334 civilians killed. 186 of them children....over 400 wounded in all and taken to the hospital, children forced to do things that I'm not typing here...A well made, but dark documentary showing the brutality of the Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev and his terrorist group with great footage captured including even the "Black Widows" or female Chechen terrorists who strap the explosives to themselves and detonate it to kill those around them. - (think back to the 2002 Moscow theatre crisis)
The film also shows the how poorly the Russians reacted to the situation with disinformation and being completely unprepared. For example, the school gym was wired with explosives and mines hung from the basketball goals. There was not one sapper (mine engineer) in the entire Russian reaction force.
A copy of the letter they sent to Putin at the time:
"From Allah's slave Shamil Basayev to President Putin.
Vladimir Putin, it wasn't you who started this war. But you can finish it if you have enough courage and determination of de Gaulle. We offer you a sensible peace based on mutual benefit by the principleindependence in exchange for security. In case of troops withdrawal and acknowledgement of independence of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, we are obliged not to make any political, military, or economic treaties with anyone against Russia, not to accommodate foreign military bases on our territory even temporarily, not to support and not to finance groups or organizations carrying out a military struggle against RF, to be present in the united ruble zone, to enter CIS. Besides, we can sign a treaty even though a neutral state status is more acceptable to us. We can also guarantee a renunciation of armed struggle against RF by all Muslims of Russia for at least 10 to 15 years under condition of freedom of faith. We are not related to the apartment bombings in Moscow and Volgodonsk, but we can take responsibility for this in an acceptable way.
The Chechen people is leading a nation-liberating struggle for its freedom and independence, for its self-protection rather than for destruction or humiliation of Russia. We offer you peace, but the choice is yours.
Allahu Akbar
Signature
30 August"
Julia Roberts does the VO. It is an eye-opening story and makes one wonder "could it happen again and where?"
