01 April 2010, 21:00
Bortnikov: organizers of terror acts in Moscow and Kizlyar are known
Alexander Bortnikov, head of Federal Security Bureau (FSB) said, speaking at the meeting convoked by President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev that the organizers of the terror acts in Moscow and Kizlyar are known; however, their names are not revealed yet. According to the investigation, the two women-suicide-bombers arrived to Moscow by bus from the city of Kizlyar, Republic Dagestan; all the way they had their bombs already attacked to them.
FSB confirms the version about common roots of terror acts in Moscow metro and Kizlyar
According to Alexander Bortnikov, "certain materials are available; a number of persons have been detained; interrogations go on; material evidences have been obtained, examinations are underway." The "Interfax" adds that operative-search actions are underway.
According to Mr Bortnikov, the version was confirmed, according to which the terror acts in Moscow metro and the explosions in Dagestan stemmed from common roots, leading to formations linked with Northern Caucasus. Links of these two events had been earlier proclaimed both by President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin.
Bortnikov emphasized that the work of investigating all the circumstances of these terror acts "will go on till the very end, whatever the cost." He reported that lately 26 militants have been liquidated; however, power agencies could not avoid losses: 23 employees were lost. Rashid Nurgaliev, head of the Russian MIA, said that in 2009 his Ministry lost 410 employees, and in 2010 - 23 persons. He plans to make the activity of his agency more transparent for the society, thus, in his opinion, reaching better results of their work.
He emphasized the role of the population in the war on terror and called "to convince and urge the people, who had been forced into the mountains and forests, to return." He spoke about the importance of explanatory work, having invited religious and public leaders to cooperation. Also, Mr Bortnikov emphasized the importance of working towards "prediction of possible terror acts."
Investigation: women-terrorists-suicide-bombers came to Moscow by bus from Kizlyar
Moscow special services have traced the way of the women-suicide-bombers, who committed terror acts at Moscow metro stations Lubyanka and Park Kultury, the "NEWSru.com" writes. According to the investigation, the two women-suicide-bombers came to Moscow by bus from the city of Kizlyar, Republic of Dagestan; and all their way they carried their bombs on them.
At night on the eve of the explosions, about two o'clock in the morning, the bus Kizlyar-Moscow came to the bus station near the "Luzhniki" Sports Centre. Operative agents interrogated all the passengers and the driver of that bus. "We remembered those three persons quite well," said the witnesses. "They all sat in different places and didn't communicate with each other."
Eyewitnesses' evidences helped to compile an identikit of the man who accompanied the terrorists. They also said that all the three remained, after the arrival to Moscow, to sleep in the bus until the metro opened.
Some passengers of the bus recollected during interrogations that both women looked like hiding something under their jackets. "The girls were not in flesh, but their postures looked strange," said the witnesses. Under assumptions of special agencies, the terrorists came to Moscow already equipped with their bombs. It should be still checked to what extent it is truthful. The road from Kizlyar to Moscow takes more than 1.5 days; therefore, covering the whole way with a belt of suicide-bomber on is rather problematic.
Meanwhile the drivers, working on routes from Moscow to and from the regions, assure that the terrorists could not bring explosive to Moscow in their buses. According to their version, the buses are checked five-six times on the way at all the STSI posts, and then - at entrance to the "Luzhniki" - the whole luggage is examined by militiamen with dogs.
Besides, many drivers work on the routes for many years. They say that their buses are used, as a rule, only by shuttle traders from different regions of the country.
Contrary to drivers' words about checks on the road by STSI (or GIBDD, as called in Russia) employees, it is also reported that until now such buses were not checked on a regular basis for transportation of forbidden substances; and documents were not also checked in the course of the travel.
Under other sources, the terrorists came to the Russian capital one by one. A driver of a route bus Omar Khalduzov recognized one of them, same as the passengers of his bus and the people who survived after the explosion in the metro car. According to a Khalduzov's colleague Nadir (his surname is not given), a driver of the "Makhachkalatransexpress", the terrorist could be picked up by the bus somewhere along the route.
"We suppose that our colleague Omar Khalduzov (by the way, he is the owner of his bus) picked her up somewhere. The bus moves for 36 hours, and people often stand along the way and 'vote' asking to pick them up. As a rule, each bus has three drivers, and obviously - they wanted to earn some extra money. This is on their head. Most likely, nobody looked into the woman's passport, and, accordingly, she was not put onto the passengers' list."
Nadir's words are confirmed by Khalduzov's evidences. According to Omar, he left from Dagestan to Moscow on March 27. One of the stops of the bus was in Kizlyar. And it was there that the future terrorist joined the bus. She was seen off by a man who "voted", and, since there were vacant seats in the bus, the driver stopped.
However, there is also another version, according to which the terrorist took the bus, so to say, in the official manner; and even gave her real name at registering her ticket. The second woman-suicide-bomber was not identified by any driver yet.
People in Kabardino-Balkaria do not believe that one of the women-suicide-bombers was Astemirov's former wife
The information that one of the women-suicide-bombers, who committed terror acts in Moscow metro, could be Zukhra Tsipinova, a former wife of Anzor Astemirov, leader of the Kabardino-Balkarian and Karachai underground, causes doubts in people who know her. Let us note here that after the terror acts the "Ren-TV" Channel disseminated the information that out of all the relatives of the militants liquidated recently, only Zukhra Astemirova was not found.
"Zukhra isn't capable to do it," say the women who know her close enough. They support their version by the fact that Zukhra Tsipinova "had no such strong iman," that is, she was not a religious fanatic. Secondly, she had dissolved her marriage with Anzor Astemirov long before he was liquidated, and even was married to another man, as the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports from Kabardino-Balkaria.