The Beslan Massacre: Myths & Facts In September 2004, a group of terrorists seized a school in Beslan, a small town in the south of Russia. Over the course of three days, 1,128 people were held hostage under torturous conditions-the majority of them children aged six to sixteen. Any attempts to negotiate their release or simply ease the suffering were futile. As the siege progressed, the hope of a peaceful outcome dwindled by the minute until it perished in the explosions of the terrorists' bombs. A subsequent rescue operation, botched, desperate and heroic, lasted for nearly twelve hours as Special Forces officers and local residents gave their own lives to save the victims. In the end, the Beslan terrorist attack left 333 people dead, including 186 children. While the hostage crisis uncovered major deficiencies in Russia's anti-terrorism system, the distorted media coverage of the tragedy has shaped a multitude of inaccurate opinions about the events. But as an American politician once said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts." Unfortunately, the facts about the Beslan tragedy have remained unknown to the wide audience for a number of reasons.The Beslan Massacre: Myths and Facts strives to change that. This documentary analysis examines court transcripts, intelligence information, witness testimonials, scientific data, photos, videos and news reports to present a solidly researched account of the events, the key players, and the ensuing aftermath. It's high time we sift through the lies, filter the myths, and discover how the world understanding of the situation was obscured and why. Only by doing so can we truly learn of the tragedy that Beslan suffered. |
