Posted on 09/05/2004 1:16:11 AM PDT by N. Beaujon
Please consider making a donation for the families.
HELP THE CHILDREN AFFECTED BY THE TERROR ACT IN BESLAN
http://www.moscowhelp.org/
The consolidation of power and the elimination of dissent which has been going on in Russia, sometimes in the name of national security, is all about Putin.
I think your accusation of Putin as just a self-absorbed, out for himself leader is wrong, and based on no proof other than what you feel like saying about him. I saw him patting a child on the head, touching another child in a white sack that appeared to be dead, and the man is also a Russian Orthodox believer (he and Bush discussed their religious inclinations with each other at one of their meetings, I think at Crawford). So don't impugn the man as heartless when you don't have a clue as to what he thinks. I think Putin is for his country, a nationalist, and loves his motherland. He is a Russian before anything else, and I think you are the one being heartless here, about Putin. Give the guy a break. He's got a lot to deal with in the coming days.
I'm sure we'll be hearing from him shortly after we hear the expressions of outrage from the Children's Defense Fund.
There is one word missing in Putin's dramatic speech, however.
VENGEANCE!!!
Not sure how much footage of this tragedy is being shown in the US, but EURO news, which is my only source of TV news, showed about 5 minutes of what they call "No Comment" news on the aftermath. It is beyond heartbreaking to watch as the camera slowly pans across an endless row of dead children, killed in the most violent manner, after spending days in agonizing terror. If anyone thinks Kerry has some creative way to solve this they are mistaken. There is no creative way of stopping this short of killing anyone and everyone who conducts this kind of terror. These people are psychotics who have found a venue for their mental illness. It appears the Russians may have finally realized it. I don't expect the French ever will.
The Washington Post has a good article on the chaos. One problem was that the citizens got in the army's way. Also, townspeople killed a captured terrorist before he could be questioned and almost killed a prosecutor they mistook for a terrorist. As one Russian scholar said, it will be a big present to the terrorists if this starts an ethnic war. Putin wants this not to degenerate into genocidal civil war. The Chechens do not all support these extremists. One effect of the extremists actions may be to force the Chechens into a more radical position because they are getting killed by the Russians. The terrorists have to be captured and dealt with, but many Chechens don't like to live under the terrorsts either.
"One guerrilla was set upon by civilians and killed. "People got a hold of him and just tore him apart," said one of the soldiers. But the soldiers noted that the crowd's hatred was blind and they attempted to kill a Russian prosecutor, mistaken for a guerrilla.
"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62459-2004Sep4_4.html
His response to the loss of the Kursk ought to have given us a clue. He stayed on vacation, was helpless to do or say the right thing at the time.
There have been apartment house bombings and other horrific acts of terror that have gone unpunished.
The man seems clueless and powerless.
He should not have promised not to attack.
So feces can be graded now?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61422-2004Sep4.html
This is another good article. There appear to be disagreement as to whether or not there were Arab terrorists involved as opposed to say Chechens, Inguish, etc.. Some townspeople say there were no Arabs. They say the government is lying. A lot of people are blaming Putin's government.
Zawahiri (Al Qaeda high official) seems to have claimed credit.
"On the other hand I wish him luck on taking out terrorists. Perhaps he could squeeze Iran. Not sure what else he can do, the Russian Army has already proven they can't win in Chechnya."
The Russian army cannot win anywhere.
Already did ($100). I hope this is a legitimate charity...
Another donation I'd like to make is pig fat to be used to coat the Russian munitions that'll hopefully be raining down chechnya
Interesting how this is act of terror is taking on twists. France and Germany have been working on an alliance with Russia against the US...Putin blaming this on the fall of the Soviet Union. The Euroscum slant on this will be interesting, especially in the German and French press....I will not be surprised at all to see reports that somehow this is GWB's and the US fault.....
Note to Euroscum: the people of the US will not say that Russia deserved this terrorist attack as you did with the US 9-11.
I agree. Putin is a good man. They only need to shed the cold war overhead and the army will be just fine.
The Russian authorities did not plan to storm the school. There was a lot of chaos because the townspeople all had guns and wouldn't get out of the way.
People in the school think an explosion was set off by a terrorist by accident. When the kids ran, the terrorists shot at them. Then the Russians gave covering fire. They had no choice then.
Here is an article that says they did not plan to "storm" the school. A doctor named Roshal who has been involved in handling other terrorist attacks said nobody wanted to storm the school.
Everyone wanted to negotiate.
http://www.rambler.ru/db/news/msg.html?s=260005085&mid=5003793
It turns out that a planned attack would have been the best thing....at least...no worse a thing.
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