TERRORISM: Russia Shoppers "Poisoned" by Gas

78 people have been taken to hospital after an unidentified gas was released in a trading centre in the Russian city of St Petersburg. The mystery gas was released in one of three stores targeted. Two other stores have found mysterious canisters with timing devices that have been defused.




Well this just happened so its to early to tell whats happening so far. More details to come.

www.sky.com/skynews

More on this from CNN

www.cnn.com

[edit on 26-12-2005 by North Rider]

[edit on 26-12-2005 by North Rider]

[edit on 12/26/05 by FredT]

More here on Sky News.. here

Ministry spokesman Andrei Alyabyev said: "Suspicions containers with pipes were found in two other shops, they are being defused."

Russian media reported the containers had been set up with timing mechanisms to go off as time-bombs.

Just a reminder to our members that the most inappropriate place to pop-up tactless statements in an attempt to be humorous while not attempting to discuss a serious issue that involves people suffering would be an ATSNN thread discussion.

Val, I'm not sure of the tactless statement? Or is this just a warning not to do it?

This is definitely a weird one. Since when did criminals start using chemical weapons?

I believe the very use of nerve gases and such would classify them automatically as terrorists. Let's just wait and see where this gas is linked to.

From the Sky News site, which has been updated

The attack on the stores, belonging to the Maksidom chain, is believed to be the work of criminals rather than terrorists.

Local media quoted prosecutors as saying the gas was methyl mercaptan, a compound added to domestic gas to give it its odour.

So it "looks" like criminals at the moment and not terrorists.

-Keeval-

Fox News is showing video from one of the Maxidom stores affected. They report that apparently this was the work of a Maxidom competitor. Cnn is saying that Police initially are considering the incidents as "hooliganism."

I know that living in a cold climate can give you a thick skin, but "hooliganism"? I think by definition this is terrorism. Maybe not Islamic terrorism, maybe not international terrorism, maybe nothing more than an upset college student or a business competitor trying to drive shoppers away from the stores in question. All the same, when you try to use fear to influence people's decisions, that is terrorism.

Gotta hand it to the Russians though; America would wig the hell out if something like that happened at Walmart.

"Hooliganism" or a "criminal act" are the terms given to covert terrorist frame-up operations which aren't successful and which are stopped short of delivering their desired result.

If all went to plan and they weren't intercepted, discovered and collected, no doubt this would be a "terrorist act" that is designed to spook Russia out of an alliance with Iran if Israel decide it's time the US start fighting.

Not every intelligence operation is successful but if it's does get to a point where it can't just be brushed under the rug, it gets blamed on a faceless group and labelled as a stunt.

Russia will get more intimidation as the Iran/Syria war looms closer.