Mothers of Beslan massacre seek answers

Men join in
The wallpapered walls are bare except for three white pieces of paper — the group’s political slogans. One reads: “Remember for whose sake we are here! Remember our children together! Remember they are our conscience!”

The committee started from a small group of mothers who turned to each other for consolation. Gatherings became regular and larger as their outrage focused on corruption and government incompetence.

The committee now numbers more than 100, and includes fathers, grandfathers and even sons of some adult victims, Dudiyeva said.

“There is a class of people here who are not indifferent, who will remind the authorities that without action, without someone taking responsibility, this type of (terrorist attack) could happen again,” she said.

More details of massacre uncovered
Dudiyeva said the committee had uncovered important details about the hostage-taking, such as that the truck carrying the militants to the school had a police officer as an escort and that weapons had been stored in the school ahead of time — a claim authorities have not publicly confirmed.

In the adjacent kitchen, no bigger than a closet, a discussion over theories about the hostage seizure’s violent end quickly moved on to memories of children — Sydakova’s daughter playing basketball, Zalina Tybloyeva’s 6-year-old nephew playing word games. Sobbing interrupts the conversation.

“Ours is the politics of grief. The politicians have done nothing for us,” said Tybloyeva, whose sister and niece also died. “From this grief comes our politics. Rita’s daughter, she wasn’t a politician. And now she’s dead.”

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