Via Tacitus and Michael D of Kos, two planes have disappeared from radar nearly simultaneously in separate incidents in Russia today. No comment save the obvious: there's an odor of al Qaeda in the air (we'll know soon enough).
Oh, and it feels good to write "via Tacitus and ... Kos"; there was a time, before Kos's political gig, when the sites cross-seeded themselves quite nicely. Ahh well. All things must pass.
As of 6:05pm CDT none of the Russian online news sites have anything (either in English or Russian). Of course.
Posted by: Dave Schuler | August 24, 2004 at 07:09 PM
Interfax.ru (in Russian) has essentially the same info as the Reuters story.
Posted by: Dave Schuler | August 24, 2004 at 07:23 PM
Tass-online.ru has a quote from Putin in the crawl but no new info.
Posted by: Dave Schuler | August 24, 2004 at 07:35 PM
And a bomb in Moscow, apparently
Posted by: sidereal | August 24, 2004 at 07:42 PM
Why al-Qaeda? They have no current beef with Russia. The Chechens would be at the top of the list.
Posted by: Mad AZ Monk | August 25, 2004 at 01:50 AM
Why al-Qaeda? They have no current beef with Russia. The Chechens would be at the top of the list.
Al Queda has a beef with everyone; however, given the upcoming Chechen election, your point is well taken.
Posted by: von | August 25, 2004 at 10:23 AM
AQ is possible, and even likely, due to the nature of the (supposed) attack. Simultaneous major events characterized by total and immediate slaughter of all victims followed by a long period of no public credit-taking is a hallmark of their operations -- think the east Africa embassy attacks, think 9/11, think 3/11. This is consistent with that.
Contrast with the typical Chechen terror op -- the Dagestani incursions, the seizure of the Nord-Ost theater -- which is usually a political showpiece involving hostages.
As for AQ's beef with Russia -- they've got a beef with anyone fighting Muslims for any cause. And there have been AQ liaisons and even a cadre of fighters with the Chechens for several years now.
Posted by: Tacitus | August 25, 2004 at 12:40 PM