Ed Royce: “Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks, the Russian people have suffered greatly from terrorism. They have seen two airplanes…”

“Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks, the Russian people have suffered greatly from terrorism. They have seen two airplanes blown out of the sky, killing all on board. They have seen bombs explode in subway tunnels, killing people who were just going home or just going to work. And then they saw the tragedy in a town called Beslan, in southern Russia. And in Russia the first day of school is known there as 'the day of knowledge.' For Middle School No. 1 in Beslan, it turned into a day of terror. As students and teachers and parents gathered for that first day, 30 terrorists stormed the school, and they took 1,180 occupants as hostage. They herded the group of children and teachers and parents into the school gymnasium, and they rigged it with explosives. And those who did not obey orders on the spot were executed on that site. And there they sat the hostages in the sweltering gymnasium for 52 hours with no food, with no water.”