(Telegraph - UK) Christina Lamb and Ben Aris - A number of Arab fighters, believed to be of Saudi Arabian and Yemeni origin, were among the group that seized control of the Moscow theater. "There were definitely Arab terrorists in the building with links to al Qaeda," said a senior Western diplomat. Suspicions about al Qaeda's connection deepened after the Chechens broadcast a pre-recorded message on the Qatar-based al-Jazeera television network, which is frequently used by bin Laden and his lieutenants. Russian officials said that the hostage-takers had made several calls to the United Arab Emirates during the siege.
2002-10-28 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive