Moscow or Washington? Who is lying about the terrorist attack in Moscow?

Moscow/Washington: Was the ISIS-K behind the terrorist attack in Moscow or was it the handiwork of Ukraine in connivance with the ‘West’ (read US-led NATO)? Just a day after the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk on the outskirts of Moscow ahead of a sold-out rock concert there on March 22, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the four perpetrators “directly involved in the terrorist attack”, were heading towards Ukraine and a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border”.

Later on March 25, in the course of a meeting with the heads of the Government, regions, security services and law-enforcement agencies on measures being taken after the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall concert venue, Putin stressed: “Of course, we must also answer the question of why the terrorists, after committing their crime, attempted to flee specifically to Ukraine. Who was waiting for them there? It is clear that those supporting the Kyiv regime do not wish to be implicated in acts of terrorism and be seen as sponsors of terrorism. But there are indeed numerous questions.”

Putin asked the Russian security services and law enforcement agencies to obtain answers to questions such as whether radical and even terrorist Islamist organisations truly have an interest in launching attacks on Russia now that it supports a fair resolution of the escalated conflict in the Middle East. And how do radical Islamists, who present themselves as devout Muslims and follow the so-called pure Islam, justify committing atrocities and serious crimes during the holy month of Ramadan, which is sacred to all Muslims?

“We know that the crime was perpetrated by radical Islamists. The Islamic World itself has been fighting this ideology for centuries… We know whose hands were used to commit this atrocity against Russia and its people. We want to know who ordered it,” he said.

Terming the terrorist attack in Moscow as “an act of intimidation”, Putin said this led to the question that who stands to benefit from it. “This act of violence is likely just one in a series of attempts by those who have been fighting against our country since 2014, using the neo-Nazi Kyiv regime as a pawn,” he said.

He referred to how the United States was using “different channels to try and convince its satellites and other countries of the world that, according to its intelligence, there is supposedly no sign of Kyiv’s involvement in the Moscow terrorist attack, that the deadly terrorist attack was perpetrated by followers of Islam, members of ISIS, an organisation banned in Russia”.

Yesterday, the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was more categorical in her assertions when she said that the banned ISIS terrorist organisation was “selected as the culprit”. After the terrorist attack, she claimed that the reaction of the Ukrainian government was instantaneous. “First, it quickly disavowed this crime, trying clumsily to shift the blame for it onto Russia and its leadership, and started spreading statements accusing Russia and its leadership. It was done so clumsily that the idea of a “Ukrainian connection” began to grow strong in the mass world consciousness,” she claimed. He pointed out that in the early days, had “not connected what has been happening in Crocus City Hall to Ukraine”. She said that “it was the Kyiv regime that spoke about this (though, in my opinion, no one asked) and, of course, Washington and London. The connection was spread by the Kyiv regime’s Western curators. Washington and London, right in the first hours after the terrorist attack, began to repeat that Ukraine was not involved like a mantra and speak about the “responsibility” of the terrorists of the Islamic State banned in Russia. This is all called “the thief’s hat is on fire”.”

Stating that in ten years, Ukraine has been transformed by the West into a centre for the spread of terrorism, Zakharova claimed that to “divert suspicion away from the collective West, from Washington, London, Berlin (as I have said, Berlin almost expressly discussed the possibility of committing terrorist attacks in our country), Paris and other NATO countries, they needed to find some explanation, anything at all, and quickly. That’s where they decided to use ISIS. So to speak, they pulled that ace from their sleeve…”

The White House and the State Department declared that Ukraine had no role in the attack. Zakharova asked what grounds or information they have to draw this conclusion. “This was absolutely unclear. One thing was clear though. They started finding excuses for the Kyiv regime in order to get themselves off the hook. Everyone is perfectly aware that there is no independent Kyiv regime without Western financial support or military aid,” she said.

The United States today denied such charges. “So I’ve seen those comments…claiming that any host of countries were behind this terrorist attack. And I think it’s clear that these claims are categorically false; I think the Russian Government knows that the claims are categorically false,” the US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in Washington today (IST). He claimed that neither Ukraine, the United Kingdom, nor the United States were behind these attacks. “In fact, the United States warned Russia about the possibility of these attacks in advance, because we wanted to see that the – if the attacks could be averted, and ultimately prevent a loss of life from the Russian people – or by the Russian people,” he claimed.

“So I would say that these comments from multiple Kremlin officials are irresponsible, they’re cynical, and it’s just another example of President Putin and the rest of his team exploiting a national tragedy to try to justify the illegal war against Ukraine,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin, told Putin that 139 people died in the March 22 terrorist attack. The four terrorists drove up in a Renault car to the Crocus City Hall concert hall at 6.54 pm, where they waited for the audience to arrive.

The Investigative Committee is continuing its active work to investigate the criminal case concerning the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall. The investigation has established the complete timeline of the events that occurred.

On March 22, at 6:54 pm, four criminals drove up in a Renault car to the Crocus City Hall concert hall, where they waited for the audience to arrive.

At 7:58 pm, the terrorists armed with automatic firearms opened fire on the visitors outside the Crocus City Hall building. After entering the lobby and then the concert hall, they continued to shoot at everyone they saw, regardless of gender or age. Using the gasoline they had brought with them in plastic bottles, they set fire to the premises and left the building at 8:11 pm. As they drove the car out of the parking lot, they ran over pedestrians – a family with two young children – at high speed. The children were seriously injured and taken to hospital.

All the attackers were detained in the Bryansk Region during a pursuit along the motorway leading towards the Russian-Ukrainian border. Two AK-74 assault rifles, over 500 rounds of ammunition, 28 magazines with ammunition, and bottles with remaining gasoline were found and seized at the scene. A Makarov pistol without ammunition and a magazine from a Kalashnikov assault rifle with 30 rounds of ammunition were found in the criminals’ car.

The investigation also identified and detained three other people who assisted in the preparation of the terrorist attack: they provided accommodation in a flat, a car for transportation, and transported money. A motion was filed with the court to place them in custody.

According to Bastrykin, the initial results of the investigation indicate that the terrorist attack was carefully planned and prepared.

– global bihari bureau