Russia was the target of terrorism on Monday afternoon as a suicide bomber blew himself up at Moscow's Domodedvo Airport, the country's busiest airport. The blast killed at least 35 an injured more than 170 in the airport's international arrivals terminal. Mass chaos ensued as the terminal quickly filled with smoke and hundreds of survivors fled for safety.
"There was already a lot of smoke at the baggage claim area. There were a lot of people crowded there because the escalator stopped. The staff organized emergency exits, but the door was very narrow, and people crowded there immediately. So, the staff started breaking the walls to let the people out," said Tatyana Papova, an eyewitness in the terminal.
President Demitri Medvedev called it an act of terrorism and immediately tightened security at Moscow's two other airports and key transportation facilities. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast, but extremist Islamic militants in the country's region of Chechnya have been blamed for previous attacks in Moscow. This is the second terrorist attack in less than a year to a major transportation hub in Moscow. Two female suicide bombers killed 40 last March in an attack on a subway station in the city.
Quotes
"The bomber set off the bomb that did create a very large amount of damage in the airport and a lot of devastation to the people who were waiting there. We have reason to believe that a lot of the victims were probably taxi drivers looking for fares." --Will Englund, The Washington Post
"There was already a lot of smoke at the baggage claim area. There were a lot of people crowded there because the escalator stopped. The staff organized emergency exits, but the door was very narrow, and people crowded there immediately. So, the staff started breaking the walls to let the people out." --Tatyana Papova, an eyewitness in the terminal.
Warm Up Questions
1. What is terrorism?
2. What are terrorists motives?
3. Where is Moscow?
Discussion Questions
1. What does it mean to be proactive as oppose to reactive when it comes to terrorism?
2. According to the video, when was the last time Russia was the target of a terrorist attack?
3. Since 9/11, can you name a few precautionary measures the United States has made to combat terrorism?
Additional Resources
