Posted on 09/08/2004 11:35:35 AM PDT by yonif
Translation from Hebrew to English by me
With the breaking of the first news of the horror from Ossetia, there was a wave of public showing of contempt being projected. There was an endless stream of experts entering the airwaves who described the Russian fiasco. During this contempt, the experts, on fighting terror and on trauma, celebrated, where above this concert were the anchors and reporters.
There is no doubt, that there is room to raise more then one eyebrow when it comes to the failure in Beslan. One of the main disturbing circumstances was the lack of control by government arms. However, the more you read witness accounts concerning what happened in the school, it is hard to judge the result. The Russians encountered a satanic group, who is competing with the human mosters we ourselves meet on a daily basis. The descriptions of the rape of the girls, the sadistic murder of the children, the eating of flowers and the drinking of urine remind more and more of the Holocaust.
Instead of rightfully criticizing the Russian capabilities, there was room to be jelous and even learn from their mental response. The parallel to the situations we ourselves face brought us a look that was not at all complimenting.
Our real face came out from the seconds after the reports, where our broadcasters remarked "What, they are not pointing a finger towards Moscow, towards Putin?" "What, this incident will not destroy his governing?" Their wondering increased when it was realized that the Russians were not involved with decapitating their own, when the enemy was slaughtering them. In their opinion, half the poison should be brought within, even as the enemy is committing atrocities.
These accusations and self-hate, combined with love of the enemy, are main attributes of the Israeli epidemic. This was just how it happened in Beer-Sheva last week, where the guilty were immeditely found - the fence, the Shabak, the settlers. In our country, we are always guilty, and not just the enemy. Not the murderers themselves, not the leaders who sent them, and not the society which is grooming the satanic ritual of theirs. In our country, we grow Uri Afnerim and Tali Pahimot (my note - Israeli leftists), because the enemy is never really guilty.
And here, the Russians gave us a lesson in sanity. They, having the righful and hard reasons to call for an investigation and the learning of mistakes, understand that first you should pursue the murderers and their friends.
Even Putin's response to the incidents teach us something about ourselves. From our norms, Putin broke the rules when he said Russia showed weakness, and who shows weakness is struck. In our country, that is a fascist saying, a extreme and wrong one. We realized a long time ago that the weakness is power and that power corrupts and is wrong. That the enemy is a partner and we should hug him in every way possible. In our country, power that is not checked is directed to the inside, towards members of the Prime Minister's party.
An additional serious declaration by Putin also related to learning the mistakes made by Russia and to worsening the political policy against terror. Here he passed the line completely. Since when do you reach conclusions from terror? So what if Qassams fall on Sderot and we deny that fleeing from Gaza has no relationship to it and that it is no sign of weakness in the eyes of the terrorists. Here in our country, as it is known, weakness is a plus.
Above all, there was room to learn from the Russian decisiveness that did not change its policies in Chechneya, because of the pogrom in Beslan. Just imagine what the Russian response would have been if the terrorists were demanding the heart of their capital city, and territories which signify the cradle of the Russian nation. This response needs to be really studied.
The writer is 43 years old, and a resident of Jerusalem. He is partner in a law office. In the past he was an editor and writer in “HaEir” and “Maariv,” and a presenter of a personal radio show on Reshet Bet. He is a graduate of Hebrew University in Law, History and Political Science.
Ping.
In this article, and in another post on FreeRepublic I have seen references to the children having been raped. I haven't seen this in any mainstream media report. Is this substantiated anywhere?
They were trying to get Putin himself to come the school and "negotiate". They tortured and raped on camera to force him to come. Most probably in order to kill him. When it didn't work, that's when things got really bad. It was written about in the Russian press. Our press was given full footage but edited it out, edited out the footage so as not to disturb us before an election.
| THEY KNIFED BABIES, THEY RAPED GIRLS | |
|
Sep 5 2004 |
|
| By Euan Stretch Chief Reporter | |
THE full horror of the Russian school atrocity began to emerge yesterday as traumatised children told horrific tales of stabbed babies and brutal rapes.
It has also emerged that scores of the 323 who died - including many children - had been shot in the back.
While despairing soldiers and rescue workers moved among the growing pile of body bags, it was revealed that an 18-month-old baby had been repeatedly stabbed by a black-clad terrorist who had run out of ammunition.
Other survivors told how screaming teenage girls were dragged into rooms adjoining the gymnasium where they were being held and raped by their Chechen captors who chillingly made a video film of their appalling exploits
They said children were forced to drink their own urine and eat the petals off the flowers they had brought their teachers after nearly three days without food or water in the stifling hot gym.
Their stories came as Russian officials warned that the final death toll of the siege of Middle School No 1 at Beslan in North Ossetia - in which up to 1,200 people were held captive - was likely to be more than 400.
The official toll yesterday stood at 323 which included 156 children, 10 Russian soldiers and two emergency service workers - 35 of the hostage-takers were also killed. Last night 434 people were being treated in hospital with 247 children and 85 adults in a critical condition.
A Russian official said six seriously injured children had been taken to Moscow for treatment.
"One of them is a child, just 18 months old, with many knife wounds," he said.
The Chechen terrorists - including two so-called "Black Widows" - had been meticulously planning the hostage-taking for months.
High explosives and ammunition had been smuggled into the building during the summer by rebels disguised as workmen.
A shocking account of the siege has come from Indira Dzetskelova, the mother of 12-year-old Dzerase who was guarded by two women suicide bombers during the siege. She said: "On the first day they shot a man before my daughter's eyes. They frightened the kids by saying that water in the tap was poisoned.
"The famished children had to eat rose petals from bouquets which they specially bought for their teachers to mark the first day of term. Parents who were also captured had to feed their kids with all the window plants.
"After they ate all the petals, my daughter said that she started to nibble the rose plants.
"She told me that several 15-year-old girls were raped by terrorists. She heard their terrible cries and screams when those monsters took them away."
Her traumatised daughter Dzerase sobbed as she added: "When the assault started, some of us were running out through the school dining room.
"We had to run across and jump over dead bodies. Can I ever forget it? Is it possible that one day I will forget it?
"The terrorists started to shoot from the roof, then one of them ran into the dining room and started to shoot from the window.
"I saw kids and women falling to the ground. And I saw that vermin's face. I saw his smile as he killed my friends."
Diana Gadzhieva, 14, was held with her sister Akinba, aged 11. She told how the rebels executed all the adult men in a room upstairs and how she was forced to lie face down on the gym floor.
She said: "There was not enough space for us and we were lying on top of each other. The rebels needed paths to walk around the gym. They shouted they would shoot anyone whose arm or leg was across their paths.
"They also said they would kill anyone who looked up.
"We saw groups of men hostages going out and never coming back."
She also told of the moments when the bloody firefight started and how the rebels triggered a series of explosions inside the gym.
Diana said: "There was terrible panic and a few boys jumped out of the windows. My sister and I did not want to run out - we were scared of being shot.
"But then the second explosion happened and something heavy fell down on us. I saw children around me lying in blood and not moving.
"Just next to me there was a woman covered in blood. She was dead. I also saw many arms and legs, torn from bodies.
"All the bombs were connected with cords and started blowing up one after another, getting closer and closer to us.
"I took Alina's hand and we ran to the window and jumped out. We were running as quickly as possible - our backs were terribly hot from the fires."
Zalina Vazagova, 13, also told of the terrifying moment when a bomb exploded in the gym ceiling.
She explained: "I heard a terrible crack above my head and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I thought I was dead. There was so much blood around me.
"One granny was lying with a hole in her head. My PE teacher, Ivan Konstantinovich's body hit my leg.
"All the kids were crying, 'Please don't shoot! Please don't kill us'. But the rebels did not listen to us.
"Then I saw an open window and just jumped out. My little sister Lena was left inside there." And sobbing, she added: "I don't know if she's alive. She was only ten."
Survivors say the gymnasium and surrounding corridors had been rigged with at least 18 bombs, connected by cables and trip wires.
A shocking account of the siege has come from Indira Dzetskelova, the mother of 12-year-old Dzerase who was guarded by two women suicide bombers during the siege. She said: "On the first day they shot a man before my daughter's eyes. They frightened the kids by saying that water in the tap was poisoned.
"The famished children had to eat rose petals from bouquets which they specially bought for their teachers to mark the first day of term. Parents who were also captured had to feed their kids with all the window plants.
"After they ate all the petals, my daughter said that she started to nibble the rose plants.
"She told me that several 15-year-old girls were raped by terrorists. She heard their terrible cries and screams when those monsters took them away."
Her traumatised daughter Dzerase sobbed as she added: "When the assault started, some of us were running out through the school dining room.
"We had to run across and jump over dead bodies. Can I ever forget it? Is it possible that one day I will forget it?
"The terrorists started to shoot from the roof, then one of them ran into the dining room and started to shoot from the window.
"I saw kids and women falling to the ground. And I saw that vermin's face. I saw his smile as he killed my friends."
Diana Gadzhieva, 14, was held with her sister Akinba, aged 11. She told how the rebels executed all the adult men in a room upstairs and how she was forced to lie face down on the gym floor.
She said: "There was not enough space for us and we were lying on top of each other. The rebels needed paths to walk around the gym. They shouted they would shoot anyone whose arm or leg was across their paths.
"They also said they would kill anyone who looked up.
"We saw groups of men hostages going out and never coming back."
She also told of the moments when the bloody firefight started and how the rebels triggered a series of explosions inside the gym.
Diana said: "There was terrible panic and a few boys jumped out of the windows. My sister and I did not want to run out - we were scared of being shot.
"But then the second explosion happened and something heavy fell down on us. I saw children around me lying in blood and not moving.
"Just next to me there was a woman covered in blood. She was dead. I also saw many arms and legs, torn from bodies.
"All the bombs were connected with cords and started blowing up one after another, getting closer and closer to us.
"I took Alina's hand and we ran to the window and jumped out. We were running as quickly as possible - our backs were terribly hot from the fires."
Zalina Vazagova, 13, also told of the terrifying moment when a bomb exploded in the gym ceiling.
She explained: "I heard a terrible crack above my head and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I thought I was dead. There was so much blood around me.
"One granny was lying with a hole in her head. My PE teacher, Ivan Konstantinovich's body hit my leg.
"All the kids were crying, 'Please don't shoot! Please don't kill us'. But the rebels did not listen to us.
"Then I saw an open window and just jumped out. My little sister Lena was left inside there." And sobbing, she added: "I don't know if she's alive. She was only ten."
Survivors say the gymnasium and surrounding corridors had been rigged with at least 18 bombs, connected by cables and trip wires.
Those b*stards!
Other survivors told how screaming teenage girls were dragged into rooms adjoining the gymnasium where they were being held and raped by their Chechen captors who chillingly made a video film of their appalling exploits
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