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For me, as for all Russians, these were the toughest days. There are no words to describe my compassion for the people who"ve lost their children in the Beslan tragedy. I believe every adult in Russia feels partially responsible for what"s happened. We have failed at protecting our children, at guarding them... This is our common fault and our common grief.

Hundreds of civilians have been murdered in the past month across Russia by Islamist terrorists, who have effectively hijacked Chechnya’s struggle for independence and transformed it into a nihilistic, endless jihad. In the aftermath of the downing of two civilian airliners and the massacre of schoolchildren in Beslan, President Vladimir...

A new book explores the tragic yet mysterioushostile takeover of a school in one of Russia's Caucasus provinces.

The bloody denouement to the Beslan tragedy was barbaric: no other word will suffice. There could never be any justification for terrorists who we are told shot fleeing hostages in the back - nor for those who died at the hands of the ill-judged Spetsnaz operation. I have been asked many times about Chechen involvement in this appalling bloodbath. Of course there can be no denying the direct link between the Beslan tragedy and the war in Chechnya.

Even after the Beslan, Madrid, and 9/11 terrorist attacks,the United Nationsstill cannot bring itself to oppose terrorism unequivocally.

The most shocking outcome of last week's U.N. summit was the failure, once again, of the world organization to take a definitive stand against terrorism.

The death of Mr. Maskhadov probably eliminates for the near future any chance of a diplomatic end to the war in Chechnya. Mr. Maskhadov, who was elected president of Chechnya at a time when Russia recognized the election as legitimate -- had requested talks with Moscow but was repeatedly refused: The Kremlin insisted on calling him a terrorist, despite his condemnation of terrorism, and would not negotiate.