Terror in Moscow: Bombing and Security Crackdown

Detentions and Security Measures

• Two less central suspects were detained:
  • Timur Dakhkilgov, 32, from Chechnya.
  • Belmars Sautiev, 40.
• Both suspects reportedly had traces of explosives on their hands, though they claimed the charges against them were fabricated.
• Hundreds of Chechens were detained in overcrowded Moscow police cells amid rising anti-Chechen sentiment.
• These arrests are part of a broader wave of security measures across Russia, resulting in 11,000 detentions, which is causing fear among the 100,000 Chechens living in Moscow.

Movement Restrictions

• Although the Russian Constitution guarantees freedom of movement, Moscow has maintained the Soviet system requirement for obtaining residence permits.
• Mayor Mr. Luzhkov recently stated that all non-residents must immediately re-register.
• Police and soldiers are stopping thousands of people on the streets, focusing on those with a "Caucasian" appearance, or what Russians call "blacks."

Explosives Discovery

• A large "Mercedes" truck was used to transport over 11 tons of explosives, which were mixed into bags of sugar, apparently sourced from a factory in southern Russia.
• Over the past week, two large secret caches of explosives were also discovered, presumed to originate from the same source.

Responsibility and Political Context

• A previously unknown group, the Dagestan Liberation Army, claimed responsibility for the bombings in Moscow and Buynaksk via an anonymous phone call.
• There is a hypothesis that this organization may not actually exist and was used by the true perpetrators to divert attention.
• Most politicians labeled Chechen extremists as terrorists, suggesting the bombings were a reaction to Russia's six-week battle for control over Dagestan. This conflict involved Chechen-led rebels attempting to establish an Islamic state in the region.
• Despite denials of responsibility from Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov and rebel commanders Shamil Basayev and Khattab, these denials have been unsuccessful in a Russia leaning toward universal suspicion.

Source Notes:
* "International Herald Tribune", Frankfurt (11.09.99. Bomb in Moscow kills 32 people; terrorism blamed. Dozens missing in an apartment building (David Hoffman))
* "La Libre Belgique" ("Free Belgium", newspaper founded at the time of liberation from German occupation in 1918), Brussels (10.09.99. Fear: Escalation of terror in the Russian capital. Muscovites fear this anonymous terrorism, while the human drama becomes a campaign argument for politicians (our corr. Boris Tumanov))

Moscow Bombing Incident

• An explosion that split a 9-story apartment building in half on Thursday morning was caused by a bomb planted in a street-level warehouse.
• Russian authorities stated the bomb had the equivalent power of more than 200 kg of TNT.
• The explosion in the southeastern district of the city killed at least 32 people and injured 249.
• Dozens more people are presumed buried under the ruins.
• The blast, which occurred just after midnight, threw debris over 100 meters from the structure, and rescue efforts are hindered by fire and thick smoke.

Political Fallout

• The incident has led to a quarrel between the Kremlin and Luzhkov, described as "the leader of a powerful political bloc, who is now presented as the most fearsome (dangerous, formidable) opponent of the 'family clan'."