Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Death Toll From Moscow's Hostage Siege Rises to 117
Aired October 27, 2002 - 11:31 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In Russia, victims of the hostage siege at a Moscow theater will be remembered tomorrow in a national day of mourning. Officials now say most of the 117 hostages killed in the raid that ended the standoff died of gas poisoning. Another hostage had been shot. Dozens of Chechen terrorists also were killed. CNN's Mike Hanna joins us now from Moscow with the very latest on this.
Hi, Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi. Well, Russian medical authorities now, for the first time, giving a clearer picture as to what has happened to those hostages who were rescued early Saturday morning in a Russian Special Forces raid on a Moscow theater. Six hundred and fifty people are still being treated in hospitals and of these, more than 40 are in a critical condition.
Now, we also understand that of those dead -- 117 hostages dead is the now official death toll given by the Russian authorities. One hundred and sixteen of these died of complications associated with gas poisoning. Now, the significance of all of this is that it was gas or some kind of substance that was used in the Special Forces raid on that theater. Some form of chemical agent was induced not auditorium of that theater to subdue the Chechen separatists who were holding the people hostage there. And now, it appears that that gas or that chemical agent used as a tactic to free the hostages and to save them has led directly to the deaths of many.
Now, to discuss this and other matters, I'm joined by the leader of the opposition Yabloko Party, Grigory Yavlinsky. Thank you very much for joining us.
First of all, Mr. Yavlinsky, your reaction to the fact that the death toll is so high and that so many of these deaths were caused by the gas.
GRIGORY YAVLINSKY, MEMBER, RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT: It's a real tragedy, what happening just now in Moscow. And especially, I want to say that the main concern is that it's not very -- it's not only very high but it's -- there is no clear -- what would happen tomorrow, how many new such things would happen. That gives the real concern.
HANNA: Now, Vladimir Putin has said that this takeover from the Moscow theater was very much part of an international terrorist campaign, very much the same as the international terror activities that the U.S. and President George Bush is fighting. Do you believe this is the case?
YAVLINSKY: I think he was right because a lot of links between Chechen rebels and Taliban in Afghanistan, and maybe al Qaeda and the camps was clear even before. So I think it was really the case of such type. But generally speaking, it was an extremely difficult situation in Moscow, extremely difficult.
HANNA: What I must mention to our viewers, too, is that you met with these Chechen separatists in that theater. You had talked to them. You were, in a way, mediating between them and the Russian leadership. Were they serious in their threat to kill all those hundreds of people inside that building?
YAVLINSKY: I think, yes, it was a very young people who were absolutely prepared to kill everybody -- means 850 people in the theater. There were -- no doubt, they would do that if they would be able to do that.
HANNA: One last question and that is Vladimir Putin's decision to use gas to free the hostages, now this massive fatality toll. What did you advise him when you were talking to him?
YAVLINSKY: I have a different plan, but it's very difficult to say who was correct at that time. During this week, the situation would be more clear.
HANNA: Mr. Yavlinsky, thank you very much indeed for joining us. Just to repeat, 117 hostages now dead following the saving of them in a theater, Roscoe (ph) Theater. Of the 117, all but one, say Russian medical officials, died as a result of the gas that was used by Russian special forces during that operation.
Back to you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Such a tragedy. Mike Hanna from Moscow today, thank you.
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 27, 2002 - 11:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In Russia, victims of the hostage siege at a Moscow theater will be remembered tomorrow in a national day of mourning. Officials now say most of the 117 hostages killed in the raid that ended the standoff died of gas poisoning. Another hostage had been shot. Dozens of Chechen terrorists also were killed. CNN's Mike Hanna joins us now from Moscow with the very latest on this.
Hi, Mike.
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi. Well, Russian medical authorities now, for the first time, giving a clearer picture as to what has happened to those hostages who were rescued early Saturday morning in a Russian Special Forces raid on a Moscow theater. Six hundred and fifty people are still being treated in hospitals and of these, more than 40 are in a critical condition.
Now, we also understand that of those dead -- 117 hostages dead is the now official death toll given by the Russian authorities. One hundred and sixteen of these died of complications associated with gas poisoning. Now, the significance of all of this is that it was gas or some kind of substance that was used in the Special Forces raid on that theater. Some form of chemical agent was induced not auditorium of that theater to subdue the Chechen separatists who were holding the people hostage there. And now, it appears that that gas or that chemical agent used as a tactic to free the hostages and to save them has led directly to the deaths of many.
Now, to discuss this and other matters, I'm joined by the leader of the opposition Yabloko Party, Grigory Yavlinsky. Thank you very much for joining us.
First of all, Mr. Yavlinsky, your reaction to the fact that the death toll is so high and that so many of these deaths were caused by the gas.
GRIGORY YAVLINSKY, MEMBER, RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT: It's a real tragedy, what happening just now in Moscow. And especially, I want to say that the main concern is that it's not very -- it's not only very high but it's -- there is no clear -- what would happen tomorrow, how many new such things would happen. That gives the real concern.
HANNA: Now, Vladimir Putin has said that this takeover from the Moscow theater was very much part of an international terrorist campaign, very much the same as the international terror activities that the U.S. and President George Bush is fighting. Do you believe this is the case?
YAVLINSKY: I think he was right because a lot of links between Chechen rebels and Taliban in Afghanistan, and maybe al Qaeda and the camps was clear even before. So I think it was really the case of such type. But generally speaking, it was an extremely difficult situation in Moscow, extremely difficult.
HANNA: What I must mention to our viewers, too, is that you met with these Chechen separatists in that theater. You had talked to them. You were, in a way, mediating between them and the Russian leadership. Were they serious in their threat to kill all those hundreds of people inside that building?
YAVLINSKY: I think, yes, it was a very young people who were absolutely prepared to kill everybody -- means 850 people in the theater. There were -- no doubt, they would do that if they would be able to do that.
HANNA: One last question and that is Vladimir Putin's decision to use gas to free the hostages, now this massive fatality toll. What did you advise him when you were talking to him?
YAVLINSKY: I have a different plan, but it's very difficult to say who was correct at that time. During this week, the situation would be more clear.
HANNA: Mr. Yavlinsky, thank you very much indeed for joining us. Just to repeat, 117 hostages now dead following the saving of them in a theater, Roscoe (ph) Theater. Of the 117, all but one, say Russian medical officials, died as a result of the gas that was used by Russian special forces during that operation.
Back to you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Such a tragedy. Mike Hanna from Moscow today, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
