I t should come as no surprise that Russian President Vladimir Putin has used the horrific terrorist attack in Beslan in southern Russia to justify the consolidation of power in his own hands. Plainly, the Russian government has not been able to counter the threat posed by Chechen separatists. The problem for Mr. Putin is that the federal government is already leading the fight against terrorists; the failures to date reflect the limitations of that strategy, not the limits of the government's power or the resources it commands. While there can be no discussions with monsters who slaughter children, there is no purely military solution to this menace. A far more nuanced strategy is required, but there is little sign that Moscow appreciates this.
The need for a new approach is clear. Four terrorist attacks in recent weeks -- a subway bombing, the downing of two civilian airliners and the seizure of a school -- have killed more than 430 people in Russia. The last attack, in which more than half the victims were children, outraged the world and exposed Russia's pain and its vulnerability. Questions continue to mount over the assault that ended the siege. Mr. Putin's decision to launch a formal inquiry is welcome, but it is unlikely to provide sufficient answers.
The Russian president is not waiting for the results of the inquiry to act. He has identified antiterrorism as the country's top priority, proposed additional funds -- 157 billion rubles, or about $5.4 billion -- for the security services and called for the creation of a new central antiterror agency to lead the fight.