| We can no longer live as if nothing have happened only
because the accident has not directly affected us or our relatives. This
has already happened.
Terrorists' acts leading to deaths of innocent, and unarmed people,
children and women have no justification whatsoever either political,
or moral, or religious, or ideological.
A hostage rescue operation always follows a sole and supreme goal of
saving
human lives.
All the other goals - punishment of terrorists, state prestige, personal
ambitions, etc - are of secondary importance. Assaults are possible only
as the last resort.
In Beslan the federal centre did not clearly set the priorities: that
a sole
and supreme goal is salvation of hostages, children, first of all.
Head-quarters with real and absolute proxies were not established at
the
spot. A chief of the head-quarters who would have the right and would
be
obliged to adopt ANY decisions to save the hostages' lives including
recommendations on whether and in what form the President should personally
participate in this process was not appointed.
There was no political decision of the Kremlin on negotiating contacts.
Only Ruslan Aushev had a contact which wound up relatively successfully
but had no continuation.
The President did not find anyone in the FSB, the interior and the defence
ministries or the Security Council who could direct the operation. He
had to adopt not only political but also many tactical and technical decisions
on the operation and instead of specially created head-quarters found
himself virtually in leading a constant dialog with the terrorists.
This is a characteristic feature of our system of administration.
See also:
complete version
of the article
Act of Terror
in Beslan
| 