Posted on 09/02/2004 1:18:45 PM PDT by Destro
ANALYSIS-Putin might risk bloody end to school siege
02 Sep 2004 15:14:00 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Douglas Busvine
MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the safety of 350 hostages held in a Russian school was paramount, but analysts warned he might order special forces to storm the building and risk a repeat of past bloodbaths.
The history of Russian operations to free hostages in recent years is a grim one, with hundreds of innocents killed.
But attempts to negotiate with the captors, believed to be Chechen separatist militants, could make a mockery of Putin's strategy of using force to impose order in the Caucasus region of southern Russia, security analysts said.
"If the situation develops in a way that threatens the lives of hostages... then storming is the only possibility," said Boris Makarenko, a security analyst at the Center for Political Technologies in Moscow.
And any casualties among the many children held at School No.1 in Beslan, North Ossetia, are likely to inflame the seething, multi-ethnic Caucasus further, analysts warn.
Twenty-six women and children were freed in Beslan on Thursday.
But analysts noted that children were also freed in the Moscow theatre siege of October 2002 before Putin, who had earlier called for talks, ordered special forces to storm the building.
Of 700 hostages, 129 died from the effects of a knock-out gas used in the operation. All 41 Chechen captors were killed.
In a disastrous operation to end the Budennovsk hospital siege of 1995, more than 100 hostages died before their captors won safe passage. In Pervomaiskoye in 1996, there were more hostage deaths, and many guerrillas escaped a military dragnet.
"The Russians will assault the school without a doubt, they have done it in every single case," said Adam Dolnik, a Singapore-based security analyst and co-author of a detailed study of the Moscow theatre siege.
"They will likely stall for time in order to get enough intelligence about the location, they will search for ways in and they will prepare a plan. I would expect the assault within the next two days, if history is anything to go by."
Analysts said Wednesday's attack by a heavily-armed gang on the school was highly professional, and past experience shows that the gym where the hostages are held is likely to be mined.
REGIONAL RISKS
The captors chose their target well. North Ossetia has been peaceful since a conflict in the early 1990s with neighbouring Ingushetia, which borders Chechnya, and any deaths of local children could provoke fresh hostilities.
"These are Ossetian kids. The reaction of Ossetians may be extremely dangerous," said Alexei Malashenko, a security analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Moscow.
"We could be on the eve of the next war."
According to news reports, the captors have demanded the release of comrades captured in a raid on Ingushetia in June.
Analysts say that demand would be impossible for Putin to concede, leaving confidence-building measures such as offering to supply water, food and medicine as the only avenue for talks.
"It's almost impossible for him to give in to any of these demands -- but there are the lives of children at stake," said Thomas de Waal, a Chechnya expert at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in London.
"There will be some kind of negotiation over the everyday stuff -- food, medicines and so on. Beyond that I don't see much to talk about."
Paul Wilkinson, of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at Scotland's St Andrews University, said he hoped Putin would moderate his position -- however difficult that might be.
"President Putin came to office on a very tough position on terrorism and has capitalised on that ever since. The recent spate of attacks has put this policy to the test," he said.
"How can one say the policy of firm military response is working?" he added, saying Putin should open a peace dialogue with moderate Chechens and call for international mediation. (Additional reporting by Mark Trevelyan, Security Correspondent, in Berlin)
We adopted our son from Russia 4 years ago. He is almost 5 now. I doubt he would have been in this school but just the thought. If this ploy works in Russia, will it find its way here? Our schools are more secure than Russian schools but still.
Father God, you who can do the impossible, protect these children, sustain them, may your Presence be with them. Cause a cloud to come onto the muslim terrists holing these children, cause a deep sleep to come upon them. Dear LORD do a wonder at this time as we are told you did of old. Bless the children, Father. In the precious name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
I'd get as many of the Islamic Terrorists family members, even their babies, and take them to the school so the terrorists can see them one last time before they all die.
Sounds cold I know, but negotiations don't work but these murdering thug Islamic Terrorists do understand death and force. If killing their family members doesn't work, oh well, there's just that many less to support future Islamic thug terrorists.
After the theatre tragedy, Putin should have wiped Chechnya off the map with an all-out offensive.
As another poster so eloquently put it, Putin has already played his scorched-earth card.
I watched it happening on Russian TV.
When the Russians went into Chechnya, they destroyed schools, apartment buildings, homes, hospitals, mosques, churches, synagogues, factories, warehouses, department and grocery stores, historical and heritage sites, all without prejudice.
I saw this while I was in Russia in January and March of 2002.
While the Europeons were wringing their hands over the "barbaric American" bombinb of Afghanistan, they didn't mention a word about what the Russians were doing in Chechnya.
Not that the Chechens didn't deserve it, mind, you.
They did.
Problem for Russia is that the Chechen Islamo-fascists found places to hide out and are waging their terror campaign from safe harbors in neighboring states.
It may be time for Putin to adopt the Bush doctrine.
If you ain't with us, you're against us.
Good idea.
Actually, from talking to my fiance in Kazan (Russia), the children and parents being held hostage are mainly moderate muslims.
Would that apply to State Dept's pro Chechen policies/statements?
Would that apply to State Dept's pro Chechen policies/statements?
I agree with you 100%.
The US State Department's support of the Chechens is a disgrace.
Somebody should tell them the "Cold War" ended in 1991.
CNN International has live coverage from Russia right now. Two explosions heard.
Putin doesn't f' around.
I don't know, but Sky News is calling them a "gang." Like some kind of 3rd rate street punks. Why not "terrorists"?
AMEN!
Why are the kids naked?
Concur. Putin used to be KGB direcotr, after all. Such people are not known for either their sublety or their restraint.
Who knows? Not that important.
We are at "War" with the zealots of the "religion of peace." The war has been raging (for a very long time.)
Things looking ugly ping.
Sorry, Putin decided to sit on the pot and read the paper rather than defecate and get up.
Chechnya deserves a well-placed nuke bomb.
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