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CNN Live At Daybreak
Moscow Theater Standoff
Aired October 25, 2002 - 06:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn our attention now to the Russian hostage crisis. Chechen rebels holding hundreds of hostages at a Moscow theater released eight children just about two hours ago now. Non-Russian hostages are expected to be freed as well.
We want to get the latest now from CNN's Matthew Chance, who is in Moscow.
Anything new to report -- Matthew?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, there's been some negative developments here in southern Moscow outside of that theater.
CNN has had confirmation from the head of the Red Cross delegation here outside this theater -- the Red Cross delegates, of course, have been negotiating for hostage releases inside the theater. We've had confirmation from him that there will be no releases at this stage of the many 75 or so foreign nationals that are being held captive amongst the 600 or so people, members of the audience, that are being held captive by the Chechen rebels holed up inside the Moscow theater behind me.
Diplomatic sources have told CNN that, according to their reports coming out of the theater, that the Chechen rebels intend to hold onto these foreign nationals, including these three U.S. citizens that we're aware of; also, citizens of the United Kingdom and Germany and the Ukraine, as well as few other countries as well. They intend to hold onto them, they say, in order to maintain an international focus on the Chechen cause.
This very negative news, of course, comes at a time when there had been increased hope here in Moscow that this hostage crisis may have been resolved, or at least some people could have been released as a result of negotiations throughout the course of today. That hope had been raised over the past 24 hours.
Most recently -- there have been releases. Most recently, eight children aged between 6 and 12 were handed over as the result of a Red Cross appeal, handed over to officials of the Red Cross and taken away from the area.
There is still estimated to be some 25 children inside still, another 75 foreign nationals, and of course, many hundreds, perhaps as many as 600 Russian citizens being held at gunpoint by Chechen rebels inside this Moscow theater -- Carol. COSTELLO: Matthew, I understand you have dramatic pictures from inside the theater. I imagine conditions inside are getting very bad now.
CHANCE: It does seem that way, Carol. And we, as you mentioned, do have those first images to come through to us of the interior of that theater since the rebels took control of it and held all those people captive.
It seems that a local television journalist from the NTV Network was allowed in, accompanying a doctor, and took these very disturbing images of Chechen rebels and the hostages themselves looking, quite rightly, very concerned about their predicament.
COSTELLO: All right, Matthew Chance, thank you very much for the update.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired October 25, 2002 - 06:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn our attention now to the Russian hostage crisis. Chechen rebels holding hundreds of hostages at a Moscow theater released eight children just about two hours ago now. Non-Russian hostages are expected to be freed as well.
We want to get the latest now from CNN's Matthew Chance, who is in Moscow.
Anything new to report -- Matthew?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, there's been some negative developments here in southern Moscow outside of that theater.
CNN has had confirmation from the head of the Red Cross delegation here outside this theater -- the Red Cross delegates, of course, have been negotiating for hostage releases inside the theater. We've had confirmation from him that there will be no releases at this stage of the many 75 or so foreign nationals that are being held captive amongst the 600 or so people, members of the audience, that are being held captive by the Chechen rebels holed up inside the Moscow theater behind me.
Diplomatic sources have told CNN that, according to their reports coming out of the theater, that the Chechen rebels intend to hold onto these foreign nationals, including these three U.S. citizens that we're aware of; also, citizens of the United Kingdom and Germany and the Ukraine, as well as few other countries as well. They intend to hold onto them, they say, in order to maintain an international focus on the Chechen cause.
This very negative news, of course, comes at a time when there had been increased hope here in Moscow that this hostage crisis may have been resolved, or at least some people could have been released as a result of negotiations throughout the course of today. That hope had been raised over the past 24 hours.
Most recently -- there have been releases. Most recently, eight children aged between 6 and 12 were handed over as the result of a Red Cross appeal, handed over to officials of the Red Cross and taken away from the area.
There is still estimated to be some 25 children inside still, another 75 foreign nationals, and of course, many hundreds, perhaps as many as 600 Russian citizens being held at gunpoint by Chechen rebels inside this Moscow theater -- Carol. COSTELLO: Matthew, I understand you have dramatic pictures from inside the theater. I imagine conditions inside are getting very bad now.
CHANCE: It does seem that way, Carol. And we, as you mentioned, do have those first images to come through to us of the interior of that theater since the rebels took control of it and held all those people captive.
It seems that a local television journalist from the NTV Network was allowed in, accompanying a doctor, and took these very disturbing images of Chechen rebels and the hostages themselves looking, quite rightly, very concerned about their predicament.
COSTELLO: All right, Matthew Chance, thank you very much for the update.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
