Paper: Detainee Told Police About Beslan
By Oksana YablokovaIt's getting deeper.
Staff WriterChechen police learned about the Beslan school raid several hours before it began, and at least 60 attackers swooped down on the school, not 32 as officials say, according to a lengthy investigative report by Novaya http://2006.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2006/65n/n65n-s00.shtml Gazeta on Monday. ( Titled - "There are people to whom everything is known" M.L.)
Police in Chechnya learned about the planned attack three hours in advance but did not alert law enforcement officials in neighboring North Ossetia to tighten security in Beslan schools, Novaya Gazeta wrote Monday, just days before the second anniversary of the attack that killed more than 330 people, more than half of them children.
The newspaper printed a series of police reports, including one that said a detainee in the Chechen town of Shali told police interrogators at 5 a.m. that a school hostage taking had been planned for Beslan. The detainee was identified only by his last name, Arsamikov.
The report did not identify the police officers who wrote the report or say why the information about the imminent attack not been passed on to North Ossetian law enforcement officials.
Note: I tried to Babel Fish the link (http://2006.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2006/65n/n65n-s00.shtml), but to no avail. Kept receiving an error message, so try on your own. Anticipate very broken English, though.
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.RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 10, No. 159, Part I, 29 August 2006
AFP: Bitterness haunts Beslan:
Scars remain on the second anniversary of the school hostage massacre, writes Alan Tskhurbayev.How very very sad....A tolling bell and 332 white balloons - one for each victim - will commemorate tomorrow the second anniversary of the school hostage massacre in Beslan, where the mental and political scars of the tragedy remain raw.
Commemorations will begin at 9.15 am in the mountainous province of North Ossetia in southern Russia's turbulent North Caucasus region - two years to the minute after dozens of militants burst into Beslan's School Number One on September 1, 2004.
They will conclude Sunday with schoolchildren releasing the balloons followed by a minute of silence throughout the province at 1.05pm, the moment when the three-day hostage standoff came to a horrifying end.
The gunmen, who were demanding an end to the war in Chechnya, took hostage more than 1,000 people celebrating the start of the academic year. The siege ended when special forces backed by heavy weapons launched a chaotic assault in which hundreds died, including 186 children.
The latest victim was a woman who died just two weeks ago, bringing the total to 332.
[...] Yet two years later, many Beslan survivors say they feel cheated - that the Kremlin used the tragedy for its own ends without ever seriously intending to find out what happened.
That sense of bitterness haunts the ceremonies organized to mark the second anniversary, just as they did the emotional first anniversary last year.
Officials in North Ossetia say mourners will start laying flowers at the ruins of School Number One after the minute of silence tomorrow.
At midday, there will be a ceremony at the graveyard outside Beslan, where more than 300 of the victims lie, in honor of soldiers who were killed in the final battle. On Sunday, the 332 white balloons will be released to mark the moment when the battle began.
However, the victims' group Mothers of Beslan warned officials seen as having been negligent during the crisis to keep away from the ceremonies.
The statement blamed political figures, including regional leaders and the heads of the official investigations, for having helped provoke the tragedy, or trying to cover up the aftermath.
"We'd see their presence at the graves of our children and loved ones during these days of mourning as an insult to all the dead and living," the group said in a statement.
"We are convinced that the difficult last two years have not brought us to the truth about the Beslan tragedy but to the covering up of the truth."
That lack of trust means that even the trial of Nurpashi Kulayev, who officials say was the only hostage-taker not to die during the fighting, failed to bring closure to victims and their relatives.
"One person cannot be responsible for the deaths of more than 300. Those who allowed the fighters to travel unhindered to Beslan along federal roads should sit in his place. And those who allowed the bloody ending," said Valery Karlov, who lost his father.
Neither are locals putting faith in a major inquiry being carried out by a Russian parliamentary commission. After repeated delays, publication is expected at the end of September.
"We already know what they will write," said Fatima Dudiyeva, a surviving hostage and the only member of the police to have been at the school during the attack. "They will write everything to defend the authorities."
Alternative investigations, including by Yury Savelyev, a dissenting member of the parliamentary commission, have already put much of the blame at the authorities' feet.
Savelyev, who is also an explosives expert, said that the battle was initiated not by militants inside the school, as most officials insist, but by a volley of rocket-grenades fired from outside. He also says that indiscriminate fire by tanks and rocket-grenades killed a large proportion of the trapped hostages.
Officials announced that security will be heightened at schools across North Ossetia when the academic year opens tomorrow.
But Anneta Gadiyeva, who lost her young daughter in the school two years ago, is not impressed.
"We mean nothing to the authorities. They used us for their political goals and next time the same thing could happen. Beslan didn't teach society or the authorities a thing."
Please remember to keep the citizens of Beslan in your prayers tomorrow during this difficult anniversary.
So definitely not back yet, but getting there --- I just wanted to sneak this little post in there about good ol' Slow Joe Biden running his mouth again on Fox News Sunday:
[Wallace:] As we've mentioned, you're in South Carolina right now, on the campaign trial. Thirty seconds or less, what kind of a chance would a Northeastern liberal like Joe Biden stand in the South if you were running in Democratic primaries against southerners like Mark Warner and John Edwards.For a change, Speech-stealin' Joe is right about his facts --- Delaware was a slave-holding state.BIDEN: Better than anybody else. You don't know my state. My state was a slave state. My state is a border state. My state has the eighth-largest black population in the country. My state is anything from a Northeast liberal state.
However, as Mark Finkelstein over at Newsbusters cleverly points out,
Seemed a strange way for Joe to establish his southern street cred.Indeed.
Keep running your mouth, Joe.
P.S. Did I mention I'm retaining my Delaware resident status until after the elections, just so I can vote against his spawn, Beau Biden, for attorney general?
Well, I am.
Haven't been blogging lately and probably won't be for awhile longer because I just moved to...
Yep. You guessed it.
Ankara, Turkey.
Blogging will resume once I finish getting re-oriented, get my Internets working at my place (rather than hijacking my future bro-in-law's connection), and finally, once I secure meaningful employment, like monkey crap slinger, or consigliere.
That is all.
Another MIA, this time from the Korean War, has been identified and returned home.
Soldier Missing in Action From the Korean War is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.Welcome home, Cpl. Blazejewski.He is Cpl. Edward F. Blazejewski, U.S. Army, of Elizabeth, N.J. He is to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. on Friday.
Blazejewski was assigned to Medical Company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, when his unit came under heavy artillery attack by Chinese forces near Unsan, North Korea, on Nov. 1, 1950. During the attack, Cpl. Blazejewski and other soldiers killed in action were left behind when their unit moved to a previous defensive position. A U.S. soldier who had been held as a prisoner of war by the North Koreans told debriefers that Blazejewski and others had been killed by a grenade explosion.
In August 1997, a joint U.S.-North Korean team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) excavated a site in Pyongan Province believed to contain the remains of several U.S. soldiers. Remains representing four men were recovered, as well as an identification tag and a denture, neither of which were associated with Blazejewski.
The other three soldiers were identified and buried in 2000. Buried at Arlington were Sgt. James T. Higgins, Benham, Ky.; and Pfc. John L. Hoey, Philadelphia, Pa. Sgt. Andrew Ernandis, Brooklyn, N.Y., was buried in Hicksville, N.Y. Group remains representing all four soldiers will also be buried Friday at Arlington.
Among other forensic identification tools, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Blazejewski's remains, matching a DNA sequence from a maternal relative.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
From the statement by Multi National Force – Iraq on death squads murdering young Iraqis at soccer fields:
All children deserve the right to experience the happiness of childhood. We are working in support of the Iraqi government to ensure Iraqi children can enjoy their youth, free from worry that death squads and terrorists could destroy their dreams....because we love life.God bless the people of Iraq
The remains of Sgt. John H. Branic (USMC) have finally been ID'd and returned home after being discovered during a construction excavation on Guadalcanal.
Stories like these are beautiful -- for the simple fact that family and loved ones are finally offered a chance at closure, and that our fallen countryman can rest in peace in the land he died for.
[Note: Link temporarily broken (?) - some areas of Defenselink or not functioning properly, at least on my end, right now.]
Missing WWII Marine is IdentifiedWelcome home, Sergeant.The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that a U.S. Marine missing in action from World War II has been identified and is being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Sgt. John H. Branic, U.S. Marine Corps, of Madera, Pa. He is to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
Branic was a platoon leader for L Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division on Aug. 19, 1942, when a Japanese force overran his defensive position on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. During the attack, Branic was killed, but the Marines of L Company counterattacked and succeeded in driving the Japanese back. The location of Branic's remains was not reported to headquarters, as the L Company executive officer was also killed.
In February 1992, the U.S. Embassy, Solomon Islands, reported to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) that remains believed to be those of an American had been recovered at a construction site on Guadalcanal. JPAC took possession of those remains the following month, and excavated the site where they found additional remains. In the same general area, they found World War II-era ammunition, but no additional remains.
In 2004, an American researcher with the First Marine Division association reported to JPAC that a Solomon Islander had possession of a ring with the inscription "JHB" on the inside. The ring was found at the initial burial site.JPAC scientists and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory specialists used mitochondrial DNA as one of the forensic tools to help identify the remains. Laboratory analysis of dental remains also confirmed the identification.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
...even when he returns to civilian life.
Read the whole article to find out more about (Lt.) Delaney Rocky Perez's road to recovery...and employment. A gread read.
Army Program Opens Doors for Wounded Warriors
[...] AW2, is designed for soldiers severely wounded in the global war on terrorism. AW2 provides information and assistance to aid soldiers and their families through the recovery process and beyond, from medical evacuation to reintegration into the work force.Excellent program.[...] "Our goal is to get AW2 soldiers seeking employment connected with employers, whether federal service, a corporation or state or local entity," said Tim Winter, AW2 labor liaison specialist at the program's headquarters in Alexandria, Va.
But first and foremost, Winter said, the Army is committed to helping soldiers stay on active duty. "There are a number of AW2 soldiers who continue on in the Army, but if that's not the desire of the soldier, we prefer to keep him in the family as a Department of the Army civilian. We follow the warrior ethos: 'I will never leave a fallen comrade.'"
[...]"These young soldiers join the military to serve their country, are injured in war, then what do they do? This program allows us to take those soldiers, who have sacrificed so much, and give them a job opportunity, a chance to use their skills," said Eugene Hill, human resources specialist at CPAC. "It's an opportunity to show how much we appreciate what they've done. And, on their end, it's an opportunity for them to show us what they can do."
Visit the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program website: https://www.aw2.army.mil/
My blogbro, the Vinmeister, has "the rundown"...
43. Since George Bush campaigned for President strongly against nation building, in what ways are our actions in Iraq not nation building?heheheUh…the nation of Iraq was already built? This is what we call “nation remodeling.” Extreme Home Makeover on steroids.
There's some gold in them there hills. Read the whole thing.
"For the sake of our state, our country and my party, I cannot and will not let that result stand,"Let us pray Lieberman pulls out a win in November... or else America, to quote Hannity's fear, is one step closer to hearing the words, "Speaker Pelosi..."-- Senator Joseph Lieberman
Lieberman is the first casualty of the war against the war on terror....If last night's results are a window on the party's tilt, then a huge slice of the Democratic party is ready to sit out the war to protect America. God help us if the Republicans also get the wobblies. Let's hope the Connecticut Condition isn't contagious. And let's hope last night's decision is overturned.
-- Michael Goodwin from the NY Daily News article entitled, Win for the wackadoo wing
Let's see the MSM try and make a "grim milestone" out of this:
BAGHDAD — As further evidence to the continued progress of Iraqi security forces, the 4th Iraqi Army Division will officially assume the lead for security operations Aug. 8 in most of Salah ad Din and Kirkuk provinces, previously controlled by units from the 101st Airborne Division.Ambassador Khalilzad and General Casey released a joint statement on the 4th IAD handover.The handover of forward operating bases and security lead demonstrates the progress being made by the Iraqi security forces, reiterates successes, and highlights the progress of the legitimate Iraqi government as a positive move toward full national sovereignty and self-reliance, said a Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman.
This transfer occurs as the Iraqi security force takes charge and shows it is capable of coordinating, planning and conducting security operations with Coalition forces acting in a support role. According to a 101st Airborne Division spokesman, the 4th IAD has demonstrated it is fully capable of assuming security responsibility by taking over security operations in provinces covering major cities of Tikrit, Kirkuk and Samarra.
The 4th IAD is the fifth of 10 Iraqi army divisions to assume security responsibility, which represents the halfway mark of Iraqi divisions assuming responsibility for providing security in their country. In total, Iraqi security forces are in the lead with five Iraqi army divisions, 22 army brigades, and 76 army battalions, and the Iraqi National Police have two battalions, for a total of about 275,000 trained forces.
According to Coalition officials, 48 of 110 Forward Operating Bases have been transferred to the Iraqis; the result of the increased capacity of the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi government.
"This (handover) is a brave quest and significant milestone toward garnering security self-reliance for the Iraqi citizens, the Iraqi security force, and the government of Iraq," said Coalition officials.
According to a fact sheet released by the 101st Airborne Division, "more than 275,000 trained and equipped Iraqi security personnel work every day to protect Iraq and its people. These numbers continue to grow as more troops are scheduled to assume independent control in the coming months." [...]
Laer quotes former assistant defense secretary Bing West:
"What happens if the youth of America adopt the same fractious attitudes as their political leaders? Who then will serve? In the tone of our criticisms while we are at war, we as a nation should be very careful that we do not undercut our own martial resolve. If we as a nation lose heart, who will fight for us?"A sad, scary thought, indeed.
This new term "Muslim separatists" is pretty rich. They're separate all right. Separated from reality, decency, and civilization.
The Iraqi military continues to make progress in leading their own.
Iraqi Cadre to Begin Training Enlisted
Story and photo by Sgt. Rachel BruneMay history truly look favorably upon the blood, sweat, and tears of the heroes of this nation... and ours.
101st Airborne DivisionQ-WEST BASE COMPLEX — The latest cycle of Iraqi troops graduated from the Iraqi Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy here, about 45 miles south of Mosul on July 25.
The class was the last of a series taught by U.S. instructors from the 11th Field Artillery Regiment.
Staff Sgt. Edwin R. Sanchez, right, an instructor at the Q-West Iraqi Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy, and an interpreter watch a slideshow depicting scenes from the latest training cycle during a graduation ceremony on July 25.
The latest Iraqi NCOs will now return to their units as trained leaders, while Iraqi cadre at the academy prepare to take full responsibility for future training here.
"The (Iraqi) cadre … are charged with training Iraqi NCOs in the new millennium and beyond," said Staff Sgt. Edwin R. Sanchez, who has taught at the Academy with his fellow Soldiers for the past year.
The instructors, including four Iraqi cadre members, taught a three-week leadership development course which included traffic control point procedures, clearing buildings, drill and ceremony, physical fitness training, hand
-to-hand combat, ethics and other skills similar to what American Soldiers learn in their courses.Sgt. Maj. Walter Murrell, a member of the U.S. training team, gave his last graduation remarks as commandant of theNCO Academy.
"Teamwork is fundamental to what this country is trying hard to achieve," he told the graduates.
Murrell asked the Iraqi Soldiers to remember and apply what they learned, especially when leading a team of Iraqi Soldiers into a dangerous area.
"You are the lifeblood of your nation, and you must never forget that," said Murrell.
"It was an honor to serve side by side with you. When the history books are written, you will be the heroes of the republic."
Iraqi Army’s 6th Motor Transport Regiment takes control (no link)
Story and photo by Sgt. Trevor SnyderAnd credit well deserved, too. Great job.
124th Mobile Public Affairs DetachmentBAGHDAD -- The Iraqi Army 6th Motor Transport Regiment took control of its own operations in a ceremony July 3 at Camp Taji, a sprawling joint Iraqi-Coalition facility just a few miles north of Baghdad.
The regiment has been working closely with the 4th Sustainment Brigade since October 2005. The transfer of authority is another milestone in Iraqi progress towards providing its own security. The 6th Motor Transport Regiment's mission is to transport Iraqi Armed Forces members and cargo throughout Iraq as directed by the Ministry of Defense.
"It's a completely Iraqi show," said Lt. Col. William Schiek, commander of the 4th Brigade Support Battalion. "It's been a real pleasure working with them because not only do we share ideas with them, they are sharing ideas with us."
"Who is better at working in the local area than the folks that grew up in this area," Schiek said.
The 6th Motor Transport Regiment consists of seven companies including a headquarters company, four light transportation companies, a security company and a support company. Their equipment consists of more than 100 trucks.
Recent areas of operations have included Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk, Fallujah and Ramadi.
"We've built some friendships here," responded Maj. Roger Glenn, a force protection officer who works with the 6th Motorized Truck Regiment. "(The Coalition's) role has really switched from being warfighters with them when we first arrived here. Now they are conducting all of that mission on their own."
"It's nice to see them receive some credit and recognition."
Iraqi Forces Target "Death Squad" Activities in Four Baghdad Operations
BALAD – Iraqi army and security forces conducted four early-morning raids in Baghdad on August 1, capturing three primary suspects associated with 'death squads' in an ongoing effort to stem activities of these organizations.The precision operations, conducted by Iraqi forces accompanied by coalition force observers, occurred in three areas, all in the western part of Baghdad.
In the Ashulla area of northwest Baghdad, Iraqi army forces captured two individuals, including one known high-level insurgent leader. This 'leader' controls several smaller cells that allegedly conduct improvised explosive device attacks against coalition forces, traffic weapons, and kidnap, torture, and murder Iraqi citizens and Iraqi soldiers. It is believed that one of his 'punishment cells' kidnapped and murdered 14 Iraqi soldiers in May as he looked on.In the al Rasheed area of southwest Baghdad, Iraqi security forces conducted two separate raids and captured two primary targets. One individual is an insurgent informant alleged to be an active participant in targeting and killing Iraqi citizens. A second individual allegedly conducted a mortar attack against Baghdad International Airport, transported weapons and IEDs, and participated in the murder of Iraqi citizens.
During the fourth and final operation, an insurgent cell leader and two others were captured by Iraqi Army scouts in the Ghazaliya area of western Baghdad. This cell leader is believed to have conducted IED and rocket propelled grenade attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces; he also is believed to be involved in killing Iraqi citizens.
Each operation occurred without incident; no Iraqi or coalition forces were injured.
I love stories like this...
Iraqi soldier returns home, supports freedom
Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee KlikaThank you, Lt. Col Roston. Your determination to defend the land you love from the forces of evil are nothing short of noble and commendable.
133rd Mobile Public Affairs DetachmentTIKRIT — Home is where the heart is, and for one Iraqi military officer, his heart is with the Soldiers who are fighting for Iraq’s continued freedom.
Lt. Col Ayad Roston, commander, Military Intelligence Company, 4th Iraqi Army Division, was living in the United Kingdom, and waiting for the day he could return to Iraq to help his fellow countrymen continue the fight for freedom and democracy.
When the opportunity finally presented itself, he returned to Iraq in 2003 to "give Coalition forces a hand." Ayad said he returned to his birthplace because he’s "here working for freedom."
Ayad is use to fighting for freedom. In the mid-1980s, he fought alongside the current Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, against Saddam’s forces. After receiving an injury on the battlefield that took him out of the fight, he fled to Turkey in 1988 and then later immigrated to England as a political refugee and became a British citizen. While in England, he continued his education and eventually earned a college degree. He supported himself by working odd jobs, but always looked forward to the day when he could return to his birthplace.
Today, he leads a military intelligence unit in the northern Salah Ah Din Province of Iraq, but is very flexible about his future plans.
"The division commander doesn’t want me to leave. He wants me to stay here," said Ayad. "We are military, so we don’t know. Today here, tomorrow different places."
Ayad has served in several northern Iraqi cities but the constant travel does not dampen his spirits. With each stop comes a new challenge, helping Coalition forces in each area to free the country of the insurgency.
"Everyday we learn something new from Coalition forces," said Ayad. "I have been working for the last two years with Special Forces, and I have learned a lot from them, because [they] know how to fight." [Darn right! --ed.]
A plan is in the works that will send Ayad to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz. He believes the training he will receive there will help him to help Iraq. He also believes Coalition forces are owed a debt of thanks.
"Thanks to [Coalition forces]. You come thousands of miles away, away from your family. Absolutely, all of you guys are heroes."
May God bless you in your fight for Iraq's freedom.
Al-Qaida leader caught, spills beans on terror network
By Sgt. Kristopher JosephWhere does Al-Qaida find these brave, loyal and steadfast volunteers?
Multi-National Corps – IraqCoalition forces announced the capture of Umar Hasan al-Rashid al-Dusuri, aka, Ja’far ‘Abdallah Jasim Abdallah, an al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist originally from Saudi Arabia.
Ja’far ‘Adballah admitted to being a member of al-Qaida, and said he illegally entered Iraq through Syria in July 2005. He provided extensive information about the network targeting innocent Iraqi civilians, with the goal of encouraging sectarian violence through Iraq. He admitted to working with multiple terrorist cells throughout Tikrit and the Salah Ad Din province.
The terrorist admitted to participating in the Peshmerga checkpoint attack on May 21 in al-Dhuluiya, where he was shot in the neck. He was designated as a suicide bomber in the terrorist organization and was only waiting for a mission to be assigned, he said.
Ja’far ‘Abdallah was captured during a raid in Tikrit announced earlier in the month that also resulted in the successful capture of another senior al-Qaida leader in the region. He provided Coalition forces with additional insight into the leadership and operations of al-Qaida in Iraq.
R-A-T
Val:
Lots of talking heads on local tv now, lots of speculations and what ifs being tossed around. I feel I must urge everyone to take this news - however absolutely grand it is - with a grain of salt. castro has "died" many times before, only to then reappear like genital herpes. Let's all keep the champagne chilled, but let's not be popping any corks just yet.Let's hope this is the last time countless Cubanos run and dance in the streets only to find out it's a false alarm.
Please, God, let the Cuban people finally have their day of joy.
