The terrorists in Beslan have let 26 of the hostages go (some of them were babies) … but the standoff continues.
I once wrote a thing on the breakaway regions in Georgia, of which Ossetia is one.
It’s not comprehensive, because I’m not a scholar, just a big reader, and voracious in my fascination of the Caucasus. My essay gives some background to the conflicts.
Hoping, praying, that the rest of those children are released un-harmed.
Look at these faces. Using weeping children as shields, political chess pieces. It’s evil.
“Hoping, praying…”
We all are, Sheila.
(And where DO you get the energy, anyway?)
When I originally wrote all those essays on all those countries, I think I was staving off a depression or something. I was a maniac.
An essay a day?? What were you, insane, Sheila?
But reading Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Ms. West made me think: Hmmm, that was fun, I should start it up again. I’d like to do some pieces on Serbia.
But I don’t think I could do an essay a day again. Nuts. Maybe it could be “Country of the MONTH” instead of of the WEEK.
Russians are playing hardball (from an article time stamped 1.h hours ago at the news site voina.ru ):
Уже началась работа по поиску родственников террористов. В штабе по освобождению заложников надеются, что родственники смогут убедить боевиков освободить заложников. Возможно, и террористы поведут себя по-другому, поняв, что их близкие находятся в руках спецслужб.
“[Authorities] have already started searching for relatives of the terrorists. At the hostage crisis HQ it is hoped that the relatives can convince the militants to free the hostages. It is also possible that the terrorists will conduct themselves a bit differently knowing that their loved ones are in the hands of the special forces.”