Beslan, Sept 1 2004.

[kandrathe]

The current drumbeat of cross factional bombings in Iraq, which we can expect to go on for a number of years at this tempo, is a different version of using blood to make a political point than Blesan, but I think it's of a similar kind.

That was my thought. In some places there is an almost continuous steam of horror where women, children, and old people are turned instantly into human hamburger by car bombs in crowded markets. No one reports on it over here, so we are ignorant. Beslan was a bit different only in that they didn't just kill them outright. Hostage taking also happens all the time, but not to schools full of kids (thankfully).