Transcript ETA Bombing March 11, 2004

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Terrorism Strikes Russia
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Attacks from August 24 to September 3, 2004
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
“Disaster in the Sky”
Russian Plane Bombings
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
August 24, 2004
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russia Plane Bombings
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
August 24, 2004
Overview
• Two Russian civilian aircrafts on domestic flights
originating from Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport crashed
within minutes of each other at approximately 2300 (local
time)
• According to open sources, the Russian Security Service,
FSB, claim that one female suicide bomber on each plane
was able to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED)
in mid-air, killing all 90 passengers and crew. No
information is available on how the IED was smuggled on
the plane. No Americans were on the flights
• “Islambouli Brigades” claimed responsibility for the attack
• Russians officials are investigating two Chechen women as
the main perpetrators
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russia Plane Bombings
August 24, 2004
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Modus Operandi
• Media reports indicate two female terrorists boarded the aircrafts at Moscow’s
Domodedovo Airport and may have smuggled explosives without detection or
were able to detonate the explosives pre-placed on the plane by an insider (No
M.O. has been confirmed)
• Volga AviaExpress Flight 1303, a Tupelov-134 en route to Volgograd, was
found in the Tula region, about 100 miles south of Moscow, after disappearing
from radar at about 2056 hrs
• Sibir Airlines Flight 1047, a Tupolev-154 bound for the Black Sea resort Sochi,
disappeared from radar over the Rostov-on-Don region, about 500 miles south of
Moscow near Russia's border with Ukraine, minutes after the first jet crashed
• The Federal Security Service, or FSB, reported traces of the explosive Hexogen,
commonly known as RDX, at both crash sites
• Witnesses report seeing explosions in midair
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russia Plane Bombings
August 24, 2004
Volga AviaExpress Flight 1303
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Sibir Airlines Flight 1047
Destinations
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russia Plane Bombings
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Claim of Responsibility
 “Islambouli Brigades” published a statement on a website
claiming responsibility for the attack
 “There will be, God willing, more waves until we humiliate
the infidel state called Russia,” the group vowed
 The Islambouli Brigades is named after Lt. Khaled
Islambouli, the leader of a group of militant Islamists who
assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Cairo in 1981
 No information is available to verify the credibility of the
group or the statement’s claim
 The group also claimed responsibility for the August 31
Moscow Subway Bombing
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russia Plane Bombings
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Suicide Bombing Suspects
• The FSB suspects that two Chechen females, Amanat Nagayeva, 30,
and Satsita Dzhebirkhanova, 37, carried out the attacks. Passports for
Nagayeva and Dzhebirkhanova were found at the crash sites in the
Tula and Rostov regions, but their remains have not been identified
• The Moscow Times reported that Russian law enforcement are onthe-look-out for additional suspects including Roza Nagayeva (the
Subway bombing suspect), Imam Nagayeva, and Maryam Taburova.
The two plane bombing suspects shared a Grozny (Chechnya)
apartment with Roza and Maryam.
• The Moscow Times reports that four of the women are
believed to have traveled to Moscow in August to carry out
suicide attacks.
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russia Plane Bombings
August 25, 2004 Warden Message
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Russian authorities have confirmed that two civilian airliners crashed at approximately 11:00 p.m. on August 24th in separate incidents.
Cause of the crashes is under investigation. Both flights originated from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. One flight (Sibir #1047) was
bound for Sochi and crashed in Rostov oblast, the other flight (Volga-Aviaexpress #1303) was bound for Volgograd and crashed near Tula.
There is currently no confirmation that either of these crashes involved terrorism.
In another incident earlier in the evening of August 24th, an explosive device went off at a bus stop on Kashirskoye Shosse in Moscow,
injuring several people. This incident is also currently under investigation.
While the causes of these incidents remain under investigation, American citizens in Russia should exercise caution and remain vigilant
and aware of these heightened risks when planning use of or using any form of public transportation and should avoid large public
gathering.
American citizens traveling or living in Russia are advised that the potential for terrorist actions, including actions against civilians, is
currently high, and will remain so particularly through the upcoming elections in Chechnya on August 29th.
The US Embassy remains in close contact with both Russian and US authorities on this matter and will advise through this channel of any
further related developments.
As the Embassy continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens in Russia, it shares credible threat
information through its website (www.usembassy.ru) and the consular information program documents, available on the Internet at
http://travel.state.gov. Information is available from the Embassy's American Citizen Services unit at (095)728-5577 or
[email protected] In addition travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 tollfree in the U.S. or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328.
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Suicide Bombing Strikes
Moscow
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
August 31, 2004
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Suicide Bombing Strikes
Moscow
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
August 31, 2004
Overview
• At approximately 2015 hrs (local time) a female suicide
bomber detonated an improvised explosive near the
Rizhskaya (Riga) metro station in northeast Moscow
• Various media reports confirm 10 casualties and 51
injuries; 49 were hospitalized (No AMCITS reported)
• Police said the explosion was adjacent to the Rizhskaya
(Riga) subway station and Krestovsky department store
• The bomb caused significant facility damage to the metro
station entrance - shattering doors and windows as well as
igniting 2 vehicles
• A female suicide bomber from Chechnya was identified in
the attack
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Suicide Bombing Strikes
Moscow
Modus Operandi
• According to Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, the bomber
tried to enter the metro station but turned around after
seeing two policemen near the entrance checking
documents and searching bags. She then detonated the
bomb in a crowd at Prospekt Mira - Peace Avenue
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Rizhskaya (Riga) metro station
• Moscow’s subway system could have been the intended
target
• The improvised explosive device contained up to 2.2
lbs. of explosives combined with several metal bolts to
maximize casualties
•FSB reported that the explosive used in the bombing was
Hexogen, which is the same explosive that was used in the
August 24 plane bombings
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Suicide Bombing Strikes
Moscow
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Suicide Bombing Suspect
• Press reports claim that a 29 year-old Chechen woman, Roza Nagayeva, blew
herself up outside of the Rizhskaya station
• Roza is the sister of Amanat Nagayeva, the woman suspected of detonating
the blast on board a Volga-AviaExpress Flight 1303, which crashed near Tula
on August 24
• The Moscow Times reported that Russian law enforcement recently
distributed photos of five suspected Chechen rebels including the two plane
bombing suspects Amanat Nagayeva and Satsita Dzhebirkhanova; Imam
Nagayeva; Maryam Taburova; and Roza Nagayeva
• The Moscow Times reports that four of the women are believed to
have traveled to Moscow in August to carry out suicide attacks
• Roza shared an apartment in Groznyy (Chechnya) with her sister,
Dzhebirkhanova and Taburova
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Similarities Between the
August Attacks
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
• The three attacks all used female suicide bombers
to target civilians
• The successful, well-planned attacks indicate that
the terrorists conducted significant pre-operational
surveillance
• The bombers used Hexogen, a solid, relatively safe
and inexpensive explosive
• The three terrorists were fully committed to
martyrdom
• They targeted various forms of public
transportation, disrupting traffic entering/exiting
Moscow
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Possible Motives for the
Attack
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
•
Retaliation attacks for the Kremlin-backed Chechen
Presidential Elections held on August 29. Former
Chechen President Akhmed Kadyrov, also backed by
Russia, was assassinated by Chechen Rebels in October
2003
• Possibly to undermine stability in Chechnya, as
Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses negotiation
with Chechen Rebels
• Russian officials claim a possible connection between
Chechen Rebels and al-Qaeda; Putin has suggested the
August 24 plane bombings are tied to international
terrorism
• No indicators suggest that Americans were targeted in
the attacks
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Increased Security Measures
in Moscow
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
• Police increased patrols and document checks at airports,
subway stations, and train stations
• Schools throughout Moscow increased security measures
and provided uniformed guards. According to press reports,
all 1,600 schools in the capital will soon be equipped
with close-circuit cameras and permanent security
guards
• Airlines that regularly conduct flights between
Moscow and the United States have increased
security measures to test passengers and their
luggage for explosives
• Security has been tightened at facilities of Russia’s
nuclear energy sector
• The Moscow authorities have canceled all official and
entertainment events planned for City Day, a holiday to
the anniversary
Moscow
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Female Suicide Bombers
Who?
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
“Black Widows”
• Chechen females who carry out suicide bombings missions in
revenge or desperation for losing husbands, brothers or fathers who
were affiliated with Chechen rebels
• Woman ideologically indoctrinated by Chechen-based Islamic
extremists
• They may be socially marginalized or ostracized by family
members
• They may be motivated by financial compensation
Why?
• Chechen woman are able to move around
more freely and inconspicuously than
Chechen men
• Social customs may preclude male
security guards from thoroughly
searching Muslim woman
• They have a tactical advantage by wearing
long, loose clothing to hide weapons
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Chronology Major Bomb
Blasts in Moscow Since 1999
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
• February 6, 2004 - A suicide bombing kills at least 39 people and injures more
than 100 on an underground train in Moscow. Russia blames Chechens for the attack
• December 9, 2003 - A suicide bomb attack kills at least six people opposite
Moscow's Kremlin. Another 13 people are wounded
• July 5, 2003 - Two female suicide bombers kill 15 people when they blow
themselves up at an open-air rock festival at Moscow's Tushino airfield. Sixty are
injured
• August 31, 1999 - A bomb explodes in an underground shopping center just
outside the walls of the Kremlin, injuring 20. Officials call it an act of terrorism but
do not link it specifically to Chechen militants
• September 9, 1999 - Bombs destroy apartment blocks in Moscow, Buynaksk and
Volgodonsk, killing more than 200 people. Moscow blames the Chechens, who in
turn accuse Russian secret services (Source: Reuters)
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russian School Siege
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
September 1, 2004 – September 3, 2004
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russian School Siege
Overview
September 1, 2004
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
 32 masked men and women with explosives and automatic
weapons, seized a school in North Ossetia holding over 1,000
civilians hostages, including over 200 children
 The attackers threatened to kill 50 children for every one
of their own killed and 20 for every one wounded
 The rebels provided a set of demands including the
immediate withdrawal and end of operations of federal
troops from Chechnya and the release of rebels arrested in
raids on Ingushetia in June 2003
 The New York Times reported that the attackers claimed to
be part of "The Second Group of Salakhin Riadus Shakhidi,“
affiliated to Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev
 326 casualties, including 156 children. Over 727 wounded
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russian School Siege
September 1, 2004
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Modus Operandi
 At approximately 0930 local time, between 32 terrorists stormed a Middle
School in Beslan, North Ossetia, 10 km west of the border with Ingushetia, and
opened fire in the courtyard as a ceremony marking the beginning of the school
year was taking place (the strategic date ensured that many parents were inside
along with teachers and children)
 Reports say the terrorists arrived from neighboring Ingushetia in a stolen
military truck. AFP reports that the rebels used renovation work as a cover to
plant arms and explosives in the school under construction material prior to the
attack
 The terrorists forced over 1,000 (unconfirmed number) children and adults in
to the school gym and wired the building and surrounding area with at least 15
IEDs while threatening to blow up the school if Federal forces tried to storm it
 Regional health officials initially reported that four people were killed and 10
wounded in the early hours of the siege, including two police officers guarding
the school who resisted the attackers
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russian School Siege
September 1, 2004
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
1 – Main Entrance
2 - Area where gunfire began
3 - Hostages were being held in the
school gym, which was reportedly
packed with explosives and mines
4 - Side entrance
5 - There were reports of children being
used as human shields at the back
windows
6 - As the attack began a number of
hostages hid in the boiler room and later
escaped (Source: BBC News)
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russia School Siege
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
September 1, 2004
Inside of the Gym
• The hostages were forced in the
center of the gym and were
surrounded with mines and bombs
connected together
• Bombs were taped to the walls and
suspended from the ceiling. Two
larger devices have been placed in the
basketball hoops
• Periodically the attackers fire their
guns to terrify the hostages and place
children along the windows to act as
human shields
• The terrorists refused to provide
water and food to the hostages
(Source: BBC News)
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russian School Siege
September 2, 2004
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Negotiations
 The attackers reportedly passed a note to security
forces demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops
from Chechnya and the release of Ingush militants who
were arrested in a June raid
 The terrorists refused to negotiate with anyone but
three men, including: North Ossetian President
Alexander Dzasokhov; Ingush President Murat
Zyazikov; and Leonid Roshal, a doctor who negotiated
with the Chechen rebels in the 2002 Dubrovka Theater
seizure in Moscow
Militants fired rocketpropelled grenades at
two cars that got too
close to the school
 26 hostages, including women and children, were
released Tuesday morning due to efforts made by
negotiators
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russian School Siege
Storming the School
Friday, September 3, 2004
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
 1249 – Russian officials made an agreement with the rebels to send in
vehicles to remove dead bodies from the September 1 attacks
 1305 - Shortly after the vehicles arrived, terrorists began shooting at the
Russian personnel approaching the bodies. At the same time some of the
children began running from the gym and terrorists began shooting at them
 1320 - Two explosions were heard and the shooting intensified around the
school. (Media reports suggest that fighting began after a bomb fell off a
basketball hoop in the gym from a line of IEDS strung across the two hoops,
and detonated). Russian security forces began to storm the school and
several people were killed in the chaotic battle to free children, parents and
teachers who had been held hostage for 53 hours. Several hundred hostages
began to escape the school while gunfire was exchanged between soldiers
and rebels
 1335 - Commandos used low-yield explosions to make a hole in a school
wall to create another way out for hostages
 1630 – The hostage seizure crisis at the school appeared to be ending
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russia School Siege
Storming the School
Friday, September 3, 2004
The Stand-off
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Storming the School
(Source: BBC News)
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russian School Siege
Storming the School
Friday, September 3, 2004
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
 Immediately Following the Siege - According to media reports three hostage-takers
are blocked up in the basement of the Beslan school, including the leader of the group,
and an unknown number of hostages – some of them children (Interfax)
 Ongoing - Security forces have launched an operation in downtown Beslan, North
Ossetia, to track down the terrorists who may have escaped from the school building
after the release of hostages. Some of the terrorists changed from their militants’ gear to
civilian clothing and were able evade security forces
 Ongoing – Local officials are searching for two female terrorists that escaped
reportedly wearing “suicide belts” under their clothes in Beslan
 Deputy Prosecutor Sergei Fridinsky stated that 32 attackers had seized the school and
30 of them had been killed - one attacker was in custody - ten of them from Arab
countries
 Interfax reported more than 326 dead hostages were found in the gymnasium. An
estimated 727 hostages were wounded, including approximately 156 children (No
casualty count has been confirmed; RIA-Novosti reports that 200 are still missing)
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russian School Siege
Suspected Terrorists
• The Russian authorities are blaming Chechen separatists, who have
been fighting for independence from Moscow for the past decade
• The New York Times reported that a spokesman for the attackers
said they were part of "The Second Group of Salakhin Riadus
Shakhidi." Salakhin Riadus Shakhidi is a battalion of suicide fighters
formed and headed by Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev
• Itar-Tass reported that the attack had been planned by Shamil
Basayev and led by field commander Magomet Yevloyev. The
source said there was information that it had been financed by Abu
Omar As-Seyf, who was believed to be al-Qaeda's representative in
Chechnya
• Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov has denied that his forces
were involved in the siege, but did not rule out a “Basayev
accomplice” as being responsible
• Additional reports also suggest that Ingush rebels who attacked
security forces in Ingushetia in June; or a North Ossetian-based rebel
group may also be the suspected terrorists
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Shamil Basayev
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russia
Public Announcement
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
The US Department of State issued the following Public
Announcement on September 3, 2004:
This Public Announcement is being issued to alert American citizens traveling or living in Russia
that the potential for terrorist actions is high. Since August 24, 2004, Russia has experienced several
terrorist incidents apparently linked to the ongoing hostilities in Chechnya, a republic of the
Russian Federation. This Public Announcement expires on March 3, 2005.
On August 24, two airplanes departing from Moscow to cities in southern Russia crashed within
minutes of each other. The cause of the crashes, which claimed 90 lives, has been identified as
explosives onboard the planes. On the same night, an explosion at a bus stop in Moscow injured
several people. On August 31, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb outside a Moscow metro station
killing ten people and injuring several dozen more.
On September 1, a group of armed individuals believed linked to Chechen separatists seized a
school in the Russian republic of North Ossetia, holding hostage several hundred students, parents
and teachers.
Acts of terrorism, including bombings and hostage taking, have occurred in large Russian cities
over the last several years. Bombings have occurred at Russian government buildings, hotels,
tourist sites, markets, residential complexes, entertainment venues and on public transportation.
See Next Slide to Continue….
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Russia
Public Announcement (Cont.)
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
At this time, there is no indication that American citizens or identifiable American installations are being
targeted. However, the possibility of an American citizen being a random victim of these attacks exists.
American citizens traveling or living in Russia are advised that, currently, the potential for terrorist actions,
including actions against civilians, is high and likely will remain so for some time. American citizens in Russia
should exercise caution and remain vigilant and aware of these heightened risks when planning use of or using
any form of public transportation. American citizens should also avoid large public gatherings that lack
enhanced security measures.
Due to continued civil and political unrest throughout much of the Caucasus region, the Department of State
already warns U.S. citizens against travel to Chechnya and all areas that border it: North Sestina, Ingushetia,
Dagestan, Stavropoulos, Karachayevo-Cherkessiya and Kabardino-Balkariya. United states government
personnel are prohibited from traveling to these areas, and American citizens residing in these areas should
depart immediately as the safety of Americans and other foreigners cannot be effectively guaranteed.
American citizens living in Russia or traveling there are strongly urged to register with the embassy or nearest
consulate general. Registration will allow the embassy to provide direct information on the security situation as
necessary. Information on registering with the embassy can be found at the embassy web www.usembassy.ru or
at the Department of State's Consular Affairs website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/abroad_registration.html.
As the Department continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas,
it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the
Internet at http://travel.state.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date
information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. or outside the U.S. and
Canada on a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328.
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Useful Websites
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
1. U.S Department of State Consular Affairs, Russia Public Announcement
http://travel.state.gov/travel/russia_announce.html
2. U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs, Consular Information Sheet,
Russia
http://travel.state.gov/travel/russia.html
3. Overseas Security Advisory Council, 2004 Crime and Safety Report,
Russia
http://www.ds-osac.org/view.cfm?key=7744564A40&type=3D13151D011112
4. U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia
http://www.usembassy.ru
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Contact Information
BUREAU OF DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
Billy Alfano
Overseas Security Advisory Council
International Security Specialist for Western Europe
(571) 345-2235
[email protected]
Editor’s Note: This report was derived from various media sources including Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, BBC News,
CNN, Interfax, International Herald Tribune, Itar-Tass, Moscow Times, New York Times, and various unclassified Embassy reporting.
Notice: "The contents of this email in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State,
or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements).