MAY 2007

From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 5/10/2007 1:34 AM
Tigr Stalks Hummer
May 5, 2007:  For the last two year, a Russian firm has been producing a vehicle remarkably similar to the armored version of the hummer (the M1114 model). The major buyer has been the Russian Interior Ministry, for its police and paramilitary units. Chechnya was a particularly popular destination for this new vehicle called Tigr (Tiger). It is based on the hummer-like vehicle, the Gaz-2330. Like the M1114, the Tigr weighs five tons, carries a crew of four, and a load of about a ton (or an additional five men, if configured for that). The Tigr costs $88,000 each, compared to $145,000 for the M1114, and is being offered as a less expensive alternative to the M1114.

Interior Ministry troops operating in dangerous areas like Chechnya (where roadside bombs and ambushes occur regularly) have been satisfied with the performance of the Tigr. So Russian army units will start receiving Tigr by the end of the year.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htarm/articles/20070505.aspx

From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 5/22/2007 11:39 AM
Who's who in the Litvinenko case

Associated Press

May 22, 2007 at 12:48 PM EDT

Key figures in the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko:

* ALEXANDER LITVINENKO: A former KGB agent and Kremlin critic who died of poisoning on Nov. 23, 2006, in a London hospital at age 43. It was determined he had ingested the radioactive isotope polonium-210. On his deathbed, Mr. Litvinenko accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being behind his killing.

* ANDREI LUGOVOY : Moscow-based former KGB agent wanted by Britain for Mr. Litvinenko's murder — a charge he denies. Met Mr. Litvinenko at the Pine Bar of London's Millennium Hotel on Nov. 1, 2006; Mr. Litvinenko fell ill later that day. Mr. Lugovoy told British police in Moscow that he had known Mr. Litvinenko for a decade. They had lost touch, but Mr. Litvinenko contacted Lugovoy in 2005 to offer him business contacts in London. Also worked as head of security for Russian broadcaster ORT when it was ...
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From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 5/11/2007 9:51 AM
Jihad In Chechnya
Publication time: 10 May 2007, 15:40
In the mountainous region of the Caucasus, stretching from the foothills and into the alpine highlands lies the land of the Chechens. Rich in oil, natural gas and minerals, this region of the world has been for many centuries the object of lust and conquest. Better known under their Russian ethnonym, the Chechens actually call themselves Nokhchi and they form the largest North Caucasian group. These proud people possess a long and rich history that goes back 6000 years, unfortunately it is often shrouded in the successive and continuous conflicts that have plagued this region.


At different periods in their history, the Chechens and their neighbours the Ingushes had different religious beliefs.

Paganism and Christianity coexisted for a long time until the penetration of Islam. Although some would like to suggest that Chechens converted to Islam fairly recently, burial rites and the presence of Muslim architecture dating back to the 15th century ...
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From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 5/12/2007 2:23 AM
Friday, May 11, 2007

Chechnya: Why Did 1997 Peace Agreement Fail?

By Salome Asatiani

Russia -- Chechen leader Aslan Maskhadov speaks at a press conference in the Chechen capital Grozny, 3 Oct. 1999
Maskhadov speaking in Grozny in October 1999, at the start of Russia's second war
(epa)
May 11, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Ten years ago, the leaders of Chechnya and Russia, Aslan Maskhadov and Boris Yeltsin, signed a formal peace treaty in the Kremlin. It was hoped the treaty would end Moscow's war against Chechen separatists, which in fewer than 20 months left more than 80,000 people dead and brought near-complete destruction to the North Caucasus republic.





The May 12, 1997 agreement is surprisingly short -- just five terse terms of agreement under a broad opening statement affirming the desire of both sides to end their "centuries-long" antagonism and strive to establish "firm, equal, and mutually beneficial relations."

RFE/RL correspondent and North Caucasus expert Andrei Babitsky says the document was straightforward in its call ...
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From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 5/16/2007 3:52 PM
Wednesday, May 16, 2007

EU/Russia: What's Lost In Failure To Strike Strategic Partnership Deal?

By Ahto Lobjakas

RFE/RL -- News Analysis graphic, button, bug
(RFE/RL)
BRUSSELS, May 16, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Brussels and Moscow have both taken steps to reassure observers that their May 18 summit in the Volga River city of Samara will be cordial, warm, and productive.



But the fact remains that there will be no progress made toward formally intensifying the EU-Russia relationship. The two sides currently work within the framework of a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) signed in 1997.



The two sides are plagued by chronic disagreements and EU member Poland blocking talks on an official strategic partnership accord.

Until a few years ago, Russia was very keen on being recognized as a strategic partner of the EU, but the union was a little less keen. The tables have turned now, and Russia's extremely predominant position as the EU's main energy supplier has given it enormous leverage and also a ...
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