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American Morning

National Day of Mourning in Russia

Aired October 28, 2002 - 07:31   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It's a national day of mourning in Russia. But amid the grieving, there is also anger after it was revealed that 115 hostages who died during a government raid Saturday in Moscow were killed not by their captors, but rather by their liberators.
A word of caution here. Some of the images that we're about to show you now are somewhat graphic, so please be careful.

Mike Hanna now joins us now live from Moscow -- Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, the rain's coming down here in Moscow, suitable weather, perhaps, for a day of national mourning, as Russia remembers and commemorates the 117 hostages who died in the siege at the theater here behind me in the middle of Moscow.

Some 400 hostages still in hospital, receiving treatment for complications arising out of gas poisoning. Now this, what lies behind this is that when the special forces stormed this theater behind me in the early hours of Saturday morning, they released some form of agent into the auditorium beforehand to absolutely immobilize the captors, some 50 Chechen separatists who were holding the hostages there.

Well, that gas, according to Russia's medical officials, led directly to the death of all but two of the 117 hostages who have so far died. The two who were host before the actual storming of the theater by the hostage takers.

So admits the mourning as Russia remembers the dead, there is a mounting anger at the fact that so many of the hostages died, questions about the tactics used to rescue them and most importantly, as well, the anger directed at the lack of information that the families of those who were hostages or are hostages are not simply not had enough information from the Russian authorities -- Leon.

HARRIS: Mike Hanna reporting live from Moscow.

Thank you very much, Mike.

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 28, 2002 - 07:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It's a national day of mourning in Russia. But amid the grieving, there is also anger after it was revealed that 115 hostages who died during a government raid Saturday in Moscow were killed not by their captors, but rather by their liberators.
A word of caution here. Some of the images that we're about to show you now are somewhat graphic, so please be careful.

Mike Hanna now joins us now live from Moscow -- Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, the rain's coming down here in Moscow, suitable weather, perhaps, for a day of national mourning, as Russia remembers and commemorates the 117 hostages who died in the siege at the theater here behind me in the middle of Moscow.

Some 400 hostages still in hospital, receiving treatment for complications arising out of gas poisoning. Now this, what lies behind this is that when the special forces stormed this theater behind me in the early hours of Saturday morning, they released some form of agent into the auditorium beforehand to absolutely immobilize the captors, some 50 Chechen separatists who were holding the hostages there.

Well, that gas, according to Russia's medical officials, led directly to the death of all but two of the 117 hostages who have so far died. The two who were host before the actual storming of the theater by the hostage takers.

So admits the mourning as Russia remembers the dead, there is a mounting anger at the fact that so many of the hostages died, questions about the tactics used to rescue them and most importantly, as well, the anger directed at the lack of information that the families of those who were hostages or are hostages are not simply not had enough information from the Russian authorities -- Leon.

HARRIS: Mike Hanna reporting live from Moscow.

Thank you very much, Mike.

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