Beslan Counter-terrorism Incident Command: Lessons Learned

Abstract

The Beslan hostage crisis in September 2004 deeply impacted the Russian psyche. However, closer examination of the incident indicates that a number of mistakes were made in possibly preventing, and certainly in responding to, the crisis. The lessons to be learned from Beslan transcend the specific incident and should be considered in responding to a range of catastrophic events. This article examines the strategic, operational, and tactical issues that influenced Russian response and critically assesses how these issues negatively impacted decisions. It also poses a number of questions for further research on this specific event and in evaluating future crises.