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PSC 371: Seminar in World Politics & Terrorism
PSC 307: Public Policy Analysis | PSC 303: International Relations
Video Documentary notes, on Terrorism
by Jeremy Lewis, 5 Apr. 2006

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Contents:

PBS Wide Angle: Beslan (School Atrocity, in Caucasus.)

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Beslan in Ingosettia, north Caucasus, is a Russian town whose school is invaded by islamic extremists from a Chechen terrorist group.  Chechnya has fought a bitter war for independence from the former USSR.

The school's population is swollen by a festival.

All children, teachers and some parents are rounded up into the gym and classrooms.

The terrorists wire a number of explosive charges to themselves and the building.

After the school is partly surrounded by security forces, the terrorists rachet up the pressure by massacring some of the men, and denying water to the rest.

The government releases a hostage count of 350, but there are several times that many in the buildings.

The special forces are complemented by a large number of local milita and other armed men, under loose control if any.

There is a capable political interlocutor, a former president of the local republic, who is a credible middleman to the terrorists.

Moscow leaders, deciding by remote control, may not be attuned to the subtleties of negotiation locally.

The terrorists may well be bent on suicide and intending to destroy a large number of women and children -- thus not capable of negotiated settlement.

Given the large number of hostages, and terrorists with suicide belts and a pedal trigger , it is not clear any SWAT team rescue is at all feasible.

Local militia seem to be responsible for triggering hostilities, and the result is a bloodbath.

Fighting is confused -- it is not clear whether an organized SWAT team assault was prepared.

The village is traumatized, though a limited number of hostages do physically escape.

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