TheOtherRussia:From The New Times: Putin And His ‘Family’ – Gazprom
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posted by eagle on April, 2010 as ANALYSIS / OPINION
April 20th, 2010 • Related • Filed UnderIt’s no big secret that the Russian government has a wide foundation in cronyism. At the same time, cronyism a term that is often bandied about without much substance, as the labyrinthine bureaucracy of the Russian government makes it difficult to articulate where exactly it comes from – and, consequently, the extent to which democracy in the country is suffering. To that end, the New Times magazine has published a two-page spread detailing one major part of this puzzle, unambiguously entitled "Vladimir Putin and his ‘Family’ – Gazprom.” As the country’s chief natural gas extractor, Gazprom accounts for a full tenth of Russia’s gross domestic product. That the government is the company’s largest shareholder makes it a good first candidate to examine for some not-so-coincidental links between the two. The results are striking, even for those who already have the general idea. We’ve translated the chart and posted it below (click image for ...
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The National Interest: Missiles Over Tskhinvali
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posted by circassiankama on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
Missiles Over Tskhinvali
by Thomas de Waal
04.20.2010
Ronald D. Asmus, A Little War that Shook the World: Georgia, Russia, and the Future of the West (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), 272 pp., $27.00. AT
8 PM on March 13, a leading television channel in Georgia sent the
country back to war. The half-hour broadcast on pro-government Imedi TV
unveiled a terrifying scenario for its viewers: Russian tanks were
rolling toward the capital, Tbilisi, aiming to complete the unfinished
business of August 2008, when Moscow brought Georgia to its knees in a
conflict over the breakaway province of South Ossetia; President
Mikheil Saakashvili had either fled or been killed; a "people’s
government” loyal to Moscow was now in charge, led by two former
Georgian officials who had recently crossed over to the opposition; and
three army battalions had joined the Russians. This was all a
virtual reality. Soon thereafter, an anchor stepped out into the studio
audience and announced that the entire episode had been a hoax designed
to remind ... >> full
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BBC: Russia scientist fears arrest over Olympic warnings
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posted by circassiankama on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
Russia scientist fears arrest over Olympic warnings
The Olympic stadium at Sochi is being built to tight deadlines
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By Richard Galpin
BBC News, Moscow
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A senior scientist has told the BBC he has fled Russia to avoid
arrest after warning of a possible disaster in the run-up to - or even
during - the next Winter Olympics. The games are due to be held in the southern Russian city of Sochi in 2014. Dr
Sergei Volkov, a former consultant to the Sochi Winter Olympics, is in
hiding in southern Ukraine because he fears being detained by Russian
authorities on trumped-up criminal charges. He says he refused
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Geotimes: Vano Merabishvili: The war is not over yet
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posted by circassiankama on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
Vano Merabishvili, the Minster of Internal Affairs who is considered a
close ally of Mikheil Saakashvili recently gave an interview to
Kommersant correspondent Olga Alenova about the opposition's chances in
the municipal elections and the Government's perspective on relations
between Georgia, Russia and the West.
The interview caused controversy in Georgia and received denunciation
for his comments on Georgia’s attitude towards Europe and some other
things.
The Georgian Interior Ministry said in a brief statement on April 7,
that in general the published interview "accurately reflects Minister’s
ideas, but some parts of it, particularly those concerning EU-Georgia
relations and North Caucasus, are cut out of the context.”
Here GT offers a full translation of this interview.
Q: Could the results of the upcoming local elections surprise the Georgian Government?
A: I do not think so, because our rating is high ... |
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OpenDemocracy: Could Abkhazia be smothered by its new best friend?
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posted by circassiankama on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
Could Abkhazia be smothered by its new best friend?, by Oliver Bullough
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Friday, 16 April 2010 10:59 |
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openDemocracy - 16 April 2010
Seventeen years after civil
war, Abkhazia is finally recovering under Russian protection. But many
inside the country are unhappy, fearing association with their big
brother will result in another loss of independence.
Before Vladislav Ardzinba died on March 4, the academic who led Abkhazia to freedom from Georgia surely reflected on his life’s work with great satisfaction.
Russia recognised this little Black Sea
statelet as independent in 2008, after it intervened in Abkhazia and
South Ossetia, a second republic considered a rebel province by
Georgia. It was a dramatic step – being the first time Russia had
recognised one of the Caucasus’ mountain nations as independent since
the 18th century – and was rejected in Georgia and the West, where
Abkhazia is ... | |
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