Putin says Islamic extremists raided concert hall but attack masterminds yet to be found

The barbarism of the FSB will not be forgotten. Shows you the level of civilization operating in that country.

Absolutely shameful that the BBC is not mentioning the torture video. I hope it is because they are asleep or something.

ThubanToday 07:06 am JST

As Putin answers to the Russian people, he will have to show them that Russia will fight back.

Who you going to invade now? I suspect Tajikistan will not make for a very exciting spectical.

There are more answers than questions here: The US version of events - which they had out within minutes - does not stack up. They have declared it open and shut before any proper investigation of this carefully planned attack. The purpose is to smokescreen and obscure the truth and shield their satellite.

Two key questions:

Why was the cell escaping at speed to the Ukraine border.

Who are the planners and financiers that commissioned it.

These will be answered but there are indications who to pin the blame on - and the culprits are at the Southern end of the M3 highway.

It is an open and shut case that ISIS was responsible: a video in front of an ISIS flag and including the same clothing shown in the attack was released by ISIS. Even Russian maskirovka isn't that good. Well to be honest it is pretty bad in general.

Russia and Putin will fight back..

Material and intellectual terrorists will pay for it and a lot..

TokyoLivingToday 07:19 am JST

Russia and Putin will fight back..

Material and intellectual terrorists will pay for it and a lot..

Just don't hurt yourself in the process.

Absolutely shameful that the BBC is not mentioning the torture video.

And wait for the hell those terrorists will live on Russian prison in a well deserved sentence for life..

TokyoLivingToday 07:22 am JST

Absolutely shameful that the BBC is not mentioning the torture video.

And wait for the hell those terrorists will live on Russian prison in a well deserved sentence for life..

I will take that bet that they die at regular life expectancy. They won't even make it to May.

Its surprising how quick the conspiracy theory crowd have become apologists for an Islamic terrorist organization, deciding that Islamic terrorists couldn’t possibly be behind an Islamic terrorist attack that said Islamic terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for and provided fairly convincing evidence to back up that assertion.

But hey, if Putin says something then it must be true, right?

Good comment, rainyday. It's amazing how people can twist their own minds to fit their prior beliefs. But, in the end, the little strongman, Putin, failed in the very raison d'etre of a strongman - keeping everyone safe.

Its surprising how quick the conspiracy theory crowd have become apologists for an Islamic terrorist organization, deciding that Islamic terrorists couldn’t possibly be behind an Islamic terrorist attack that said Islamic terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for and provided fairly convincing evidence to back up that assertion.

They’re desperately hoping it was Ukraine. They need at least some legitimate justification for the invasion.

Seems like the Kremlin is terrified to even name ISIS, and is trying to allude that anyone and everyone else is ultimately responsible. The question is why? Maybe it's difficult for them to admit that they ignored warnings from the US and others about potential attacks, and to come up with some type of corresponding military response against ISIS while also fighting in Ukraine.

Coming to conclusions about who did it based only on weird facebook videos and obscure posts on social media that could have been made by anyone isn't the right thing to do.

They literally have the guys that did it, the organization behind it has admitted doing it, provided evidence to back that claim up, and everything about it is completely consistent with them having done it.

But oh no, lets not rush to hasty conclusions or anything, it couldn’t possibly have been Islamic terrorists, it clearly had to have been whoever Putin feels like blaming without any evidence whatsoever….

Trust the government and trust the authorities was the advice given in previous terror attacks and it would be inconsistent to suddenly veer from that framework.

If you still trust the Russian government to tell the truth I would question your judgment on……pretty much anything.

"kill everyone involved. Everyone. Those who paid, those who sympathized, those who helped. Kill them all

THe above from Maddog Medvedev, is one more example of Russia remaining led by people who live by rules set by their cavemen ancestors and extreme right supports of caveman values. Or maybe it's just a Russian version of their Christian values.

Can someone please explain to me where the culture of placing blame versus taking responsibility comes from? When I was a kid, we did what we could. We did it. I did the work. It wasn’t always perfect, it was the best I could do all things considered.

Seems like politicians these days could benefit from doing hard labor every other year or so. The sort of job that keeps you honest.

becoming a climbing arborist saved my life in surprising ways. .

maybe pUtin and the former guy would benefit from working a job where there are physical results and no one to blame but yourself if you don’t do the job

also. . I would never make it in politics. Different strokes, I guess

Fallaffel you nailed it. We had the same thought:

“Seems like the Kremlin is terrified to even name ISIS, and is trying to allude that anyone and everyone else is ultimately responsible. The question is why? Maybe it's difficult for them to admit that they ignored warnings from the US and others about potential attacks, and to come up with some type of corresponding military response against ISIS while also fighting in Ukraine.”

they’re unwilling to take responsibility for a fault because they’re supposed to be infallible strong-men. Apologizing or admitting defeat is weakness to them

this is an example of what mentally healthy humans now call “toxic masculinity.”

Putin is flailing about for an excuse that doesn’t make him look like an incompetent sociopathic buffoon.

@thub: It seems that Russian voters are unconvinced by grainy videos from foreign websites.

But will they continue to be convinced by their Putin who's told so many lies, including 'not going to invade Ukraine'? But cowed Russians have a long history of accepting lies from their leaders, often with a rifle pointed at their head. Many favoring totalitarianism do so because they believe big brother will protect them from their enemies, real and imagined. Sadly in the case of this hideous massacre the state did not protect them, and scores are dead because of big brother Putin's failures.How many more years of Putin as big brother do Russians have? How many more nations will Putin make enemies of, putting Russians at even greater risk of more wars needing to be fought?

Absolutely shameful that the BBC is not mentioning the torture video.

This from the BBC website:

“Videos of brutal interrogation sessions were apparently leaked by Russian security forces, and reports suggest at least one had suffered electric shocks.”

Putin's correct of course, who funded, supported, coordinated, armed, planned, etc. 4 killers were strictly the 'bagmen' carry out their orders. They'll do LOTS of talking, as sure as the sun will rise and set today.

Dangerous destabilized world we live, seems business of mercenaries & assassins, no shortage of work chances!

If Russians want to find who’s responsible, they should look to their “leader” who failed to heed the warnings he was given 2 weeks in advance and did less than nothing, he publicly discounted it.

They'll do LOTS of talking

They’ve already told the authorities everything. Just doesn’t seem to be what the authorities want to hear.

You can see the FSB officers very clearly in photo 3 and 6. On their headwear is clearly printed the acronym ФСБ for the agency.

The offender with the ear injury is visible here in 2, 3 and 5.

These guys will sing like a canary and spill the beans on who commissioned this event, if they already haven't done so. Putin has been hinting at it.

These four couldn't have organized or planned this. They also did it for money and made an escape for a certain border, as the article mentions.

All roads lead to Kiev on this one it seems likely, as the war is not going well. Let's see how terror evidence unfolds. Safe bet leaders across globe downgrading Zelensky as loose dangerous unethical cannon.

JJE @ 7.14am

"The purpose is to.........." Seems that thriving on conspiracy theories is your speciality.

"the terroists were escaping at speed towards Ukraine" It suits the Russian narrative to say that.

The interesting thing here is the complete failure of intelligence by the Russian security operatives to detect the threat. Assume some bodies will be nervous in anticipation before they are headed to colder climes.

@HopeSE: roads lead to Kiev

the above is another example of disinform and dash, D&D, a hallmark of flamers

This smells like a false flag operation. The question is whose?

They literally have the guys that did it, the organization behind it has admitted doing it, provided evidence to back that claim up, and everything about it is completely consistent with them having done it.

Yes. It is very clear ISIS or IS-K is responsible. But many Russians don't have access to free press and get their news from national tv, which gives Putin control over the narrtive that somehow Ukraine and the wicked West is responsible. And, rather than seeing Putin as the incompetent sociopathic buffoon he is, they will see him as some kind of defender. I doubt if many Russians will be able to see through the propaganda. Furthermore, the Kremlin through troll farms will export this narrative through SNS and right-wing media to weaken support for Ukraine. They have been very successful at doing this, and I'm sure this is Putin's goal. He doesn't care about the lives of the concert goers any more than the lives of soldiers he sends to their deaths. He is very smart and skillful at turning a threat into an opportunity.

Whoever the real masters of the attack are Putin will squarely place the blame on Kiev regardless of the truth.

HopeSpringsEternalToday 08:29 am JST

Putin's correct of course, who funded, supported, coordinated, armed, planned, etc. 4 killers were strictly the 'bagmen' carry out their orders. They'll do LOTS of talking, as sure as the sun will rise and set today.

Dangerous destabilized world we live, seems business of mercenaries & assassins, no shortage of work chances!

Putin's a failure at everything he ever tried to do, but also a war criminal which is more important.

All roads lead to Kiev on this one it seems likely, as the war is not going well. Let's see how terror evidence unfolds.

Just because they were fleeing in the direction of Ukraine means nothing: its the closest way out of that hellhole.

Safe bet leaders across globe downgrading Zelensky as loose dangerous unethical cannon.

Safe bet no one is changing anything except looking at Russia in a more negative light after witnessing its brutality and savagery.

BertieWoosterToday 09:29 am JST

This smells like a false flag operation. The question is whose?

Because garden variety terrorism against an obvious opponent makes too much sense?

This is the sad truth...The Moscow regime doesn't even care who was responsible for the attack, they only care about using it in a way that supports their anti-Ukraine and anti-West narrative.

Whoever the real masters of the attack are Putin will squarely place the blame on Kiev regardless of the truth.

NewgirlintownToday 08:25 am JST

Absolutely shameful that the BBC is not mentioning the torture video.

This from the BBC website:

“Videos of brutal interrogation sessions were apparently leaked by Russian security forces, and reports suggest at least one had suffered electric shocks.”

Good eye but could it have been any more buried? This should have been a topline story.

This smells like a false flag operation. The question is whose?

Or maybe it’s not and Putin, while focusing entirely on waging war on Ukraine, has just failed to keep Russians safe.

And it’s almost guaranteed that in generations to come there will be more attacks on Russia as a result of Putin’s current foreign policy.

When Russian civilians were killed by shelling at shopping centers certain posters on here commented that they were fascists and dead fascists are good fascists. Now the same posters are pretending to be suddenly and touchingly concerned about well being and human rights of terrorists who massacred hundreds of civilian concert goers. Shameless.

Civilian casualties on all sides are tragic and deserve sympathy, not so the terrorists.

Yes. It is very clear ISIS or IS-K is responsible. But many Russians don't have access to free press and get their news from national tv, which gives Putin control over the narrtive that somehow Ukraine and the wicked West is responsible. And, rather than seeing Putin as the incompetent sociopathic buffoon he is, they will see him as some kind of defender. I doubt if many Russians will be able to see through the propaganda. Furthermore, the Kremlin through troll farms will export this narrative through SNS and right-wing media to weaken support for Ukraine. They have been very successful at doing this, and I'm sure this is Putin's goal. He doesn't care about the lives of the concert goers any more than the lives of soldiers he sends to their deaths. He is very smart and skillful at turning a threat into an opportunity.

I could almost forgive people in Russia for believing the idiotic garbage coming from the Kremlin given the lack of a free press, the brutal crackdowns on any speech that goes against the state, the constant propaganda machine feeding them 24/7, etc etc.

The Putin supporters who comment on here spouting the same nonsense however don't have the same excuse....

Civilian casualties on all sides are tragic and deserve sympathy, not so the terrorists.

Those civilian casualties, all of them, are because of Putin's invasions.

No amount of US NATO proxying rubbish will change this.

All of this chaos and carnage is on Putin. You should be mad at him instead of simping for him.

The severe torture of suspects, criminals, and terrorists is not acceptable and then broadcast by the FSB. But that does not lend any support to the terrorists who made the dreadful attack against concertgoers, and families with young children.

Russians need to look in the mirror and recognize they are putting Ukraine through worse terror than this daily. It makes it hard to feel any pity on Russia.

Civilian casualties on all sides are tragic and deserve sympathy, not so the terrorists.

Those civilian casualties, all of them, are because of Putin's invasions.

You are right, those casualties were due to the situation caused by the Russian invasion, which in turn came about due to the execution of long term neocon plans to encroach on and "strategically defeat" Russia.

In fact we don't and won't know. it's not even our cup of tea. It's in every outcome an inner-ex-USSR issue, regardless of who was or is involved in detail and finally to be made responsible.

Russians need to look in the mirror and recognize they are putting Ukraine through worse terror than this daily. It makes it hard to feel any pity on Russia.

Some of us can have pity and feel for all civilian casualties on both sides. Civilians are civilians no matter where they are. Too bad your pity is selective.

Wow, double tapping civilians in Aleppo and backing murdering regimes in Central Africa has really come back to bight Putie in the buttocks, hasn’t it?

I have sympathy for the Russian civilians who were killed. If there were any Russian soldiers in the crowd or supporters of the invasion of Ukraine, however, well, then I suppose they are due as much sympathy as the off-duty IDF killed by Hamas at the rave on 10/7.

Those civilian casualties, all of them, are because of Putin's invasions.

Same as Gaza civilian casualties, which are the result of Hamas' massacre, rape, and assault on Israel.

Ramsey's KitchenToday 09:53 am JST

When Russian civilians were killed by shelling at shopping centers certain posters on here commented that they were fascists and dead fascists are good fascists. Now the same posters are pretending to be suddenly and touchingly concerned about well being and human rights of terrorists who massacred hundreds of civilian concert goers. Shameless.

Civilian casualties on all sides are tragic and deserve sympathy, not so the terrorists.

The terrorists are in Russia's custody. To torture them openly just shows they are equally willing to torture Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians.

Some of us can have pity and feel for all civilian casualties on both sides. Civilians are civilians no matter where they are. Too bad your pity is selective

The difference is Russia could end the casualties right this second by withdrawing, or even just ceasing their fascist campaign of conquest.

"Thou dost protest too much", this terror trail leads somewhere to those who have motive. Let's see how it plays out, meanwhile Zelensky's getting a BIG global downgrade, as many believe he crossed the "Rubicon".

You are right, those casualties were due to the situation caused by the Russian invasion, which in turn came about due to the execution of long term neocon plans to encroach on and "strategically defeat" Russia.

Oooh, you've found a conspiracy to help you cope with this. And it's a predictably bad one.

Russia's borders were never in danger despite what Putin is telling you. You're just being an useful tool of Putin's land grab.

meanwhile Zelensky's getting a BIG global downgrade, as many believe he crossed the "Rubicon".

You are being particularly feeble today.

Zelensky wasn't involved in this, eveyone knows this.

Apart from you.

To torture them openly just shows they are equally willing to torture Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians.

For real. I am starting to think that all those videos of Russians torturing and executing Ukrainian POWs might actually be for real.

Looks like the emperor who wore no clothes. Putin's veneer is fading.

Russia's borders were never in danger despite what Putin is telling you. You're just being an useful tool of Putin's land grab.

RK - how were Russia’s borders threatened? Who was doing this and when?

Nah bruh, it's a fact. You know it deep inside too :)

Weirdly I don't get my 'facts' from things that Putin spouts.

Is that what NAFO propaganda machine says?

No. It's from nobody actually invading Russia nor planning to do so.

You've invented a weird deep-state conspiracy to help you cope with supporting Putin's invasion.

The terrorists are in Russia's custody. To torture them openly just shows they are equally willing to torture Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians.

A stretch too far dude. You have anything to back up the claim that civilians get same treatment as terrorists who massacred hundreds of people? Think not.

>

Some of us can have pity and feel for all civilian casualties on both sides. Civilians are civilians no matter where they are. Too bad your pity is selective

The difference is Russia could end the casualties right this second by withdrawing, or even just ceasing their fascist campaign of conquest.

And yet you support the IDF civilian genocidal campaign in Gaza. Funny that.

Nah bruh, it's a fact. You know it deep inside too :)

Weirdly I don't get my 'facts' from things that Putin spouts.

Yep, obviously you get it from Washington sources, those never lie :)

Yep, obviously you get it from Washington sources, those never lie :)

Wrong again.

I get my 'facts' from nobody actually invading Russia.

You need to believe that 'neocons' were planning to invade Russia to help you cope with your sordid support for Putin's actual invasion of Ukraine.

We can all see this, but don't worry you are in good company.

A planned invasion of Russia would be a pretty bfd and hard to keep quiet. What are your sources on this invasion, Ramsey?

There was a news program in Japan which interviewed a counselor in Ukraine for soldiers who were injured and one man had his manhood cut off. Russians are brutal in battle.

Shame. I had him pegged as a neutral. I guess you never can tell.

I get my 'facts' from nobody actually invading Russia.

Who said anything about full on invasion of Russia ? Encroaching on and strategically defeating Russia does not equal an outright invasion which would obviously be suicidal, but you knew that already.

We can all see this, but don't worry you are in good company.

You are free to believe what D.C. propaganda tells you, but don't worry you are in good company too.

Anyways the Russian war machine and public support are now going to be in high gear. Putin has succeeded in that regard.

That's right, Putin will turn this terror lemons into lemonade, just like Trump and his election interference!

Justice and truth prevails over darkness every time!

Because if one starts out from the assumption that Ukraine is not equal to Russia, then I can see how your logic might work.

You know neutral is the way to go , join us :)

There is no neutrality when there is oppression going on. You should know this, friend.

Justice and truth prevails over darkness every time!

Which is why Putin and Trump will fail.