• Gunmen stormed a concert hall in Moscow on Friday, killing at least 60 people and injuring more than 100.
  • Earlier this month, the US embassy issued a security alert warning of a potential terror attack.
  • Just days ago, Vladimir Putin dismissed the idea as “blackmail” from the West.

Earlier this month, the US embassy in Russia issued a security alert warning about a potential terror attack in Moscow and urged people to avoid crowds, monitor local media for updates, and be aware of surroundings.

“The Embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours,” the March 7 security alert said.

Putin addressed the warnings a couple weeks later, criticizing the warning three days ago as “provocative.”

“All this resembles outright blackmail and the intention to intimidate and destabilize our society,” Putin said, according to state media reporting on his remarks.

The US embassy issued another alert on Friday saying it was “aware” of the attack and urged Americans to avoid the area.

  • @[email protected]
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    1879 months ago

    Hot damn. So I kind of understand why the Russians would dismiss this as a lie or a threat because yknow. War in Ukraine, Trump, etc, relations are bad to put it politely.

    But can we talk about what kind of terrifying flex of power that is from US Intelligence? It’s one thing to predict a terror attack on your own soil- sure your citizens quite rightfully won’t like the privacy violations, but the national authorities are going to help you; so if your intelligence agency is worth the name it should stop most attacks.

    But can you imagine having information access that’s so damn good you can not only predict a terror attack in a nation that has an extremely vested interest in not letting you know what they’re doing because they’re running a war that you (and everyone else) don’t like, but you feel completely confident TELLING THEM, which could risk your information sources if they’re not properly hidden. This is like the Foreign Intelligence equivalent of being so far ahead of your opponent in a game that you start giving them sincere advice on how to play so that they don’t get thrashed too badly.

    • WhatTrees
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      1029 months ago

      It reminds me a bit of the US intelligence saying that Russia was going to invade Ukraine and attempt to make it all the way to Kiev while Russia was adamant that it would never happen.

      The other thing to note is that all countries have an “obligation to report” which requires them to report evidence of terror attacks to any county that would be the victim, even if they are a hostile nation. As much as “US bad” is true, it’s frankly refreshing to see us do the right thing so publicly, even if it was only as a way to make Putin look bad.

      • NaibofTabr
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        569 months ago

        US intelligence called the day and the hour the invasion would start, as well as the route the first military group would take. I remember at the time people were speculating that Russia would call it off or change plans because their operation had been so thoroughly blown, while a lot of global media was just accusing the US of warmongering. Russia just plowed ahead with their invasion anyway.

        • @assassin_aragorn
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          159 months ago

          It ended up being a good litmus test. The people who were being genuine admitted they were completely wrong, like Snowden. Others never said they were wrong in their doubts, and they’re generally grifters.

          • @[email protected]
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            149 months ago

            Snowden just says whatever the Russian government tells him to say or he’ll fall out of a window.

            • Jojo
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              29 months ago

              There’s defense, and there’s defenestration.

      • @WarlordSdocy
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        359 months ago

        It wasn’t just Russia who was saying that wasn’t gonna happen, basically everyone outside the US thought it wouldn’t happen cause it would be a really stupid thing to do. Then it turned out they did it and it was really stupid and I think a lot of people were surprised the US was telling the truth and it wasn’t just fearmongering.

      • Phoenixz
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        -139 months ago

        Countries have an obligation to report

        Are you kidding? Almost all terror attacks are one way or another sponsored by counties and governments who are all too happy to see another country suffer.

    • Atelopus-zeteki
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      479 months ago

      Strategically, from the US perspective, it was an enormously effective flex. It doesn’t matter what Putin says to his people, or the world, but now he knows that the US knew, and could have said nothing. Charles de Gaulle once said, “No nation has friends, only interests.”

      • @Bye
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        99 months ago

        Pretty sure Kissinger said that; the us does not have allies or enemies, only interests.

        • Deebster
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          189 months ago

          We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.
          Lord Palmerston, House of Commons, 1 March 1848

          People says Kissenger paraphrased this with “America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests” - afaik there’s no evidence of this but either way the quote’s older than he is.

            • Atelopus-zeteki
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              49 months ago

              First thing I pulled up said it was de Gaulle. I rather suspect Kissinger got it from de Gaulle, who got it from Palmerston. My point is that I didn’t make it up. And this thread demonstrates that it is a long standing sentiment.

              • @[email protected]
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                39 months ago

                Honestly its one of those sentiments thats probably been around for millenia. A similar pair of qoutes comes to mind.

                “Speak sofly and carry a big stick” -Theodore Roosevelt

                “Hope for peace prepare for war” -Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus

      • @[email protected]
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        69 months ago

        This is true, but sometimes strategic interests actually does line up with the morally correct thing to do.

          • @[email protected]
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            19 months ago

            It actually happens most of the time, but people peacefully coexisting with one another is boring and war is exciting. So we tend to only talk about the war. Lately it’s gotten so people have been actively denying peace and cooperation even exist which is really bizarre.

            Go outside touch grass yadda yadda, and consider traveling to any of the many many countries of the world that aren’t in a war. You’ll find that peace and cooperation is actually the norm, and the fucked up scenarios you see on the news are actually the exceptions.

    • @johannesvanderwhales
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      219 months ago

      America’s relationship with Russia is complicated. But they’re pretty motivated to see ISIS go down. Something like this is a big recruiting event.

      • @[email protected]
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        89 months ago

        was looking at a lemmygrad post on this attack earlier.

        They’re convinced that ISIS is a current CIA asset

        • Flying SquidM
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          79 months ago

          Everything they don’t like is caused by the CIA according to them. Apparently, the CIA has unlimited and omnipotent power… which is why it’s weird that they’re expecting a glorious revolution.

    • @[email protected]
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      139 months ago

      I’d wager they knew it was legit but didn’t care if, or even preferred, it happened. They’re playing a table top game with real lives.

      • @[email protected]
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        109 months ago

        If they weren’t currently engaged in a war in Ukraine, this might be the case. Could get the country to rally around Putin as he goes on a big military campaign in Chechnya/Syria/Africa/wherever to get revenge against ISIS.

        But Russia currently doesn’t have the military resources for this, so it just make Putin weak and incompetent for being unable to protect Russians from the terrorists.

      • @irreticent
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        89 months ago

        Exactly. When I read it I assumed it was a false flag attack. I mean, Putin doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to bombing his own people.

      • @[email protected]
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        59 months ago

        if they knew it was legit why didn’t they just say nothing? it’s weird Putin is on record saying it won’t happen, right before it happened. makes him look stupid.

        tbh though I’d be surprised if they genuinely had no idea, how can their intelligence be so much worse in their own country?

        • @AlpacaChariot
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          19 months ago

          Their own assets are probably busy in Ukraine or trying to combat Ukrainian infiltrators

    • @Kyrgizion
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      39 months ago

      Moles. Moles EVERYWHERE.

    • @[email protected]
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      29 months ago

      This could escalate the situation a lot of Russia gets hell bent in blaming Ukraine or the US.

      Even from an extremely cold perspective, there’s little strategical benefit for the US on this, and it’s a wild card.

      • capital
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        209 months ago

        Then told Putin the exact plan, knowing 100% that he wouldn’t act on the information? God damn, we’re fucking amazing.

        • @John_McMurray
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          -189 months ago

          Your president once gave Saddam Hussein the green light to invade Kuwait.

          • capital
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            179 months ago

            I had curry for dinner.

            Sorry, are we just mentioning irrelevant shit?

      • xor
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        59 months ago

        Okay, what’s your evidence? The public advance warning? Their long history of backing isis /s?

      • @[email protected]
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        39 months ago

        I’m not sure why you’re getting downvoted, I have been saying for years the weather man is causing the storms and they call me crazy.

  • @[email protected]
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    789 months ago

    There’s a passage in the book ‘The Godfather’ that everyone should read and understand.

    One of the most powerful Mafia families in New York rose to power because they were willing to kill people over garbage collection. All the businesses needed trash hauling, and nobody was crazy enough to risk their life to compete with murderers.

    Putin wasn’t a genius who gained power through subtle moves; he was a shark who ate up anyone in his way.

    • @MyDogLovesMe
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      199 months ago

      It’s just business, nothing personal.

      At the end, …it’s all personal.

      I swear nobody got that. People say that line and I’m like ‘Well, fuck you very much if you read the book’.

          • @John_McMurray
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            69 months ago

            You know that whole thing is a Greek tragedy reference? Sonny’s massive dick comes from.the same logic Michelangelos’ David has a tiny one. There’s more to it, but it amounts to “Sonny was an animal and died like one”

            • This is fine🔥🐶☕🔥
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              19 months ago

              Yea but I’m not talking about Sonny’s enormous bratwurst. I’m referring to the whole subplot of that chick later meeting a plastic surgeon and getting her kitty tightened.

  • Jay
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    449 months ago

    For being able to speak bullshit so fluently you think he’d be better at telling the difference, but the last couple of years have really proven otherwise.

    • @WhatAmLemmy
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      459 months ago

      Luckily, he could not care any less about the lives he destroys.

      Russian or otherwise, they’re nothing but lambs to the slaughter to an unbridled sociopath.

      • @[email protected]
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        19 months ago

        Being a sociopath helps being an effective leader. And he has been an effective leader. Just that the outcomes that he wanted were unattainable by the sociopathic means he’s been using.

  • @eran_morad
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    9 months ago

    Highlights what a pathetic, weak little shit he truly is. Edit: it’s also telling how he assumes the warning was meant to destabilize russian society. What a scourge he has been on the world.

    • @[email protected]
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      319 months ago

      It also points out that his own intelligence agencies don’t have the ability to gather information as well as the Americans, nor to properly assess information they get handed to them on a silver platter.

      • @[email protected]
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        59 months ago

        Yeah there may be consequences for doing a lot of purges in a country’s intelligence apparatus.

      • Natanael
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        59 months ago

        Or if they’re like Israel, they do but the leadership rejects the warnings

      • @eran_morad
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        9 months ago

        It draws many sharp contrasts with the West.

  • MushuChupacabra
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    359 months ago

    Putin is lucky that the attack happened after the election. I think he’d have only won about eighty-one percent of the popular vote.

  • @ATDA
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    269 months ago

    Isis does in fact want to destabilize your county, what a dipshit.

  • KillingTimeItself
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    229 months ago

    US being the funny but albeit rather eerie kid in the class is probably my favorite meta.

      • KillingTimeItself
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        09 months ago

        considering the energy this post brings, i think it’s fair to say it was the US government that did that part. I just expanded upon it, lol.

  • @[email protected]
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    79 months ago

    Pretty sure that would only be blackmail if it was Putin’s plan. Is he trying to take credit away from ISIS or was it a Freudian slip?

  • AutoTL;DRB
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    29 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed US warnings about a potential terror incident in Moscow just days before gunmen attacked a concert hall in the city on Friday.

    At least 40 people are dead and more than 100 are injured after multiple armed individuals stormed the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, state-run news agency TASS reported, citing Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, which called the incident a “terrorist attack.”

    According to Russian state media, the unidentified gunmen were armed with assault rifles and opened fire in the lobby of the building before moving into the main concern hall, where a band was scheduled to perform.

    Earlier this month, the US embassy in Russia issued a security alert warning about a potential terror attack in Moscow and urged people to avoid crowds, monitor local media for updates, and be aware of surroundings.

    Though concerts were mentioned as a potential target in the US security alert, it is unclear at this time if Friday’s attack is related to the threats that Washington was tracking.

    “We strongly condemn the horrendous attack carried out at a concert hall in Moscow,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.


    The original article contains 404 words, the summary contains 193 words. Saved 52%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

    • Troy
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      609 months ago

      Easier to infiltrate terrorist networks – networks are, well, networks. Most school shootings are independent actors, even if radicalized online.

      Now, if you’re asking about why they haven’t implemented decent gun control laws…

  • @mlg
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    9 months ago

    I seriously doubt there was any conspiracy involved in this.

    But I wouldn’t be surprised if there was.

    • @[email protected]
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      99 months ago

      More than one person was involved in a plan to kill a bunch of people. That’s pretty clearly a conspiracy. The only thing to debate is, who’s conspiracy.

    • @nammi
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      9 months ago

      Very peculiar how people openly accept that the CIA knew, but can’t entertain the idea that they would be behind it. How else would they know?