MOSCOW, Sept. 17 - A thousand rubles, or about $34, was enough to bribe an airline agent to put a Chechen woman on board a flight just before takeoff, according to Russian investigators. The agent took the cash, and on a ticket the Chechen held for another flight simply scrawled, "Admit on board Flight 1047."
The woman was admitted onto the flight, while a companion boarded another plane leaving Moscow's Domodedovo Airport the same evening. Hours later, both planes exploded in midair almost simultaneously, killing all 90 people aboard.
A string of procedural breakdowns that let the two female suicide bombers board the planes last month brought home how deeply bribery, extortion and negligence are ingrained in Russia's security system. Many Russians consider their law enforcement authorities to be as crooked as the criminals they are supposed to catch.
This sort of behavior is the hallmark of a third-world country. As Putin centralizes power expect things to get worse.
It's odd that Americans readily recognize that Moscow grabbing more power is clearly a move toward a less free society, but have no problem with candidates who try to centralize power in Washington.
Posted by Walter at September 18, 2004 07:31 AM