The Russians and the courts
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posted by zaina19 on September, 2007 as ANALYSIS / OPINION
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 8/30/2007 2:52 AM International Herald Tribune The Russians and the courts By Iva Savic Friday, August 10, 2007 "The source of Russia's well-being and prosperity is the people of this country. It is the state's duty to ensure that this principle is reflected in deed and not just in word. I believe that this is one of the priority tasks we face today and that we cannot resolve this task unless we ensure the rights and liberties of our citizens, organize the state itself effectively and develop democracy and civil society." - President Vladimir Putin in his 2006 State of the Nation Address. Seven years ago, Yusup Musayev witnessed the killing of seven relatives during a Russian military mop-up operation in Novye Aldy, Chechnya. It was just one of the many tragedies that took place on Feb. 5, 2000, when more than 50 civilians lost their lives. Since then, the Russian judiciary has shown little interest in identifying the culprits, despite an abundance of evidence. Last month, ... >> full
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Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe
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posted by zaina19 on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 8/31/2007 9:31 AM Alfred A. Knopf Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe By Robert Gellately Alfred A. Knopf 720 pages. $35 Original Sinner A new book by Robert Gellately places Lenin alongside Hitler and Stalin in the 20th century's pantheon of evil. By Lars T. Lih Published: August 31, 2007 'Without a hint of moral scruple or sense of national loyalty, Lenin desperately hoped for Russia's defeat in the First World War." It's the "without a hint" that is the giveaway in this introductory statement: This is going to be one of those books about Lenin. The kind where analysis is restricted to ensuring that nearly every sentence about Lenin contains a derogatory word or turn of phrase. The kind where Lenin never just walks from one room to another -- rather, his mad lust for power drives him to walk from one room to another. Accordingly, Robert Gellately, the author of "Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler" and a professor of history at Florida State University, does not ... >> full
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EU: Commissioner Discusses 'Reality' Of Neighborhood Policy
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posted by zaina19 on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 9/1/2007 2:33 AM Friday, August 31, 2007 EU: Commissioner Discusses 'Reality' Of Neighborhood Policy EU -- Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Union's external relations commissioner, portrait, 29Jan2007 Benita Ferrero-Waldner (file photo) (official site) BRUSSELS, August 31, 2007 (RFE/RL) --On September 3, the European Union will convene the first-ever meeting with all of the partner countries participating in the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). Ahead of the meeting, RFE/RL Brussels correspondent Ahto Lobjakas spoke with the EU's External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. RFE/RL: What is the purpose of Monday's conference? Is it to give the partner countries an opportunity for critical input into the European Neighborhood Policy, or is it to allow them to exchange views and compare their record? Ferrero-Waldner: I think the main purpose is, first, that we listen to the partner countries. And I don't only think of critical remarks -- [although] there might also be some critical remarks. But I want to hear [about] their interests and also their ideas about the first results that are ... >> full
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Cynicism or paranoia from Russia?
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posted by zaina19 on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 9/4/2007 9:46 AM JIM HOAGLAND THE WASHINGTON POST Cynicism or paranoia from Russia? September 4, 2007 Russian prosecutors say that the separate, grisly murders of two of the Kremlin's most vocal opponents during the past year have a common motive: They were committed by enemies of Vladimir Putin to frame and embarrass his government. A similarly sinister hidden agenda lies behind U.S. plans to create anti-missile sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, Russian officials are telling Western diplomats. The silos that the Americans say are needed to defend against Iranian missile attacks will, in the Russian version, be stuffed with multiple-warhead offensive rockets aimed at Moscow. These “explanations” of murders and missiles raise a chilling question about Putin's Kremlin: Is it worse if the Russians are cynically offering up blatantly implausible tales as propaganda – or if the Russian president and his aides actually believe their own accounts? Americans should root for cynicism. Hostile governments run by self-delusional fantasy are far more dangerous than those ... >> full
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Russian extremism law casts wider net
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posted by zaina19 on as ANALYSIS / OPINION
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 9/4/2007 10:21 AM Tuesday, September 4, 2007 Russian extremism law casts wider net Mike Eckel The Associated Press Moscow — Among the locals, retired truck driver Pyotr Gagarin says he's known as a man who doesn't mince his words. Now he's known around Russia as a man who called his governor "scum" and wound up accused of extremism. "It's all a comedy that's being staged to rig elections," he said. "Insult someone, and suddenly you're an extremist?" Gagarin, 71, who is due in court today to defend himself against criminal charges, is the latest to be caught up in a widening net of criminal prosecutions being brought in Russia under a newly updated law on extremism. The government maintains the legislation, first passed in 2002 and amended by parliament in July, is aimed at curbing nationalist groups and slowing a surge of xenophobic attacks and hate crimes. But many who have been targeted are journalists, rights advocates and opposition leaders, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov. With ... >> full
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