RUSSIA: BUDYONNOVSK: REBELS CLAIM TO HAVE 5 THOUSAND HOSTAGES

Russian/Nat The Chechen rebel commander who led an attack on the Russian town of Budyonnovsk says he has executed five hostages. Shamil Basayev is now warning that he will kill thousands of other captives unless Moscow calls immediate peace talks to end the fighting in Chechnya. Russian troops are surrounding Basayev and his men, who are inside the town’s hospital - where they claim to be holding 5-thousand people. Russian officials put the figure at no more than 1-thousand. Reporters wer