Hot Topics: Russia-U.S. » | Hostage Crisis » See Also: No resolution in sight as Moscow tensions rise | 24-Oct-2002 Official: Woman was shot trying to escape | 24-Oct-2002 Three explosions near Moscow hostage theatre | 24-Oct-2002
MOSCOW - U.S. Ambassador to Russia said Thursday that the U.S. security services were cooperating with their Russian counterparts to help release hundreds of hostages, including three U.S. citizens and one permanent U.S. resident who are held by Chechen gunmen at a Moscow theater.
Ambassador Alexander Vershbow did not give the names or gender of the U.S. hostages, saying the information was not 100-percent clear. He said that one of the U.S. citizens had called the Embassy on a cellphone, and another one, a woman, called her relatives in the United States and "we heard through them of her presence among the hostages."
"We don't have reliable information as to their condition," Vershbow told reporters.
A U.S. Embassy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that there was no immediate indication that any of the U.S. hostages had been hurt. He said that the U.S. hostage who called the embassy was a man, and the call was received early Thursday. The diplomat added that the two U.S. citizens and a Green Card holder among the hostages were women.
Vershbow said that President George W. Bush had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday in which he "expressed our condemnation of the terrorist act" and "offered any support and assistance that the United States could provide."
Vershbow said that the U.S. security services were working together with their Russian counterparts to help free the hostages.
"Our security services have been in close contact since the beginning of the crisis," Vershbow told reporters. "We're working with the FSB (Russia's Federal Security Service) and others on the scene in the hopes that the release of hostages can be facilitated quickly."
Vershbow added that the U.S. administration would provide Russia with any sensitive information that might help free the hostages.
"In the spirit of what we have been doing since last September we're prepared to share any relevant intelligence that we may acquire that could assist in the resolution of this crisis," Vershbow said.
"We call upon the terrorists to release all the hostages - American, Russian and all other nationalities - immediately and without conditions," Vershbow said, adding that the hostage-taking would turn the world public opinion against the rebels.
"I don't think this is going in any way help the Chechen cause, but can only create more the sense of outrage about anyone who uses terrorist means to try to achieve political ends," Vershbow said. "There can be absolutely no justification for the seizure of innocent civilians in pursuit of any political cause whatsoever."
He said that the United States continues to believe that the Chechen conflict can only be solved by political means, but "this is not the way to get to a political process." The Associated Press
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