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'Russia is ready to reach the terrorists and their bases wherever they are... ', Russian Ambassador to the United States Yuri Ushakov, September 13, 2004

'Article by Yuri Ushakov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the U.S.', published in The Washington Times on September 13, 2004.

In the tiny Russian city of Beslan the whole world saw the bloody horror of terrorism. Dozens and hundreds of children and adults were slaughtered by the insane thugs. And all of us were shocked beyond comprehension by what we endured. The enormity of this crime is overwhelming. Indeed, Beslan turned to be our national tragedy, a tragedy for the entire international community, a powerful reminder that we all really are at war.

We shall never forget the great heroism of local Russians who leapt forward to protect children with their own bodies. We shall never forget the heroism of our commandos who stormed the terrorist positions when it became clear that the children were being shot. At the same time, to echo the words of President Vladimir Putin, we as a nation were not fully prepared for such an attack. A thorough investigation has been launched, as is appropriate for a disaster of such a scale. But it is already clear that terrorists will never stop killing us if they are not stopped and eliminated with all the power and might of our nation and those of civilized world.

Russia faces a challenge that has not been experienced by any country on such a threatening level. This challenge requires new answers and new approaches to security. That means among other things better interaction of our agencies responsible for law enforcement in the North Caucasus. Besides, we should be better prepared to react when an emergency situation occurs.

Russia after these September days of grief and sorrow will never be the same. It is inevitable, as is true for America after 9/11. Now Russia is at the forefront of fight with international terrorism. We are the main target of these forces of evil, they try to beat us. But we have resolve and strength to destroy them. We will never be beaten by them.

In fact when our military leaders declare, that Russia is ready to reach the terrorists and their bases wherever they are, we mean it. And it is only reassuring that our American partners fully understand this point. One cannot sit and wait until the enemy strikes on one's own territory.

And Americans should be as vigorous as ever in addressing this global threat of terrorism. It can be deceiving that no terrorist attack on American soil has occurred after 9/11. Vigilance should not be lulled. It is clear that not a single nation in the world can cope with terrorism single-handedly. What is needed is a concerted effort by the civilized world to give a resolute rebuff to this type of brutality. Political messages should now be complemented with practical steps and genuine international cooperation.

That is why it is so appalling to hear some advices which in fact advocate a very different approach. To suggest that we should yield to the demands of terrorists and those who stand behind them is equivalent to inviting further, even more vicious and terrifying acts of terror. Giving in and giving up means giving green light for new attacks and new victims. My country will never follow this path of self-destruction.

There are some "experts" for whom people like those who committed a crime against humanity in Beslan are "rebels", "separatists" or even "freedom fighters". It is hard to believe that one can have good intentions in this exercise of distinguishing between "good" terrorists and "bad" ones.

There is no chance for whatever negotiations with those for whom to practice a weird modern barbarism of baby-killing is a daily cost. How would Americans react if after the destruction of the World Trade Center, influential voices in Russia suggested accommodating Al Qaeda demands and advised to start dialogue with Bin Laden? This kind of hypocrisy is contrary to common decency and common sense alike.

We have reached a stage when any double standards in our perceptions of terrorism and terrorists should be ruled out. By double standards I also mean providing shelter to terrorists and their accomplices who have been declared in international search by law enforcers. Otherwise we will never be able to create a common international front against terrorism. I want to believe that after Beslan there should be established one and only standard for fighting terrorism.

This belief is being nourished by the huge outpouring of sympathy, compassion and solidarity from the American people. When I witness such sincere expressions of sorrow and sympathy and willingness to help, when I look at the sea of flowers at the gate of our Embassy or when I see wet eyes of American women and even men as they stand in line of hundreds of others who come to the Embassy to express their sorrow in the Book of Condolences, as my country's Ambassador to the United States and just as a human being I can not but feel that Russians and Americans are together against a common enemy.

I am grateful to America inside the Beltway. I am grateful to President Bush, to all members of his administration, to men and women on Capitol Hill for their statements with expressions of sympathy and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with Russia in our common fight against terrorism. For me these statements resonate with that remarkable phone call which came from President Putin to President Bush on September 11, 2001. And I wholeheartedly thank the US Government and American families for all their generosity in providing us with very considerable medical and other humanitarian assistance which is so badly needed for the victims of Beslan.

On a personal note, I have never seen so many American children at our Embassy who shared the pain of this tragedy with the Russian kids. Nor have I seen so many high-ranking US Government officials, including President George W.Bush, who ever at one time showed up at the Embassy to convey so powerful and so sincere feelings of common loss to the Russian people.

These tragic days brought about not only heartbreaking news and tears. They in a way helped to move our peoples closer to each other. And one of the great tasks for the time to come is to translate these feelings of sympathy into something more solid, into practical deeds. We must do whatever it takes so that the memory for the victims of 9/11 and the tragedy of Beslan will guide us in our common struggle against terror.

Source: Russian Embassy to the United States, http://www.russianembassy.org.

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