Iran should not be threatened - Russian foreign minister

Interfax Russia ^ | Feb 6 2006

[b2stealth]

Iran should not be threatened - Russian foreign minister

ATHENS. Feb 6 (Interfax) - It is now of paramount importance not to threaten Iran in connection with its nuclear program, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a Monday press briefing in Athens.

[x5452]

Do you have evidence of this regarding Kasparov? (BTW every Russian i've talked with thinks he's good in chess but finds him to be a silly foreigner trying to run for president)

[GarySpFc]

I'm sorry, but I don't believe you.

[jw777]

So, basically taking the same position on essentially the same topic as Iraq, AFTER THE FACT! That is great Russia. Just great. Someone smart here should be able to connect Russian money to liberal Dems!

[x5452]

Actually liberal Dems support the opposition in Russia. Soros is quite annoyed that his foreign NGOs have been outlawed in Russia, and Putin has taken a personal dislike to Soros. Conservatives across East Europe have been losing to Soros funded candidates.

[GarySpFc]

The last few guys who tried this - one in jail, the other was found drugged in Ukraine, TV companies were taken over by SWAT teams..

Yes, yes, and good men normally go on a trip to the Ukraine without telling their wife, and they later change their stories multiple times. Are you for real? You should be ashamed of yourself for posting that remark.

Russian candidate: I was drugged and kidnapped

Russian presidential hopeful Ivan Rybkin caused more confusion Friday by saying he had been drugged and filmed in a "disgusting" video in Ukraine during the five days he went missing without explanation.

Rybkin's account to journalists in London was the third time he has tried to explain why he had gone off to Kiev without telling his wife or campaign aides. His disappearance triggered a police manhunt before he suddenly resurfaced five days later.

On his return to Moscow, Rybkin, a harsh critic of President Vladimir Putin, initially said he had been with friends, but later told an interviewer he had feared for his life and gone into hiding for part of the time in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital.

On Friday, Rybkin said he had gone to a Kiev flat in the company of strangers who said he would be meeting Chechnya's fugitive president Aslan Maskhadov. He awoke after a time to find himself beside two armed men who showed him pictures of himself and others in "disgusting" video films intended to compromise him.

"All my statements in recent days in Kiev and in Moscow do not reflect the reality and were forced. I was trying to ensure the safety of my family and myself," he said. "I don't know who did it, but I know who would benefit from it. It benefits those who want to compromise and humiliate the opposition."

Moscow media have reacted with incredulity to earlier explanations of Rybkin's disappearance.

Like five other challengers running in the March 14 contest, Rybkin is unlikely to score more than a few percentage points against the widely popular Putin.

A former speaker of parliament and negotiator with Chechen rebels, Rybkin said he decided during his captivity that he would remain in the presidential race come what may.

"I decided that I didn't care about my reputation or whatever might happen to me and that I would do all I could to prevent all those incompetents and President Putin from destroying my country," he said. "From today I am launching an election campaign from here, from abroad."

Rybkin has been supported by exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who launches periodic attacks on Putin from his base in Britain, where he has been granted political asylum.

Berezovsky expressed surprise at Rybkin's disappearance this week and said that unless a reasonable explanation was given his political career was over.

Rybkin said he would remain in western Europe until after the elections to ensure the safety of his family. But unlike Berezovsky, he had no intention of seeking asylum and pledged to return to Russia whatever the election result.

Rybkin said the Berezovsky-sponsored Liberal Russia party continued to back his candidacy.

And you believe this buffon? It's very obvious he found a dolly who showed him her sites in Kiev.


People like Kasparov or Kasyanov who are in opposition to Putin find that all conference halls/theaters in Russia where they planned to speak suddenly close for a "Renovation" or there is some kind of "Police Operation" going on at the same time..

And the public thinks so highly of these men that....they might get 1% of the vote. It would take a lunatic to think Putin is afraid of these men as serious candidates.

[b2stealth]

Soros was thrown out of Russia only when he started undermining Putin's administration. KGB created Commintern, CPUSA, A.N.S.W.E.R, Code Pink and other liberal groups..

Putin is very proud of KGB, even resurrected monuments to "great" KGB leaders like Andropov.

----

It was reported all over.
Kasparov was going all over Russia with speeches. His plane was not allowed to land in many airports (they were having "emergencies") after he got there by bus he was refused rented space (militia was on hand).. It was reported in many newspapers.

Here is his site - http://www.kasparov.ru/ - notice caricature on the front page, not many papers in US dare to print it.

He is a good guy, he is not even running for a president, his coalition calls for at least _ELECTIONS_ in 2008.

[b2stealth]

>And the public thinks so highly of these men that....they >might get 1% of the vote. It would take a lunatic to >think Putin is afraid of these men as serious candidates.

Yes, so why one was drugged "just in time" for elections and another is refused landing rights or rented space?

And you know, about this 1%, in USSR 100% voted for CP, Stalin had a saying - "It doesn't matter how they vote, what is important is how you count". Ukraine's Kuchmas showed how to count :) I'm sure Putin is not far behind on his "backup" counting servers..

Don't forget that you just said you "didn't believe" me - so now I'm telling the truth?

[GarySpFc]

Yes, so why one was drugged "just in time" for elections and another is refused landing rights or rented space?

You didn't even read the article or what I wrote. It was obvious the man said he was drugged to cover his story to his wife. The fact that he left the country without telling his wife is totally relevant. Good men do not do that...evil men do exactly that.

And you know, about this 1%, in USSR 100% voted for CP, Stalin had a saying - "It doesn't matter how they vote, what is important is how you count". Ukraine's Kuchmas showed how to count :) I'm sure Putin is not far behind on his "backup" counting servers..

I am very familiar with Stalin's quote. Did you see this happen? No, you just know this has to be true, because you believe it.

Don't forget that you just said you "didn't believe" me - so now I'm telling the truth?

No, I don't believe you. Indeed, I have come to the conclusion you are a liar.

[x5452]

And you think there's absolutly no bias to Kasparov's site against the opposition?

Kasparov is a strategist, and making claims like this to draw attention is quite an attention getter.

I think he has some good ideas, and also give him kudos for traveling from place to place actually talking to the people, that's the best way for him to get to word out.

I think he stands a chance but he's got to work off the stigma he has at present. Also though not everyone he associates with in the opposition is a good guy.

[b2stealth]

>Kasparov is a strategist, and making claims like this to >draw attention is quite an attention getter.

Yes, don't forget that Putin went through KGB school so he knows a thing or two about strategy..

Yes, Kasparov is a nice guy, he has no chance but without him it will be even more of "complete vertical of power" - no opposition everybody love Putin just like with Bregnev, Saddam or Iran.

[b2stealth]

> am very familiar with Stalin's quote. Did you see this >happen? No, you just know this has to be true, because >you believe it.

I never saw russian ICBM - it doesn't mean it doesn't exist!

Soviet Union was "fixing" it's polls and voting, this system was restarted in 1996 by Yeltsin to keep communists out of power, there is no indication that it is not used today.

Putin rating was 4% 6 month before he was elected president in 2000! Do you believe in magic?

[x5452]

You realize that you're arguments that Putin is secretly continuing the KGB are about as far fetched as those of folks who insist that Skull & Bones is a masonic Illuminati Cult and that those men control the presidency in America right?

[x5452]

The Moscow times insists Bush won because he owns the company that makes voting machines, I don't buy that tripe either.

I have met Russians who love Putin and Russians luke warm to Putin (and more than a few who simply don't care one way or the other about politics). The majority by far of those interested and able to vote support Putin over the opposition. You can't ask for more in a democracy.

[GarySpFc]

I never saw russian ICBM - it doesn't mean it doesn't exist!

There is a difference between a Russian ICBM and a fairy tale.

Soviet Union was "fixing" it's polls and voting, this system was restarted in 1996 by Yeltsin to keep communists out of power, there is no indication that it is not used today.

You have zero comprehension of a democracy. In an election every side does everything they can do to win. Have you ever heard of gerrymanding? I'm certain that sort of thing goes on in Russia too, and the opposition will scream, but that does not mean the elections overall were not fair.

Putin rating was 4% 6 month before he was elected president in 2000! Do you believe in magic?

Yes, because equally strange things have happened in American elections. Putin was not known 6 months prior to the election, but was promoted by Yetslin. I see nothing wrong with his winning the election in a short time frame.

[b2stealth]

>There is a difference between a Russian ICBM and a fairy >tale.

So now you see that you logic is false, not seeing something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If something existed for 75 years it has a big probability of existing today.

>You have zero comprehension of a democracy. In an >election every side does everything they can do to win. >Have you ever heard of gerrymanding? I'm certain that >sort of thing goes on in Russia too, and the opposition >will scream, but that does not mean the elections overall >were not fair.

Oh! Now I know elections in Iraq under Saddam were democratic - he just did "everything they can do to win" - shot couple hundred people, put others in jail.. " everything they can do to win".

Thank you for clearing this up Al Gary!

>Yes, because equally strange things have happened in >American elections. Putin was not known 6 months prior to >the election, but was promoted by Yetslin. I see nothing >wrong with his winning the election in a short time frame.

So tell me when a candidate with 4% won a presidential election in US?

[b2stealth]

>You realize that you're arguments that Putin is secretly >continuing the KGB are about as far fetched as those of >folks who insist that Skull & Bones is a masonic >Illuminati Cult and that those men control the presidency >in America right?

What you mean? Putin is officially a Colonel of KGB. KGB is all well and stronger than ever, it's just renamed to FSB.

[b2stealth]

>The Moscow times insists Bush won because he owns the >company that makes voting machines, I don't buy that >tripe either.

What you want if official STATE TV runs stories how Bush Administration failed during Katrina?

>I have met Russians who love Putin and Russians luke warm >to Putin (and more than a few who simply don't care one >way or the other about politics). The majority by far of >those interested and able to vote support Putin over the >opposition. You can't ask for more in a democracy

That's true. Putin probably has about 50% of real votes, if there was no fixing.
The problem is that they do everything to minimize opposition %. Opposition takes other 50% but during election Putin is shown with 75% :)

In reality they don't even have much to worry about, but they are not used to close races like we are in US. They are used to "old way" the majority should be significant..
So it's is shown to be 75%.

[x5452]

Actually it wasn't simply renamed it was split up some of it went to the new FSB, some went to other new agencies, and some was folded into existing agencies.

The former KGB headquarters is now a museum and bar/disco.

[x5452]

Butin has a good 75-85 of the votes of folks actually interested in voting, a lot of folks in the FSU are pretty turned off to politics and not interested in voting.

The biggest concern Putin faced in the last election was whether enough folks would be motivated to come to the polls that his victory would count (they have minimum turnout laws there)