Posted on 09/18/2004 12:16:08 AM PDT by pook
Many in the West would prefer to herald the Beslan tragedy as an opportunity for greater U.S.-Russian cooperation in combating terrorism. In reality, however, relations between Washington and Moscow are following a downward spiral. In Russia we find an emerging dictatorship that espouses a subtle anti-American propaganda. What was previously hidden has come into view: the totalitarians are still in charge. Putin’s pretext for strengthening his dictatorship is found at Belsan, in 350 body bags.
What actually happened at Beslan (where hundreds of children were slaughtered by terrorists)? We still don’t know the facts.
Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya says that the FSB poisoned her on a flight from Moscow to Rostov, effectively keeping her from reaching Beslan. She was not alone in being hindered. Journalist Andrei Babitsky was detained at Vnukovo airport on “a specious pretext.” Russian security personnel drugged Georgian journalist Nana Lezhava’s coffee, putting her out of action at a critical moment. The 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) took note of these and other incidents in a “scathing” report on the Kremlin’s handling of the Beslan affair. According to the OSCE, the Kremlin forfeited its credibility by preventing journalists from reaching Beslan. From the outset, Russian authorities told one lie after another. As if to prevent accurate information from reaching the outside world, Russian authorities also interfered with foreign journalists, confiscating television footage.
With Beslan as a pretext, Putin has moved to consolidate his already formidable powers. Russia’s so-called “democracy” is now being liquidated. This is not surprising for those of us who have watched the changes in Eastern Europe since 1989. From the outset, secret totalitarian structures were left beneath the surface to guide the process of liberalization, to herd the new business class and infiltrate the various governments. Organized crime became a prominent tool in this process. The secret creatures of the totalitarian apparatus came to power, as “dissidents” or as “reform communists.” Capitalism and freedom were set up in Eastern Europe with this endgame in mind. It was a confidence scheme; and now the scheme has played itself out. Moscow’s strategic gains have been absorbed, now the reversion begins.
Russia’s so-called “oligarchs” have been driven into exile, frightened into cooperation or arrested. The Kremlin has “cemented its control” over the Russian energy sector. The old Soviet anthem is back. Soviet battle flags have been restored. The founder of the Soviet secret police, whose birthday is Sept. 11, is now openly celebrated. The old KGB has taken Russia by the throat. The West’s alarm, however, is muted by hope. Nobody wants to admit that America’s Cold War victory was equivocal; that step-by-step it is coming undone.
Given the Kremlin’s dishonest behavior during the Beslan affair, would it be outrageous to suggest that the tragic massacre was a provocation organized by the FSB/KGB?
Already Izvestiya is calling Putin’s power-grab “The September Revolution.” Other Russian publications are calling it a “restoration.” Wednesday’s Washington Post featured a story by Peter Baker titled, “Critics Say Putin Must Address Security Corruption.” According to Baker, “Putin … had been planning to centralize … political authority for months and took advantage of the school seizure in Beslan to unveil the decision.” This begs the question. If the liquidation of Russian democracy was planned in advance, then how did Putin think he would justify his blatant power grab to the Russian people? Surely he had something in mind.
The following changes have been proposed by Putin: (1) Regional governors, instead of being elected by the people, will be appointed by Putin and confirmed by regional assemblies; (2) Duma representatives will be selected from party lists, making parliamentary opposition all but impossible; (3) the restoration of the death penalty is being contemplated (suggesting a return to the sanguinary “discipline” of the Stalin era). In keeping with recent developments, we can expect that private companies will be seized on various pretexts, bank accounts will be frozen and businessmen will be arrested as the Kremlin rebuilds its totalitarian machinery. Already the Russian government has announced a 50 percent pay increase for the military.
This so-called “September Revolution” has been greeted with dismay in Washington and London. As one might expect, Vladimir Putin will have none of it. He bluntly tells his Western counterparts to “stay out of Russia’s business.” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that America has no right to impose its democratic ideals on others. “This is our internal affair,” he explained. “We, on our side, do not comment on the U.S. system of presidential elections.”
Moscow’s attitude is nothing new. The most distressing fact in all of this, however, is the ultimate non-reaction of the Western elite. There is a strong tendency to self-deception in Washington, especially where Russia is concerned, and this tendency is struggling mightily against truth. And what is this truth? Former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko spelled it out in his book when he described Putin’s objective as “the total destruction of the foundations of a constitutional society built on the admittedly frail but, nonetheless, democratic values of a market economy” in Russia.
The failure of freedom in Russia is a major event. No other country is as dangerous as Russia. No other country has thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at America. None has missiles as advanced as Russia’s. None has a submarine fleet as large. To rate Russia as “just another country” is to negate the last 100 years of history.
I should like to end with a quote from Bill Gertz’s new book, Treachery: “The record of Russian proliferation – to Iraq and other dangerous countries – is long. Classified intelligence reports show that for more than a decade Moscow used its arms sales to rogue states as a strategic hammer against the United States.”
Now ask yourself: Why has Russia done this?
Thanks to our generous open borders policy...the Russian Mafia aka KGB is pretty well entrenched right here in America as well...
It would have been better for the world if the Wall had stayed up at least it kept our enemies in their own land instead of coming here
imo
clinton handed over the W88 warhead info. What we did there is beyond anyone's imagination.
Norquist is a paid Islamist consultant. He is uncredible and disreputible.
If I were our chechen friend whom the US state dept just gave asylum to, I would be nervous about now.
Lithuania just agreed to shut down the most well-known chechen website, Kavkaz.org, for good.
In the same 24 hours, we just raided an "islamic charity" that was sending funding to chechen terrorists from Ashland Oregon.
And finally Russian forces captured an Algerian who was working for Basayev. Today.
Putin has made significant progress in the last 24 hours or so, seems to me.
Yes, it does live a rather elegant lifestyle. It would have been unfair for the Russian people to have to pay for all of it. Far better our troops pay for it with their lives.
"Thereis a large sentiment for the old CCCP, Putin must transition carefully..."
Yes, elimination popular elections and giving himself dictatorial powers is a good way to transition...back into the Soviet Union, Part II.
"Communist strategists are now poised to enter into the final, offensive phase of their long-range policy . . . for the complete triumph of communism. . . the communist strategists are equipped in pursuing their policy, to engage in maneuvers and stratagems beyond the imagination of Marx or the practical reach of Lenin and unthinkable to Stalin. Among such previously unthinkable stratagems are the introduction of false liberalization in Eastern Europe and, probably in the Soviet Union and the exhibition of spurious independence on the part of regimes in Romania, Czechoslovakia and Poland.
Liberalization in Eastern Europe would probably involve the return to power in Czechoslovakia of Dubcek and his associates. If it should be extended to East Germany, demolition of the Berlin Wall might even be contemplated. Pressure could well grow for a solution of the German problem in which some form of confederation between East and West Germany would be combined with neutralization of the whole and a treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union."
Anatoli Golitsyn 1982 (former top KGB planner who defected to the west)
"Long-time preparation by the KGB and the security forces in other communist nations of controlled political opposition makes possible the deployment of this political opposition to create deceptive `non-communist' and `democratic' structures . . . it is the new form for developing socialism."
Anatoli Golitsyn 1990
As I have said all along....Russia is about to fall back into communisum...except when it does, it will take all of Europe with it. I believe France and Germany are pupits of the Russian government.
Nothing would make the old guard happier than the demise of Putin. I think you are fallen for the global propaganda meant to do just that. The 'machine' international is doing the same to Bush, Blair, Howard and others. At least think of the possibility, and read between the lines. You know how the Party works.
Unlike you I am not here on a mission. I shared my opinions here and believe that everyone is entitled to their own as well.
Putin is a Christian...my arse.
BS.
So, do you deny that Putin supplied missile technology to North Korea?
Do you deny that anyone with any intelligence whatsoever would recognize the North Korean dictator as a twisted evil monster?
Do you deny that Putin gave nuclear reator technology and assistance to Iran, an unstable Islamic Extremist nation with a history of anger at the United States?
Do you deny that Putin illegally sold embargoed weapons to Iraq that are still be using to kill our troops?
And how do you square those actions with Christianity?
LOL! That's the problem Putin's Putzes have with me...I'm not falling for their propaganda.
He is asking the DUMA to give him first choice, the final choice lies with the local legislators, who can veto Putin's choice. At which point Putin has to go back and choose again.
In the Russian news the local legislators are actually happy about this new power of theirs.
Also a few governors will still be elected, according to RFL, and it's going to be years before there is an open governorship to replace anyway.
Golitsyn could not have forseen Putin. He is exactly who stands in the way of the communists' goal, I believe: the Islamic Chechin ists are the old guard's convenient allies. Putin must clamp down in order to combat the menace; commies promote paranoia that he is the next Stalin. Sound like a familiar ploy?
You remind me of my teenagers as well. Anything to get a response, and then escalate and provoke. You honor me by implying that my opinion is so important - you appear to have such a drive to change it.
Which will be his hand picked men who will not go against the him.
"In the Russian news the local legislators are actually happy about this new power of theirs."
Perhaps in the news your handlers pass on to you. I've posted several reports where many of the legislators around the nation are not happy at all. I'm sure they won't stay unhappy too long...it doesn't pay to anger the KGB. Of course as soon as Putin has finish muzzling the press (also, many stories posted) there will be no disagreement whatsoever.
Now, to the question of the hour:
Do you deny that Putin supplied missile technology to North Korea?
Do you deny that anyone with any intelligence whatsoever would recognize the North Korean dictator as a twisted evil monster?
Do you deny that Putin gave nuclear reator technology and assistance to Iran, an unstable Islamic Extremist nation with a history of anger at the United States?
Do you deny that Putin illegally sold embargoed weapons to Iraq that are still be using to kill our troops?
And how do you square those actions with Christianity?
Jeez: Russian weaponry is being used to kill Russians, too.
Isn't that irony? And how does that balance the fact that our troops are being killed by weapons illegally sold to Iraq by Putin?
It doesn't.
Got a link for those?
Nice try...they've been posted, you ignore them. Do your own work and scroll back through your Putin worship threads.
Now,
Do you deny that Putin supplied missile technology to North Korea?
Do you deny that anyone with any intelligence whatsoever would recognize the North Korean dictator as a twisted evil monster?
Do you deny that Putin gave nuclear reator technology and assistance to Iran, an unstable Islamic Extremist nation with a history of anger at the United States?
Do you deny that Putin illegally sold embargoed weapons to Iraq that are still be using to kill our troops?
And how do you square those actions with Christianity?
Putin is always welcome IMO.
Everything I believe about our World, in the absence of real-deal non media-tainted information, is based on how the Bush Administration ... and more importantly George W. Bush personally ... approaches our allies and adversaries.
Putin is doing what he needs to do. I have every confidence that the Russians have been a far more intimate ally in our WOT that anyone can reveal.
When Bush abandons Putin, so do I. Isn't that what being a KoolAid drinking BushBot is all about?
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