Gunmen Hold 700 Hostages In Moscow , page-2

Morning RobBlack,

Considering the importance of 700 people held hostage, I found the end part of this article rather humourous.

Men take Moscow theater audience hostage


- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Jim Heintz



Oct. 23, 2002 | MOSCOW (AP) --

Armed men entered a crowded Moscow theater Wednesday and took the audience hostage, the Federal Security Service said. The rare takeover in the Russian capital put police and security forces on high alert.


The theater, a former Soviet-era House of Culture that belonged a ball-bearing plant, was staging a performance of the musical ‘‘Nord-Ost," one of the Russian capital's most popular productions.

The Interfax news agency said one of its reporters was inside the theater at the time of the raid. She told them by telephone that the armed men fired into the air and would not let the audience leave.


Interfax said its reporter believed there were about 20 men in the group, and quoted unidentified law enforcement sources as saying the same. Interfax said some children had been allowed to leave the theater.

Russia media reported about 700 people were inside the theater. The report could not be immediately confirmed. An AP reporter saw two ambulances, but it was unclear what connection they had with events in the theater.

Police units and an Alpha special forces unit went to the scene and sealed off the area in the freezing, wet weather. The Federal Security Service, the successor to the Soviet KGB, and the Interior Ministry put plan ‘‘Thunderstorm" into effect, which required all officers to report to their units.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was immediately told of the hostage taking, Interfax reported. Mosow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov went to the theater.

Located in southeastern Moscow in a working class neighborhood, the musical is based on Veniamin Kaverin's novel ‘‘Two Captains." The romantic novel recounts the story of two students and their different destinies during the Soviet times. The theater's producer, Alexander Tsekalo, said on Russian television that the theater could hold 1,163 people.

According to the theater's Web site, more than 350,000 people have seen the production since it opened.
==========================================

Its a wonder they have not included the Newspaper Critics to give us a run down on the Play's performance and where you can book tickets.


Cheers markco