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We've argued that point a million times. She insists that none of the hostages died because of the terrorists. Her fiance died from the gas, and that her unconcious daughter was left unattended on a bus, to be crushed to death under a pile of adults.

Bureaucrats in Russia, like anywhere else, have well-developed 'cover-yer-ass' reflexes. Their autopsies supposedly showed that 129 hostages died of a 'multitude of unfavorable factors', such as dehydration, previously morbid disease conditions, poor body positioning, etc.

Two people, one a 'walk-in' named Olga Romanova, and the other a police officer pretending to be a concerned parent, were definitely shot by the terrorists. What happened to the young man who tried to dismantle one of the bombs, and the 'general' the Chechnyans supposedly found in the audience on the balcony, is never explained.

I agree that the terrorists are to blame, but when our county sheriff's deadbeat deputy screwed up an arrest that turned into a hostage situation, and ended up getting himself shot in the bargain, the local voters canned the sheriff.

There's nothing wrong with getting rid of ineffective, criminally negligent law enforcement personnel.

Ms. Gubareva doesn't seem to be the only former hostage or hostage's family member who blames the government. Here are some other 'Nord-Ost' opinions:

Tatiana Lukashova, whose daughter Mariya Panova died at 'Nord-Ost':
"... I am offended that those who took upon themselves the responsibility for hundreds of lives still remain unpunished. The investigation doesn't go anywhere, they shot those who seized the theater, but those who poisoned people can't be touched. Here's a line from the judicial examination, JUDGE FOR YOURSELF: 'There is no information about the rendering of medical assistance to M.M. Panova'. Everywhere they assert that there were enough medics, and medicine, then why wasn't any medical assistance rendered?"
Alena Mikhailova, former hostage at 'Nord-Ost', whose husband perished there:
"... I also want to know WHOLE truth, ANY TRUTH - not just a select tidbit! I want the government (and the people representing it) to apologize, to recognize their unprofessional conduct, their errors and rudeness to those who survived, and to the loved ones of those who died. I want compensation, pensions, and privileges to be determined at the legislative level, so that it's not necessary to fight it out in courts for three years... So those who come after us have it easier in the courts, at the housing office, and in the hospitals and schools... And most important, I want the average person to understand that we are not splitting hairs, but it's just advantageous for the government to portray us as such. So that tomorrow the person who was blaming us for 'diverting time and money from universal problems', should he find himself in our shoes, doesn't have to go around in circles like we did."
Oleg Zhirov, whose wife and son were among the hostages. Natalya Zhirova died:
"In these three years I've tried to learn the truth, to obtain justice. Today I want to ask those who were killed to forgive me, that three years later the guilty parties are still unpunished, that their loved ones are still being humiliated, that terror victims are still deprived medical assistance and material support, and that hundreds of people are still dying from acts of terror."
Lyubov Burban, whose son Grigori Burban died at 'Nord-Ost':
"...Is it possible to not be terrified of this refined blasphemy - the international image of a nation is supported by a mountain of corpses, the bodies of its peaceful citizens?! ... A lie, packed up in a state secret, and privatized by the Kremlin, this is the result of the three year investigation into 'Nord-Ost'. Not knowing how to prove the absolute necessity for their assault on the theater, the kangaroo court has revealed the senselessness of this 'successful operation', and their monstrous high treason... 'Nord-Ost' and Beslan must become objects of international investigations. Such crimes do not have a statute of limitations!"
Tatiana Karpova, whose son Alexander Karpov perished at the theater:
"Three years since the act of terror at Dubrovka. These, perhaps, were the hardest, most terrible years of my life. The years of desperation, limitless humiliation, years of disappointment in our laws and justice, years of faith in the existence of a country that guarantees of a normal, human life destroyed, this is the country in which I live, and for which I have never-ending shame."
Zoya Chernetsova, whose only son Daniel perished at the theater:
"... Father Nikolai from our church spoke an untruth when he said that time heals all... I still remember everything. The heart still hurts just as bad, I still sleep poorly, and I still make the same rounds... The cemetery every Tuesday or Thursday, I go round there... To the grave of Ninochka Milovidova, she's first on the way, then to my son Daniel, then Vadim Medvedev's grave... Grief brought me together with these people. Three years ago I did not know the Milovidovs, though I lived on an adjacent street. Who was Nina Milovidova? A pretty, fourteen-year-old girl, who was by chance in this terrible theater together with my son, together with Vadim Medvedev, and everyone.... Who was Vadim Valentinovich Medvedev? He was a military man, who was there with his wife. Now I know his ailing parents, his tiny wife, and even his two sons who are drawn together with me in grief. Now I know the Karpov family, I know about Svetlana Gubareva's family, which was destroyed before it began... and many others... They support me in my fight against the cynicism of bureaucrats and judges.
"...During all these three years, I have the same questions twirling through my head: why? For what? Why? Why they did release the gas? Why did my son perish? Why me? Putin briefly answered all questions when he said: 'It just turned out that way, excuse me...' Yes, and so it turned out that way, but I don't forgive, because I don't know how I can live on, alone, on a monthly pension of 2016 rubles (about $80), and, thanks to Trunov, 1787 rubles (about $70) for a lost breadwinner...
"Once again I make the rounds... the cemetery... There are yellow birch leaves on Ninochka's grave, ripe chestnuts on Daniel's, the oak leaves rustle on Vadim's grave... Further on the stele of Transvaal Park. And further on? Further on, is Beslan."
Natalya and Vladimir Kurbatov, whose 13-year-old daughter Kristina Kurbatova perished at 'Nord-Ost':
"... She was only 13 years old. Her whole life had only just begun; there was so much ahead of her, so many interesting, unknown and excellent things to come. But the government officials decided to make our daughter, as they did 129 other hostages, into a victim of their political ambitions... There are no guilty persons, just some heroes who were awarded the highest state honors, although by secret edicts. Is this not truly shameful?
"... Kristina was the young actress of the musical 'Nord-Ost', and played the role of Katya Tatarinova. She will remain as such for us forever. We love her. We compare all our actions with what she would do, our dear girl. Forgive us, Kristyusha, that we could not safeguard you."
Victoria Zaslavskaya, whose 13-year-old son Arseni Kurilenko died at 'Nord-Ost':
"...Nothing, it seems, depends on us. Yes and probably it couldn't be otherwise. There were too few us there, when compared to the scale of our enormous city, our enormous country. Literally a hundred meters from the 'zone' of the tragedy, life went on, unburdened by this nightmare. There, on the other side of this cordoned-off block of fear and confusion, it was quiet and indifferent to the point of nausea..."