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| Caucasus |
| Pogrom Watch: North Ossetia and Ingushetia walk the tightrope |
| 2004-09-09 |
| True, IWPR is hardly known for its America-friendly editorials. That said, it's not like Peter Jennings and Aaron Brown are scouring the streets of Beslan and Nazran for man-on-the-street interviews. During the September 8 rally, calls were heard for all Ingush people resident in North Ossetia to be expelled within three days. This was all the more alarming given that most of the demonstrators were from Vladikavkaz, not from the more volatile Beslan or Prigorodny district. "It's them who are doing it — the Ingush and the Chechens," said Artur Dzgoyev, a 77-year-old Ossetian on a bus near Beslan. "We are friends with Russia, we can't survive without Russia. And if Russia leaves Ossetia now, they will crush us." Prigorodny district, which has a mixed Ingush and Ossetian population and is still disputed by the two communities, saw violence in 1992 that resulted in about 800 deaths. But the situation there has improved markedly over the past 12 years. On September 4, there was unrest in Vladikavkaz. Eyewitnesses reported that hundreds of young people tried to get to the city's suburb of Kartsa, which has an Ingush community, planning to beat them up and then move on to the government building in Vladikavkaz to demand Dzasokhov's resignation. Police, local government officials, and a small group of Russian interior ministry troops were unable to halt them, but luckily the president of neighbouring South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoity, was on the scene and persuaded the crowd to turn back. Much more at the link. And another current link from IWPR: Ingushetia fearful "People are holding back for the moment because it's a time of mourning," said Tamila Tabolova, a 35-year-old Ossetian resident of Beslan, whose sister Alina, a mother of three, died in School No. 1. "But the funerals will end and no one knows what will happen next. Everyone has weapons at home." This is curious: The Russian security services have now changed their position on the origin of the Beslan hostage-takers. Initially they said that they included people of six nationalities, but that they were predominantly Ingush. Later on, they said that they came from all over the Caucasus. Even if the "revised" story is on the level (and it probably is), it just sounds like bullshit, especially to furious locals. |
| Posted by:Another Dan |
| #2 an anti-Ingush pogrom would just feed the terrorists strategy. The Russian authorities know this, and that seems to me why they want to stop it. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-09-09 1:09:24 PM |
| #1 I'm a firm believer against pogroms. However, I'm also a firm believer that when the 77 year olds are saying it, it's time to listen up. I feel bad for the innocent Ingush who have nothing to do with this crime. But as a matter of practicality, if the 77 year olds are ready and willing to crack your skull, you need to do something more than just sit tight. |
| Posted by: B 2004-09-09 2:35:57 AM |