Where's the death penalty when you really need it:
The only suspect to survive the Beslan school siege was convicted in the deaths of 331 people many of them children and sentenced to life in prison Friday, touching off an emotional scene in which the mothers of some victims tried to attack the defendant in court.Prosecutors had demanded the death penalty for Nur-Pashi Kulayev, but Russia imposed a moratorium on capital punishment when it joined the Council of Europe a decade ago.
This enhanced slideshow will give you a reminder of the horror that was perpetrated there.
(Slideshow via Kyer.)
Posted by floridacracker at May 26, 2006 11:07 AMrage-disgust suppression mode/ON
Moratorium on capital punishment in Russia?
And what the deuce is the "Council of Europe" anyway?
Funny how Moscow is Western when it wants something.
Whatever the Council of Europe is, it looks like the Russians are taking it over:
http://www.coe.int/
Chikatilo got a bullet behind the ear. I wish they'd let the Beslan mothers tear Kulayev to pieces like what they wanted.
Posted by: Donnah at May 26, 2006 01:39 PMYep, the Beslan school siege marked a new low in how islamofachists treat women and children.
To bad they can't treat him to the same courtesies they showed their hostages.
As Lisa notes in our comments, try to find the word "Muslim" in the various reports. There're alot of "allegeds" but no Islamo anything anywhere in what I've read.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at May 26, 2006 02:22 PMThanks for posting about Beslan as it is far from the minds of most people that didn't have someone at that school that day.
The photograph featured on your post could just as well be seen as a palm reading for the fate of the civilized world if we don't soon come to the realization that this is not a war we can fight on our terms and still expect to win.
This war will be fought and won in places like Beslan or lost in places like Washington DC, London, Paris, Madrid, or Rome. Moscow doesn't seem to get it either. Taking a terrorist to a court automatically conveys an undeservered sense of legitimacy. We did it in Alexandria, VA and there are plenty that advocate that same method for those held in Guantanamo and that would be wrong.
Our good nature, our laws, and our democratic institutions, are all played against us as weaknesses in courts when terrorists are on "trial". Don't give terrorists any opportunity to publicize or taunt. Give them only death and promise (and deliver) the same for any and all of their survivors.
These are people prodded by an ideology that approves of taking children as hostages. Promising them a day in court doesn't dissuade but promising them the certainty of a horrible death for their survivors will. Welcome to the Fourth World War.
Posted by: tfhr at May 27, 2006 12:42 PM