9 people linked to Moscow attack detained; US says it warned Kremlin

LAUREN TAYLOR

TAJIKISTAN’S NATIONAL SECURITY COMMITTEE DETAINED AT LEAST NINE PEOPLE WITH ALLEGED TIES TO THE CROCUS CITY HALL ATTACK IN MOSCOW THAT KILLED 143 PEOPLE.

IT’S UNCLEAR WHETHER THE NINE PEOPLE FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES OR IF MOSCOW WAS SEEKING THEIR EXTRADITION — THEY ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH ISLAMIC STATE KHORASAN WHO CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEADLY ATTACK.

ON THURSDAY, US NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, JOHN KIRBY, SAID THE US HAD REPEATEDLY WARNED RUSSIA OF POTENTIAL EXTREMIST ATTACKS LEADING UP TO THE MASS SHOOTING, SAYING:

On March the 7th, at 11:15 in the morning, Moscow time, following normal procedures and through established channels that have been employed many times previously, the United States government passed a warning in writing to Russian security services.

KIRBY ADDED THE FOLLOWING DAY THE STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUED A WARNING ADVISING AMERICAN CITIZENS IN MOSCOW TO STEER CLEAR OF LARGE GATHERINGS AND CONCERTS IN MOSCOW. 

MOSCOW BLAMED RADICAL ISLAMISTS, UKRAINE AND ITS WESTERN ALLIES FOR THE DEADLIEST ATTACK IN RUSSIA SINCE 2004.

RUSSIA ALLEGES THE INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CROCUS CITY HALL ATTACK WERE FUNDED WITH SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS FROM UKRAINE — AND THAT AMERICAN OFFICIALS WITHHELD DETAILS OF THE PLANNED ATTACK FROM RUSSIA, FEARING EXPOSURE OF US INTELLIGENCE PRACTICES.

IN A TELEVISED SPEECH, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN SAID PRELIMINARY DATA INDICATES UKRAINE ALLOWED TERRORISTS TO SECRETLY CROSS THE BORDER, PROMISING TO PUNISH THOSE BEHIND THE CROCUS CITY HALL ATTACK.

NINA KHRUSHCHEVA
PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | THE NEW SCHOOL

“So, of course, for the Kremlin, they need that story to be Ukrainian, whether it’s true or not. And that’s what they are obviously pushing. And it is kind of inconvenient. And that’s why they’re actually implicating the United States, when the United States and other intelligences said: “Well, it is ISIS,” and (that) ISIS-K did take responsibility.

LAUREN TAYLOR

AT THURSDAY’S PRESS BRIEFING, KIRBY CALLED THE ACCUSATIONS “NONSENSE” AND “PROPAGANDA” LIKENING RUSSIAN OFFICIALS TO “GOOD MANURE SALESMEN.”