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The only thing I see here is a tragedy. Too many of you think that things like hostage rescue are done easily. They aren't. There is as much risk in attempting a rescue as there is in leaving the hostages in the clutches of the people who took them. The guilt felt by them men who went in will be as real as the pain and anguish of the families and Russian people. The use of gas was risky. I have been trained in everytype of gas known (at least at the time I was in) and they are always risky to use. Most are devised for outdoor use. Using them indoors is a calculated risk. Using a gas that has not been designed for use like this is also very dangerous. But, what would you have had them do? 90 armed people hiding behind 700 hostages. The building thouroughly booby-trapped. The scope of that staggers me. Jumping on the damnation bandwagon doesn't do anyone any good. Wait for the facts to come out completely.
As for guilt felt by the Alpha team. Example...
Here in Nebraska. The Shootings at the Norfolk bank. Most might have heard about this. Armed men went in and began shooting people in the bank. Then fled.
5 people died. One officer in the area found out that one of the killers had been arrested by him a few weeks before. But, because he was tired and while typing up his report transcribed the serial number from the gun the suspect had been holding, transposing two numbers, the fellow was released. That officer felt incredible grief. Two weeks ago he shot himself to death. He said in his note that "he couldn't live with what he had done" He left a family behind and three kids. Can you imagion that kind of grief or guilt. He didn't do anything worse than a clerical error.
These Russian soldiers will be no less affected. Lets take a step back here and a deep breath before we start assigning blame.
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