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| Russia |
| Beslan School Attackers Exploit Russia Corruption |
| 2004-09-11 |
| By DAVID McHUGH, Associated Press Writer Fri Sep 10, 2:21 AM ET MOSCOW - The heavily armed militants behind a deadly school raid in southern Russia passed through a region dotted by checkpoints whose chief purpose is to keep violence from spreading outside the breakaway Chechnya region. How did they manage? To many people here, suspicion falls on police corruption that could be crippling Russian attempts to fight terrorists. The school hostage-taking in Beslan and other recent terror attacks illustrate how bribe-taking — particularly in the police and military — provide an opening to terrorists by helping them arm themselves and move around. The military often supplies weapons to the very enemy it seeks to vanquish. For Russians long used to bribing police officers, public housing managers, even nursery school directors, the corruption allegations aren't surprising. Yet outrage over the school attack, which left more than 330 dead, has been fueled by reports suggesting that bribery played a role. First, the 30 attackers got through a region dotted with checkpoints without any apparent problem. Still no word about any arrests of the checkpoint squads. |
| Posted by:Zenster |