Free Republic

WASHINGTON, August 11, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The U.S. State Department's August 4 announcement that it was imposing sanctions on the two Russian defense firms set off a firestorm in Moscow. It also sent many U.S. enterprises running to review their Russian contracts. The sanctions were leveled against a total of seven firms -- in Russia, North Korea, India, and Cuba -- for their dealings with Iran. U.S. government agencies and private firms are facing a two-year block on working with any of the targeted companies on projects that could be interpreted as having a military function.

Against the backdrop of rapidly deteriorating U.S.-Russian relations - prompted by revelations of Moscow’s missiles sale to Iran and the State Duma’s passage of dubious legislation restricting nongovernmental Organizations - (NGO) activities - Aleksandr Voloshin’s surprise trip to Washington last week seemed more than mere coincidence. Aleksandr Voloshin, former head of the Yeltsin and Putin administrations, spent almost three days on a private visit in Washington and New York. In the U.S. capital, he clarified the Kremlin’s grievances vis-à-vis the White House to a small group of nonplussed Russia experts, who sought to understand the country’s latest erratic behavior. He...

Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko, in Washington with top Russian business leaders to rebuild confidence in U.S.-Russia energy ties after the legal onslaught against Yukos, has been caught up in a lawsuit by U.S. shareholders in the shattered oil company. A spokesman for the plaintiffs said Khristenko was served with the lawsuit just after meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday -- and hours after a speech asserting that Russia was not engaged in renationalizing its oil and gas sector. Twelve shareholders of Yukos American Depositary Receipts filed suit against the Russian government, four state-owned energy giants...

Last Thursday, the US Senate held a hearing http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/02/18/001.htmlon the state of Russian Democracy in general and state takeover of Russian oil-giant YUKOS and the persecution of its chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky in particular. As a civic-minded American and Russian Immigrant, I welcome this hearing. However, I can't help but point out that it comes a bit too late--let's say it is at least 11 years overdue. If you ask me why 11 years, consider the following.