September 12, 2004

Chechnya Massacre Recalls Puerto Rico Terrorism

The tragedy at Chechnya -- wherein 157 school children lost their lives to terrorists – takes a place in history along with the biblical "Slaughter of the Innocents."

At last count, another 181 teachers and police were killed in a gruesome shoot out triggered when the terrorists accidentally detonated their own booby traps.

One of the 32 terrorists identified as Nur-Pashi Kulayev survived. He is reported to have declared: "By God, I have not killed! I had pity. I have children, too."

 He confessed, "They gathered us in a forest by a person known as ‘the commander’ He said we must seize a school in Beslan on orders from Aslan Maskhadov (a Chechen rebel leader) and Shamil Basayev (a militant warlord)."

Kulayev said the commander shot one attacker who questioned the necessity of taking a school. Later, to enforce his orders, he blew up the two female terrorists who wore explosive vests controlled by his wireless trigger.

There are not words to describe the horror and the depravity of terrorists – cowardly sadists who target uninvolved citizens who cannot fight back.  

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a $10 million bounty on the terrorists who planned and financed the attack.

President Bush strongly condemned the school siege as a wanton act of international terrorism. He called Putin to express condolences and offer humanitarian aid.

Putin rejected the offer, but Bush sent a planeload of medical supplies to Beslan anyway.

Strangely the U.S. State Department barged into the situation. Spokesman Richard Boucher declared, "There is no question that the people carrying out these acts have no political affiliation.

"They have a terrorist affiliation, but one shouldn’t confuse the two things. There must be a political settlement."

This infuriated Putin. He said there should be "no more questions about our policy in Chechnya." Russia has been fighting the separatists for more than a decade.

Chechnyans adhere to a moderate brand of Islam called Sufism. Its violent Wahhabist Islam neighbors attack to present a solid front to Russian control – a civil war within a war of secession .  

When Russia chased the rebels into Afghanistan, the United States furnished Chechnya separatists with shoulder-fired rocket launchers that effectively drove back the Russians.

Putin in a press conference with foreign journalists accused the west – and the U.S. particularly -- of a double standard in dealing with terrorism.

"Why don’t you meet Osama bin Laden, invite him to Brussels or to the White House and engage in talks?" challenged Putin. "Ask him what he wants, and give it to him so he leaves you in peace.

"You find it possible to set some limitations in your dealings with these terrorists. So, why should we talk to people who are child killers?"

Touche! People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. The similarity between Chechnya and Puerto Rico is revealing.  

The U.S. acquired Puerto Rico during the 1898 Spanish-American War. We vowed to make our new colony a place of freedom and opportunity.

We poured in gobs of money, steered it to constitutional democracy, made it a "commonwealth" country free of federal taxes and twice offered it independence.

Twice, referendums were held for Puerto Ricans to decide their form of government. Twice they rejected independence and opted for commonwealth.

A 1998 poll by the San Juan Star newspaper indicates the status quo still prevails -- statehood with the U.S. 40.9 percent; commonwealth status 40.2 percent; independence 7.6 percent.

Despite overwhelming rejection of a poor, country without resources – a gaggle of Puerto Rico chauvinists buck democracy with terrorism.

A Puerto Rican assassin tried to kill President Truman in 1950. Four year later, four pro-independence gunmen in the visitors gallery of the House of Representatives sprayed bullets on Congress members – wounding four.

Puerto Rico is the leading source of domestic terrorism in the United States, according to the National Center for Public Policy Research, Washington, D.C.

Just one group, Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional (FALN), has been responsible for more than 120 bombings since 1970 in New York, Chicago, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.

Muslim terrorists have overtaken FALN in damage and death. Nevertheless, our Foggy Bottom State Department is off base anent Chechnya.  

Let he who is without sin, etc.  

Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at linwms@lindseywilliams.org