The children of Beslan five years on

BBC Newsnight ^ | 29 August 2009 | Ewa Ewart

[rvoitier]

Russian teenager Chermen has his own assessment of why he survived the attack on School Number One in Beslan in which 326 people, 186 of them children, died.

[Riley]

Say whatever you want about the Russians- I remember reports of Russian soldiers blocking doorways with their bodies to absorb bullets so that a few more kids could make it out.

Assuming those reports were correct, that is the possibly the finest practical expression of the soldier's ethos, and the most direct, that I have ever heard of.

Credit where credit is due.

[eureka!]

GQ had the most heart wrenching article on this attack within a year of the attack. “Beslan”, the word, almost makes me cry when I hear it or read it.

[Sender]

Beslan was a gut-wrenching tragedy for me. Actually, tragedy is the wrong word. It was an abomination.

If there is anything off-limits in this world, it is the deliberate killing of children so someone can make their pathetic political or religious point.

I trust that the surviving terrorists were treated to the appropriate hospitality by their interrogators. I'll bet it wasn't waterboarding.

[Ramius]

The Beslan attack was heartbreaking. And you’re right, a great many Russian heroes showed up for work that day.

[IDFbunny]

I hope the Russians make a movie about Beslan. A Hollywood production would insult the memory.

[WIladyconservative]

Never to be forgotten. I call her the Beslan Madonna.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Still as heartbreaking as ever.

[WIladyconservative]

From the article:
“And Chermen said that he never goes to the cemetery “because I am simply afraid to flood Beslan with my tears”.”

Just breaks my heart.

[Gapplega]

What a horrible crime.

[LucyJo]

Same here. I sent an email of condolences to the embassy at the time, and received a nice response. The same kind of evil happened on 9/11/01.

"And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea." Mark 9:42

[Alberta's Child]

One of the dirty little secrets about Chechnya is that the same so-called "neo-conservatives" who were so influential in foreign policy and military affairs during the Bush administration were also unapologetic supporters of the Chechen separatists.

That little inconvenient fact got quietly swept under the rug soon after the Beslan massacre.

[FredZarguna]

Note how the BBC account furiously avoids any description of the attackers, and the victims are described primarily in terms of their victimhood. To read the BBC story, you would think a roof simply fell on the kids in the school.

[Bigg Red]

He says he has tried to understand things from the attackers’ point of view.

^^
This is describing one of the child victims. Lordy!

[rvoitier]

If you’re implying the neo-cons approved of the massacre, I don’t believe it.

[MarMema]

Fascinating, thanks.

[Alberta's Child]

No, I'm just pointing out that the "neo-cons" don't care very much about terrorism, that's all.

And I DO believe that.

[eureka!]

Good morning and nicely done. I prayed like heck for them.