The School (Beslan Massacre)

Esquire Magazine ^ | June 2006 | C.J. Chivers

[Drew68]

SEPTEMBER 1. AFTERNOON. THE GYM. Kazbek Misikov stared at the bomb hanging above his family. It was a simple device, a plastic bucket packed with explosive paste, nails, and small metal balls. It weighed perhaps eight pounds. The existence of this bomb had become a central focus of his life. If it exploded, Kazbek knew, it would blast shrapnel into the heads of his wife and two sons, and into him as well, killing them all.

Throughout the day he had memorized the bomb, down to the blue electrical wire linking it to the network of explosives the terrorists had strung around them hours before. Now his eyes wandered, panning the crowd of more than eleven hundred hostages who had been seized in the morning outside the school. The majority were children, crouched with their parents and teachers on the basketball court. The temperature had risen with the passing hours, and their impromptu jail had become fetid and stinking with urine and fear. Many children had undressed. Sweat ran down their bare backs.

His eyes settled on his captors. Most of the terrorists had left the gym for defensive positions in the main school building, leaving behind a handful of men in athletic suits or camouflage pants. These were their guards. They wore ammunition vests and slung Kalashnikov rifles. A few were hidden behind ski masks, but as the temperature had risen, most had removed them, revealing faces. They were young. Some had the bearing of experienced fighters. Others seemed like semiliterate thugs, the sort of criminal that had radiated from Chechnya and Russia's North Caucasus during a decade of war. Two were women wearing explosive belts.

continued. . .

[Chode]

[Captain Rhino]

Only when it is on their terms. Kill a school full of US children, and the US will be driving the retaliation bus.

[riri]

Wow, tough picture to look at.

[The_Reader_David]

BTTT

Holy New Martyrs of Beslan pray Christ-God that our souls may be saved.

[LibertyRocks]

Thank you very much for posting this article Drew. Prayers for those still suffering from this tragedy...

[The Brush]

Our terrorist enemies are a little different. They are fighting for the destruction of Western Civilization. For them, killing schoolchildren would not have the same negative repercussions as it did the Chechens

If that happened in our country anyone who claimed to be Islamic would become a target. Racial profiling would become the rage all across this nation.

[GarySpFc]

The thing about Beslan is that the terrorists were fighting for a cause --Chechen Independence, a cause that had many mainstream supporters. The massacre at Beslan destroyed a lot of support for this cause.

May I suggest you will change your mind if you read Terror at Beslan, by John Gudick. John is a fomer American Special Forces officer, and was at Beslan just as the operation was winding up.

The following paragraph will explain why American SF despise the Chechens, and furthermore why the Russians deal brutally with them.

He brings out the connection between al-Qaeda and the Chechens. He also explained how the Chechens at an early age are taught to overcome objections to torture and compelled to take part in playing and dancing with severed heads. Quote, "From an early age boys are taught the fundamental code of Chechen warriorship: 'Do not fear the enemy because he may not have a weapon. If he does, it may not be cocked. If cocked, it may not fire. If fired, it may miss. And if the bullet strikes you, you may not die. If you die, you will then gain Allah's grace."

[ViLaLuz]

Bump for later read.

[Drew68]

May I suggest you will change your mind if you read Terror at Beslan, by John Gudick.

I imagine this book is not widely available. The only books I see in my bookstores about Chechens are written sympathetically to their plight. But you are correct. They are taught from an early age to hate Russians. Even Stalin couldn't keep a leash on them.

[GarySpFc]

You can obtain the book from Amazon.com, and read the reviews there.

I imagine most of what you have read sympathetic to their plight has been written by Anna Politkovsakya, the Russian equivalent of Tokyo Rose.

Special Ops operators have told me the Chechens are the meanest soldiers they have encountered. That may be why UBL has picked them as his personal bodyguards. BTW, Gudlick said their problem is not just with the Russians. We make a big mistake when we think that.

[Drew68]

has been written by Anna Politkovsakya

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Her and Thomas Goltz

[GarySpFc]

Poor Anna doesn't even realize the Chechens are using her as a mouthpiece to win the war.

[Drew68]

Poor Anna doesn't even realize the Chechens are using her as a mouthpiece to win the war.

I'm sure when Beslan happened she felt less sadness over the plight of the victims and more sadness for what a public relations disaster it was towards her pet cause.

[GarySpFc]

Drew, Anna is in denial. It's still the Russian's fault.

[PGalt]

Thanks for posting. Great article. Horrific event.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

This is one of the most memorable pieces of non-fiction journalism that I have ever read.

I'll second that.

[CJ Wolf]

bttt for later read.