I am breaking up pieces of this article for extra emphasis.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Expert unveils Beslan Investigation Findings.
The website pravdabeslana.ru [Translate the site via pasting the url into AltaVista's Babelfish --ed.] has posted a 700-page, six-part report by Yury Savelyev, a member of the Russian State Duma commission that investigated the September 2004 Beslan hostage taking, including the events that triggered the storm of the school in which most of the 332 victims died. Savelev claimed that the authorities were aware of the impending seizure of the school at least three hours in advance; [!!!} that an initial proposal by then-North Ossetian President Aleksandr Dzasokhov to try to persuade the hostage takers to release the children in exchange for 800 government personnel was rejected, and
[...] Dzasokhov was threatened with arrest if he sought to negotiate with the hostage takers;
that the authorities decided to storm the school building, but create the impression that they did so in response to actions by the hostage takers; and security personnel opened fire on the school building from mortars and flame-throwers while the hostages were still inside the building.
The initial findings of the Duma commission faulted local police and officials for their response to the hostage taking, but Russian Deputy Prosecutor-General Nikolai Shepel said an investigation by his office failed to establish any failings on the part of law enforcement agencies during the siege (see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 29, 2005). The commission's official investigative report is expected to be released in September. LFI will try to organize a downloadable English translation of the report and post it as soon as I can. Posted by Kyer at August 31, 2006 10:37 AM | TrackBackRFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 10, No. 159, Part I, 29 August 2006