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CNN Sunday Morning
Memorial Service Held in Moscow for Victims of Bombing
Aired July 06, 2003 - 07:32 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Moscow this morning, security is heightened one day after two suicide bombers tried to enter a crowded rock concert, but detonated their explosives at the entrance anyway. At least 15 people are dead and 48 hospitalized. Authorities are blaming Chechen rebels.
Let's go now to the Russian capital, where a memorial service was held early this morning.
CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty joins us -- Jill?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Fredricka, you know, we just got back from the site of where that bombing took place. And it really is very sad. You can see, actually, the sidewalk is literally blackened where one of the suicide bombers blew herself up and killed numerous people. And most of them were young people. After all, this took place outside of an area where they were having a rock concert. So a lot of the people who died were young people.
As you said, the total now is 17. That would include two suicide bombers, two female suicide bombers and people in the hospital. Five of them teenagers and several in very serious condition.
The investigation is continuing. And the police do say that they definitely have linked at least one of the suicide bombers to the Chechen rebels. That's the breakaway republic in the south of Russia. They said they found a passport from her. And it does show that she was born in Chechnya.
We also tried to get a sense of what Russians are thinking about this. And we talked with a few people out there and in other locations. And many of them say although there has been terrorism here before in Moscow, this is the first suicide bombing. And people are feeling a lot less secure than they ever have been.
But interestingly, some of them did say that they feel that the political approach in Chechnya simply isn't working and they ought to get tough. The government ought to get tough. And in fact, one man even said they ought to do what the Americans did in Iraq concerning terrorism.
So now the officials are saying there will be much more security in Moscow. There already is a lot, but they're saying any place that big crowds are gathering, they're going to use metal detectors and dogs. And they're asking people to be patient with that. Finally as you mentioned today, Fredricka, they did have a memorial service for people who died, a church service and remembering those young people who did perish in that double suicide.
WHITFIELD: And Jill, I know you said that officials suspect that Chechen rebels had something to do with these blasts. Is there a connection being made with the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin made an announcement to have these presidential elections in Chechnya, and that these blasts took place just a day after that?
DOUGHERTY: Yes, they are making -- in fact officials are making that connection. What they're saying is the Russian government is trying to bring this situation somehow to something a little bit more normal in the political fashion. And President Putin, in fact, yesterday said the elections in Chechnya for a president, they actually have the president there. And recently, they had a vote for a referendum. And all of this was an attempt to bring it back to the political -- to a political solution.
But at the same time, you have this attack. And you just -- the past month, you had two suicide attacks in Chechnya and the surrounding areas, both by female suicide bombers.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jill Dougherty. Thank you very much.
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 July 6, 2003 - 07:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Moscow this morning, security is heightened one day after two suicide bombers tried to enter a crowded rock concert, but detonated their explosives at the entrance anyway. At least 15 people are dead and 48 hospitalized. Authorities are blaming Chechen rebels.
Let's go now to the Russian capital, where a memorial service was held early this morning.
CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty joins us -- Jill?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Fredricka, you know, we just got back from the site of where that bombing took place. And it really is very sad. You can see, actually, the sidewalk is literally blackened where one of the suicide bombers blew herself up and killed numerous people. And most of them were young people. After all, this took place outside of an area where they were having a rock concert. So a lot of the people who died were young people.
As you said, the total now is 17. That would include two suicide bombers, two female suicide bombers and people in the hospital. Five of them teenagers and several in very serious condition.
The investigation is continuing. And the police do say that they definitely have linked at least one of the suicide bombers to the Chechen rebels. That's the breakaway republic in the south of Russia. They said they found a passport from her. And it does show that she was born in Chechnya.
We also tried to get a sense of what Russians are thinking about this. And we talked with a few people out there and in other locations. And many of them say although there has been terrorism here before in Moscow, this is the first suicide bombing. And people are feeling a lot less secure than they ever have been.
But interestingly, some of them did say that they feel that the political approach in Chechnya simply isn't working and they ought to get tough. The government ought to get tough. And in fact, one man even said they ought to do what the Americans did in Iraq concerning terrorism.
So now the officials are saying there will be much more security in Moscow. There already is a lot, but they're saying any place that big crowds are gathering, they're going to use metal detectors and dogs. And they're asking people to be patient with that. Finally as you mentioned today, Fredricka, they did have a memorial service for people who died, a church service and remembering those young people who did perish in that double suicide.
WHITFIELD: And Jill, I know you said that officials suspect that Chechen rebels had something to do with these blasts. Is there a connection being made with the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin made an announcement to have these presidential elections in Chechnya, and that these blasts took place just a day after that?
DOUGHERTY: Yes, they are making -- in fact officials are making that connection. What they're saying is the Russian government is trying to bring this situation somehow to something a little bit more normal in the political fashion. And President Putin, in fact, yesterday said the elections in Chechnya for a president, they actually have the president there. And recently, they had a vote for a referendum. And all of this was an attempt to bring it back to the political -- to a political solution.
But at the same time, you have this attack. And you just -- the past month, you had two suicide attacks in Chechnya and the surrounding areas, both by female suicide bombers.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jill Dougherty. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
