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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2004/0906/806461191HM1RUSSIA.html

Suspect held as child funerals begin in Beslan
Chris Stephen, in Moscow

The first funerals of children killed in the Beslan school siege were held yesterday in the Russian province of North Ossetia as President Vladimir Putin promised a crack-down on Chechen terrorists.

The identity of the group who carried out the hostage-taking remains unconfirmed, with the commander of the main Chechen rebel army, Shamil Basayev, denying his forces were responsible.

The death toll continued to be revised upwards yesterday. In addition to the 338 known to have died - including children, parents and teachers - another 92 of the 435 in hospital are on the critical list, and 180 are missing. Approximately half the dead were children.

Last night, State-controlled First Channel television showed a suspect being taken away in handcuffs by masked commandos.

"This man directly took part in the attack, he is a member of the gang," said Deputy Prosecutor General Sergei Fridinsky. "Tomorrow the court will sanction his arrest and he will be charged."

The man, dressed in a dirty black shirt, looked and spoke like a native of one of Russia's North Caucasus regions, which include Chechnya and North Ossetia. "I did not shoot. I swear by Allah I did not shoot," said the man. "I swear by Allah I want to live."

At the funerals yesterday, the ambulances used to move the dead and wounded on Friday were redeployed to attend to their relatives, some of whom collapsed at the sight of the tiny coffins.

The tearful president of the local province of North Ossetia made a public apology for failing to prevent the massacre: "I want to beg your pardon for failing to protect children, teachers and parents," Mr Alexander Dzasokhov told doctors and relatives of the wounded. The regional Interior Minister, Mr Kazbek Dzantiyev, offered to resign but it was not accepted.

In a rare admission of failure, President Putin told the nation that mistakes had been made in the period leading up to a fortnight of terror attacks across Russia. He blamed "weaknesses" in the government and promised reforms and an attack on corruption. But he also announced there would be no change in Moscow's refusal to negotiate with the rebels.

While some Beslan residents were burying loved ones, others searched for missing relatives, touring local hospitals in hope and morgues in trepidation. Orthodox churches across Russia held memorial services and Mr Putin has declared today and tomorrow days of national mourning.

But questions persisted about the apparent disorganisation of the security forces, their tactics in storming the school, and their failure to prevent some terrorists from escaping.