- Ruslan Khuchbarov
Ruslan Tagirovich Khuchbarov (1972-2004), also spelled Khochubarov, was an Ingush man presumed to be the
Islam ic militant nicknamed nicknamed "Polkovnik " (the Russian forColonel ) notorious for his leading role in the 2004Beslan school hostage crisis . It must be noted that Polkovnik's identity is disputed and it's possible he escaped the bloody end to the crisis. [http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7575 The Beslan school crisis and the Moscow theatre siege took place with the knowledge and possibly even the assistance of Russian authorities] July 2006]Khuchbarov was an ethnic Ingush and native of the village of
Galashki in the republic ofIngushetia near the border withChechnya . His body was reportedly identified after he was killed during the storming of the school. Referred to by the hostage-takers as Ali, he had led the negotiations on behalf of the hostage takers. In the conversations, "Ali" claimed his wife and five children were killed by theRussia n indiscriminate bombing of Chechnya."Dispatches: Beslan",Channel 4 documentary, 2005]Russian sources initially reported "Polkovnik" to be Ali Taziyev, a former Ingush policeman-turned-rebel who was declared legally dead in 2000. [ [http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2006/05/18/story259311.asp Beslan judge reads witness testimony on third day of trial]
May 18 ,2006 ] [ [http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=505415 The Investigation is Hitting it on the Head] "Kommersant ",September 16 ,2004 ] [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/may/22/russia.tomparfitt Beslan militant 'lived to kill again'] "The Guardian ",May 26 ,2006 ] However, this was later refuted by the Russianprosecutor s. [ [http://www.peaceinthecaucasus.org/reports/Beslan.pdf Beslan: Russia’s 9/11?] ] Investigaters then alleged this was the same person asAkhmed Yevloyev , an Ingush rebel leader also said to be Ali Taziyev, but those reports were declared incorrect later: although he had similar features as Yevloyev, his facial profile was a lot different. In addition, Yevloyev turned out to be still alive. [ [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-75F2HV?OpenDocument Chechnya - The week in brief: 16 - 22 July 2007] ,ReliefWeb ,July 19 ,2007 ]Shamil Basayev , who claimed organizing the Beslan attack, identified "Polkovnik" as "Col. Orstkhoyev" and not Khuchbarov. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3665136.stm Excerpts: Basayev claims Beslan]BBC News , 17 September, 2004] [http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7575 The 2002 Dubrovka and 2004 Beslan Hostage Crises: A Critique of Russian Counter-Terrorism] "Prospect Magazine ", July 2006]References
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