International response to the Beslan hostage crisis
The international reactions to the Beslan school hostage crisis was:
Multinational bodies
- UN Security Council – The UN Security Council in a Presidential Statement condemned the attack in the strongest terms and urged states actively to cooperate with the Russian authorities in efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.[2]
- European Union – Romano Prodi on behalf of the European Commission responded by calling the attack a: "Killing of these innocent people is an evil, despicable act of barbarism."[3] Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot stated on behalf of the European Union that "We have been confronted with a deep human tragedy [...] Beslan shows once again that we have to do everything in our power to confront terrorism."[4]
- UNESCO - Director-General Koichiro Matsuura of UNESCO concluded that “I am appalled that a school and its pupils are being used for political ends" and further that “Schools are where children learn to live together. The safety of schools must never be threatened. I condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms."[5]
Countries
At least the following countries has expressed their concern:
- France - French Foreign Ministry, in a statement concluded that "Everyone must mobilize in the fight against terrorism."[4]
- Israel - The Israeli government offered help in rehabilitating freed hostages. Immediately after, an experienced Israeli trauma team was sent to Beslan and later Russian psychologists working with the victims of the massacre received help on training by Israeli experts in Israel.
- Italy - The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi responded saying ""The international community has to unite against terrorism that denies common human values to all the world's civilizations [...] There is no reason that could justify such inhuman violence."[4]
- Jordan - Government spokesman Asma Khader "condemns such acts, especially the kidnapping of civilians and to scare them in such a heinous way, even more, when most are children" saying "no cause can be achieved by such criminal means."[4][6]
- Lebanon - Lebanese President Émile Lahoud said in Beirut "denounces all forms of terror, especially that which threatens the lives of children and innocents."[4][6]
- South Africa - Nelson Mandela called the attack an "inhumane and barbaric act of terrorism”, saying that "in no way can the victimisation and killing of innocent children be justified in any circumstances, and especially not for political reasons."[7]
- United States - President Bush of the United States in a speech to the UN General Assembly said of the terrorists at Beslan that they: "measure their success - in the death of the innocent, and in the pain of grieving families."[8] And further in a later speech called it "the terrorist massacre of schoolchildren in Beslan."[9]
- Sweden - Prime Minister of Sweden Göran Persson commented that "The evil deed of targeting children makes the world understand what times we are living in, how vulnerable our communities are and what types of crimes and terror we have to deal with."[4]
Religious leaders
- Grand Shaikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, Egypt's top cleric asked: "What is the guilt of those children? Why should they be responsible for your conflict with the government? You are taking Islam as a cover and it is a deceptive cover; those who carry out the kidnappings are criminals, not Muslims."[6][11]
Non-governmental organizations
- A group of international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, condemned it as an “abhorrent [...] action” and a “displays [of] callous disregard for civilian life" and further that it was “an attack on the most fundamental right - the right to life; our organizations denounce this act unreservedly."[12]
References
- ^ "Russian school attack: Need for world action on terror". UN. September 2004. http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=627&storynr=100. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ U.N. Security Council, in Presidential statement, condemns hostage-taking at Russian Federation school, demands their immediate release September 1, 2004
- ^ "The Commission is shocked and saddened by the deaths of hostages in Russia". EU. September 3, 2004. http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/news/prodi/sp04_1066.htm. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ a b c d e f g "World Leaders Horrified at Russia Siege". Fox News. September 3, 2004. Archived from the original on May 23, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070523043024/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,131432,00.html. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ "UNESCO Director-General calls for immediate release of hostages held in school siege". UNESCO. September 2, 2004. http://portal0.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=22495&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ a b c "Arab leaders decry school killings". Al Jazeera. September 4, 2004. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C720DD9E-F195-49C4-90E1-C31595D1A4F5.htm. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ "Timeline 2000s". Mandela Museum. September 4, 2004. http://www.mandela-museum.org.za/web%20-%20xhosa/timeline/popup_2004_04september.htm. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
- ^ "President Speaks to the United Nations General Assembly". White House. September 21, 2004. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/09/20040921-3.html. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ "President Addresses United Nations Security Council". White House. September 14, 2005. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050914-4.html. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ "Stunned aftermath of siege bloodbath". The Scotsman. September 5, 2004. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1045952004. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
- ^ Smith, David (September 4, 2004). "Muslim leaders condemn killers". London: The Guardian. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1297664,00.html. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
- ^ "Joint NGO statement on the Beslan Hostage Tragedy". Amnesty International. September 8, 2004. Archived from the original on 2006-08-06. http://web.archive.org/web/20060806114610/http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engeur460502004. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
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