Prague Watchdog: Farewell, Natasha
|
posted by eagle on July, 2009 as ANALYSIS / OPINION
Farewell, NatashaBy German Sadulayev, special to Prague WatchdogExecutioners are always cowards. For the executioner only one life has an absolute value – his own. The life of anyone else means nothing to him. But God is merciful to the weak. God is merciless to the wicked and the cruel. Fear God! For those who have no pity for their neighbour, He has no mercy and no compassion. The "Russian nationalists" write through clenched teeth: it’s too bad, of course, it’s a woman. And more in that vein. But then they say: she went poking her nose where she shouldn’t have. And why did she only defend the rights of Chechens? Why didn’t she defend the rights of the Russian population when the Chechens carried out a “genocide” against them? Where were you, Russian nationalists, when the old Russian women in the Grozny nursing home were dying from hunger during the bombing? Where were you when the Russian people were suffering? You should have ... | >> full
comments (0)
The New Republic: Too Soon, Again
|
posted by eagle on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
 | | |
Too Soon, Again Saying goodbye to Natasha Estemirova. Usam Baysaev, The New Republic Published: July 30, 2009
 Courtesy of ABC Two weeks ago, Natasha Estemirova, a human rights activist in Chechnya, was kidnapped and murdered. A fierce defender of those victimized by the region's conflicts, Estemirova joins Anna Politkovskaya and others on a growing list of Russian activists slain for revealing dark truths about lawlessness in Chechnya. We asked Usam Baysaev, a journalist and activist, to remember his friend.
It's hard for me to write in the past tense about Natasha Estemirova. I feel as if I've always known her, but today, she is no more. All that is left are memories and a portrait on the wall, in which she looks so alive. Over the last ten years, I've had to part with many friends, and there are always the same heart-breaking thoughts: Was I kind to the one that has departed? Was I gentle with her? Did I offend or hurt her? And why this person and not someone else?
I thought ... | >> full
comments (0)
New York Times: Georgia's Leader Escapes Damage in Biden Visit
|
posted by circassiankama on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
July 27, 2009
Georgia’s Leader Escapes Damage in Biden Visit
By ELLEN BARRY
TBILISI, Georgia
— This weekend, after the brass band had gone home and workers had
taken down the American flags fluttering all over town, this much was
clear: President Mikheil Saakashvili had survived.
Pundits were writing his political obituary through much of the past
year. Former loyalists defected from his administration to join the
opposition, Western allies blamed him for starting the war with Russia
last August, and Russian leaders publicly menaced him, calling him a
“political corpse.”
It was a worried man who greeted Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
last Wednesday. Mr. Saakashvili went beyond friendly to pushy in his
quest for support, telling his guest, mid-banquet, that “there is no
free dinner in Georgia.” At first — as Mr. Saakashvili welcomed “my
dear Joe” and Mr. Biden responded with a prim “Mr. President” — it was
not clear what ... >> full
comments (0)
Prague Watchdog: In photos: Rally In Memory Of Natalya Estemirova
|
posted by eagle on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
In photos: rally in memory of Natalya EstemirovaPeople taking part in a rally in Moscow's Novopushkinsky Park on July 23 to remember the murdered human rights activist Natalya Estemirova. The gathering was later broken up by police. Photo report by Aleksei Litvintsev |
comments (0)
Prague Watchdog: An Iranian Future
|
posted by eagle on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
An Iranian future By Sergei Davydov, special to Prague WatchdogSt. Petersburg 
At the height of the recent developments in Iran, the website of the Centre for Strategic Studies of the Chechen Republic published an article which tried to analyze what was going on in the neighbouring country. The interest shown by North Caucasian analysts in the Iranian events is revealing. Despite the superficial nature of the analysis, which drew ill-judged comparisons with the "colour" revolutions in the post-Soviet space, this desire to write those events into the context of the political life of post-Soviet societies suggests that the changes in Iran are not seen in isolation from political processes in the former Soviet Union, including the North Caucasus region. One has the impression, though, that the similarities are not being sought in the right place. What happened on the streets of Tehran and other cities in Iran during recent weeks is presented as a possible scenario for the North Caucasus in a ... | >> full
comments (0)
|