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CNN Live Today

Terrifying Ordeal for Hundreds Inside Moscow Theater

Aired October 25, 2002 - 12:26   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.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A terrifying ordeal for hundreds inside a Moscow theater, and it's growing even more tense. Chechen rebels are threatening to start killing their hostages in just a matter of hours, unless Russia starts pulling its troops out from Chechnya.
CNN's Mike Hanna is joining us now from Moscow with the late- breaking developments.

Mike, tell us what's going on right now.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, at the moment, negotiators are talking to the Chechen separatists who are holding some 700 people hostage in that Russian theater, but the subject of discussion is the conditions of the hostages, to get them more food, more water and perhaps to get a few more released. There were some released in the course of the day, in particular a number of children aged between 6 and 12, who the Chechen separatists allowed to leave the theater building. Altogether more than 40 people have come out of the building over the past 4,800 hours, but an estimated 700 remain. The threat that the Chechen separatists may begin killing hostages by tomorrow if their demands are not met, those threats regarded by several of the hostages in phone calls to their relatives as very real.

However, the Russian government trying to downplay them. A spokesman for the Kremlin saying that these reports are overexaggerated, saying that contacts are continuing with the Chechen separatists inside that theater building and saying that they will go on.

But the situation is still very tense indeed. The prime demand of those Chechen separatists, that Russian troops withdraw from Chechnya, does not appear to be addressed in any forms of negotiations at this stage. The negotiations being conducted on the nature of the hostages themselves, their well keeping. But Russia has not indicated whether it's even contemplating discussing or thinking about meeting the prime demand, and that is withdrawing its troops from Chechnya -- Wolf.

BLITZER: What about letting those Chechen rebel holding the hostages hostage, letting them go freely, if they simply release all the people in the theater. There's been some speculation the Russian authorities might be willing to go that far.

HANNA: Well, indeed, there have been indications, nothing stated publicly, that yes, perhaps they would. The one thing that has been said publicly by a Russian spokesman is that the Chechen separatists would be allowed to leave if they allowed the hostages out unharmed. That not formally confirmed, but that does appear to be the indication. Whether this is being formally relayed to the hostage takers is another matter entirely.

But everything we are hearing about these Chechen separatists who are holding the hostages is that they are very serious in their position, they are very serious that if their demands are not met, then they will begin killing the hostages -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Many of those Chechen rebels, as you and I know, Mike, have a very, very bloody history, and the fear is they would actually start killing people.

Mike Hanna, our man on the scene in Moscow for us.

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 - 12:26   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A terrifying ordeal for hundreds inside a Moscow theater, and it's growing even more tense. Chechen rebels are threatening to start killing their hostages in just a matter of hours, unless Russia starts pulling its troops out from Chechnya.
CNN's Mike Hanna is joining us now from Moscow with the late- breaking developments.

Mike, tell us what's going on right now.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, at the moment, negotiators are talking to the Chechen separatists who are holding some 700 people hostage in that Russian theater, but the subject of discussion is the conditions of the hostages, to get them more food, more water and perhaps to get a few more released. There were some released in the course of the day, in particular a number of children aged between 6 and 12, who the Chechen separatists allowed to leave the theater building. Altogether more than 40 people have come out of the building over the past 4,800 hours, but an estimated 700 remain. The threat that the Chechen separatists may begin killing hostages by tomorrow if their demands are not met, those threats regarded by several of the hostages in phone calls to their relatives as very real.

However, the Russian government trying to downplay them. A spokesman for the Kremlin saying that these reports are overexaggerated, saying that contacts are continuing with the Chechen separatists inside that theater building and saying that they will go on.

But the situation is still very tense indeed. The prime demand of those Chechen separatists, that Russian troops withdraw from Chechnya, does not appear to be addressed in any forms of negotiations at this stage. The negotiations being conducted on the nature of the hostages themselves, their well keeping. But Russia has not indicated whether it's even contemplating discussing or thinking about meeting the prime demand, and that is withdrawing its troops from Chechnya -- Wolf.

BLITZER: What about letting those Chechen rebel holding the hostages hostage, letting them go freely, if they simply release all the people in the theater. There's been some speculation the Russian authorities might be willing to go that far.

HANNA: Well, indeed, there have been indications, nothing stated publicly, that yes, perhaps they would. The one thing that has been said publicly by a Russian spokesman is that the Chechen separatists would be allowed to leave if they allowed the hostages out unharmed. That not formally confirmed, but that does appear to be the indication. Whether this is being formally relayed to the hostage takers is another matter entirely.

But everything we are hearing about these Chechen separatists who are holding the hostages is that they are very serious in their position, they are very serious that if their demands are not met, then they will begin killing the hostages -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Many of those Chechen rebels, as you and I know, Mike, have a very, very bloody history, and the fear is they would actually start killing people.

Mike Hanna, our man on the scene in Moscow for us.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com