McDonald's Blast Not Terrorism

(St. Petersburg, Russia) Last Sunday, an explosive device detonated at the McDonald's restaurant on St. Petersburg's main thoroughfare. Six people were injured with burns, shrapnel wounds and concussions.

Although many people easily recall terror attacks by Muslim extremists supporting Chechnya's independence not long ago, police have ruled out terrorism. According to a spokesman, "... the main priority version is hooliganism."

I imagine that the people who live and work in the neighborhood are experiencing frayed nerves, despite what the explosion is called. It also seems that the Russian authorities are reluctant to name acts of explosive violence as terrorism. I believe American authorities have adopted a similar reluctance although they haven't used the term hooliganism yet.