The official Palestinian Authority newspaper has accused the CIA of masterminding the Muslim Chechnyan terrorist siege of a Moscow theater that resulted in the deaths of at least 118 hostages. Fuad Abu Hajleh, senior columnist for the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadidah, wrote on October 29 that the CIA masterminded the attack in response to Russia's opposition in the UN to American policy concerning Iraq. Abu Hajleh writes, "The CIA will never acknowledge its responsibility for this operation which claimed over 170 lives, including those of the perpetrators," and implies that France, which also opposes American policy, may be next to suffer a similar "bloody scene."