About the only good new from this is that some Arabs are actually taking a good, hard look at themselves. There was a brilliant editorial written in a conservative Cairo newspaper that doesn't blame Israel, Russia, or the US for the problems that Islamic militants cause--it blames Islam, and the warped version of it preached by imams. There have been similar outcries in other Arab newspapers, and even al-Jazeera is carrying condemnation. It may not mean anything--a lot of Arab news sources condemned 9/11 as well--but at least some Arabs are thinking straight. I realize that the majority of scum in that school were Chechens, so perhaps I should use "Muslims" instead of "Arabs," but it's my conviction that 80% of world terrorism is caused by Arabs, which history tends to bear me out on--hence the term.

Good insight, especially for anyone who thinks you'll get anywhere reasoning/negotiating with these monsters. http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/

Interesting piece on Reuters re Command failures here http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=AGJE4JDFHRZVYCRBAEKSFFA?type=worldNews&storyID=6159568

Cleric supports targeting children By Rajeev Syal (Filed: 05/09/2004) An extremist Islamic cleric based in Britain said yesterday that he would support hostage-taking at British schools if carried out by terrorists with a just cause. [Flights & Hotels] Omar Bakri Mohammed, the spiritual leader of the extremist sect al-Muhajiroun, said that holding women and children hostage would be a reasonable course of action for a Muslim who has suffered under British rule. In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Mohammed said: "If an Iraqi Muslim carried out an attack like that in Britain, it would be justified because Britain has carried out acts of terrorism in Iraq. "As long as the Iraqi did not deliberately kill women and children, and they were killed in the crossfire, that would be okay." Mr Mohammed, 44, who lives in Edmonton, north London, but is originally from Syria, also claimed that the Chechen rebels were not responsible for the deaths of more than 350 people - at least half of them children - who are so far known to have died in Beslan. "The Mujahideen [Chechen rebels] would not have wanted to kill those people, because it is strictly forbidden as a Muslim to deliberately kill women and children. It is the fault of the Russians," he said. The father of seven came to Britain in 1985 after being deported from Saudi Arabia because of his membership of a banned group. He has since been given leave by the Home Office to remain in Britain for five years but the Government is reviewing his status. He gave an interview yesterday to promote a "celebratory" conference in London next Saturday to commemorate the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Andrew Dismore, the Labour MP for Hendon, was infuriated by Mr Mohammed's comments. "That sounds to me like incitement and I will report him to Scotland Yard," he said. "It is an insult to most moderate Muslims, who are sick of people like this claiming to represent them." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/09/05/wosse705.xml

This man is a monster and it now seems he was directly involved in the Beslan attack.

Nothing is certain yet - it is too early to draw any hard conclusions, but there is some evidence that Mashkadov seems was involved as well: BESLAN, Russia (CNN) -- A suspect in the bloody school siege in southern Russia has said the hostage-takers were told their goal was to "start a war across the Caucasus." Appearing on Russian state television, the unidentified man said the attack was ordered by Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov and Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev. "They gathered us in the woods and 'The Colonel' said that we should take over a school in Beslan. That was our order," he said. At least 338 hostages, including 156 children, were killed after terrorists seized the school building and held more than 1,000 students and adults hostage. Along with them, 26 hostage-takers and 10 Russian special forces died. Ten of the slain hostage-takers were from Arab countries, authorities have said. "When we asked why we were doing this, what our goal was, 'The Colonel' answered us, 'Because we need to start a war across the Caucasus." He said the hostage-takers included Uzbeks, Arabs and Chechens. Continue reading at CNN...

This is the same bunch who plans on celebrating 9/11. Maybe someone should introduce him to the families of those who lost kids in the Twin Towers and in the Ossetia school. Or better yet, maybe someone should simply introduce him to God. Figuratively and literally.

Putin blasts U.S. on terror stance From CNN Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that mid-level officials in the U.S. government were undermining his country's war on terrorism by supporting Chechen separatists, whom he compared to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Putin's charge, made in a meeting with a group of western foreign policy experts, came just days after hundreds of people, mostly children, died in the bloody end to the Beslan siege. Putin also defended his government's decision to storm the school and said the hostage holders had begun shooting children out of boredom. His comments did not suggest the final raid was triggered by the shooting of children. In the wide-ranging meeting which lasted almost four hours, Putin said he likes President Bush, calling him a friendly, decent, predictable person. But Putin said each time Russia complained to the Bush administration about meetings held between U.S. officials and Chechen separatist representatives, the U.S. response has been "we'll get back to you" or "we reserve the right to talk with anyone we want." Putin blamed what he called a "Cold War mentality" on the part of some U.S. officials, but likened their demands that Russia negotiate with the Chechen separatists to the U.S. talking to al Qaeda. These are not "freedom fighters," Putin said. "Would you talk with Osama Bin Laden?" he asked. Putin said the Chechen separatists are trying to ignite ethnic tensions in the former Soviet Union and it could have severe repercussions. "Osama Bin Laden attacked the United States saying he was doing it because of policies in the Middle East," Putin said. "Do you call him a freedom fighter?" Putin's comments came a few weeks after the U.S. granted asylum to Ilias Akhmadov, the "foreign minister" of the Chechen separatist movement. The Russian president also justified the rescue operation in Beslan, conceding that it took time to mobilize the operation. He said Russian special forces stormed the school knowing they themselves were likely to be killed. In one dramatic moment, Putin said Russian security forces overheard a disturbing walkie-talkie conversation between the terrorists: "What are you doing? Why? I hear some noise. What's going on? I'm just in the middle of shooting some children." "They were bored," Putin said. "So they shot children." Putin said investigators determined the hostage takers included 10 fighters from "Arab" countries, along with others from the former Soviet Union and one person from North Ossetia where the hostage crisis unfolded. Putin said the terrorists' goal was to ignite conflict between two local ethnic groups, the Ingush and the Ossetians. In other comments, Putin said Russia would take its own approach to democratic reform. "We'll do this at our own pace," he said. Democracy can mean different things in different countries, he said. "In Russia, democracy is who shouts the loudest," he said. "In the U.S., it's who has the most money." Asked about the U.S. presidential race, Putin was complimentary of President George W. Bush, saying he likes him. He is a friendly, decent, predictable person, but "it is not about personalities," Putin said. He said polls in Russia show 7 percent support for Bush, and 25 percent for Democratic challenger John Kerry.

It seems to me that the press is suffering from some kind of Collective Stockholm Syndrome over the Beslan massacre. Luckily cracks in the facade are beginning to appear and gradually more publications are actually beginning to blame terrorists for this - I have read articles to that effect not only on Frontpage but also in the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and even the New York Times. The press may be realizing that many people (myself included) are irate at the whitewashing of this attack that they were participating in to begin with and this may prompt them to change their tune.

As last newsreels suggest, one of captured terrorists is being interrogated by FSB oficcers. I recall our Police interrogations of suspects, which I've attended in the past. So, I think that FSB uses VERY hard interrogation technics on those bandits. And those animals well deserve it. As for OMON - OMON stands for Otryad Militsiyi Osobogo Naznachenya (Special Purpose Militia Unit). It is mainly Riot Police, with some functions of SWAT. Its level of training is not very different from normal city police, but during Chechen War OMONs from many Russian Cities are being used as Special Police Forces. So, now this units consist mainly of urban combat veterans, capable of using any firearm or heavy infantry weapon. My father during his service was a commander of Murmansk OMON unit in Vladikavkaz (in 1993, during Ossetin-Ingushi Conflict). In fact, he takes current events very painfully (as every human in the world). Now we are not scared, but certainly we wait some actions from our Government. At least, it would be wise to reform and strengthen security forces, which are now underequipped and undertrained (and, especially in Southern Regions, they are corrupted).