The Moscow Times
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The Russian government is irritated, and rightly so, by the arrogance of the European Union, through Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot. The Netherlands holds the current rotating presidency in the EU. Bot has "demanded" an explanation from Russia for the death of the hostages, why "so many" people were killed. The Moscow Times reports:

Konstantin Kosachyov, head of the Duma international affairs committee, told Interfax he was receiving a tremendous number of messages of condolence with the Russians over the Beslan crisis.

"Against this background, the demand of the European Community Commission:that our country make a report to the European Union on the causes of the terrorist act in the North Caucasus and the large number of fatalities has obviously sounded out of tune," Kosachyov said.

He called the demand "inappropriate in tone, illogical in substance, and an insult to those who have been affected by the terrible tragedy in southern Russia."

"If there is anyone who can be expected to make a report, it is primarily the countries that allow Chechen separatists to open their missions on their territory and grant asylum to leaders of those separatists," he said.

Sounds like the Bush doctrine to me. The European Union [dominated by France] is arrogant, myopic, and dangerous. The US should renounce it. New anti-terrorist alliances need to be formed. [See last entry]