Posted on 09/04/2004 1:16:00 AM PDT by Walkin Man
Russia's Putin Orders Crackdown After School Siege
Sept. 4, 2004 — By Richard Ayton and Oliver Bullough
BESLAN, Russia (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin ordered a crackdown in southern Russia after a school siege killed at least 250, and warned Chechen sympathizers on Saturday they would be seen as "accomplices of terrorism."
The Kremlin leader paid a lightning early morning visit to the traumatized North Ossetia region close to Chechnya where the two-day hostage drama at the school ended on Friday in bloody mayhem with Russian forces battling Chechen militants.
"One of the tasks pursued by the terrorists was to stoke ethnic hatred, blow up the whole of our North Caucasus," Putin told local security officials.
"Anyone who will feels sympathetic toward such provocations will be viewed as accomplices of terrorists and terrorism."
The hard words suggested Putin had no intention of backing down from his tough policies of crushing Chechnya's separatist rebellion to keep the mainly Muslim region within Russia, using tactics long criticized by human rights activists.
The storming of the school by Russian forces plunged the small town of Beslan into pandemonium. Troops and armed civilians advanced on the red brick building after explosions inside. Pupils, parents and teachers, many drenched in blood, were carried out on stretchers or in the arms of local men.
No definitive figure for the number of those killed -- many of whom were children -- was available on Saturday.
Interfax news agency quoted local health officials as saying at least 250 people were killed from what might turn out to be 1,200 or so children, parents and teachers taken hostage. Hundreds remained in hospital, 92 in serious condition.
Interfax quoted the regional interior ministry as saying most of the hostages held in the school gym died because of the explosions and the roof collapsing.
"There are still dozens of explosive devices there which prevent us removing the remaining dead bodies," a ministry spokesman said.
RIA Novosti quoted health authorities as saying 60 more bodies were pulled from the school's ruins on Saturday, 36 of them children.
Officials said 27 hostage-takers were killed and three taken alive.
"I saw about 25 corpses in the schoolyard, which were not there yesterday," a Reuters witness said. "About 18 were in body bags lying in two rows. Six or seven were just outside a school window without body bags, all men without shirts."
The bloody denouement at Middle School No. 1 in Beslan made the siege one of the world's worst such episodes.
Four out of the dozen or so mass hostage sieges in the past 30 years have been in Russia. All four have been linked to the Chechnya war and all ended in huge loss of life.
Putin brusquely slapped down officials who, during his visit to Beslan, sought to commend the security forces.
"As far as the special forces are concerned, this is a separate story. We will talk about it later. There are unfortunately many losses," he said, clearly angered by the bloody outcome that came after he went on national television and promised to do everything to keep hostages from harm.
Explosives and arms used by the gunmen were smuggled into the building well in advance, during summer building work on the school, Interfax quoted an unnamed regional security source as saying on Saturday.
BORDERS CLOSED
"I have ordered Beslan to be sealed off, Ossetia's borders to be closed and checks to be carried out to find all people linked to the terrorist act," Putin said in Beslan.
Some reports said a few of the gunmen may have escaped.
Western governments offered sympathy to Putin. But the European Union said in a statement it wanted an explanation from Russia "how this tragedy could have happened."
Freed hostages described the mayhem on Friday afternoon. "Bombs were strung all over the gym," one teenage girl told state television. "Tape came unstuck on one and it blew up."
"There were two big explosions," said a women in her forties. "We started pushing all the children out of the windows ... Everyone who was there started pushing them out."
Authorities said they had been forced to launch a rescue operation when the gunmen opened fire on fleeing children.
North Ossetia is the only predominantly Orthodox province in the otherwise mostly Muslim North Caucasus. But the whole region is a tinderbox of small national groups and any crackdown carries a risk of disrupting further a delicate ethnic balance.
Putin, easily re-elected to a second term in March, must now reassure Russians they are safe from the threat of separatists.
The near-simultaneous crash of two airplanes last week, in which 90 people died, was blamed on Chechen suicide bombers as was an explosion by a Moscow metro station which killed nine. (Additional reporting by Oleg Shchedrov)
They've got a buttload of oil as well. And I for one wouldn't mind having another source for crude other than the Middle East.
Where is Maxwell Smart?
I had an idiot on another board tell me that religous nuts were all the same. He fully expects to see a "christian" version of this here in the US.
I replied that the only time in modern US history when people of religous faith have been slaugthered was when Clinton via Janet Reno ordered Wesley Clark's tanks to advance on the Branch Davidians in Waco.
I asked my kid if there were any law enforcement types around his school now? He rolled his eyes and said the school has always had a squad of 3 sheriffs packing loaded sidearms on each hip. I assume they have scatter guns locked up somewhere as well. Is this better than having to worry about hiding under your desk in the 50's 60's and 70's when that blinding flash of light came?
I am thinking probably not, but at the same time I'm pleased we have some serious dudes armed and ready at the school. There's a Jewish Center nearby so can I assume they have a garrison tucked away somewhere ready to pop up at a moment's notice?
Your view is the correct one in dealing with this so-called religion of peace. They would slit every man, woman and childs' throat here in the USA and not think twice. It's time they were all round-up and deported. They are our enemies and we can never drop our guard. The tolerance ideal is just P.C. communistic brain washing. The democrats are their sympathizers and abetters. It's time to shut down all mosques in the USA and transport the covert murderers to Neverland. Do the demo/fools/liberals think they would show us any mercy/ I am sure they would give that famous Dukkakis response.(The Muslims are our friends/brothers.)I hope Putin, brings sconuion of their muslim camel asses.
I think most Americans are well-trained to place all of their faith in the law to protect them. I'd ask the school board or attend your next PTA meeting and ask about their basic planning for natural and man-made disasters. If you bring up terrorism, be prepared to have the Democrats ridicule your intentions.
"...and any crackdown carries a risk of disrupting further a delicate ethnic balance."
BS, if this is what they call balance, then let's have some chaos for a while. And the EU want's an explanation! Feh, a pox on them, although I must say the "pox" is right there among them and ready to break out.
Typical lefty response. Blame the victim.
Wow! So Northerners:Southerners::Former KGB:Islamist Terrorists?
Nice.
Now that's a thought. They could practice there first.
< ]B^)
I would love to hear the conversations between the US and the Russians right now at the govt levels. I haven't been watching tv alot but am clueless as to what GWB has said publicly and what he has said to the Russians in terms of how we can help. I am amazed that the press coverage seems buried in Clinton's heart and Florida's hurricane.
It's ran by France, right?
I think we could loan the some.
The Saudi royal family is involved for sure.
Wholehearted agreement.
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