Brian Martin: Russia Sacrifices the Wrong People

Dear Inna Novikova,

When the Chechens took over a Moscow theater, the Russian Special Forces troops should have been prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice—their lives, in order to save the lives of the hundreds of innocent civilians trapped inside. Instead, the Russian government mandates the use of a mysterious gas, still yet to be revealed, which kills over 100 innocent civilians. The Russian government states that the gas was used to sedate the Chechens in order for the Russian troops to more easily handle the situation.

It appears that the Russian government chose the safety of its special forces troops over the safety of innocent civilians. Had the mysterious gas not been used, perhaps many Russian troops would have been killed in the subsequent gun battle. However, the Russian government chose to protect its troops and instead, sacrifice the lives of over 100 civilians. Special Forces troops are paid to lay their lives on the line; innocent civilians are not. If any loss of life is to be incurred, it should that of paid, government troops, and not that of innocent civilians just trying to enjoy an evening of entertainment and who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sincerely, Brian Martin Orlando