A group of Chechen terrorists are holding over 350 adults and children hostage in a school in Russia, in a horrifying saga that is now in its second day.
Imshin calls it every parent’s worst nightmare. She’s right, I suppose.
But it’s more than that. It’s every civilized society’s worst nightmare, because how can a country stand firm on policies of refusing to negotiate with terrorists, when the lives of innocent children hang in the balance? As Damian points out, Israel found that out the hard way in 1975.
Once upon a time, war had rules. People died, sure, but most of them were combatants. And children were always off-limits.
But that’s the thing about terrorism. It’s so scary because terrorists don’t play by the rules. And now, children have become targets… because terrorists don’t recognize any lines of human decency.
However this crisis ends will probably be a tragedy. But the greatest tragedy of all would be if terrorists learn that targeting children works. Then, no child can ever be safe.