To the Point

Russia in the Aftermath of Beslan

Chechen terrorists crossed a new line over the weekend, when a hostage-taking at a school in Beslan, in southern Russia, ended in the loss of some 500 lives--nearly half of them young children. The killings have been denounced worldwide. They've also led critics to ask some hard questions. Are Russian security forces up to the challenge? Will President Putin try to excuse Russia's record of human rights abuses in Chechnya as part of the war on terrorism? What will be the cost of increased security measures on Russian democracy? In the aftermath of recent terrorist attacks, guest host Sara Terry examines the Russian political landscape with journalists and historians as well as defense, policy and terrorism experts in the US and Russia. Making News: Kerry Makes Foreign Policy Speech in Ohio John Kerry made a major foreign policy speech in Ohio today. Speaking at the same location George Bush chose in 2002 to outline why Iraq posed a major threat to the US, the Democratic presidential nominee argued that the President had left a trail of broken promises on the path to war. Kerry's comments followed a warning by Vice President Cheney that the US risks a terror attack if voters make the "wrong choice" in November. Greg Korte covered the Kerry speech for the Cincinnati Enquirer. Reporter's Notebook: Mending Lives after Iraq While yesterday marked the day when the death toll of US soldiers in Iraq reached one thousand, seven times that number have been wounded, coming home to lives that will never be the same. New York photo-journalist Nina Berman has photographed and interviewed many of those soldiers. Her work appears in the just-published book, Purple Hearts.