RFE/RL: Russia Announces Plans To Revive Navy
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posted by FerrasB on August, 2008 as Imperialism
July 27, 2008 Russia Announces Plans To Revive Navy by Reuters MOSCOW -- Russia has announced plans to revive its once-mighty navy by building several aircraft carriers and upgrading its fleet of nuclear submarines in the coming years. Russia's power at sea is a shadow of the formidable Soviet navy that challenged U.S. military dominance in the Cold War. But, with a strong economy now from booming oil exports, it is seeking to raise its profile on the world stage by modernizing the armed forces. Russia will build five or six aircraft carrier battle groups in the near future, RIA news agency quoted Navy Commander Vladimir Vysotsky as saying during Navy Day festivities in St Petersburg on July 27. "We call this a sea-borne aircraft carrier system that will be based on the Northern and Pacific fleets," Vysotsky said. "The creation of such systems will begin after 2012." He said such carrier groups would operate in ... >> full
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Window On Eurasia: Spitzbergen Becoming An Arctic Hot Spot For Russia, West
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posted by FerrasB on as Imperialism
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 Window on Eurasia: Spitzbergen Becoming an Arctic Hot Spot for Russia, West Paul Goble Vienna, July 30 – Last week, Moscow announced that it was sending its rocket cruiser Marshal Ustinov to patrol around the Spitzbergen archipelago and said it continue to dispatch naval vessels there on a regular basis to defend its rights under the 1920 Paris accord on the use of those Arctic islands. But because that accord, to which the Soviet Union acceded in 1935, gives Oslo sovereignty over those islands, because Norway is a member of NATO and because Scandinavian countries are concerned about the delicate ecological situation on those islands, Moscow’s move threatens to turn that archipelago into an Arctic “hot spot.” On February 9, 1920, Great Britain, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the United States, France, Sweden and Japan signed an accord in Paris proclaiming Norwegian sovereignty over Spitzbergen but opening the way for all ... >> full
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Jamestown F.: Moscow's Favoritism Towards Cossacks Mocks Circassian History
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posted by FerrasB on as Imperialism
Moscow's Favoritism Towards Cossacks Mocks Circassian History By Fatima Tlisova On July 19, the Circassian republic of Adygea marked the 90th anniversary of the 131st motorized rifle brigade of Cossacks located in Maykop, the region’s capital. Although this Cossack brigade is a regular part of the Russian armed forces it does have one distinguishing characteristic. Regular recruits cannot be enlisted in this brigade because only those who can prove that they are hereditary Cossacks and who grew up in the Caucasus can become members of the 131st brigade. The history of this brigade dates back to Russia’s conquest of the Caucasus and in this particular case to the Russo-Circassian war of 19th century. That war lasted 101 years and resulted in the ethnic cleansing and massive deportation of the Circassians, but won the Cossacks the best lands of the Northeastern Caucasus and complete freedom of behavior. The fate of the remaining Circassians, who ... >> full
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Caucasian Knot: Human Rights Activists Claim The Introduction Of Railway..
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posted by FerrasB on as Imperialism
CAUCASIAN KNOT / NEWS 1/8/2008 Human rights activists claim the introduction of railway troops to Abkhazia violates RF Constitution Today, the Komi Human Rights Commission (KHRC) "Memorial" has filed a complaint to Yuri Chaika, Russian Prosecutor General, in which it claims that the introduction of Russian railway troops to Abkhazia which is formally part of the Georgian territory was made with a serious violation of the Russian Constitution. The human rights activists think that the involvement of the Russian troops in the solution of a transport problem on the territory of Abkhazia contradicts the provision of the Georgia's territorial integrity which includes Abkhazia. Pursuant to the Russian Constitution and the Federal Law "On Defense", the consent of the Council of Federation, the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament, was required in order to use Russian troops in Abkhazia. The Council of the Federation never gave such consent. Therefore, the human rights activists draw a conclusion ... >> full
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WOE: Moscow’s Failures Forcing Minorities To Revive Pre-Modern Traditions
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posted by FerrasB on as Imperialism
Tuesday, August 5, 2008 Window on Eurasia: Moscow’s Failures Forcing Minorities to Revive Pre-Modern Traditions Paul Goble Vienna, August 5 – The Russian government’s failure to enforce its own laws and to provide basic community services in the modernized sector is to blame for efforts by non-Russian groups there to revive pre-modern traditions like shariat, according to a leading Moscow commentator. Such groups in the current political environment have few chances of influencing the behavior of the Russian government, Sobkorr.ru observer Yuri Gladysh says, and consequently, they are taking the only steps available to them to protect themselves and their families from increasing official arbitrariness (www.sobkorr.ru/news/4896BB4867023.html). And the Russian authorities will have only themselves to blame if they do not change course and then must confront communities far less adaptable to Russian-style modernization than they were only a few years ago and far more ready to listen to those, often radical in their politics, who ... >> full
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