By David McGlinchey
Global Security Newswire

In a press conference earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin defended last year’s hostage rescue effort that left 120 civilians dead after Russian security forces pumped an anesthetic chemical into a Moscow theater and stormed the building (see GSN, Nov. 4, 2002).

Putin said the gas did not lead to the civilian deaths, but he instead pointed to faulty medical care and harrowing conditions during the hostage standoff.  His comments, however, came in direct contrast to comments last year from several Russian health officials who indicated that the civilians died as a result of the chemical agent.

“There were many lethal results not because of the gas, but because doctors did not know the way people should be treated and, say, instead of putting a person on his stomach, he was put on his back, and swallowed his tongue and people suffocated on their vomit.  But there were antidotes in full volume for everybody who needed it and practically everybody was injected with that antidote,” Putin said.

Fifty Chechen militants captured the theater and held about 800 hostages before the Oct. 26 raid ended the standoff.  The dramatic chemical rescue attempt — during which every militant was killed — became a lightning rod for criticism over the use of chemical weapons in law enforcement situations.

Putin described the rescue operation as “impeccable.”

Last year a senior Russian health official said that emergency medical services expected an explosion at the theater and were unprepared to deal with civilians suffering from effects of the chemical.

Igor Elkis, chief doctor of Moscow’s ambulance service, said that crews at the scene carried the appropriate antidote but did not have enough on hand.

Shortly after the rescue attempt, Chechen military leader Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for the hostage taking.

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