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TERRORISTS' PLANS FOR BESLAN

RIA Novosti

VLADIKAVKAZ, February 4 (RIA Novosti's Albina Olisayeva) - The terrorists who seized a school in Beslan, North Ossetia, on September 1-3 had not intended to enter into talks with authorities.
This is what Konstantin Krivorotov, who is heading a team of investigators at the North Caucasus department of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, said in an interview with the local Severnaya Osetia newspaper.
Mr. Krivorotov said the investigators had videotape that showed gang leader Khuchbarov who said on September 2: "I do not need anyone for negotiations. No one will leave the school, the building is mines studded and will blow up immediately. Let them storm the building if they want. We are ready."
Mr. Krivorotov believes this reveals the terrorists' intentions.
He admitted that there were doubts about whether there was enough room for 32 terrorists with weapons and ammunition in one GAZ-66 truck.
However, an investigative experiment showed that it was quite possible to accommodate them all in one truck, according to Mr. Krivorotov.
He also said the suggestion that the weapons had been hidden in the school in advance was not confirmed.
"The fact that small arms, ammunition, and explosives were brought to the school by the terrorists themselves was confirmed by witnesses interrogated in the course of investigation," said Mr. Krivorotov.
Besides, investigators found out that the terrorists had not made arms caches in the school in advance.
"Initially victims said caches had been in the school library and gym's floor from where the terrorists had taken their weapons and ammunition in large quantities. However, later they said they only saw terrorists breaking the floor, but did not see them taking weapon out," said Mr. Krivorotov.
"It should be recalled that under article 75 of Russia's Code of Criminal Procedure, victims or witnesses' evidence based on conjecture, supposition, or rumor and evidence by witnesses who cannot disclose their information source is qualified as inadequate," said Mr. Krivorotov