Agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB)

Agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB) found residues of hexogen and TNT among the ruins. Hexogen, also known by the abbreviation RDX, is an extremely powerful explosive (stronger than TNT), which is usually combined with detonators and used in the army and industry. Specialists say that hexogen is easy enough to make; the recipe can be found on the internet.

Unknown persons placed between 200 and 400 kg of this deadly cargo in a residential building. It was placed in the ground floor premises of the "Delko-2" enterprise, which, according to residents, had been vacant for a long time. The enterprises "Roksolana" and "Formantpe" also had their offices on the ground floor. Investigators say that among other things, they traded in chemicals.

TV channels broadcast a composite sketch of one of the terrorists. The image of a man with glasses would not remind anyone in Moscow of a Caucasian; special services agents report a group of young people who were sitting in front of the neighboring house the previous evening. Late at night, a "Ford Taunus" was parked in front of the house. Very heavy bags were dragged from it into the house. Then those who did it got into the car and drove away. A few minutes later, a terrible explosion shook the entire neighborhood.

Viktor Ilyukhin stated that the Kremlin is behind all this, wanting to compromise Luzhkov. Luzhkov suggested that Ilyukhin visit a psychiatrist.

14.09.99. War against Caucasian terrorists: (Branko Soban)

At 5:02 AM, a powerful explosion completely destroyed an 8-story building on Kashirskoye Highway. By evening, 55 bodies had been recovered.

An anti-terrorism headquarters has been established under the leadership of Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo. They are looking for a certain Mukhid Laitanov - perhaps the one hiding behind this name... the real Laipanov died in February in a car accident.

Regarding Volgodonsk, there is a standard story about a truck and a crater at the site of the explosion; Ryazan is absent.

02.10.99. Allah, oil, and Russian aspirations (Branko Soban)

• Moscow names Basayev and Khattab as the culprits of both the war and the explosions; possible involvement of bin Laden; possible oil pipeline routes from Baku; Primakov is the worst evil that could easily happen in Russia.

Aslan Maskhadov is obviously right when he is outraged that Russian security services are looking for a "Chechen trail" in the recent bomb attacks. Chechens simply would not have been physically able to organize terrorist acts of such scale. Their traces should rather be sought in Moscow, Maskhadov points out.

Diario de Noticias ("Daily News Gazette", published since 1864), Lisbon

10.09.99 Explosion: Moscow on the "Islamic trail".

Initial investigations into the explosion in a building in the Russian capital point to a "terrorist act" linked to the Caucasus.

Russian representatives yesterday showed themselves strongly inclined toward the opinion of a trail of a terrorist act linked to the war in Dagestan, based on the results of the first investigative actions regarding the explosion in a building in Moscow on the night from Wednesday to Thursday. The explosion resulted in at least 32 deaths and more than 50 missing.

"If it is confirmed that this is a terrorist act - and everything points to this version - it will have to be admitted that this echo of the war in Dagestan (Russian Caucasus) has become felt in the capital," declared Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov.

An FSB communique indicates that the preliminary investigation into the explosion requires the conclusion that it is indeed a terrorist act. The bomb,