over 100 different ethnicities. I know absolutely nothing on the subject so I wont say whats what.

They'll just send in the Spetznaz. They've done some crazy stuff, like offering a ransom to hostage-takers by rolling one of the terrorists' head through the front door.

Were Spetznas sent in to take care of that theatre house incident? If so, they did a very piss poor job then... I mean the Spetznas are an elite special forces group after all.