According to this Reuters report, the Russians may have used a nerve gas to icapacitate the terrorists at the Moscow theater.
London-based security expert, Michael Yardley, said he believed the gas used was BZ, a colorless, odorless incapacitant with hallucinogenic properties, first used by the United States in Vietnam.
He said the symptoms displayed by the hostages in Moscow -- inability to walk, memory loss, fainting, heartbeat irregularities, sickness -- all pointed to BZ. According to the U.S. army the side effects last 60 hours, Yardley said.
"The Russians wouldn't want a big shout about it because it (BZ) is just the sort of stuff they are not supposed to have," he said. "It's not specifically banned, but...it is in a sort of gray area."
I'm having a hard time with this. On the one hand, the Russians had to use something fast acting, to prevent the terrorists from blowing up the theater, slaughtering all of the hostages. On the other hand, the actions of the Russian government directly killed more hostages than the terrorists. This isn't like getting caught in a cross-fire between rescuers and kidnappers; assuming the Russians knew what they were doing, they deliberately chose to kill some hostages to save the lives of others. I'm a little leery of playing numbers games when the numbers represent lives. At the same time, the terrorists' tactics leave little choice.
Posted by Rich at October 27, 2002 2:20 PMI assumed they would have sent the Spetsnaz (sp?) in full bore kicking ass and taking names or at least pumped that place full of tear gas. Too much risk with sleeping gas...of course hindsight is always 20/20. If they had just barged in I would assume at least 100-200 hostages would have been killed via terrorists bombs/gunshots. I expect Russia to turn Chechnya into a wasteland in the next few months. If that should happen (with the US nodding its head in approval) expect Russia to give the "yes" vote for an invasion of Iraq via the UN. I think they have been pulling our chain because we always kow tow to the UN when they start throwing bombs on the terrorists in Chechnya...double standard perhaps?
Posted by: justin on October 27, 2002 3:49 PMRich
I'm trying to remember when the "title" terrorist came into play on the international scene, and I can't put a date to it. It is not an appelation that bestows honor. To respect anyone so labeled is beneath comtempt in all literate societies. After so many mindless murders of so many innocent "bystanders", surely even "allah" regrets the misinterpretion of his advice.
From a scholarly point of view the "islamists" are apparently attempting to foment the last days, Arrmegeddon if you will. Arrogant beyond my perception, and foolhardy for any monotheist with dreams of "heaven". No man knows....nor can he, the will of ....
Bob in the hills