President Bush has condemned the Chechen gunmen who held hundreds of Moscow theatergoers hostage. Russian forces stormed the building Saturday. Authorities say 50 rebels, and at least 90 hostages were killed in a four day ordeal.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says President Bush "abhors" the loss of innocent lives in the violence created by what he called Chechen "terrorists."
Mr. Fleischer says it is "a reminder of the risk to the free world that terrorists present."
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the events show there is no country that immune from terrorist attacks.
"I am glad that the crisis has been resolved, but at the same time, I regret the loss of innocent life. Once again it demonstrates that terrorism can strike anywhere and we have to be on guard," Mr. Powell said.
President Bush and Secretary Powell arrived in Mexico Saturday for an Asian-Pacific economic summit where they were to have met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to push for his support for a U.N. resolution to disarm Iraq. The hostage taking led the Russian leader to cancel his trip.