Trapped in Sinai, proud of Putin SHORTLY after Vladimir Putin became prime minister in 1999 Russia was hit by a string of apartment bombings that killed over 300 people. An enraged Mr Putin promised to “waste the terrorists in the outhouse”. By comparison, his response to the Metrojet crash in the Sinai peninsula has been curiously subdued. There have been no impassioned calls to avenge the 224 dead, only a brief televised offer of condolences.
Yet the consensus that terrorists brought down the airliner grows stronger each day. It is no longer just British and American officials who are saying it. Evidence from the flight recorder, the exit holes in the fuselage and the burn injuries sustained by passengers all point to a bomb. The main suspect is the Sinai Province of the Islamic State, the group which initially claimed responsibility.
Judging by Mr Putin’s decision last week to cancel flights to Egypt and evacuate some 80,000 Russian tourists, he too gives credence to the terrorism scenario. Nonetheless, his chief-of-staff insists that a bombing is “just one of the versions” and that the investigation…
