Maybe now they get it

Quick Quiz: Which three countries were the biggest objectors to the US bringing the War on Terror to Iraq? These countries scolded us for striking pre-emptively, etc etc etc

Remember who they were?

Yes. France (Of course France!)
yup, Germany.
Last one? That's right. Russia.

To be sure, I have a great deal of sympathy for Russia in the wake of the Beslan school massacre by terrorists. And now I have even more sympathy for them since they've been encouraged to sit down and have a little chat with said terrorists. We would never even consider that and it's a pretty ridiculous suggestion.

And now this morning, in the "What's News-World-Wide" column on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, There are these sentences:

A Russian general asserted a right to strike pre-emptively anywhere in the world after the Beslan massacre, and put a price of $10 million on the heads of Maskhadov and Basayev. Georgia expressed alarm.

Very interesting. I would be expressing alarm too, if September 11th had never happened. But since it has, I understand their expression of a right to act pre-emptively, moreover I understand their desire to exercise that right. However, I do think it would be nice if Russia would then take a minute and provide an "Ah-ha" moment where they say something like "Ohhh...now we get it!! Now we understand why you, the United States, wanted to go to Iraq, even if there was no direct connection of Sadaam to 9/11. We understand that you wanted to work pre-emptively to save the lives of your citizens, your children..."

Just a little bit of understanding would be appreciated.

Additionally, the article makes a point to all those (mostly liberal commentators) who talk about this terror attack as a way of scolding Russia for the way it has handled Chechen sepratists in recent years. Apparently, "Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told a group of foreign reporters and academics that...so far no militants killed in Beslan who have been identified were Chechen."

Whether other "Militants" are identified as Chechen or not, the fact remains that there are others responsible for this...and those people are called Terrorists.