The story about this in the Seattle Times called the people who are doing this "fighters". I can think of a lot of names for people who hide behind children, but fighters isn't one of them.

If I were a lefty, this would be about the time I brought up Abu Ghraib.

Because it's the same, right? Hostage-taking of civilians including women and children = panties on the head. Right?

More and more I think that's how the clinking clockwork of their minds revolves.

So what is the appropriate response when your husband and Brothers have been shot by the agents of a powerful county?

Ending the lives of children is immoral, but actions of this magnitude are the point of most leverage.

The inappropriate response would be to take actions that invite said powerful country to start incinerating your citizens in wholesale lots.

Canned Stew thinks that the terrorsists actions are understandable. Heh. They just screwed up big time. If you want Putin to get all medieval on the Chechens, (any more than the Russians already are) this is the way to do it.

VdL has it right. Taking school children hostage is not the way to make friends or influence people.

They already do this. Have been the last ten years. Now what do you do?

Listen, you fuck. Putin "got medieval" on Chechens in 1999 and has never stopped since. The difference is, they don't allow independent media in there, so you don't see the pictures.

"The difference is, they don't allow independent media in there"

Chechen, why don't you dumb shits take some pictures?

The fact that you can't sit silently for even a moment in shame for what your countrymen have done today disgusts me.

well said lenrd

I rescind what I wrote earlier - these people are monsters. End them.

I'm still bothered that I don't understand why it happened. Simply saying, "They're the bad guys," isn't really satasfying. Here's what I really want to know - what mistake was made (by whom) that let it get this far.