Who is guilty?

Date of publication: October 24, 2002

Vadim Orlov, State Duma deputy, commander of the 104th Airborne Division

The system is to blame, in which special forces are almost not funded at all. By the way, Vladimir Shamanov has been talking about this for quite a long time. It is clear that the terrorists carefully planned this operation and prepared it, perhaps for more than one year. I am almost 100% convinced that the terrorists who seized the cultural center in Dubrovka are connected with the Chechen diaspora abroad. Now there is no need to bother with possible advice and interfere with the work of specialists who are trying to save people. In any case, the hostage taking was carried out by real thugs, not soldiers. Unfortunately, the whole logic of the development of modern civilization suggests that we have to deal with scumbags more and more often.

Victor Denikin, Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Central Federal District

Now it is extremely difficult to blame anyone for what happened. There are a lot of accusers and accused. On the one hand, a logical question arises: how did they allow fifty armed militants to capture innocent people in the capital? But on the other hand, every citizen of the Russian Federation is guaranteed by the Constitution the right to free movement throughout the country. What is the right thing to do here? Don't know. It is clear that this action was planned in advance. But no matter how the situation changes, we must continue to negotiate with one goal: as long as there are no casualties. Even if they go home without revenge, as long as they let the people go. This is the most important thing now.

Viktor Alksnis, State Duma deputy

The authorities are to blame. In Russia, the same situation is always present: although the government in Russia is omnipotent, a specific situation has arisen - and it is absolutely helpless. The President is to blame for this situation. At one time, he began his ascent to power with necessary and tough statements, and as a result, we now experience the absolutely toothless state policy on a number of issues. Yes, the President says the right words, but as a result, we are again marking time in the same place. You can’t take on all the reforms at once when you don’t have the strength to start and finish even one. Look what is happening in Chechnya: there are no positive changes, the army is not equipped with new equipment, the helicopters our military fly on were no longer used in Afghanistan due to old age. Therefore, now we are faced with a task: either the army is really seriously involved in Chechnya, or it leaves there. What happened in Moscow is the result of a stalemate that should not exist.

Talgat Tajuddin, Sheikh-ul-Islam, Grand Mufti of Russia

We are all to blame, and the state first of all. Now we ask each other: how could this happen? How could the murder of the governor of Magadan happen in broad daylight in Moscow? How could house explosions happen in Moscow three years ago? Democracy, of course, is good, but there must be law and order, and this is the direct responsibility of the state. We have lived for centuries in peace with the Orthodox and other faiths in Russia. I will say more - a believer is not capable of such madness. These people are not Muslims. Real Muslims condemn what these bandits did in Moscow. This is a blasphemous act that dealt a blow not only to Muscovites, but also to 15 million Muslims in Russia, the peoples of the North Caucasus and long-suffering Chechnya, which has already suffered enough from bandits. Therefore, I call on those foolish people who are holding innocent people: come to your senses before it’s too late!

Vitaly Tretyakov, general director of the independent publishing group NIG, member of the board of directors of ORT

Unfortunately, in this terrible matter there really are those who must answer for what happened. At least two significant points are obvious to me here. First: even to a layman it is clear that the recent car explosion near McDonald's was committed by the same group of people who are involved in the current tragedy. Perhaps this was done in order to test how Moscow law enforcement agencies would react and whether they would be ready for counteraction. It turned out that they won't. Now you can bring anything to Moscow and blow it up anywhere, not to mention taking hostages. Second: it is clear that the explosion at McDonald's was a kind of cover operation. It became clear that the authorities would blame everything on a “showdown between criminals” - and larger-scale actions could be carried out.

I think that the Moscow police, the FSB department for the Moscow region, as well as the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB should answer for what happened. If they did not know about the concentration of so many armed people in the capital, then they should at least be kicked out of work. Next in the chain of responsibility is the president, who must finally make a political decision and take a close look at the personnel issue in the country. What happened is perhaps the most terrible blow to the Putin system, to Putin personally, that one can imagine. If three years ago a well-known effect rallied the nation around Putin, now the reverse process may occur. And this is the worst thing.