I like this. Russia means business. I wonder if some over there think this is just a "fear tactic" that so many in here seem to think it is. http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/st...m&sc=roitz&photoid=20040906BES23D&floc=NW_1-T Russia Ready to Strike Against 'Terror' Worldwide By Elizabeth Piper BESLAN, Russia (Reuters) - Russia's top general said on Wednesday he was ready to attack "terrorist bases" anywhere in the world, as security services put a $10 million bounty on two Chechen rebels blamed for last week's school siege. At the scene of the siege in the southern town of Beslan, medical workers began the painstaking task of identifying more than 100 bodies burned beyond recognition in the explosions which ended the crisis. "As for launching pre-emptive strikes on terrorist bases, we will carry out all measures to liquidate terrorist bases in any region of the world," General Yuri Baluevsky, chief of Russia's general staff, said, according to Russian news agencies. "However, this does not mean that we will launch nuclear strikes." The FSB security service announced the $10 million reward for information leading to the "neutralization" of Aslan Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev, two Chechen separatist leaders who are household names in Russia after a decade of conflict in the mainly Muslim southern province. More than 1,200 people were taken hostage in Beslan in the nearby province of North Ossetia and at least 326 were killed and 727 wounded, Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov said, revising the death toll down from an earlier 335. Only 210 bodies have been identified. "Another 32 body fragments have been found and ... final figures for the number of dead could rise," he said in a report to President Vladimir Putin, posted at www.kremlin.ru. The broadcast on Russian television of graphic footage filmed by militants inside the school added to the horror as Beslan residents prepared to bury more dead. The pictures showed the school gym littered with what appeared to be bombs and bomb-making equipment and crammed with hostages, watched over by around six of the masked militants, one of whom was heard murmuring, apparently in an Arabic prayer. WAR ON MOSCOW Authorities have blamed the hostage crisis on "international terrorists" -- something that critics said was a fig leaf to mask the failure of Russia's Chechen policy. But the siege and ensuing battle were the latest in a string of attacks against Russian forces since August 1, when Maskhadov promised a fiercer war against Moscow's rule, although his London-based representative has denied he was behind Beslan. Russia had previously offered rewards of $5 million for Basayev and $30,000 for Maskhadov. One captured suspect said the hostage-takers numbered around 30, including two women, Ustinov said. At the start of the siege, some asked their leader why they had seized a school. He shot one of the waverers dead. Ustinov said the militants later tried to rewire their bombs but one exploded, triggering the storming of the school -- something security analysts have slammed as a bungled operation. Russia's Izvestia daily, citing troops who took part in the assault, said four of the hostage-takers were captured, including a woman. Both the United States and the European Union advocate a political solution in Chechnya, although Putin has ruled out talks and says the West has double standards since its leaders would not sit down to negotiate with Osama bin Laden. His view has some currency among ordinary Russians, thousands of whom attended rallies on Tuesday in solidarity with the families of Beslan. A prominent banner at the main Moscow rally was adorned with British flags and read: "Want to help? Then extradite Zakayev!," a reference to Maskhadov's London-based spokesman who has political asylum in Britain. In Beslan itself, around 200 angry people gathered outside the school, insisting that Putin should share the blame along with security forces and North Ossetian president Alexander Dzasokhov. "If President Dzasokhov comes near me I'll kill him. My loved ones died, why should he live?," said Yevetta Khaureva, whose 10-year-old niece and 42-year-old sister both died.
I still can't fathom targeting innocent children... But, I hope this shows terrorists don't give free passes...France seemed "shocked", that they have been stiff-armed by terrorist captures...Russia got hit where it hurts...It's about terrorists doing whatever it takes to maximize damage where they sense vulnerability...It's a different kind of war, but it needs to be engaged full throttle. To think otherwise is "F", that's "failure"...
And the world will support them... when they target terrorists... just as the world supported the US... when we targeted terrorists...
I am glad they are coming around. Until the whole world feels this way it will be a problem. The Middle East should be worried, Syria, Iran, etc..etc.... The world can not sit idly by any longer. DD
Muslim cleric in UK defends hostage-taking Washington: The Britain-based extremist cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed of al Muhajiroun has been quoted here as saying that he would support hostage-taking at British schools if carried out by terrorists with a just cause. Al Muhajiroun has an active presence in Pakistan, besides other countries, and is said to raise a fair amount of money from there. The controversial cleric said holding women and children hostage would be a reasonable course of action for a Muslim who has suffered under British rule. He told Sunday Telegraph, “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.” The interview that the “rest of the world is bound to find revolting beyond words,” as one Muslim put it, also expressed the view 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 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. Omar Bakri Mohammed, who moved to Britain in 1985, has seven children. He was deported by Saudi Arabia and permitted by the British Home Office to reside in the country for five years. His continued stay as a legal resident is under review at present. He is organising a “celebratory” conference in London on 11 September to mark the third anniversary of the World Trade Centre and Pentagon attacks by al Qaeda. Andrew Dismore, a Labour MP, was angry at the cleric’s endorsement of violence. “That sounds to me like incitement and I will report him to Scotland Yard. It is an insult to most moderate Muslims, who are sick of people like this claiming to represent them.” http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_7-9-2004_pg4_9
America struck back with violence, aggression and war, but we're no safer now than we were before the attacks. How would a similar strategy help Russia?
This post and the one by ROXRAN promotes the misconception that Russia sat idly by and coddled and appeased the Chechens for the last decade. Quite the opposite, they waged one of the most brutal counterterrorist campaigns on record, twice in the 90's, razing entire city blocks indiscriminately, and had a human rights record that made Abu Ghraib look like a tea party. To say that this is Russia "coming around" is absurd. These guys went over the top over 10 years ago. Furthermore, the whole thing about striking worldwide is somewhat ridiculous considering that the base of the terrorists is in Russia and has been for the hundred plus years they have been fighting the Chechens.
How do you measure "safe". Safe is a feeling (unless you can find a measurement for safe we both agree on) and "I" feel better attacking the terrorists in their backyard rather than in my backyard.
In retaliation for Sept. 11, 2001, America attacked, invaded, overthrew and occupied two sovereign nations that had relatively nothing to do with the attacks, thumbed its nose at traditional allies, curtailed basic American civil liberties, waged pre-emptive perpetual war on "terror," and allowed Iraq and Afghanistan to become breeding grounds for a new wave of terrorists. The result? According to the administration's own statistics, there were more "terrorist" attacks in 2003 than in 2002. Cheney himself admitted this recently, saying a terrorist attack is imminent. How is that success? This administration's violent, aggressive policies are not working. They expose our country to more violence, isolate us from allies and destablize the global community. If the "war on terror" was even remotely successful, the Bush campaign would be trumpeting success, not fear. If we're to win this "war on terror," it will be with our brains, not our brawn.
Interesting takes gentleman, I just think the terrorists are making their cause much harder to support. What Russia is going through is ridiculous. It is a religious cult trying to take over a Russian territory... DD
GreenVegan76 is right. When terrorists target, attack, and kill hundreds of children on their first day of school, the world should not react with force. Instead, open arms should be extended to the terrorist organizations, the other cheek should be turned, and we should sympathize and five care to the terrorists and their causes. And when the hundreds of citizens died on 9/11, we should not have attacked anyone, but embraced Al Qaeda and tried to understand their viewpoints. And when we explain to our children that their mommy got killed, we should tell the child that the people who killed her aren't really mean people, just confused. And that we should open our hearts to them. And I'm a big fat liar. -- droxford
You're definitely right that Russia has been fighting the Chechen terrorist hard for a decade now. To say that they are changing their policy now is a bit silly; at most, they'll redouble their efforts. However, that may now include invasions of foreign countries like the US is doing. The US has not supported them in their war with the Chechens yet, and they definitely won't start supporting if Russia does fight a foreign war. It isn't true though that they've been fighting the Chechens for 100 years. There has been a little ethnic strife but most of the USSR's existence did not see much trouble from them. The Chechen struggles are directly related to the dissolution of the USSR.
Excellent question. Diplomacy, strong international relations, exceptional intelligence and global cooperation seemed to work pretty well over the last 30 years.
