Posted on 10/29/2002 9:32:58 AM PST by Destro
Tuesday, 29 October, 2002, 13:01 GMT
Russian press berates Western media
Russia's press is by turns indignant and puzzled at western media reactions to the Moscow hostage drama. Komsomolskaya Pravda is particularly indignant at the US media's response to the tragedy.
It says the Washington Post and the New York Times were at pains to play down any comparison with September 11.
"We wept sincerely with America" on September 11 but US journalists "did nothing but say that what had happened was a blow to Putin, one that he deserved".
"It was very hard to find a quote in a US newspaper expressing sympathy, support or solidarity," laments Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Solidarity, however, was in abundance in a letter from French President Jacques Chirac to Mr Putin. The letter is printed in full in the leading daily Izvestiya, which says it was precisely Russia's response to September 11 that made such sentiments possible.
"We told the West that from now on Russia was an ally," it says. "At the same time, however, we could really believe that the West for its part had begun to treat us like an ally."
"Only now can we believe it," declares Izvestiya.
Danish connection
Russia reserves its greatest indignation for the Danes.
Denmark is hosting a meeting of the World Congress of Chechens in Copenhagen. President Putin has responded by cancelling a mid-November visit to Denmark.
Izvestiya remarks that Russia is "puzzled to say the least" at Danish claims that there are no constitutional grounds for cancelling the congress.
Vanishing politicians
And while many newspapers take issue with the apparent over-eagerness of some politicians to turn up at the scene of the drama, one was noticeably absent.
The popular daily Moskovskiy Komsomolets says the current head of administration in Chechnya, Akhmad Kadyrov, "vanished" when the possibility of him being exchanged for a number of hostages was touted.
It admits, however, that it would be unfair to condemn someone "for a reluctance to die".
Russia in mourning
Izvestiya strikes a sombre note with an article datelined: "29 October 2002. Russia. A day of mourning".
"This edition of Izvestiya is their requiem," the article says, "We bow our heads in memory of those who died in the act of terrorism in Moscow."
Elsewhere Izvestiya notes that "Russia now has its own September 11, the tragedy of 23-26 October" complete with a graphic image of a hero fit to rank alongside the New York firefighters.
"The symbol of the day is the special service operative," the daily says, "carrying the frail body of a rescued woman out of a building that has been mined with explosives".
October lessons
Izvestiya believes there are lessons to be learnt. It calls for stronger democracy, a public or parliamentary inquiry and an end to the assumption that the public is not sufficiently mature to be kept properly informed.
If the state cannot trust its "unarmed public, it will be left face to face with the terrorists while all those who do not bear arms - i.e. the vast majority - will be the hostages".
Moskovskiy Komsomolets believes the time for talks is over. It ponders President Vladimir Putin's comment that Russia "will respond with measures commensurate to the threats".
Experts the newspaper consulted weren't certain but thought "this might mean the pre-emptive use of weapons of mass destruction".
In other words, troops in Chechnya will now "have the chance to use military hardware and weaponry previously regarded as unsuitable for local conflicts at home and intended only for warfare on a global scale".
'Stop fighting'
An Izvestiya reporter visits a Moscow school, which has representatives of 18 different ethnic groups amongst the pupils.
She finds that there are only girls in class. Why? The boys "are constantly being stopped on the streets and their documents checked".
The girls describe how suspicion of "people from the Caucasus" affects them everyday: "You go onto the metro, nobody says anything but you feel like you're the centre of attention... They look at us as if it's our fault."
They go on to wonder what adult life will be like and state bluntly: "There's only one solution - stop fighting."
BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
Now the little Muslims get it!
The New York Times, The Washington Post and Times, most major newspapers on the right and left have been for a decade great supporters of the Chechen jihad. The neocons and the neo-liberals are both sides of the same coin. They both want the same world agenda but for different reasons. The neo-cons back breakaway states; especially Islamic ones and especially Islamic ones along major oil export routes. The neo-liberals also back breakaway states; but because they hate the concept of Western inspired nationalism. Neo-liberals want to end national sovereignty, a Western civilization concept.
Both these groups have entrenched advocacy groups that wine and dine opinion and policy makers. A pro-Chechen independent lobby exists in Washington whose members are the whose who of American political life (the funding for this lobby is a secret-my guess? The Saudis). Remember Sen. McCain wanted to start WW3 to help the Chechens over the Russians, forcing Bush to talk tough about Russia in regards to Chechnya too (Bush had to to take the issue away because the media was using McCain's stance on Chechnya to prove McCain would be a better, tougher president-thats why that reporter ambushed Bush on Pakistan and Chechnya knowledge back when-remember?).
I feel we have an insidious 5th column in the United States made of Americans who have masters other than the constitution.
October lessons
Izvestiya believes there are lessons to be learnt. It calls for stronger democracy, a public or parliamentary inquiry and an end to the assumption that the public is not sufficiently mature to be kept properly informed.
If the state cannot trust its "unarmed public, it will be left face to face with the terrorists while all those who do not bear arms - i.e. the vast majority - will be the hostages".
Haven't they heard of media-PC yet? Why, our press had precious little sympathy for the Aussies in Bali!
It says the Washington Post and the New York Times were at pains to play down any comparison with September 11.
"We wept sincerely with America" on September 11 but US journalists "did nothing but say that what had happened was a blow to Putin, one that he deserved".
I know why, but it's too bad the graves' location will be secret. Freedom loving people can't go and relieve themselves on planted terrorists if they don't know where...
Because it seems like Russia is not hurting them enough.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.