Women suicide bombers 'kill 38' in Moscow Metro attacks

[Viburnum]

Two female suicide bombers have blown themselves up aboard packed underground trains at the height of the rush hour in Moscow this morning, killing 38 people and leaving an estimated 65 injured, according to the Russian security service.

President Dimitri Medvedev is due to reassure the nation in a television address later today, pledging no let up in the war against terrorism and promising a security crackdown on public transport.

The first blast came at the Lubyanka station in central Moscow at around 8am (0400 GMT), killing 24 people. The station is deep below the headquarters of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the Soviet-era KGB, and is just yards away from the Kremlin.

Around 40 minutes later the second explosion happened a 15 minute journey away at Park Kultury station, near Gorky Park, killing around 12. Both stations are situated on Moscow's busy Red underground line, or line number one.

Full Story: Times Online

Nice job, operators of the Moscow Metro. Who'd a thunk to have shut it down?

The Religion of Peace strikes again.

[Cya]

We were talking about this a while ago after the failed Christmas bombing attempt.
I think our government needs to invest in more specially trained detection dogs.

Stu Bykofsky: For airport K9 dogs & handlers, trust & teamwork keep them on scent of air safety | Philadelphia Daily News | 03/29/2010
Each cop's partner is a highly trained dog that gets the last word whenever explosives are suspected. Cops are taught: "Trust your dog."

"If he says no, it's no," says Officer Terry Wright, 41.

The way an airport K9 dog says "no" is to sniff something and move along. An airport K9 dog says "yes" by sniffing, then quickly sitting down.

For security reasons, Airport Capt. Denise Turpin won't enumerate the odors her dogs can detect, but they are able to add to their repertoire as new threats emerge, according to TSA spokesman Greg Soule. FBI agents Mike Baker and Dale Carlson help keep the dogs up-to-date on new scents.

"They're trained to be independent," Cassidy says. "If someone's walking by in the opposite direction and he sniffs something," Britt will turn and pull, and Cassidy will go with his dog.

Rex was interested in a tall, thin man checking in at Terminal C.

Rex put his nose on a carry-on and stopped. Rex was "interested," but did not sit.

Wright asked the man to open the luggage. The man looked annoyed, but unzipped a compartment. Rex's nose went in, followed by Wright's hand.
The scent came from Flomax, a prostate medicine.

The dogs frequently pay attention to medicine scents.

Airport K9's tale got its start in 1972 | Philadelphia Daily News | 03/29/2010
The idea for using dogs at airports was born in 1972 after a TWA jet left New York for L.A. and returned after an anonymous warning of a bomb on board.

A dog named Brandy found the explosive 12 minutes before it was to detonate, and then-President Richard Nixon ordered the secretary of Transportation to develop programs to combat threats to transportation. The result was the FAA Canine Explosives Detection Team program, later transferred to the Transportation Security Administration. It came to Philadelphia in 2002.

Law-enforcement units protecting transportation provide the human partner and receive TSA-trained dogs free, plus an annual $40,000-$50,000 stipend for each team. About 650 teams are deployed in the U.S.

[Viburnum]

We were talking about this a while ago after the failed Christmas bombing attempt.
I think our government needs to invest in more specially trained detection dogs.

Good point. Anyone who's watched those dogs work has to be amazed at their ability.

[CrazyIvan]

I think training dogs are the least of their concerns right now. Either one of two things happened here:
1) the FSB was totally unprepared for it (the first was right under the Lubyanka for heaven's sake), so you have to wonder how ready the FSB is to deal with this sort of thing
OR
2) They are just shifting the blame to Chechyns, or they were almost allowed to do it, so Russia can ramp up the fighting in the Caucuses. That's not without precedent in recent Russian history.

[Viburnum]

I think training dogs are the least of their concerns right now. Either one of two things happened here:
1) the FSB was totally unprepared for it (the first was right under the Lubyanka for heaven's sake), so you have to wonder how ready the FSB is to deal with this sort of thing
OR
2) They are just shifting the blame to Chechyns, or they were almost allowed to do it, so Russia can ramp up the fighting in the Caucuses. That's not without precedent in recent Russian history.

Interesting point. Possibly a combination of the two. Either way, I'm glad I don't live in Chechnya.

[CrazyIvan]

Apparently, someone is taking responsibility now. I guess we can chalk this up to the FSB not being vigilant right under its nose. I think this will continue to escalate as the spring and summer progress.

BBC News - Chechen rebel says he ordered Moscow Metro attacks

Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov has said his group was behind Monday's double suicide bombings on the Moscow Metro, which left 39 people dead.

In a video message posted on a Chechen rebel website, he said he had personally ordered the attacks.

He said they were carried out in retaliation for the killings of "poor Chechen and Ingush residents" by the Russian security forces in February.

Doku Umarov also warned Russia to prepare for more attacks.