Moscow undermined by terrorists

My name is entirely American, but I'm originally from Moscow, Russia. I grew up in the center of the city, 15 minutes from the Kremlin. I lived in Moscow for the first fourteen years of my life. At heart, Moscow is still my home.\nYesterday, near 3 p.m. Eastern Standard time, 40 to 50 Chechen fighters took over a Moscow theater. The musical Nord-Ost, currently playing on this theater's stage is based on my favorite book -- "Two Captains" by Veneamin Kaverin -- and has been one of the most attended stage spectacles in the Russian capital according to www.nordost.ru. This is extremely scary for me. My relatives, friends and former teachers could be in that theater -- there are no lists naming every person inside. What's worse is that I cannot get in touch with most of my friends and relatives. Most access to information has been reserved for the use of the police and the Federal Security Services, the successor to KGB, the Soviet version of the CIA.\nComing home from school, I went online as usual to check out the news, and the first thing I saw was the giant headline: "Chechen fighters take hostages in Moscow." At first, I didn't think it was anything big. According to MSNBC, the percentage of Russian citizens who approve of the war in Chechnya has been rapidly decreasing over the past six months, while Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval rating has stayed the same. Then, I understood the magnitude of this attack. For many within the Russian capital, this terrorist attack broke new ground and brought the war in Chechnya closer to home. It did so for me -- Moscow has always been impregnable in my mind. After all, it has withstood many attacks in the past and has been able to defend itself, like the Russian Revolution and the Second World War. This incident, however, was organized quietly, with no one even suspecting this could be possible. \nAlthough more than 100 women, children and foreign nationals were released, over 700 still remain inside the building. What scares me more than my own ignorance about the situation and my helplessness, is how these Chechen rebels were able to carry out this operation without a glitch. Not one news agency knew about this. The men simply arrived in Jeeps, walked into the theater at the beginning of the second act and fired shots into the air from the stage. Even worse, the Chechen leader Morev Barayev is an expert in mine-laying, has supreme power over his forces and has nothing to lose. \nThe only solution for the Russian government is to act immediately. That means storming the theater without regard for the hostages inside. On one hand, this solution will give Putin an advantage over the Chechens, who will lose yet another guerrilla leader. On the other hand, an advantage over Chechnya does not validate the loss of 700 hostage lives. Personally, I believe that the Russian government has no other possibility. They cannot and most likely will not lead troops out of Chechnya. The demand of the Chechen hostage-takers is outrageous. Leading the troops from Chechnya would only mean admittance of defeat by the Russian government -- something that would set a precedent. \nEither way, neither Russia nor Chechnya will find themselves in an advantageous position. For me, either way is scary. This latest incident in the war between Russia and its secessionist republic is only further proof that it is no longer safe even in a city as large as Moscow. I was planning to visit Moscow during the coming summer -- after I receive my U.S. citizenship. I still will, except now I will be forced to take more precautions, as if I am visiting Israel.