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?
Did you read the whole post?
Sure he is...unfortunately what he is reporting is backed up by facts reporting in many other places.
Example of Gertz waffle and clutching at straws writing. Does he not realise that 68mm unguided rockets are ten a penny in the Middle East. Iraq had literally hundreds of thousands of the things supplied during their long western supported war with Iran. Yet to Gertz mind these were factory fresh still dripping with French missile production workers DNA. Gertz needs to get real. I'm still waiting for him to come out with or re-use a report that the MiG-25RB found buried in the Iraqi sand was packed full of new French and Russian electronic gear. Gertz is a scare-mongerer journalist using dodgy and non-factual information. Look out Gertz the sky is falling!
By Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough
A Pentagon report on weapons found in Iraq after the war revealed a staggering amount of armaments, almost all foreign-made. The report, first disclosed in a new book by one of this column's writers, Bill Gertz, reached this stark conclusion: "Foreign munitions were used against coalition forces during the war and continue to be a potential source of explosives for improvised explosive devices still being used to kill U.S. soldiers."
According to the report cited in "Treachery: How America's Friends and Foes are Secretly Arming Our Enemies," 24 nations supplied armaments to Saddam Hussein. The total amount was between 650,000 tons and 1 million tons. By contrast, the entire U.S. military arsenal is between 1.6 million and 1.8 million tons.
The big three arms suppliers were Russia (and the Soviet Union), China and France: Russia supplied 122 different types of arms and a total of nearly 13 million items; China had provided 19 different types of arms and almost 380,000 items; France had supplied 12 different armaments and more than 115,000 items.
The report was produced by the office of deputy undersecretary of defense for international technology security, John Shaw.
It found that Russia had violated U.N. sanctions on Iraq by selling Saddam Hussein Kornet-E antitank guided weapons. The report said that in March 2003, Kornet missiles, first developed in 1994, were fired at two U.S. Army M-1A1 Abrams tanks near Najaf, disabling them.
The report also stated that Syria purchased 500 to 1,000 Kornets from Ukraine "on behalf of Iraq"; the transfers took place in early 2003, the report said. The Ukrainians had bought the missiles from Russian manufacturers. The report concluded, "Possession of the Kornet-E violates U.N. Security Council Resolution 687," which barred arms sales to Iraq.
Is this going to happen between now and Sunday?
I can't win Juliet Huddy's heart overnight for God's sake.
Hey, Chief, I have UTMOST respect for you. We disagree on this issue. We always will. But honestly .. we have no Freeping influence or control on this issue.
We'll be kickass allies on 95% of the other FR issues. Cheers!
Which would put him head and shoulder over Putin, who claimes North Korean would only use the advanced missile technology he sold them for peaceful scientific space research. It appears Comrade Putin can't tell the difference between a platform the launch a weather satellite and an ICBM.
Sure.
It is wishful thinking of many of those in the West who criticize Putin. They hope that Muslims in Russia can be used the same way as Bosnian and Albanian Muslims were used against Serbs. So the play humanitarian atrocities script.
To put a favorable spin on their motives - their mind is frozen in the time of Cold War and they need to fight Soviet Union.
No problem...I'm sure the people of Taiwan will also be singing Putin's praises when they're lead away in chaine.
The following might be of interest, and some information in the comments appears to be worth taking a look at. Notice, BTW, how many flames were deleted in that thread.
The Russian Strain: Moscow is Saddam's biggest supplier of chemical and bio weapons.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/877189/posts
They did not put much money in Russia. And you cannot take natural resources out.
I guess selling chemical and biological weapons to Islamic dictators is an acceptible Christian value for Putin era Christians.
I read a very interesting quote by a Moscow Orthodox cleric yesterday...something about indoctrinating the children to the smell of the barracks and soldiering.
Good thread you started...some people forget too quickly it seems. Take care!
Under Yeltsin weak and "decentralized" mafia ridden government, money were flowing OUT of Russia. China has strong government, Chinese economy is overheating and Western investors are begging to outsource more jobs to China.
If Putin makes crackdown on crime and anarchy, the fake investment (speculation and looting) will decrease while the real investment will begin.
I have stated on this forum before that the Cold War surrender was merely a well-orchestrated ploy to get badly needed western capital to rebuild the communist totalitarain Soviet Union. I fault Bush Sr. for not achieving any US security during the surrender process by getting their nuclear weapons and delivery systems (rockets, lauchers, subs). Now their expertise and weapons are spread across the world and are for sale to any and all terrorist organizations.
Don' forget LBJ, and Carter who paved the way for clinton, and company.
Unfortunately, with the ACLU in this country fighting against Christian beliefs and values, and fighting for Islamic beliefs and right to pray in public schools numerous times a day, our country is possibly doomed to repeat what Russia was dealing with, only worse.
A large part of my personal perception is that the Russians I've met are educated as scientists, doctors and engineers. Some of them are driving taxicabs in the USA ... for now! When they have that training and discipline and Russian Patriotism ... they consider Yeltsin a ghetto boozehound.
The kind of guy who'd sell Russia to Bill Clinton's cabal. And did.
THAT'S why all the shit went to Korea, Iran, Iraq etc. Putin's trying to clean up the Yeltsin mess, like Bush is trying to clean up the Clinton mess.
Regards.
This one should be read by all, it is now out in the open,
what some of us expected to happen.
It seems that you are the only one person here, who understand what is going on in Russia.
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