MEGR
08-31-2005, 12:34 AM
By Jean-Christophe Peuch
On 1 September 2004 -- the first day of the school year -- armed militants took more than 1,000 people hostage at School No. 1 in the small North Ossetian city of Beslan. The crisis lasted three days and ended with the death of more than 330 children and adults. Moscow blames Chechen separatists for the bloodbath. But one year after the tragedy, troubling questions remain about what really happened in Beslan.
In-Depth Coverage
Prague, 30 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The hostage takers kept their victims packed for three days in the school's sweltering gym.
When the siege ended on 3 September in a chaotic and bloody battle between the militants and Russian forces, more than 330 people were dead -- including 186 children.
The tragedy drew unanimous condemnation worldwide.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called the hostage takers "terrorists without conscience who tried to reach political goals by murdering people."
Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov also condemned the siege and its alleged mastermind, radical field commander Shamil Basaev.
Maskhadov, who has since been killed by federal forces, said he would put Basaev on trial once the war with Russia had ended.
Most world leaders expressed solidarity and sympathy with Beslan residents and the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But some, like European Commission President Romano Prodi, called on Moscow to clarify what he called the "many gray areas" surrounding the circumstances that led to the massacre.
A year later, there are still more questions than answers about what happened in Beslan. Who were the hostage takers? How many were there? Why were the Russian forces unable to prevent such a huge loss of life?
The Russian Prosecutor-General's Office is conducting the official probe into the hostage crisis.
Two parliamentary commissions -- one in Moscow and one in North Ossetia -- have also been investigating last year's bloody events.
In addition, Beslan residents are conducting their own separate probe. They have expressed anger at the government's lack of progress on the investigation.
The deputy speaker of the North Ossetian parliament, Stanislav Kesaev, is leading the regional legislative inquiry. He told RFE/RL's Russian Service he disagrees with many aspects of the official probe.
"[Without going into too many details], if there really were two women among the hostage takers, [as investigators say], why is it that some body parts found [in the rubble of the Beslan school] indicate that there was a third woman?" Kesaev asked. "Most importantly, we have the testimonies of the victims. One schoolteacher told investigators there were at least 50 hostage takers. When asked how could she know, she said her eyes were accustomed to counting [children]."
Prosecutors say there were officially 32 hostage takers, only one of whom was taken alive.
Nurpashi Kulaev, described as a 24-year-old Chechen carpenter, is currently on trial in North Ossetia's Supreme Court. He faces life in prison.
Kulaev is said to have made several conflicting statements, and many witnesses have reportedly been unable to identify him.
But Russian Deputy Prosecutor-General Nikolai Shepel told RFE/RL's Russian Service he has no doubt Kulaev was among those who conducted the siege.
"[Kulaev] is trying to make us believe he took almost no part in the raid, that he was forced to join the commando because of his elder brother, and that he didn't even know where they were heading," Shepel said. "He says he suspected they were about to commit a terrorist act, but not against a school. We believe he was one of the commandos and that, as a survivor, he must pay for the others in accordance with the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation."
In an interview broadcast last month on the U.S. television network ABC, Basaev admitted to helping plan the school siege. But he said he had ordered the lead hostage takers to unconditionally release all children under the age of 10 after handing Russian officials his demands.
Immediately after the crisis, Russian independent journalists and rights campaigners accused the Kremlin of misleading the public by saying the hostage takers had no demands and were unwilling to negotiate the release of any of the hostages.
Later, however, it surfaced that Moscow had refused to enter into talks with the militants, who were demanding that Russian troops withdraw from Chechnya.
More. (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/08/mil-050830-rferl04.htmurl)
On 1 September 2004 -- the first day of the school year -- armed militants took more than 1,000 people hostage at School No. 1 in the small North Ossetian city of Beslan. The crisis lasted three days and ended with the death of more than 330 children and adults. Moscow blames Chechen separatists for the bloodbath. But one year after the tragedy, troubling questions remain about what really happened in Beslan.
In-Depth Coverage
Prague, 30 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The hostage takers kept their victims packed for three days in the school's sweltering gym.
When the siege ended on 3 September in a chaotic and bloody battle between the militants and Russian forces, more than 330 people were dead -- including 186 children.
The tragedy drew unanimous condemnation worldwide.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called the hostage takers "terrorists without conscience who tried to reach political goals by murdering people."
Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov also condemned the siege and its alleged mastermind, radical field commander Shamil Basaev.
Maskhadov, who has since been killed by federal forces, said he would put Basaev on trial once the war with Russia had ended.
Most world leaders expressed solidarity and sympathy with Beslan residents and the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But some, like European Commission President Romano Prodi, called on Moscow to clarify what he called the "many gray areas" surrounding the circumstances that led to the massacre.
A year later, there are still more questions than answers about what happened in Beslan. Who were the hostage takers? How many were there? Why were the Russian forces unable to prevent such a huge loss of life?
The Russian Prosecutor-General's Office is conducting the official probe into the hostage crisis.
Two parliamentary commissions -- one in Moscow and one in North Ossetia -- have also been investigating last year's bloody events.
In addition, Beslan residents are conducting their own separate probe. They have expressed anger at the government's lack of progress on the investigation.
The deputy speaker of the North Ossetian parliament, Stanislav Kesaev, is leading the regional legislative inquiry. He told RFE/RL's Russian Service he disagrees with many aspects of the official probe.
"[Without going into too many details], if there really were two women among the hostage takers, [as investigators say], why is it that some body parts found [in the rubble of the Beslan school] indicate that there was a third woman?" Kesaev asked. "Most importantly, we have the testimonies of the victims. One schoolteacher told investigators there were at least 50 hostage takers. When asked how could she know, she said her eyes were accustomed to counting [children]."
Prosecutors say there were officially 32 hostage takers, only one of whom was taken alive.
Nurpashi Kulaev, described as a 24-year-old Chechen carpenter, is currently on trial in North Ossetia's Supreme Court. He faces life in prison.
Kulaev is said to have made several conflicting statements, and many witnesses have reportedly been unable to identify him.
But Russian Deputy Prosecutor-General Nikolai Shepel told RFE/RL's Russian Service he has no doubt Kulaev was among those who conducted the siege.
"[Kulaev] is trying to make us believe he took almost no part in the raid, that he was forced to join the commando because of his elder brother, and that he didn't even know where they were heading," Shepel said. "He says he suspected they were about to commit a terrorist act, but not against a school. We believe he was one of the commandos and that, as a survivor, he must pay for the others in accordance with the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation."
In an interview broadcast last month on the U.S. television network ABC, Basaev admitted to helping plan the school siege. But he said he had ordered the lead hostage takers to unconditionally release all children under the age of 10 after handing Russian officials his demands.
Immediately after the crisis, Russian independent journalists and rights campaigners accused the Kremlin of misleading the public by saying the hostage takers had no demands and were unwilling to negotiate the release of any of the hostages.
Later, however, it surfaced that Moscow had refused to enter into talks with the militants, who were demanding that Russian troops withdraw from Chechnya.
More. (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/08/mil-050830-rferl04.htmurl)