Cashing In on Color Revolution
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posted by zaina19 on May, 2005 as ANALYSIS / OPINION
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 4/18/2005 4:07 AM Monday, April 18, 2005. Cashing In on Color Revolution By Julian Evans There is a widely held view that the revolutions in Georgia, Ukraine and, most recently, Kyrgyzstan have somehow been a victory for the United States and a slap in the face for poor old Russia. Certainly, the new pro-NATO and pro-EU regimes seem to spell the end of President Vladimir Putin's dream of a Slavic superstate. But the economic interests really benefiting from these revolutions are not American, but Russian. In Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, the revolutions deposed political circles that had maintained a tight grip on the economy. That tight, monopolistic grip meant it was very hard for any foreign business, Russian ones included, to be treated fairly or to get access to key assets. The best assets always went to local insiders. A good example is the Kryvorizhstal steel mill in Ukraine. Severstal, a Russian steel company, put together a strong bid for the mill when ... >> full
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Low Morale, Little Loyalty
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posted by zaina19 on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 4/19/2005 12:53 PM 19.04.2005 Low Morale, Little Loyalty Last week, newspapers discussed the results of secret opinion polls made by the Defense Ministry and leaked to the press. The Kremlin is deeply unpopular among military men, and only 20 percent of officers supported government policies as of early January. This discontent was obviously fueled by the haphazard reform to replace social benefits with cash payments. This hit the lower and middle ranks of the military hard. In response, the Kremlin has announced additional pay hikes targeted at servicemen who use public transport in the Moscow and Leningrad regions. However, the latest polls show that the vast majority of officers continue to dislike the nation’s political leadership. In the past, analysts and observers had only anecdotal evidence that President Vladimir Putin and his policies were extremely unpopular within the ranks of the military. Now this opinion has been fully supported by polls, whose results were so damning that the authorities classified them. Since 2000, when Putin ... >> full
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posted by zaina19 on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 4/19/2005 12:53 PM 19.04.2005 Low Morale, Little Loyalty Last week, newspapers discussed the results of secret opinion polls made by the Defense Ministry and leaked to the press. The Kremlin is deeply unpopular among military men, and only 20 percent of officers supported government policies as of early January. This discontent was obviously fueled by the haphazard reform to replace social benefits with cash payments. This hit the lower and middle ranks of the military hard. In response, the Kremlin has announced additional pay hikes targeted at servicemen who use public transport in the Moscow and Leningrad regions. However, the latest polls show that the vast majority of officers continue to dislike the nation’s political leadership. In the past, analysts and observers had only anecdotal evidence that President Vladimir Putin and his policies were extremely unpopular within the ranks of the military. Now this opinion has been fully supported by polls, whose results were so damning that the authorities classified them. Since 2000, when Putin ... >> full
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Bush's Moscow visit will be a trip to Fortress Russia.
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posted by zaina19 on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 5/1/2005 2:43 AM MSNBC.com The Problem With Putin Bush's Moscow visit will be a trip to Fortress Russia. By Richard Wolffe and Eve Conant Newsweek May 9 issue - She was supposed to be smoothing the way for President George W. Bush's trip to Moscow, a celebration of Hitler's defeat 60 years ago this week. But instead of rekindling the spirit of wartime allies, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice only provoked the Russians, who were offended by Bush's plans. Why, they wanted to know, was Bush also traveling to Latvia and Georgia, two countries that were once part of the Soviet Union? "Bush going to Latvia and Georgia will make them think they have carte blanche to do whatever they want," Sergei Lavrov, Russia's blunt foreign minister, complained to Rice. Welcome to Moscow, Mr. President. Please leave your democratic ideals at home. As he tries to build a legacy of promoting democracy around the globe, Bush has run headlong into Fortress Russia. Increasingly, he's fending ... >> full
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«Mr. Prime Minister, Protect Masjid Al-Aqsa»
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posted by zaina19 on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 5/6/2005 1:56 AM «Mr. Prime Minister, Protect Masjid Al-Aqsa» Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited the Al Haram Al-Sharif complex during the second day of his Middle East tour. He was welcomed at the complex where former the Egyptian Minister Ahmed Tahir was killed in a Palestinian attack two years ago. Islam Association Director Adnan Hussein and Masjid Al-Aqsa officials have presented a Koran to Prime Minister Erdogan. Attention was also drawn to the Israeli guards at the complex where any non-Muslims are forbidden to enter. A Palestinian, approached the Prime Minister, and said, "Please, protect the masjid." Erdogan spoke with local children who chanted slogans and made the V-sign for victory. Erdogan later visited and prayed at Masjid Al-Aqsa and Qubbet Al-Sahra where it is believed that the Prophet Mohammed ascended into the sky. The complex's foundation Chief Abdilazim Selah told Erdogan, "Your visit here has given us strength and drive. Here is not only a dome but also the symbol of ... >> full
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