Thursday, August 14, 2008

Beslan, USA: Mentioning the Unmentionable


Could it happen here?


Once again, North Osettia is in the news, and once again the news is violent and alarming. It has been almost exactly four years since that horrific event that outraged the world, the bloody siege of North Ossetia's Beslan School No. 1. More than 1,000 hostages were taken at the Beslan school in the early hours of September 1, 2004, by guerrillas demanding an end to the war in nearby Chechnya. A standoff ensued until September 3, when Russian personnel stormed the school and ended the siege with a series of loud explosions and a final assault. When the smoke had cleared the total number of dead was more than 330 people, half of them children.

The Chechen jihadist leader Shamil Besayev had warned the Russian government the winter prior to the attack: “Praise Allah, we are dreaming of dying in jihad, we are dreaming of dying on the way of Allah, so that we could earn paradise and mercy of Allah.”




This is the war we are in. We must not allow ourselves to be misled or confused by sins of omissions or purposeful obfuscations. We must learn to connect the dots. We must learn to see these seemingly anomalous events for what they really are, not isolated tragedies, faraway and removed from our everyday world, not individual maniacs freaking out and killing our children in front of our very eyes on our university campuses; but rather as part of that great Islamic Jihad against the West, against the infidel. From the Munich Olympics to 9/11, from the streets of Mogadishu to the bombing of the Cole -- it's the same ruthless enemy, the same bloodthirsty child-killing jihadist Muslims. They are "dreaming of dying in jihad". And, have no doubts about it America, we are still on their list.


Last December 2007, Radarsite ran a truly alarming article, cross posted from Deb Hamilton's Right Truth, on the threats received by a number of elementary and high schools in Florida. A series of post cards [see above] were sent to several different schools in the area promising "an explosive surprise". Fortunately, nothing came of it. Whether it was proven to be a stupidly cruel hoax, or whether an actual attack had been thwarted we may never know. But, as they say, the writing was on the wall. How many similar plots have been silently thwarted we will quite possibly never know. But we can be certain of this: the minds that thought up the bloody siege of Beslan are still thinking. Could it happen here? A more pertinent question might be, why hasn't it happened here yet? Are we that good? Or have we just been lucky?

A couple of years ago I made a trip back to my childhood home for the first time in over 50 years, Of course, much had changed, some of it was completely unrecognizable, and some of it looked exactly as I had remembered it all those years. But one of the most disquieting changes that I came across on that sentimental journey were the new additions to my old elementary school. The small friendly brick building was now ringed with an ominous row of concrete traffic barriers. I found that I couldn't even get inside to visit my old school without first making an appointment and being cleared by security.

So, it seems we have adapted. We've tightened up our loose ends. We've put up the money required to install the latest access control technologies: traffic barriers, security doors, high-tech iris scanners, metal detectors, and we've developed more stringent security procedures. And, so far, so good.




But, are we really prepared?

Are we psychologically and emotionally prepared for a well planned and executed three day Beslan type siege? Are we strong enough to handle the unbearable pressure? Can we withstand the horrific drama being played out 24 hours a day for three days on our widescreen TVs? Do we have the will power to resist their inevitable outrageous demands? Will we release terrorists from Gitmo? Or pressure Israel to make some deadly concessions? What are we willing to do and not to do? Have we even seriously thought about it?

We certainly have the technology. We have the equipment. And we have the most proficient and courageous first responders, police, firemen, and SWAT teams in the world. But do we have the strength of character to stand back and let them do their jobs without interference? For the sake of our children's lives will we sacrifice our national security? Will we open the door for more deadly blackmail in the future?



Could a Beslan happen here in America, to an American school?

Yes, absolutely.

Are we prepared to face the terrible enormity of this possible scenario?

Probably not.

Can we ever be truly prepared for such a horror?

Probably not.

But we had better at least start thinking about it. Because our enemies most certainly have.



http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2638

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/003309.php



5 comments:

  1. What our leaders (and we ourselves) need to keep in mind is that our official policy not to negotiate with terrorists has a distinct and irrefutable purpose: if a terrorist accomplishes anything other than complete and utter defeat at our hands, then it'll validate future attacks against us. Concessions only breed further attacks.

    Again, I find myself worried that Obama either lacks this knowledge or just plain doesn't care (or worse, that he's in league with 'em); I can easily see him and his ilk closing down Gitmo or withdrawing troops from Iraq to save the children. McCain, on the other hand, is better equipped than most to handle the situation. He's been a victim of terrorism himself, and he refused to allow concessions from America.

    Oh how I hope McCain wins this election...

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  2. Roger, you have laid bare and elevated some supremely important issues in this piece.

    Islam is couched in terms of virtue and vice, enjoining right and forbidding wrong. In its concept, Islam is right and all else is wrong. We are to be punished by torment in this world and the next.

    Islam seeks to inflict maximum physical and emotional pain; to "cast terror" into our hearts so as to weaken our ability and resolve to resist.

    The Beslan model will be emulated here, it is just a matter of time. We can't prevent it, and we can't solve the problem. Security is a mirage, always just over the horizon.

    We need to free our soil from the pollution of Islam; to close the Mosques, Madrassahs & Islamic Centers, to send the Muslims home, whether it be to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Africa or Hell.

    We need to purge this land of Muslims and prevent their entry. No lesser measure or combination of measures can prevent an American Beslan.

    Lionheart mentioned connecting the dots. There is no more important concept. Terrorism is part of a larger pattern, not an assortment of isolated incidents. Search for 8:12 and 33:26 along with any of the screen names I use. You'll find the quotes, with links to source. You will also find the hadith which confirm the substance of those quotes. If those do not make your blood boil,then go out and hang yourself, you're wasting our oxygen.

    Then Lionheart quoted the terrorists: “Praise Allah, we are dreaming of dying in jihad, we are dreaming of dying on the way of Allah, so that we could earn paradise and mercy of Allah.” If you don'
    t curse when reading that, then you are dead already, soulless, crawl into your grave and quit being a zombie.

    Go at once to www.quranbrowser.com, select all and search for reward, deeds and gardens. Read the verses surrounding the matches you find.

    Islam uses a system of reward and punishment. The reward is admission to paradise with access to perpetual virgins who always grow new hymens and never have headaches, rivers of wine without hangovers and fresh fruit, low hanging, always in season. The punishment is eternal damnation, burning, eating bitter thorns and drinking boiling sewage.

    I leave you with a quotation from the Charter of HAMAS, which is a subset of the creed of Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimeen. Read it and curse Islam.
    "Allah is its target, the Prophet is its model, the Koran its constitution: Jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes."

    Do you want life and liberty? Then give them the death & damnation they crave and so richly deserve!

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  3. When you mention Beslan another name pops into my mind: Ma'alot.

    On May 14, 1974 a group of terrorist from Lebanon infiltrated Israel. They first killed a van filled with workers from the local Druse village, shot up an apartment with 4 people in it killing 2 adults and 1 5-year old child, wounding the baby. Then killed another person on the street as they went to the Netiv Meir Elementary school. There they took 85 students and faculty hostage.

    At 5:25 pm that same day members of Israel's Elite Special Forces stormed the building. The order was given by the late Moshe Dayan, and in the process 21 children were killed.

    The next day the IAF bombed 7 PalArab refugee camps in retaliation. The PalArabs haven't tried that stunt again in Israel.

    To this day, armed guards and parents roam the schools of Israel, preventing another Ma'alot.

    When Terrorists Learn to Attack Schools

    What has been learned from these attacks? Do it in Israel and the Israelis will attack back. Do it in Russia and the Russians will kick your butts. But if it is done if Obama is POTUS, he would give into all the terrorists demands, and even more.

    It takes a strong leader to say no to a terrorist, even when children's lives are at stake.

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  4. I think the terrorists would love nothing better than to attack our children, our most prized possession and our most vulnerable.

    Remember all the incidents we had with stolen school buses? Also school buses being sold for small fees to questionable people? How about the Islamic men who boarded the school bus in Florida? Dry runs, preparations? I think yes. I posted on all of these.

    But you know the government, if they are concerned they are certainly not letting on in public.

    Debbie Hamilton
    Right Truth

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  5. Thank you both Findalis and Deb.
    It's appropriate that you should comment on this Deb. As I mentioned in that article, you have been on top of this longer than almost anyone.
    And Findalis, too. In fact I first met Findalis because of a posting she made on the terrors of Israeli school children in Sderot.
    To be able to even attempt to deal with this horrible scenario, we have to at least be willing to talk about it.

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