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CNN Saturday Morning News
Explosion Hits Moscow McDonald's
Aired October 19, 2002 - 07:14 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We have reports this morning just coming in to us, a bit of breaking news of an explosion outside a McDonald's restaurant in Moscow. There are fears that this might be related to some sort of terrorist activity.
With us on the line, CNN producer and correspondent Ryan Chilcote, reporting from Moscow -- Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, that's right. We know that just a little over two hours ago, a powerful, what the police are calling car bomb went off outside of a busy McDonald's in southwestern Moscow. We know that at least one person is dead. Police are saying that anywhere between two and seven people, little sketchy details so far, between two and seven people were injured, including a 5-year-old child, in that blast, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Ryan, set the scene for us as far as when you start talking about terrorism in Moscow. One of the leading suspects initially are the Chechnyans, and the Chechnyan conflict that has been ongoing there. Is that some -- is it way too early to discuss that at this point?
CHILCOTE: Perhaps too early, you're right. Moscow has no shortage of terrorist acts. There have been several terrorist acts in this city since 1994, when Russia began its first war in Chechnya. It's now still in its second war, and it's a very active war there.
That is definitely a possibility. What is interesting about this is that this bomb has affected a McDonald's restaurant. Obviously that could be considered a Western target. I think this is the first, now I'm speculating here, first time that a McDonald's has been hit in this kind of bombing, so we'll have to see exactly what -- who is behind this.
But so far, the police are not saying that this is a terrorist act, A, and B, they're not blaming anyone yet, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Ryan, if you could just tell us, at that McDonald's, typically, would there be a lot of Westerners there, a lot of Americans, or would it be mostly a Russian crowd?
CHILCOTE: I think it would be mixed. McDonald's are very popular restaurants here in Moscow. It's considered to be a place where you can go in. It's clean inside, and you can eat quickly in a nice atmosphere. So I'd bet the restaurant was packed. They always are on the weekends. In southwestern Moscow, there is a university nearby, it's called the Friendship University, and it is, it is basically, it is mainly African students that study at that university. It is entirely possible that there were foreigners in that restaurant. But more likely, this was a Russian crowd, Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Ryan Chilcote on the line with us from our Moscow bureau, and we will check in with him in just a little bit as soon as more details become available on that blast in Moscow.
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 19, 2002 - 07:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We have reports this morning just coming in to us, a bit of breaking news of an explosion outside a McDonald's restaurant in Moscow. There are fears that this might be related to some sort of terrorist activity.
With us on the line, CNN producer and correspondent Ryan Chilcote, reporting from Moscow -- Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, that's right. We know that just a little over two hours ago, a powerful, what the police are calling car bomb went off outside of a busy McDonald's in southwestern Moscow. We know that at least one person is dead. Police are saying that anywhere between two and seven people, little sketchy details so far, between two and seven people were injured, including a 5-year-old child, in that blast, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Ryan, set the scene for us as far as when you start talking about terrorism in Moscow. One of the leading suspects initially are the Chechnyans, and the Chechnyan conflict that has been ongoing there. Is that some -- is it way too early to discuss that at this point?
CHILCOTE: Perhaps too early, you're right. Moscow has no shortage of terrorist acts. There have been several terrorist acts in this city since 1994, when Russia began its first war in Chechnya. It's now still in its second war, and it's a very active war there.
That is definitely a possibility. What is interesting about this is that this bomb has affected a McDonald's restaurant. Obviously that could be considered a Western target. I think this is the first, now I'm speculating here, first time that a McDonald's has been hit in this kind of bombing, so we'll have to see exactly what -- who is behind this.
But so far, the police are not saying that this is a terrorist act, A, and B, they're not blaming anyone yet, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Ryan, if you could just tell us, at that McDonald's, typically, would there be a lot of Westerners there, a lot of Americans, or would it be mostly a Russian crowd?
CHILCOTE: I think it would be mixed. McDonald's are very popular restaurants here in Moscow. It's considered to be a place where you can go in. It's clean inside, and you can eat quickly in a nice atmosphere. So I'd bet the restaurant was packed. They always are on the weekends. In southwestern Moscow, there is a university nearby, it's called the Friendship University, and it is, it is basically, it is mainly African students that study at that university. It is entirely possible that there were foreigners in that restaurant. But more likely, this was a Russian crowd, Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's Ryan Chilcote on the line with us from our Moscow bureau, and we will check in with him in just a little bit as soon as more details become available on that blast in Moscow.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
