Chechen leader condemns Basayev

Shamil Basayev has a $10m bounty on his head.

The Chechen rebel leader, Aslan Maskhadov, has said he wants his former comrade-in-arms Shamil Basayev to go on trial for the Beslan school siege.

Mr Basayev has admitted organising the hostage-taking at the Russian school but blamed the hundreds of deaths there on the Russian security forces.

Mr Maskhadov said Mr Basayev and others would have to go on trial at the end of Chechnya's war of independence.

Mr Maskhadov's statement appeared on the rebel website Chechenpress.com.

He again insisted that Chechen rebel forces under his command had "nothing to do with the terrorist act" in Beslan.

"Unfortunately, with the current war continuing, it is practically impossible to bring to justice those responsible for the terrorist act," he admitted.

More than 320 hostages were killed, many of them children, when pro-Chechen militants seized a school in Beslan, North Ossetia, in early September. The victims died during a fierce battle between the gunmen and surrounding Russian security forces.


news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3685970.stm

Quoted: Mr Basayev has admitted organising the hostage-taking at the Russian school but blamed the hundreds of deaths there on the Russian security forces.

Of course, because the Russian security forces were the ones that littered the school with bombs and shot innocent children in the back as they tried to flee.  I can see how they're responsible.

Sheesh, get your head out of your ass sir.  It's cutting off oxygen to your brain.