Terror attack in St.Petersburg Metro, 14 dead

[Risottia]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39481770

Two bombs killed ten and injured many today in the St.Petersburg Metro. No claims about responsibility so far, but there have been similar attacks in Russia in the recent past, usually perpetrated by Islamic extremists from Chechnya, so that's where the blame is going to fall at least until further information.

Some sites report public rejoicing by the so-called "Syrian opposition", too. (as reported by Italian RaiNews24 channel)

Edit: If you're in St.Petersburg: Metro is being evacuated and shut down on all lines. Don't rush around, follow the orders of the police and of the emergency services. If you're not Russian, get in contact with your local consulate for suggestions and to confirm that you're fine.

Edit2: Security measures are being hardened throughout Russia, including the Moscow Metro and airports nationwide.

Edit3: Prime suspect is a Russian citizen of Kyrgyz origin. Death toll has risen to 14 following the death of hospitalised victims. Only one bomb exploded, the other fizzled and was detonated safely by the police.

[G-Tech Corporation]

My prayers go to the Russian people. We may not see eye to eye over some of their elected officials' views, but terrorism is a stain anywhere.

[Alvecia]

Well shit.
Condolences to the victims and their families, but I can't help wonder if this might spur some aggressive action from Russia.
Don't poke the bear and all that.

[AsReil]

Putin was there shortly before... sounds like an attempted assassination to me

[Risottia]

Putin was there shortly before... sounds like an attempted assassination to me

I don't think the President of the RFR travels by metro.

[Internationalist Bastard]

Of course. Which group claimed responsibility?

[Risottia]

Of course. Which group claimed responsibility?

None yet. But sure the Chechen extremists will be the prime suspects.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Heard about this on the radio this morning, taking son to school. Dammitall, don't care who it happens to or who's behind it, this shit has got to stop. Hope no one from our own community here at least was affected directly, feel badly for the people who have been.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Some sites report public rejoicing by the so-called "Syrian opposition", too. (as reported by Italian RaiNews24 channel)

Oh, also, this.

Yeah, gonna chalk that up to extremely understandable humanity, despite how it will be used to paint moderate opposition as "Islamic terrorists".

Given how many of their friends/comrades/family members have been killed by Russian airstrikes and her ally good old Bashar "Bloodyhanded" al-Assad, I would be cheering in their shoes too.

[Internationalist Bastard]

Heard about this on the radio this morning, taking son to school. Dammitall, don't care who it happens to or who's behind it, this shit has got to stop. Hope no one from our own community here at least was affected directly, feel badly for the people who have been.

I have friends in St Petersburg, can't contact them.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Heard about this on the radio this morning, taking son to school. Dammitall, don't care who it happens to or who's behind it, this shit has got to stop. Hope no one from our own community here at least was affected directly, feel badly for the people who have been.

I have friends in St Petersburg, can't contact them.

I am really sorry, man. Hang in there though - communication lines are likely packed right now, and security high with a lot of confusion. They're probably just fine, in all likelihood - and I sincerely hope that in time that's proven true.

[Internationalist Bastard]

I have friends in St Petersburg, can't contact them.

I am really sorry, man. Hang in there though - communication lines are likely packed right now, and security high with a lot of confusion. They're probably just fine, in all likelihood - and I sincerely hope that in time that's proven true.

Thanks, I mean it

[AsReil]

Putin was there shortly before... sounds like an attempted assassination to me

I don't think the President of the RFR travels by metro.

Either way, it was a scare tactic. Diversion maybe?

[Hakons]

Some sites report public rejoicing by the so-called "Syrian opposition", too. (as reported by Italian RaiNews24 channel)

Oh, also, this.

Yeah, gonna chalk that up to extremely understandable humanity, despite how it will be used to paint moderate opposition as "Islamic terrorists".

Given how many of their friends/comrades/family members have been killed by Russian airstrikes and her ally good old Bashar "Bloodyhanded" al-Assad, I would be cheering in their shoes too.

So they should cheer the deaths of civilians that had no part in the war in Syria? That is not understandable humanity...

[G-Tech Corporation]

So they should cheer the deaths of civilians that had no part in the war in Syria? That is not understandable humanity...

Should? Eh, that's a moral question, which is knotty to unravel. Most people would say they shouldn't. But given the level of hatred that exists for Russia in some quarters of Syria on account of their geopolitical actions, yeah, that actually is understandable human weakness. Revenge and joy at watching your enemies suffer are pretty primitive baseline.

[Barboneia]

Shit, heard about this. An Australian friend of mine said that one of his friends and their niece died in it. Horrible.

[Hakons]

So they should cheer the deaths of civilians that had no part in the war in Syria? That is not understandable humanity...

Should? Eh, that's a moral question, which is knotty to unravel. Most people would say they shouldn't. But given the level of hatred that exists for Russia in some quarters of Syria on account of their geopolitical actions, yeah, that actually is understandable human weakness. Revenge and joy at watching your enemies suffer are pretty primitive baseline.

That's somewhat understandable, but understandable does not make it right. Once again, the civilians in St. Petersburg likely had nothing to do with the Syrian war. Some may even have been in opposition against Putin and his actions.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Should? Eh, that's a moral question, which is knotty to unravel. Most people would say they shouldn't. But given the level of hatred that exists for Russia in some quarters of Syria on account of their geopolitical actions, yeah, that actually is understandable human weakness. Revenge and joy at watching your enemies suffer are pretty primitive baseline.

That's somewhat understandable, but understandable does not make it right. Once again, the civilians in St. Petersburg likely had nothing to do with the Syrian war. Some may even have been in opposition against Putin and his actions.

Mhm. Like I said, morality is dodgy. But understandable? You betcha. Hell, I'll bet some people would be happy even if the only civilians killed were, say, Swedish citizens, since the bombings makes Putin's government look less invincible.

[Novus America]

Should? Eh, that's a moral question, which is knotty to unravel. Most people would say they shouldn't. But given the level of hatred that exists for Russia in some quarters of Syria on account of their geopolitical actions, yeah, that actually is understandable human weakness. Revenge and joy at watching your enemies suffer are pretty primitive baseline.

That's somewhat understandable, but understandable does not make it right. Once again, the civilians in St. Petersburg likely had nothing to do with the Syrian war. Some may even have been in opposition against Putin and his actions.

True, but you have to have understand how emotional people get when maybe their family was killed by Russian bombs. Obviously looking at things is a calm manner, one could say yes it is wrong to celebrate the deaths of civilians who were not involved.

That being said, when you are caught in middle of a brutal war with war crimes being committed by both sides, staying calm is not easy for everyone to do.

So it is still understandable while people would be angry or emotional enough to celebrate innocent deaths, without condoning that attitude.

Remember it is easy for us to say. When we are not living in middle of the hell that is much of Syria.

Remember how many Americans treated Japanese people after Pearl Harbor for example.
People get angry. Emotions are higher than you or I can imagine.

Understanding humanity is understanding humans are emotional animals, not always calm purely rational people. In these scenarios it is nearly impossible to stay calm and purely rational.

[United Trade Republics of Tilea]

Meanwhile in Russia after just one or two hours after the accident a lot of "liberal" bloggers are blaming Putin and saying that it is a reminder to the Russian people what happens when they try to say something against him (like the Navalny "anti-corruption miting" a week ago). Yeah, great thinkers.
I really don't know what is worse: our corrupt government or our goddamn crazy opposition.

[United Muscovite Nations]

Lord have mercy. I'll have to talk to some of my Russian friends to see if they know anyone in the area.

[Geilinor]

Should? Eh, that's a moral question, which is knotty to unravel. Most people would say they shouldn't. But given the level of hatred that exists for Russia in some quarters of Syria on account of their geopolitical actions, yeah, that actually is understandable human weakness. Revenge and joy at watching your enemies suffer are pretty primitive baseline.

That's somewhat understandable, but understandable does not make it right. Once again, the civilians in St. Petersburg likely had nothing to do with the Syrian war. Some may even have been in opposition against Putin and his actions.

The rejoicing doesn't mean that they did it.

[Vassenor]

That's somewhat understandable, but understandable does not make it right. Once again, the civilians in St. Petersburg likely had nothing to do with the Syrian war. Some may even have been in opposition against Putin and his actions.

The rejoicing doesn't mean that they did it.

Are you telling me that all the people who celebrated Margret Thatcher's death weren't personally responsible for assassinating her?

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

It is an unfortunate fact that it is all too easy to pass judgement when we are safe in our living rooms, or cafes, or at work, or wherever, passing out high-minded diktats and noting what should and should not be done in times of peace or crisis. Equally, as others have pointed out, the dehumanization of one another when put into the focus of nations versus individuals, large groups as opposed to the leadership thereof, it is also all too easy to count strikes against one another as a point, or check in an ongoing struggle. Especially when one has been experiencing the fallout firsthand - literally in many cases.

Unfortunately, politics being what it is, and the nationalistic fervor and/or patriotism that goes along in the wake of an attack, those all too human emotions get invariably used to point out who is and isn't worthy of compassion, who is and isn't 'against us', who is and isn't the 'bad guy' in any given situation. History continues to repeat itself that way. You can point to nearly every political thread on this forum alone for proof, be it 9-11 discussion, any of the bombings anywhere since then, BLM protests, Pipeline issues - and that's just a handful of 'within recent memory or larger instances' examples.

Trump used it in his campaign, turning a handful of folks into 'thousands camped out on rooftops' or whatever he was spewing. People use these sorts of plain gawdawful circumstances to spin up their own angles all over the place. And you can bet it'll happen with this one as well. Putin already has created a divide over Russia's actions there, and previously in the Ukraine. We started shit up back with the Obama administration in Syria, iirc, and there's divides of opinion on all that too.

Bottom line? Our governments and other factions all over the world are causing the suffering of civilians either through direct action, through subversive interventions, or by inaction where horrible things are going on, and nothing is being done about it. And repercussions happen on account - like this bombing here. Nothing excuses any of it, really. To governments and organizations on that level, it's numbers. To those affected, it's individuals, lives, loss. And for the larger groups to use the human reactions to their actions as further proof of ongoing strategies is always a sort of travesty.

Am rambling on here probably. Just feel awful for all the innocents affected in all of this, wherever they're from. Be it the station there today, all the way to the bombed-out alleyways and crumbling structures of Syria and other places still under fire, living in fear, never knowing if this breath may be their last. Sincerely wish we could just stop all of it, come to some mutual accord, help one another rebuild where its needed, and live in relative civility.

[Novus America]

It is an unfortunate fact that it is all too easy to pass judgement when we are safe in our living rooms, or cafes, or at work, or wherever, passing out high-minded diktats and noting what should and should not be done in times of peace or crisis. Equally, as others have pointed out, the dehumanization of one another when put into the focus of nations versus individuals, large groups as opposed to the leadership thereof, it is also all too easy to count strikes against one another as a point, or check in an ongoing struggle. Especially when one has been experiencing the fallout firsthand - literally in many cases.

Unfortunately, politics being what it is, and the nationalistic fervor and/or patriotism that goes along in the wake of an attack, those all too human emotions get invariably used to point out who is and isn't worthy of compassion, who is and isn't 'against us', who is and isn't the 'bad guy' in any given situation. History continues to repeat itself that way. You can point to nearly every political thread on this forum alone for proof, be it 9-11 discussion, any of the bombings anywhere since then, BLM protests, Pipeline issues - and that's just a handful of 'within recent memory or larger instances' examples.

Trump used it in his campaign, turning a handful of folks into 'thousands camped out on rooftops' or whatever he was spewing. People use these sorts of plain gawdawful circumstances to spin up their own angles all over the place. And you can bet it'll happen with this one as well. Putin already has created a divide over Russia's actions there, and previously in the Ukraine. We started shit up back with the Obama administration in Syria, iirc, and there's divides of opinion on all that too.

Bottom line? Our governments and other factions all over the world are causing the suffering of civilians either through direct action, through subversive interventions, or by inaction where horrible things are going on, and nothing is being done about it. And repercussions happen on account - like this bombing here. Nothing excuses any of it, really. To governments and organizations on that level, it's numbers. To those affected, it's individuals, lives, loss. And for the larger groups to use the human reactions to their actions as further proof of ongoing strategies is always a sort of travesty.

Am rambling on here probably. Just feel awful for all the innocents affected in all of this, wherever they're from. Be it the station there today, all the way to the bombed-out alleyways and crumbling structures of Syria and other places still under fire, living in fear, never knowing if this breath may be their last. Sincerely wish we could just stop all of it, come to some mutual accord, help one another rebuild where its needed, and live in relative civility.

Thing is this just reinforces itself. This will make Russia bomb Syria more mercilessly, and Syrians will get more angry, and so on.
Civility requires understanding, and common interests, a common goal. But when their are neither, civility is not going to happen.

Problem is in many cases you have no understanding, and mutually, exclusive, irreconcilable goals.