Customer Reviews

Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools

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When Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev sent his jihadists to slaughter schoolchildren in predominantly Christian North Ossetia, he expected to ignite a holy war throughout Russia. North Ossetia and neighboring Muslim republic Ingushetia had previously fought a bloody territorial war, and the truce was bitter. Basayev counted on Caucasus tradition, which would grant the bereaved men of Beslan blood-vengeance following their 40-day Orthodox rites of mourning. He believed that a massacre of children, which culminated the week of deadly terrorist attacks on Russian civilians, would spark massive retaliation against Chechnya. That innocent Ingush and Chechens would suffer meant little to Basayev, who has always gladly exploited the population as human shields and suicide-bombers. One out of every seven Russian citizens is a Muslim, but most practice the traditional Islam which is dispised as "kafir" by Basayev's Wahhabis. Basayev hoped a nationwide backlash against Islam would radicalize all of Russia's Muslims. That this did not occur was due to two things: the government's and media's restraint in not exploiting the atrocity to advance the war effort. And more importantly, the North Ossetians' own restraint in not taking indiscriminate revenge on their Muslim neighbors. But Basayev achieved at least one important goal: he showed the world that terrorists consider no targets off limits, not even the most innocent.

John Giduck, the author of "Terror at Beslan," is president of the Archangel Corporation, a US 501 (c)(3) non-profit NGO. Archangel provides anti-terrorism consulting and training to law-enforcement, military, and other government agencies. Mr. Giduck himself is a US Army Special Forces hand-to-hand combat and firearms instructor, tactical scuba and skydiving instructor, weightlifting champion, and has been inducted into several international martial arts halls of fame. He holds Masters Degrees in Russian Studies and International Affairs. And he holds our nation's highest level of security clearance. Archangel operates in over 20 countries; its membership includes elite SPEC-warriors from the US military, British SAS, Russian spetsnaz, and Israeli armed forces. Here is an impeccable, knowledgeable, and thoroughly credible source, to document this notorious terrorist act and apply its lessons to American schools.

Mr. Giduck with his Archangel team was on site in Beslan immediately following the firefight, researching step-by-step the deadly chronology of events. Archangel's professionals analysed the strategies and mistakes of the Russian Alpha and Vympel forces who responded to the desperate situation. But not only to get an accurate account (which the Russian government was obstructing): The author believes it is only a matter of time until terrorists commit a similar attack on an American school.

"Terror at Beslan" is not really intended for the reader who wants the victims' story. For that, there are several Beslan websites with personal accounts from survivors. The book does corraborate their memoirs by detailing what the American media was loathe to mention: the terrorists' slaughter of dozens of male faculty and teenaged boys, the repetitive rape of young girls, the beatings and psychological torment of captives. The author, like the residents of Beslan, is quick to credit the heroism of his spetsnaz colleagues, while criticizing the inaction of the government. This is imperative, because numerous rumors and outright falsehoods have arisen in both Western and Russian media in the year following the atrocity. Alpha and Vympel, who lost 12 of their members, have been wrongly accused of using excessive force and illegal weapons. At the same time, contradictorily, they are vilified for their unreadiness on the third day of the seige, when the terrorists began shooting and detonating their bombs. Mr. Giduck dispels all the lies, while honestly assessing his colleagues' true shortcomings.
The second half of the book deals with the defense of American schools from a Beslan-like terrorist attack. Archangel is not being paranoid in its assumption that such an attack is inevitable. Cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, in a celebratory conference in London to commemorate the anniversaries of Beslan and 9-11, declared the targeting of children a "reasonable course of action" in jihad. Basayev, in a 2005 interview on the American ABC network, agreed that such an act did not "cross the line" for committed jihadists. Children and other civilians are viewed by such terrorists not as innocent noncombatants, but as "disarmed combatants." Mr. Giduck gives credible and frightening evidence that jihadists are already here -- some are "guests" of NGOs such as the inaptly-named National Endowment for Democracy! -- already threatening our most precious and vulnerable. Archangel's website provides information on upcoming seminars and training courses, designed to assist law-enforcement in techniques to prevent or handle the kind of horror these terrorists envision. It is encouraging to see from other reviews that this topic is being taken seriously! I recommend this book strongly for parents, teachers, and anyone concerned with the protection of schoolchildren. I wish it would be read by every lefty-lib and neocon loony in the N.E.D. and mainstream media who believes it "can't happen here."

A breakdown of what happened from second and third hand information.
I take issue with the author lecturing on tactics.As he has no experience in hostage rescue.
The author was never a graduate of the US Army Special Forces Q course.Or has any training in hostage rescue.that makes him a FRAUD!I would take his suggestions with a grain of salt as he has no experience in hostage rescue.
He should not have falsified his bio.
Any Police who take the advice of this book is a fool.The author's other claims are also being challenged as being false.Until the author can produce documentation proving his credentials he should not be lecturing on this topic.
It is a shame he used this horrible tragedy to make a buck.Google the author to learn more on his false claims.
If he can prove his claims I will retract this review.

I want my money and time back.

Although I read this macabre but critically important book more than a year ago, I have put off reviewing it that long because I just could not again face the gruesome realities it contains. But a few weeks after the July 10 death of Russia's Osama bin Laden, the Naqshabandi Sufi murderer, Shamil Basayev, there is no longer any excuse.

In their three-day siege at the Beslan middle school in September 2004, Chechen Islamic terrorists killed at least 330, including 172 children and wounded another 700 Russians, many of them critically. At least 31 terrorists were killed at the school, only 17 of whom were later identified. These terrorists included 10 Arab Muslims, only two of whom were sent to Interpol for identification.

This book reveals many shortcomings in the Russian response to the terrorist attack, which undoubtedly prolonged the assault, and increased the casualties. One serious problem was the failure of Russia's Spetsnaz, Alpha and Vympel counter terror forces to contain the angry local population, who encircled the school, thereby complicating military and medical rescue operations and easing the escapes of many terrorists. Another was their failure to coordinate quickly and call in the needed forces.

In the aftermath, the Russian government of Vladimir Putin was also less than forthcoming about the causes and complications of the terror attack. And blame was improperly placed on low-ranking officials who in fact could have done very little to prevent the attack, improve the counter terror response or bolster anti-terror forces afterwards.

Having said that, John Giduck gives a great deal of well-deserved praise to the Russian heroes who did manage to save lives, minimize the toll under impossible circumstances and fought to the last, in many cases giving their very lives.

But three particular points make Giduck's book exceedingly important for counter terror officials and forces worldwide and Americans in particular.

First of all, Giduck notes that Chechnya is an large center of global Islamic terrorism, not the innocent victim of Russian brutality. As he points out, although the Naqshabandi Sufi sect is prominent in Chechnya, it is not the peaceful ideology that it is often portrayed.

On the contrary, Chechen Islamic terrorists have murdered thousands of innocent Russians in previous terror attacks, wounded a much larger number and taken still more hostage in dozens, perhaps hundreds of assaults. According to one source, over time, Chechens have considered it "the very best thing to do...to commit fraud and hurt people of other religions." He continued, "Historically, they would rob, steal, kidnap and sell slaves for money rather than develop an economy." And they have done all this in the name of Allah and Islam.

Secondly, thousands of these Chechen terrorists now reside in America, having immigrated as "war refugees," all too often under the auspices of the naïve and uninformed U.S. government.

Thirdly, the U.S. has thousands and thousands of unprotected potential "soft" terrorist targets, including grammar, middle and high schools in every state, bridges and tunnels, railroads, shopping malls, restaurants, parks, entertainment centers, assembly halls and so on.

As Giduck sees it, Americans even after 9/11 remain largely and dangerously oblivious to the fact that Islamic terrorists have immigrated legally and illegally and mean to do great harm. Very few have a substantive knowledge of the history of Islam, much less its historical use of violence or the gravitation of Muslim masses to the radical modern Shi'ite and Sunni sects that justify, fund and commit violence with the stated intention of creating a worldwide Islamic empire and enforcing the Islamic Sharia law globally. But their ignorance does not make the U.S. immune to this scourge, Giduck writes.

On the contrary, the national American amnesia on Islamic history is a "deadly affliction." Contrary to politically correct thinking, Giduck notes, while the average Muslim lives a peaceful life, what is touted by the PC press as a "religion of peace" is actually "a faith steeped in a foundation of violence." And actually, there is "no other single common factor in the wholesale slaughter of innocent men, women and children" worldwide except "the perpetrators' conscription into the Islamic faith."

After terror attacks, American Muslims all too quickly decry non-Muslims for blaming Islam for the terrorist acts. They prey upon the American sensitivity to discrimination and bigotry, yet seldom if ever offer "outright condemnation of the terrorists' atrocities." Witness, for example, the current global press assault on Israel's defensive attacks against Shi'ite Hizballah Islamic terrorists in Lebanon.

Instead of blaming Islamic terrorists for thousands and thousands of ceaseless, cross-border rocket attacks on Israel, the global press criticizes Israel for daring to respond--a position that only encourages more terrorism, in the U.S., as well as Israel.

Every individual interested in world peace should read this book. It can only help to reinforce the much-ignored, yet common, religious motivation for Islamic terror--in Russia, Israel and worldwide.

May the murdered and martyred Beslan children, teachers, families and Russian counter terror forces rest in peace. And may the world understand--soon--the common denominator behind the September 2004 Chechen terror attack in Russia, and most other terror attacks worldwide.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

As a mother and an individual who has travelled to Russia twice,I found this to be a tragic but compelling book. The telling of the Terror at Beslan is heart wrenching as you think of the horror for the children, families and all the others involved. John Giduck provides a fascinating analysis of the incident and what Americans should learn from this tragedy.

I had considered buying this book, and when I researched Giduck's name on several search engines, I kept being directed back to a web site called xxxxxx.com which was an eye opener to say the least. Had this P.O.S. just been happy with the fact of having some high speed friends and contacts to help research and write his book, I wouldnt be posting this review. This guy should be ashamed of himself. He has ridden the coat tails of those brave men who have, and still continue to protect our way of life silently without any kudos or atta boys. I too wish I was a bad ass like the guys he portrays, but Im not, and it is what it is. However, I am not for one minute embarrassed to have only been an infantryman. I did my part, and I am at peace with that. Dont waste your money on this POSER!!!!!

I am in middle school so when I read this book, all I could think about was it can happen here! In any school in America, like it happened in Beslan. When I read about the kids, how the terrorists killed the older boys and raped the teenage girls, and terrorized the little ones, I can feel it along with them and imagine if it were my own school. I hope our police and soldiers are training as Mr. John Giduck tells how in this book. But I also was interested to learn how I can protect my own self, such as planning in advance, being aware, and taking martial arts. (I'm in karate.) At Beslan, fear was the way the terrorists controlled the crowd. Some kids and teachers managed to hide or escape, and others managed to survive. I just want to say God Bless the Alpha and Vympel soldiers who risked their lives and some gave their lives for the children. I know our soldiers and police will be inspired by this book. You should also check out Archangel's website and check out the training schedules and also, the cool things they have for sale, besides this book. To Mr. John Giduck, I wish I lived near your dojo, because I would love to learn the Russian Hand to Hand Combat Training, and take the Archangel anti-terrorism course for women! This book was so sad and horrible but so important to read for kids and teachers, police and parents.

The author is an total fraud. His claims of being an authority and his expertise are complete BULL. If you want the full story on this waste of air and his mountain of lies upon which he built his resume, please follow this link. [...]

If you are in law enforcement or the military, this book is required reading, and the follow-on counter-terrorism training should be made mandatory. If you are in law, politics or the media, this book is a must-read, and a follow-up educational seminar should be required since you'll likely not get it the first time around. But most importantly, if you are the parent of school-age children, you cannot let the new school year start before studying this book and fully absorbing its contents.

My online review of this book (published at euphoricreality dot com), Terror at Beslan, is thorough and, as such, lengthy. I implore you to focus, pay attention, and read this book thoroughly. Do not put it off until later. It has everything to do with your most precious possessions: your children and your grandchildren.

Terror at Beslan is a handbook for saving lives, and it could one day be your own child that is saved by the knowledgable precepts found in its pages. Mothers, pay special heed - and you'll know exactly why when you get to the end of the book. Parents, listen: your children are targets and it is only you who can force the powers-that-be to protect them.

Our open, care-free society will not tolerate the preparations required (as laid out in this book) if they are proposed by government or law enforcement. The changes and precautions must be driven from the grassroots UP. That means PARENTS have to be the driving force.

It is imperative that we fully understand the nature of the threat so that we can begin to prepare. The more we prepare now, the fewer lives will be lost when the assault occurs.

Because if we fail to plan, then we plan to fail - and too many lives will be lost as a result. Beslan will happen here - and who among us is willing to pay that price? Not I.

I have over 23 years of government service as a retired Navy Commander and civilian National Security Analyst, former Marine Sergeant, and NCIS Civilian Special Agent where I was primarily responsible for identifying, analyzing and countering threats from the Former Soviet Union/Central Asia and terrorism both foreign and domestic. This background sparked a great interest in John's book and I was pleasantly surprised he that he went beyond the "Terror at Beslan" to give a historical perspective of the those responsible for this act and the ever growing cancer that has been allowed to grow in the shadow of the Cold War and whose numbers, powers, and threat have grown at an exponential rate. This book ends with a very clear call to action that goes beyond just preventing a Beslan event in the US. It provides a clear warning we don't have the option to choose this fight, it has been chosen by those who are creating generations of adversaries across the globe who will not be satisfied until all who do not believe as they do are eliminated from the face of the earth. It is an honor to know John Giduck who has had the courage to venture where no other author or publisher would dare.

After attending a seminar about the Beslan school massacre I bought a copy of the book from John Giduck, his insight and the story he tells is a must read. We need to prepare ourselves for what "will" happen here in the U.S., it is sad but true. The way the terrorist horrendously tortured and murdered the students and parents is tragic. The brave soldiers who gave their own lives protecting the students once the shooting began is a story of heroes, they are truly warriors. "If not you, then who?"