In the near future the number of gangs of Russian troops in the North Caucasus will increase four-fold. It is reported by ‘Nezavisimaya Gazeta’, citing unnamed military sources.

According to this Moscow edition, the transfer of the gang “474 th individual automobile Battalion” has been completed from the city of Dmitrov, Moscow region, into the locality Millerovo of Rostov region.

In addition, in the Chechen village of Borzoi an occupying gang of “8-th individual mountain rifle brigade” was formed.

Finally, in the Buro (Vladikavkaz) city, in the base of a large occupation gang “58-th army” another gang called “Operational Command” was formed, which includes 7 gang groups of “motorized infantry” and one “tank brigade.”

Troop surge in the North Caucasus, is associated with the preparation of Russia’s new war of aggression against Georgia, according to some observers.

According to the plans of Russian soldiery, part of the reinforced Russian gangs will be thrown at war with the Mujahideen of the Caucasus Emirate.

Moscow’s “Scholar-on-Caucasus”, some Mr Popov, told journalists that the militarization of the Caucasus occupied by Russia in recent years does not reduce the number of Mujahideen.

“Policemen and soldiers are many, but to protect the rights of an individual (infidels or apostates – KC) there is no one” – lamented the “scholar”.

Another Moscow’s scholar, expert of Institute of Political and Military Analysis Mr Khramchikhin, said that Popov’s statement about the Caucasian Mujahideen – a deceptive stuffing, specifically, to lull Georgia. He points out:

“If, in August last year, we won the war in Georgia, now our ground troops are brought to the point that they can not win even in Georgia.”

According to the military analyst Khramchikhin, the reinforcement of Russian gang troops in the North Caucasus has nothing to do with the Jihad in the Caucasus, Jihad continues “same way as six months ago”.

Under atrocities of Russian invaders in the Caucasus, democratic separatism turns into an all-Caucasus Jihad, confirms the American edition of The Washington Post.

The most dangerous situation for the infidels and apostates have developed in the Province of Ghalghaycho (AKA Ingushetia), its correspondent Philip P. Pan witnesses.

A young woman Madina Albakova has told to newspaper that militants from the Russian gang of “FSB” shot her 20-year-old husband, a student Movsar Merzhoyev, and then planted a rifle next to his body and said he was a Mujahid.

They also robbed the house, took everything of value — the family’s savings, a set of dishes, even baby clothes, Albakova told.

“Such heavy-handed tactics by the Russian security forces have helped transform the long-running separatist rebellion in Chechnya into something potentially worse for the Russian (invaders – KC): a Jihad that has spread across the Northern Caucasus (Caucasus Emirate – KC), draws support from various nationalities and gaining strength”, the newspaper writes.

According to diplomats, a key reason why Russia has been reluctant to support sanctions against Iran is that Kremlin is worried Tehran might in retaliation to back the Mujahideen.

Russian leadership has long blamed Jihad in the Caucasus on some “Muslim extremists” backed by some “foreign governments and terrorist networks”, but “true Islam is relatively new here”, the author writes.

In 2007, the Emir of the Caucasian Mujahideen Dokku Umarov declared establishing of the Caucasus Emirate. In April, he issued a video and announced reviving of Brigade of Martyrs that carried out sabotage attacks across Russia from 2002 to 2006.

According to the American edition, a major figure in the Jihad in the Caucasus is Sheik Sayeed Buryatsky, a native of Siberia, “around whom ethnic and local factions can unite: he is an outsider and has unusual heritage”.

(We would like to specify thereupon that Sayeed Buryatsky himself has repeatedly stressed that he is an ordinary Mujahid. His goal is participating in Jihad and reporting to the Mujahideen and the Muslims the knowledge of Islam, which he has – KC).

Sayeed Buryatsky (Alexander Tikhomirov) – half-Russian and half-Buryat – accepted Islam in Siberia, studied in Egypt, and last year (actually in the summer of 2007 – KC) joined the Mujahedeen of the Caucasus Emirate.

Kadyrov, the Kremlin’s protege in Chechnya, is trying to prove that Sheikh Sayeed is not a real Muslim and paranoiacly accusing him of “using drugs to brainwash recruits”.

The youths of Ingushetia loves Sayeed Buryatsky, Maksharip Aushev recently killed by infidels and apostates has testified in an interview with American newspaper. Though he opposed the Caucasus Emirate, Aushev said that most Ingush believe they would be better off living under Sharia law than with the current occupation Russian authorities with its horrific crimes.

Aushev has also believed that many of the Mujahideen following a way of Jihad because of the atrocities committed by Russian terrorists from “FSB” gang.

“According to Magomed Khazbiev, an opposition leader who was blocked from running in local elections this month by the authorities, the Mujahideen promise something that the government (infidels and apostates – KC) has been unwilling or unable to deliver: justice”, the American newspaper writes.

On October 25, Maksharip Aushev, an Ingush businessman and civil opposition leader, was murdered by unknown gunmen who sprayed his car with more than 60 bullets.

Shortly before his death, filmmakers Dom Rotheroe and Antony Butts spoke with him for their film on the conflict in the Russian republic of Ingushetia.

Recently, the Russian republic of Ingushetia has become the most dangerous place in the Russian federation. Endemic corruption combined with a battle between Islamic extremists and unaccountable Moscow-backed security forces has plunged the area into violence.

The conflict has left many Ingushetians in despair; their human rights suppressed and their faith in the authorities in tatters. It is a cycle of bloody atrocity and counter-atrocity that seems to have no end.

While the Ingush stayed out of the Chechens’ recent wars for independence from Russia, this did not prevent the violence from finally spilling over.

In June 2004, rebels attacked Ingushetia’s main city of Nazran and killed scores of security officials.

With Russia by then pretty much in control of Chechnya, Chechen rebels wanted to spread the war into neighbouring Muslim republics. And in Ingushetia discontent had been growing ever since Vladimir Putin, the then Russian president, installed the unpopular Murat Zyazikov as president there in 2002.

‘Disappeared’

Trapped in the middle of the decade-long dirty war are 500,000 Ingush.

Maksharip Aushev, a businessman and civil opposition leader, told us that he carries a gun “because it’s dangerous out there”.

“At any moment they can turn up in camouflage and kidnap you – and then you’ll just be disappeared.

“Although the gun will not protect you at least you’ll manage to do something so they don’t torture you, don’t take you away – so you don’t just go missing like most people usually do here,” he said.

Things changed for businessman Maksharip three years ago when his nephew, who had refused to become an informant, and son were snatched off a train by security forces. They were taken to Chechnya and tortured.

“As soon as my son and nephew were abducted, I stepped out,” he explained, saying that he never wanted to be involved in politics but felt forced into it.

Maksharip blamed the Russian security forces (FSB) and rallied public protests, which led to the release of his son and nephew.

In the process he also kicked off widespread civil opposition to the regime and became one of the most outspoken leaders of the opposition to Zyazikov, a former KGB officer and an ally of Putin.

According to Magomed Mutsolgov, the co-founder of the local human rights group Mashr, it was after Zyazikov became president that anyone even vaguely suspected of opposing the regime began getting visits from the security forces.

Mutsolgov co-founded Mashr when his younger brother disappeared four years ago.

“Altogether we have had over 500 cases of kidnapping. Some of those people were found dead,” he says.

‘Nothing left to lose’

The violence has been increasing exponentially. Mashr estimates that 212 people were killed in 2008. By August 2009 that number had already been reached.

Yet violence by the security forces is only one side of Ingushetia’s mayhem. In the last seven years, Islamic militants have killed over 200 policemen, soldiers and government officials.

The most devastating attack happened in August 2009 when a suicide bomber drove a truck into Nazran’s main police station, killing 24 people and injuring more than 160.

In recent years religious extremists among the rebels have turned the war for Chechen independence into a jihad for a Sharia-based emirate covering all of Russia’s Caucasian Muslim republics.

They have also started targeting civilians whom they deem un-Islamic.

Recently, two sisters, aged 52 and 60, were shot to death in a roadside kiosk, supposedly for selling alcohol.

“They are psychotic. Putting seven, eight bullets into women. What Sharia law are they talking about?” the victim’s sister asks.

“We have nothing more to be afraid of. We have gone through all this and are ready for anything. We have lost our parents, husbands. What else can we be afraid of? We have nothing left to lose.”

Yet even this family lay the final blame less on the militants than on the authorities and the lawlessness and corruption they believe Zyazikov fostered.

Poverty

Ingushetia is not only Russia’s most violent republic. It is also its poorest.

“Zyazikov declared that over 70 factories had been built in the republic, that the unemployment problem had been solved, etc etc. We risked our lives trying to prove to the Russian government that there were no factories, that the huge amounts of money allocated to us were simply being fiddled away by Zyazikov and his people,” Maksharip said.

By October 2008, opposition to Zyazikov had grown to such a pitch and the violence and corruption had become so brazen that Moscow finally replaced him with the popular ex-general, Yunus-bek Yevkurov.

The new leader set out to tackle the corruption and violence and brought advisors from the civil opposition into his administration.

He also sacked some corrupt officials, tried to initiate talks with the rebels and gained the public’s trust.

But then, on June 22, 2009, his presidential convoy was rammed by a suicide bomber.

Yevkurov ended up in a critical condition in hospital.

Extra-judicial executions

In his absence, and with the Kremlin demanding even better results against the rebels, allegations of extra-judicial executions by the security forces began flooding in.

Many believe it is Russia’s FSB, the former KGB, that is orchestrating the cycle of violence in Ingushetia.

Their agents have even been caught firing on Ingush policemen, raising suspicions that Moscow is deliberately keeping the fractious north Caucasus destablised in order to justify its controlling military presence.

Others believe the motive is also the money that those in power can make from conflict.

“As the Russian saying goes, ‘It is good fishing in troubled waters.’ These kind of civil wars are started to make it easier to steal money,” Maksharip said.

Suspicion

Suspicion of the FSB here is reminiscent of Soviet times. Several human rights campaigners have been killed in the north Caucasus in the last few years.

Aslambek Paev, a human rights campaigner, told us: “Everything is monitored. You have to be very careful and observant when you work. Probably I’m the next one.

“What difference does it make for us? We know we’re dead anyway, that sooner or later they’ll kill us.”

Yevkurov recovered from the attack on him and returned to office.

He has since sacked his entire cabinet for making problems worse in his absence.

But it is yet to be seen how far his promised reforms will go – or indeed how effective they can be in a land which both the militants and elements of Russia’s power structures seem determined to keep on the boil.

Losing control

One month before his death, the security forces had stopped Maksharip’s car and attempted to take him into custody after he left a government meeting.

He escaped only because a crowd of motorists, including an aide to the governor, surrounded him.

“If I had been a half-metre closer, they would have tied me up and I would have disappeared without a trace,” he told Caucasian Knot, a website that covers the region.

Yevkurov has reached out to human rights activists and the opposition, offering them a degree of protection, but Aushev’s killing suggests that he, and by extension the Kremlin, may be losing control over the overlapping law enforcement agencies fighting a growing Islamist insurgency in the region.

Though deep in mourning, Maksharip Aushev’s family agreed to our film being broadcast. His assassination highlights the continuing perils faced by anyone who seeks to defend basic freedoms in Ingushetia, raising fears of further violence in the region.

Source: Al Jazeera

Russia’s neighbors should not take responsibility, trying to change their relations with Moscow, because it is the Kremlin’s actions determine the existing tension, says a well-known political expert, Senior Fellow, Jamestown Foundation Vladimir Socor.

The analyst was critical about the statement made by NATO’s General Secretary that Russia poses no threat to the Baltic countries.

According to Vladimir Socor, Anders Fogh Rasmussen should have been more accurate, and mention the “potential threat”.

“I think that the small neighbors of Russia should not take responsibility, trying to improve relations with Russia, because these relations are strained because of Russia itself. Any country – small or big, the United States or the Baltic states – will make a mistake, if they are to deal with Russia as if the improvement of relations depends on them”, – said Vladimir Socor in an interview.

According to him, also is wrong to try to improve relations with Russia, refusing to give a fair assessment of the heritage of the Soviet Union, including the crimes of Stalinism, which the Kremlin is trying to rehabilitate.

“Both regimes were totalitarian and belong to the same category”, – noted political scientist.

The expert confirmed that Russia’s actions in the Baltic countries do not allow to hope that Moscow itself wants to improve the relations.

“First and foremost, we need a change in the behavior of Russia. For example, Russia should stop – but I doubt it will happen – to carry out the dirty and corrupt practices in business, to buy media in Lithuania, use relations with the oligarchs in the three Baltic countries, influence the situation from the inside, she should stop pretending that there was no occupation, should not considered NATO as an enemy “- Vladimir Socor demanded of Russia.

Russia is not going to cut, and vice versa – is planning to develop “Black Sea Fleet”. On this the member of “the Duma Committee on Defense” Nenashev told Ukrainian journalists in Moscow.

“We will develop the infrastructure-based Black Sea Fleet in Crimea, and on Russia’s territory. We have no plans to pack up the Black Sea Fleet. It is only a question of development”, – said Nenashev.

He explained further that under the development of the BSF is meant not only the formation, based on Ukrainian territory, but in the second part of the Black Sea Fleet as well, which is based in Krasnodar Territory and other territories.

Such attention to the fleet, deputy explained the strategic importance of the Black Sea. “BSF, we will develop, because the Black Sea is connected with the Mediterranean and the Atlantic while the Mediterranean region – is the center of the world’s problems”, – said Nenashev.

Answering about Russia’s position regarding the fate of the Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine after 2017, when the contract expires, Nenashev said:

“From Russia’s perspective, we pose the question clearly – extension of this treaty. If the Ukrainian leadership will behave as we predict so far, will be ready to deal, then we will not have any issues related to nuclear weapons of BSF “, – threw, Nenashev, the threat to Ukraine.

Recall that according to Ukrainian media “The Black Sea Fleet of Russia” has several tactical nuclear warheads in flagrant violation of the denuclearization of Ukraine, so we are talking about a full nuclear weapon equipment of Russian navy, as well as with strategic weapons.

“Like your head, the top of every website should be as unique as you are” thinks Karen Kaufman, aka “M” of Mo Media.

A professional Photoshop designer for 15 years Karen wants to help Sandvox users create stunning page headers and banners. Since she started using Sandvox by Karelia just over a year ago, Karen has created a number of websites for international known artist clients in Hawaii. Although her focus is fine art reproduction (giclee), Karen’s expansion to creating web and graphic art provides a unique flavor to her creativity.

Because Sandvox is the easy and affordable Mac web design software, Karen knew her service should be available to users at a great price. Custom Headers by M range from $10 (“Almost Ready) to $30 (“Completely Custom”).

When asked “Why are your headers so affordable? Karen replies: “My design rate is $120 per hour. Something which may have taken me an hour to create 10 years ago now takes closer to 15 minutes. Because I’m incorporating elements (your file[s], font, Sandvox design), the most expensive header we’re selling here should take no more than 15 minutes for me to put together nicely.”

“Head” to the Gallery and see how “M” can create a header “as unique as you are for about the same price as going to a movie.”

Head to: www.mheader.com

Sergey Katanadov has taken part in the Finnish-Russian forest summit

Head of the Republic of Karelia Sergey Katanadov has taken part in the Finnish-Russian forest summit held in St.Petersburg.

A number of fundamental, even saving decisions for the forestry branch of Karelia had been made at the international forum. Moratorium on increase of round timber export customs duties will be prolonged for 2010, and perhaps for 2011. It was declared by the Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin at the Third Finnish-Russian forest summit in St.Petersburg. Now the duty makes €15 per one cubic metre of timber, and since January 1, 2010 it should grow up to €50 per one cubic metre. It would lead to crash of a number of forest enterprises and would threaten future of the branch.

In turn, it is also extremely important for the economy of Finland which in many respects is focused on Russian round timber. Experts specify, that such decision will positively affect negotiations between Russia and Finland on the subject of the Nord Stream gas main and dialogue between Russia and the European Union on the entry into the WTO.

Nevertheless, Vladimir Putin has warned, that the moratorium on increase of duties is an interim measure: Role of supplier of the raw material cannot suit Russia, and the moratorium will not last forever.

Decisions of the summit are very actual for Karelia as the wood-producing region with the longest border upon Finland. It is natural, that participation of the Head of the Republic in the event was of great importance. Having returned from the summit, Sergey Katanandov has commented on its course and decisions:

– We were very busy with preparing for the summit, I participated in the session of Timber Council and a number of other meetings. Finland and Russia are tied by close good neighbourly relations, for each other we are key trading partners. Many problems related to, first of all, the crisis phenomena in economy have accumulated in our partnership. The summit in St.Petersburg was held in the context of the crisis.

– We have discussed very important issues, – Sergey Katanandov has told. – The main of them was taking advantages of northern wood. It happens, that now competition in the markets is won by the South and Latin America and Africa. Of course, it does not suit us, because Russia possessed huge forest resources and should be presented in the market adequately. Northwest of Russia is one of the regions most developed from this point of view.

Participants of the summit have addressed to the Government with the request to prolong the moratorium on increase of timber duties. Assuming that all governors support the country-chosen strategic course on deep processing of wood within the territory. However everybody understand, that implementation of these policy needs time. The issue of deciduous wood was discussed particularly. Meanwhile, in Russia practically there are almost no capacities to process aspen and birch wood. I hope, that the state decision on this subject will be made soon, too.

– The forest complex is not just an abstract concept, – Sergey Katanandov considers. These are people living and working in Segezha, Kondopoga, Muezersky, in logging camps of the North. Millions of citizens of Karelia, Arkhangelsk and Vologda areas, the Republic of Komi depend on it. It is clear, that if production does not sell well, timber remains on allotments, these people cannot live normal life. The situation demands “manual management”. There’s no wonder, that attention of the top management of the country is attracted to this issue, – Head of the Republic of Karelia considers.

Making comments on the decision of the Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation on prolongation of the moratorium on introduction of protecting duties on round timber export duties, Sergey Katanandov has told:

– Vladimir Putin was forced to make this decision though it was correct and duly. In the context of the crisis it is necessary to act according to the situation, to show flexibility, and it is very good that our state has learned to show such flexibility concerning matters of principle. The proposed establishment of zero duties on exported birch and aspen just rescue many timber enterprises. We consider that if such decision is made, it will allow us to move forward in harvesting of deciduous wood, and to improve the branch as a whole which today is overstocked with the deciduous wood and just does not know what to do with it.

On the reaction of Finnish partners on decisions of the summit Head of the Republic of Karelia has noticed:

– Negotiation with the Finnish partners did not stop in recent time. We support constant dialogue within the scope of frontier cooperation. Of course, Finns expected some steps from the government of Russia and rate decisions of the summit very high. It is possible to expect, that in this context they will begin to invest in development of timber processing in Russia more actively. In particular, matters concern construction of several factories in territory of Vologda and Nizhniy Novgorod areas, and Karelia should also work in this direction.

Maxim Tikhonov
Press-secretary of the Head of the Republic of Karelia

Source : The Republic of Karelia State Government Bodies 26.10.2009

]]> http://russianfascism.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/moscow-does-not-like-hearing-about-the-russian-caucasian-war/ Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:47:16 +0000 russianfascism http://russianfascism.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/moscow-does-not-like-hearing-about-the-russian-caucasian-war/

The State Duma of Russia is concerned that in Adygea, one of Western film companies, want to shoot a film about Russian-Caucasus war 19th century.

The authorities of Russia are convinced that a film about the Caucasian war could “undermine the stability in Russia”.

According to REGNUM, on October 23 State Duma Deputy Sergei Obukhov (CPRF) reported that the puppet authorities of Adygea sounded the alarm in connection with \”a provocation against the upcoming inter-ethnic peace and accord in the South of Russia.

Obukhov said that some foreign film company “is trying to shoot a film in the Krasnodar Territory about the Caucasian War, the implementation of the their script will inevitably lead to the incitement of ethnic hatred and instability in the North Caucasus.”

At the same time Moscow announced that the authors of the film “distort historical truth.”

“It is not only the distortion of historical truth. Such episodes, and in such scale never took place in the western sector of Caucasian war”- said Obukhov. “But even the fact of the involvement of large numbers of citizens to shoot the scenes of carnage involving many thousands of units, whether Cossacks or Circassians – a serious destabilizing factor” -says Obukhov.

However, during the Russian-Caucasian War in the 19 century, Circassians lost up to 90 % of their population. A whole ethnic group of Circassians, for example, Ubyhs, completely disappeared.

Also the Circassians fought against the Russian occupants for 5 years after the fall of the Imamate of Shamil.

Even after partial collapse of the USSR, Russia remains to be threat to humanity. This is evidenced by the report on Russian elite and expansionist plans of Russia, which was released by “Politonline” publication.

The report mentions in particular:

* The Army should be formed for certain reasons – both defensive and offensive.

Russia’s military must be able to perform a wide spectrum of tasks. To accomplish this, the priority and emphasis should be given to universality, rather than specialization.

Parts that are suitable for defense and deterrence should not carry the offensive functions and vice versa. We are turning into the Army 2.0 – Army based on two components.

Offensive army should include intelligence and sabotage units, breakthrough units, the main attacking units, “anchor” units to secure the bridgeheads, etc.

Deterrence army should consist of defensive units, mobile units to eliminate breakthroughs, intelligence and sabotage groups, etc.

Superstructure over the Army of 2.0 consists of innovative units that serve for the ideological war in the informational battlefield as well as for sabotage in the information\network space in the area of high tech.

* We have to define the zone of our interest.

The zone of Russia’s interest – is not only territories of post USSR, but also Eastern Europe, Turkey, Iran and Northern China. The best marker on the map is the army.

It is not necessary to draw troops into the zone of interest. It is enough to make sure their presence close this zone. Thus, we will be able to monitor not only possible military or terrorist threats, but also economic security issues.

At the time when oil and gas remain one of the key energy resources, the protection of energy infrastructure is a second priority given to Russia army.

There can’t be double approach in dealing with energy infrastructure – Russia’s oil and gas should be protected by Russian soldiers until they delivered to customers. Oil and gas pipelines should become modern analogues of CER (Chinese Eastern Railroads) that was secured by Russia along the entire length of the road on the territory of China. Status of Petroleum and Gas army can be formally private, but in reality its management should belong to the state.

* Upcoming Global threats till 2020.

The main global threat up to now still remains uncontrolled growth in number of nuclear powers and the danger of loss of control over nuclear weapons.

Note that this threat to Russia is a real one – for the moment we have common borders with four countries that possess nuclear weapons or have the capacity to produce it: the US, China, North Korea and Iran. None of these countries can be called friendly to Russia.

Moreover, the admittance of a number of countries in Eastern Europe and former USSR republics in NATO allows deploying nuclear weapons in the immediate vicinity of the borders of Russia. In addition, according to experts of the IAEA, in the next 10 years, additional 30 countries will have access to the technology of nuclear weapons. This can be a potential threat to Russian security.

The second serious problem is a fight for traditional non-renewable sources of energy. Wars in Kuwait and Iraq for oil and gas reserves in last decades are a striking example of such conflicts.

Russia’s reserves in Siberia are highly vulnerable due to a low populated area and absence of efficient transportation and communication systems to ensure the security of resources when necessary.

Even the Chinese now with only one Parachute Regiment unit can capture any of Russia’s oil and gas fields to destroy or disrupt the mining complex. This kind of action could lead to a serious damage to Russian economy despite of existing “safety cushion” in the form of a serious difference between the cost of energy and its prices from producers.

The third problem relates to the global effort of the countries to move away from the use of traditional energy sources and to switch to biological fuels that will enable them to save their own economy from oil and gas dependency. Transition of a large percentage of agricultural acreage to area under oleifera crops (lat. Brassica napus) at the moment led to a sharp drop in agricultural production and, consequently, to an increase in food prices.

Another cause of the food crisis is also an increase in diet of people of India and China.

As a result, most Asian farmers shifted to the provision of food for domestic markets. Meanwhile, there is a gradual increase in the consumption of meat and dairy products in developed countries, which together with reducing the production of meat and milk automatically leads to higher food prices.

Thus, in the next 10-15 years we can expect a serious conflict for free lands suitable for agriculture or cattle breeding. One of the least used and the most promising regions in this regard is East China, which can be a battlefield for taking control over it as by India, China and other world powers. In the context of proliferation of nuclear weapons, this problem can become the most dangerous.

* Upcoming Regional threats till 2020.

There are four regional threats in the long run:

In the western sector there is a threat of losing Kaliningrad region, in the form of separation and declaration of independence as well as the formation of public opinion of the region as “European Russian republic”. Thus, we risk losing strategically important port on the Baltic Sea.

Moreover, at the west there is a danger of annexation of Belarus as “a fight against Lukashenko’s regime” and its division into zones of influence between Poland and Lithuania. In theory, Ukraine can participate into this division, but the only part it would receive is territory of “Chernobyl”.

In case of this scenario, the border between Russia and NATO countries would be passing close to areas of the central region and thus would put under potential danger transportation cross points of Smolensk and Moscow.

The threat in the Caucasus region is referred to upcoming Olympic Games in Sochi. The situation in the Black Sea coast could remain volatile for a long time, putting at risk the economy of the Russian South, the main agricultural region. The most obvious solution in this case is gradual establishment of control over Abkhazia and modernization of the Sukhumi port.

Entire length of border with Kazakhstan is a threat and will continue to be a threat due to drug trafficking through it. Border troops should not be used to solve this problem because they are originally designed to serve other issues. It makes sense to transfer these responsibilities to the Federal Service which will control and fight drug trafficking and provide it with appropriate power and resources in the form of special troops.

The fourth and most serious problem is upcoming annexation of East Siberia and the Far East regions close to China. Penetration of Chinese population in the territory of Russia, their assimilation with local population and merging of Chinese and Russian small and medium business can pose a threat of losing control over these regions in the future.

If problems of infrastructure would not be resolved in the next few years, there would be a high risk of separation of East Siberia and the Far East and, consequently, the loss of access to natural resources.

In addition to solving the problem through the development of infrastructure, it is necessary to build million-populated military city on the border with China. This will solve the problem of lack of large urban agglomerations between Irkutsk and Vladivostok, and the problem of content grouping deterrence on the Russian-Chinese border.

Paul Goble

Last year, some 18,000 Daghestani Muslims performed the haj, 12,000 more than the number Moscow had allocated to them within the 25,000 the Saudi authorities had authorized for the Russian Federation as a whole, and this year, it appears likely that Daghestani Muslims will again exceed the lower total of 6,000 slots Moscow has set.

(One reason that the Daghestani quota has been cut is that the Saudi authorities have reduced the Russian Federation’s quota to 20,500, the figure it had been until two years ago when the Saudis deferred to a request by then-President Vladimir Putin to boost the figure to take into account pent-up demand among Russia’s Muslims to perform the haj.)

In their efforts to go on the haj, some Daghestani Muslims have registered in other parts of the Russian Federation where fewer Muslims want or are able to make the haj, officials in Makhachkala say. But other Muslims in the most Islamic part of the country appear simply to be ignoring the quotas altogether (www.riadagestan.ru/news/2009/10/13/87172/).

On the one hand, this Daghestani flow has the potential to create problems for Russia in its relations with Saudi Arabia, whose leaders view control over access to the Holy Places to be one of their greatest responsibilities and who this year have reduced Russia’s allocation and urged Muslims younger than 12 or older than 65 not to come because of the H1N1 flu.

But on the other, and perhaps more seriously, the willingness and ability of Daghestani Muslims to ignore the quotas set by the central Russian government both reflects and promotes greater indifference to Moscow’s demands in that increasingly unsettled North Caucasus republic and may create tensions between Daghestan and other Muslim regions of the country.

Magomed Mikhalayev, who is responsible for arranging air travel for Daghestanis who wish to make the haj that way, told RIA Daghestan that regardless of what Moscow said last year or is saying this, “in fact” more Daghestani Muslims are performing the haj than official statistics have suggested.

He added that in addition to meeting all the medical requirements the Saudis have imposed on those who seek a visa, Daghestani Muslims need to prepare themselves for the difficulties that all those making the haj face: relatively little space, long lines, and difficulties arising from dealing with peoples of different backgrounds.

But Mikhalayev added, Daghestani Muslims face some particular problems because of their propensity to exceed quotas: Every year, he said, “doctors of the Daghestani delegation of the Russian haj mission” recognize that they need to service upwards of 15,000 people, but they are able to take medicines “only according to the quota” Moscow has set.

Consequently, if Muslims from Daghestan do get sick in Saudi Arabia, they are likely to find it more difficult to secure the necessary medical treatment. In the past, some Daghestanis have died during the haj, and Mikhalayev’s statement suggests that at least some in Russia hope to discourage so many Muslims from that republic from going by highlighting this problem.

In his comments to the media, Mikhalayev noted that the cost of the haj for those using direct air services will be 97,000 rubles (3200 US dollars) this year. For those flying to Jordan and then taking a bus, the cost will be 79,000 rubles (2600 US dollars), and for those travelling by bus the entire way, it will be 60-65,000 rubles (1900-2200 US dollars).

Mikhalayev did not mention it, but many Daghestanis like other Muslims from the North Caucasus are likely to make the haj this year as they have in the past by private vehicles or by public transport not specifically assigned for the haj, thus opening yet another channel for them to exceed the quotas Moscow has declared.

By DAVID NOWAK

A top Russian security official says Moscow reserves the right to conduct pre-emptive nuclear strikes to safeguard the country against aggression on both a large and a local scale, according to a newspaper interview published Wednesday.

Presidential Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev also singled out the U.S. and NATO, saying Moscow’s Cold War foes still pose potential threats to Russia despite what he called a global trend toward local conflicts.

The interview appeared in the daily Izvestia during a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, as U.S. and Russian negotiators try to hammer out a nuclear arms reduction treaty by December. It also came amid grumbling in Moscow over U.S. moves to modify plans for a missile shield near Russia’s borders rather than ditch the idea outright.

Patrushev said a sweeping document on military policy including a passage on preventative nuclear force will be handed to President Dmitry Medvedev by the end of the year, according to Izvestia.

Officials are examining “a variety of possibilities for using nuclear force, depending on the situation and the intentions of the possible opponent,” Patrushev was quoted as saying. “In situations critical to national security, options including a preventative nuclear strike on the aggressor are not excluded.”

The proposed doctrine would allow for the use of nuclear weapons “to repel an aggression with the use of conventional weapons not only in a large-scale but also in a regional and even local war,” Patrushev was quoted as saying. He said a government analysis of the threat of conflict in the world showed “a shift from large-scale conflicts to local wars and armed conflicts.”

“However, earlier military dangers and threats for our country have not lost significance,” he was quoted as saying. “Activity on receiving new members into NATO is not ceasing. The military activity of the bloc is being stepped up. U.S. strategic forces are conducting intensive training on using strategic nuclear weapons.”

Russian military analysts said the hawkish former domestic intelligence chief’s remarks were mostly muscle-flexing for show, because what he revealed about the proposed new doctrine suggests it differs little from the current one.

One independent analyst, Alexander Golts, said current policy already allows for a nuclear strike to repel an aggression of any sort. Another, Pavel Felgenhauer, said that effectively allows for a pre-emptive strike because the type of aggression that would warrant such a strike is not clearly defined.

Russia’ NATO envoy, Dmitry Rogozin, argued the proposed doctrine does not contradict arms reduction efforts. “We are moving toward a reduction in nuclear arsenals,” he told Ekho Moskvy radio.

Still, Patrushev’s focus on local conflicts could rattle Georgia, the small neighbor that Russia routed in a five-day conventional war with Russia last year.

Analysts also said his description of the proposed policy shows Russia’s growing reliance on nuclear arms as its conventional arsenal decays and unpopular military reforms stall. Observers say the war with Georgia exposed frailties in Russia’s military, adding urgency to planned reforms.

In a symptomatic setback, a scheduled test launch of the new Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile — which has failed in seven of its 11 test launches so far — was postponed, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported. The Bulava has been billed as the future of Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

14.10.09 10:24 Georgian Foreign Ministry has commented on the statement made on 13 October by A. Bortnikov, Gang leader of the National “Anti-Terrorist Committee” and “Director of the Russian Federal Security Service”, who claimed that Georgian special services are allegedly involved, together with al-Qaeda, in sending terrorists to the Chechnian territory. `Regrettably, it is not the first case when Russia, by circulating misleading reports, tries to accuse Georgia of creating the catastrophic situation in the North Caucasus, for which Russia itself is to be blamed.

The propaganda noise stirred up by the Kremlin on the normalization and stabilization of the situation has failed to cover up the actually existing disastrous situation in the region, in particular, the fact that the conflict raging in the North Caucasus has entered its most acute stage. The Kremlin is aware that its attempts to bring the situation under control are vain and, employing the tried and tested Soviet methods tries to disguise its hopelessness by using the factor of external enemy. Despite the absurdity of the accusations voiced, this deliberate and hysterical campaign causes a serious concern obvious as it is that its scenario was developed by some fevered brains. To meet its own imperialistic demands, the Kremlin will use any pretext in order to bring to climax the tension across the Georgian borders and create a suitable background for carrying out military provocations against the peaceful democratic country. Moscow once again reaffirms the clearly aggressive essence of the present-day Russia, which is far from respecting the norms and principles of international law and its own obligations,` the statement says.

The Tatar people have already spent 456 years in slavery to Russian colonialism, which was as brutal as ever was known in the history of humankind. During this time many rulers of Russia came to power, as czars, emperors, first secretaries and presidents. Also, the social structure of this country changed: feudalism, capitalism, socialism, etc. Only one thing remained unchanged during all this time: a policy of forced conversion to Christianity, Russification, inhuman exploitation and physical elimination of the Tatar through permanent and goal-oriented genocide. At the beginning of the 18th century, according to a Census taken by Peter the Great, there were 5.5 million Russians and 5.5 million Tatars, and yet by the end of the 20th century there are 120 million Russians and the same 5.5 million Tatars.

At the end of the 1990s, Tatars in their final despair rose up to struggle with Russian colonialism and adopted a Declaration of Tatar State Sovereignty. They organized a referendum with supervision of foreign observers, including some form the USA, during which 61.4% of Tatarstan\’s population approved a claim for independence from Russia. Moreover, Tatarstan refused to participate in the referendum on the modern Constitution of Russia and to sign the Federative Agreement on the creation of the Russian Federation, confirming by this its illegitimacy. There are not any legal treaties whatsoever on the joining of the later to the Russian Federation.

The first president of Russia B. Yeltsin agreed to give to the Tatars as much liberty as they could handle. Unfortunately, this was the same kind of deceit as before, aimed only at pacifying Tatars and buying time. Whereas Russia was forced to agree to the escape of 14 colonies from their domination, it categorically refused to recognize the independence of Tatarstan, and it made its rule over this colony more severe, by the destruction of elementary rights of its people, including the right to have local legislative bodies and to select the president of Tatarstan. Right now, the Kremlin is appointing its Vice Roy from Moscow. Moreover, the Kremlin has deprived Tatars of the right to use the Latin alphabet as their own and has forced them to use the Cyrillic alphabet which is entirely unsuitable for the Tatar language. Recently it has deprived the Tatars of the opportunity to teach their children in Tatar.

Muslim Tatars are subject to severe prosecution, torture and many years of prison for refusal to worship in the mosques that are under the supervision of mullahs appointed by the Vice Roy administration, and for having Muslim books written in Arabic in their homes. At the same time the merciless robbery of the national resources of Tatarstan is continuing. The Kremlin is taking 85% of all the revenues from the sale of Tatarstan\’s oil for itself, and by this way depriving Tatarstan of their vital means for survival.

All of this is happening at the same time that the Russian Federation cynically and hypocritically recognized the independence of the Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. One can only ask what is the difference between the rights of the aforementioned republics and Tatarstan – a Russian colony? It is absolutely clear – there is no difference. The truth is that Russia practically enslaved the people of these republics by converting them into their citizens. Consequently, for Tatars there is no hope any more for the good will of the Russian colonizers to accomplish any kind of decolonization whatsoever.

Expressing the will of the Tatar People and in order to save them from entire elimination the Milli Mejlis (Parliament) of the Tatar People is:

1. Declaring support for the Declaration of State Sovereignty of August 30, 1990 and confirming the illegitimacy of including the Republic of Tatarstan into the Russian Federation without its consent.
2. Asking all governments and the United Nations to recognize the Independence of Tatarstan.
3. Creating the Government of Tatarstan in Exile for the protection of the interests of the Tatar People.
4. Calling all Tatars around the world to organize a permanent mass campaign in support of the Independence of Tatarstan before their governments and societies.

Adopted at a Special Meeting of the Milli Mejlis of the Tatar People on December 20, 2008.

Vil Mirzayanov

Although the constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press, the Kremlin used the country’s politicized and corrupt criminal justice system to harass and prosecute independent journalists. Throughout the year, journalists faced dozens of criminal cases and hundreds of civil cases, particularly in retaliation for reporting on the Other Russia opposition group. Police officers in Samara and Nizhny Novgorod raided the regional bureaus of the independent Moscow newspaper Novaya Gazeta and confiscated their computers, while prosecutors opened politicized criminal cases relating to alleged software piracy. In July, the rubber-stamp parliament approved a series of amendments to the criminal code expanding the country’s vague antiextremism laws, which are used to suppress critics of the Kremlin and encourage self-censorship. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Moscow-based radio station Ekho Moskvy subsequently received over a dozen official warnings from prosecutors, media regulators, and the Federal Security Service for broadcasting allegedly “extremist” statements.

In May, immigration officials at a Moscow airport denied entry to Natalya Morar, a Moldovan journalist working for the Moscow weekly magazine Novoye Vremya, after she published articles about high-level government officials involved in money laundering and illegal campaign funding.
Russia remained one of the most dangerous countries in the world for the media.In 2007, two journalists’ deaths were deemed suicides by authorities: Ivan Safronov, a correspondent with the business daily Kommersant, who “fell” out of the window of his Moscow apartment building in March just as he was planning to report on politically sensitive Russian weapons sales to Iran and Syria; and Vyacheslav Ifanov, a television cameraman for the independent station Novoye Televideniye Aleiska in Siberia, who was said to have died from a carbon monoxide overdose in April despite having wounds on his body and having previously received death threats from military officials. Although later investigations by local watchdog groups indicated that Ifanov probably did commit suicide, Safronov’s death remains unsolved. The trial of two suspects in the July 2004 murder of Forbes Russia editor Paul Klebnikov was delayed throughout 2007 because one of the suspects went into hiding. Over a dozen other murders remained uninvestigated, but in a rare example of accountability, five gang members in the city of Kazan were convicted of the 2000 murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist Igor Domnikov. Also encouraging was the August arrest of 10 suspects in the high-profile murder of Domnikov’s colleague at Novaya Gazeta, Anna Politkovskaya.

Journalists remained unable to cover the news freely, particularly with regard to contentious topics—like human rights abuses in the North Caucasus, government corruption, organized crime, the December election, and police torture—and were subject to a variety of abuses. In March, police in Nizhny Novgorod detained nine local journalists and foreign correspondents—and physically assaulted three of them—trying to cover an opposition rally. According to the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations, during a crackdown on opposition demonstrations in April in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Samara, over 70 journalists were detained or beaten. In May, police detained three foreign correspondents in a Moscow airport to prevent them from flying to Samara to cover another opposition rally. And on the eve of the parliamentary election, authorities in the northern city of Arkhangelsk seized the entire print run of a local newspaper containing articles critical of the central government and local authorities. Journalists who criticized federal and regional authorities also faced a risk of imprisonment, with three remaining behind bars at the end of 2007: Boris Stomakhin, editor of the monthly Moscow newspaper Radikalnaya Politika; Anatoly Sardayev, editor of the weekly Saransk newspaper Mordoviya Segodnya; and Nikolai Andrushchenko, editor of the Saint Petersburg weekly Novy Peterburg. Authorities also revived the Soviet-era tradition of temporary psychiatric detentions in order to silence a regional journalist and an activist who criticized local authorities—Vladimir Chugunov from the town of Solnechnogorsk and Larisa Arap from the city of Murmansk. Some journalists were forced to flee the country as a result of aggressive harassment by the Federal Security Service and other government agencies. Two journalists who worked for the Associated Press and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in the North Caucasus—Fatima Tlisova and Yuri Bagrov—received political asylum in the United States, while a third journalist—Yelena Tregubova, a reporter for the Moscow business daily Kommersant—fled to the United Kingdom after publicly criticizing the Kremlin’s media restrictions.

Authorities continued to exert significant influence on media outlets and news content through a vast state media empire—the leading television networks Channel One, Rossiya, and NTV; the news agencies ITAR-TASS and RIA-Novosti; the national radio stations Radio Mayak and Radio Rossiya; the international English-language broadcaster Russia Today; and hundreds of regional newspapers, radio stations, and television channels—that filled the airwaves with pro-Kremlin propaganda, particularly ahead of the flawed December parliamentary elections. International radio and television channels are generally restricted, and in August, the government terminated the British Broadcasting Corporation’s FM Russian-language program on Bolshoye Radio, though the program is still available on short- and medium-wave frequencies. Diversity continued to decline as private companies loyal to the Kremlin and regional authorities purchased influential private newspapers and most media outlets remained dependent on state subsidies as well as government printing, distribution, and transmission facilities. Lively but cautious political debate was increasingly limited to glossy weekly magazines and news websites available only to urban, educated, and affluent audiences. However, television was the primary source of news for most Russians. With online media developing rapidly and an estimated 20 percent of the population now online, there were no reports that the government overtly restricted internet access. However, the Federal Security Service did continue widespread monitoring of e-mails and web posting, while government officials harassed some news websites and federal authorities debated introducing new legal restrictions on the internet. In June, a wide range of opposition websites reported being hacked or receiving “denial of service” attacks, though it was difficult to prove the source. Additionally, Kremlin allies have purchased several independent online newspapers or have created their own progovernment online news websites, as well as reportedly cultivating a network of bloggers who are paid to produce pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Russia Today, an English-language(*heavy russian accent*) TV propaganda channel for the Russian government.

Russia Today sets out to present the Russian(KGB-FSB) point of view on events in Russia and its ‘near abroard’ and give the viewers an opportunity to get acquainted with Russian(KGB-FSB) views on world and domestic events. Margarita Simonyan, Russia Today’s editor-in-chief, says the station was born out of the desire to present an “unbiased portrait of Russia’ The media in the Russia reflects the interests of the Russian government, of the Russian imperialists.
Those who have an understanding of old Soviet propaganda techniques know why La Riva was plucked out of obscurity.
It is preferable, for Russian propaganda purposes, to use foreigners, especially Americans, to make your propaganda points. That makes it looks like Moscow is enjoying international support for its aggressive position.

Russia Today also interviewed someone named Matthew Maly, identified as “an American sociologist,” as saying that he is “surprised by the media bias over events in South Ossetia” and believes that “a deliberate misinformation campaign was carried out by the United States…”
It turns out that Maly was born in Moscow and now lives and works there. His own bio says he has worked for the Russian government and on Russian political campaigns.
Maly told Russia Today that “a big international misinformation operation” over events in Georgia was conducted “from the top” in the U.S. and was “a dress rehearsal for influencing western opinion.”

Every time big Russia attacks some neighbor Russia is always blaming a neighbor. Give me one time in history when Russia said that their attack was unprovoked; they always said that it was provoked: it was provoked by Finland; it was provoked by Hungary; it was provoked by Czechoslovakia; it was provoked by Afghanistan. Russian propaganda says one thing, while the Kremlin and the military leadership do another.

The Russian secret service has a special department for influencing general (world) opinion in favor of Russia. They work in all languages of the world and are present in any forum. They produce and publish falsified videos.
The absence of a free press and secret services that monitor everything that is against Putin and his regime together brainwash the Russian population to a great extent. NOTHING negative is said about Putin or Medvedev in the Russian media. Each Russian language forum is being monitored an moderators are obliged to hand over data of the members. In connection with the conflict in Georgia, the owner of an Ingush website, Magomed Yevloyev, was liquidated. He was writing the truth about the events in the Caucasus. The website of Oleg Panfilov, who was in Georgia at the time of the war and published everything as he saw it, was hacked and totally destroyed. People are being brainwashed every day with anti-Western, anti-American propaganda.

Departments of the Russian secret services FSB and GRU actively work in all internet forums of the world, in all languages. You can see their postings here, but also on Italian or Chinese websites. The content is always the same. Personnel is recruited in department K for their language and computer skills. Similar activities are carried out by Russian Business Network (RBN) and other criminal organisations related to the Russian government. Cyberattacks, twisting the truth and denying facts are the daily business of the present-day government services.

Russian media will now do its best to create an image of Georgians as enemies of Russia. They’ll do it all with the same methods as they used on Chechens. A mass zombification of the public at large, the preparing of public opinion, perhaps one or two bloody terrorist attacks with a lot of human victims, which will of course be carried out by “persons of Georgian nationality”, and Russia will once again enthusiastically respond to an incendiary call to ‘wipe out the terrorists in the toilet’”.

Information agency GurabaWordPress with a reference to IA “Russian reporter” has published an article on its web site in relation to situation in Emirate Caucasus and continuation of Russian-Caucasian war.

The agency stated that the curator of the project “Through my eyes” of “Russian Reporter” stated that Shura Burtin is one of a few Russian journalists, who is trying to understand, what is on reality happening on Northern Caucasus and shows the results of an investigation carried out by Russian journalist.

“The Russian Reporter”: It is sometimes some “special operations” shown on TV: armored S.W.A.T. teams and armored troop-carriers. There artificially maintained the sense for the audience that there are the last militants left, but they are being liquidated. This has no connection at all with reality. There is continuing a serious guerrilla war on Caucasus, and Russia does not expect any victories in it.

The war has been extended to Dagestan, Ingushetia and Kabardino-Balkaria. In all this territory the powerful, well organized underground has grown and it is seriously in a mood to fight and it lives by war.

Militants and enforcement agencies daily are exterminating each other, there is a senseless mutual killing of good twenty years’ old youths.

Yesterday (1 October 2009 – K.C.) Nurgaliyev has declared that in this year alone there has been killed and taken in a captivity 700 militants – but the intensity of shooting has not been affected at all.

After 10 years of war we must understand that Russia has no strength to crash the resistance using military.

The underground is penetrating villages in Dagestan and Ingushetia. Use of the most severe terror in Chechnya made almost impossible for militants come down to the plain. But they control mountain woods, where enforcement agencies are afraid go to – even now, when there is a big scale Kadyrov’s operation.

In May, 2009 Kadyrov has promised to finish up with “shaytans”, 15 thousand bayonets has been sent to mountains – and, as always, uselessly. After a month of fights it became clear, that losses are too great. Now, despite of orders to go to the woods, Kadyrovites (members of Kadyrov’s militia – K.C.) do not want to do it, they prefer to kill the first local resident that come across and to give out him or her for the militant.

Now the operation was reduced to blockade of auls – that is to starve the guerillas during the winter. It, certainly, will give some results – but to hope, that it is possible by thus measures to win the underground would be naive. Because it has a roots and war for it – as a water.

It is necessary to understand what militants want. If to ask anyone: what they want, – nobody knows. In (Russian) media this question has been taboo-ed, the thinking about it is prohibited. It is assumed, that this underground is embodiment of a harm, fanatics, gangsters and foreign mercenaries.

May be, they still want independence for Chechnya. Nobody tries to imagine these people in a reality. Because to understand means having possibility to come to an agreement. And it would destroy our internal public agreement.

Ten years ago, with Putin’s coming to power, a consensus has formed in Russia – which did not existed in 1990s. Whatever is, but a consensus. For me, as well as for majority “eggheads” was, it was nauseously – but people have been reassured.

The question “How should we live?” has been substituted by self-defense. But in this consensus people of Caucasus were enemies – and though you could drop dead, though give a birth to ten Kadyrovs – to drag Caucasus in such consensus is impossible. Because in manipulations with mass subconsciousness which have arranged by Putin with Pavlovskiy then, it was a question of Russian vague meanings.

But Russia’s and Caucasus’ subconsciousness are totally different, and Caucasus has remained outside of frameworks of Russian “WE”.

The majority of population of Caucasus, even without a big comfort, continues to live in Russia. But some part has simply dropped out of it.

Two years ago Dokku Umarov has declared about abolition of Ichkeria and creation Caucasian Emirate. Very few people has paid attention to that fact, as it seemed, that it is a question about virtual points, just a change of the name of a terrorist grouping.

But it was a question of a reality. The part of North Caucasian population of Russia does not live. Russia for them – the world of Kufr (disbelief – K.C.), of dirt, lies and disbelief. They do not wish to have anything in common with it. For them this is a state-invader, occupied their lands, it is necessary to wage a war with it. These are tens of thousand people. Naturally, the underground would live in this environment.

Well, imagine, that Russia was occupied by China. It is good country with a great culture. It has established here its order. During the process there have been killed every tenth person, but further – it was normal.

Russia – an integral part of China. Chinese do not want to do anything bad, subsidize it, so Chinese rule works. It is not clear for them why Russian wish to get away. Will be there a resistance, terrorism?

Who are the militants? Firstly, it is necessary to understand, that these are not those militants who were 10 years ago, who fought first and second war. Physically, the other people. Those are killed or serving Kadyrov.

There are entirely the twenty years’ youth lives in the woods. They are not gangsters-bandits, who after the war cannot come out because they are afraid of justice. During last years, 90 % of these guys went there by their own will, they did not commit any crimes. And all bandits comfortably serve in Tsentoroi (village where Kadyrov has his headquarters – K.C.).

For last 10 years, resistance has strongly changed. During the first and second wars there were an isolated groups consisting people with very different motivation. There were heroes and gangsters, peasants and casual, usual people.

War was active then, loud – but one may say careless. It was possible to waste those militants using planes and tanks, and when majority of them understood that war is lost, they went over to Kadyrov.

Now a war is less visible, it is easy to hide – but it is much more serious.

Resistance was purified from casual people, it has turned into religious sect with powerful ideology. Its basis – Jihad.

The militants have completely got rid of national ideas, independence of Chechnya does not bother them any more. It was a way to survive: it is impossible to suffer years of hardship, wounds, prospect of forthcoming death – for such almost unachievable abstraction as independence of Ichkeria.

And Jihad – it is in itself the meaning of life, the supreme realization. It is not an abstraction, this sensation is connected to all Muslim system of values.

I have listened to many audio records of militants and all of them say: I have only started to live here.

The person goes to the mountains – and, firstly, suddenly feels himself free – no cops, no problem of money, nothing of that that he was tired to tolerate. And secondly, he is, at last, doing what he believes in.

Militants often record the video-letters to their parents. There is always the same: “we do what you taught us, what Muslim is obliged to do; I will be killed, but don’t you be upset: I have already done the main thing in life …”

If people do what is incorporated in social system of values, it is difficult to find something to oppose it with.

There a brotherhood reigns in groups of Mujahideen. They can be named as much as we want: gangsters, shaytans, Arabian mercenaries – it would produce an effect on Russian and even Grozny’s viewers. But, if the person had a contact with Mujahideen, s/he would know, that there is much more human atmosphere among them, than around us.

To win the militants is difficult because it is not a question of the ideologies or the state signboards – it’s about meaning of life.

Russia has got used to universal lies, a cynicism, to a fact that people are saying one thing and are fighting for the different.

From Moscow, it seems to all of us, as if there they are all of a piece on Caucasus. But it is not so. Militants are at war for what they believe in, – and power of it incomparable with what Russia can offer at the mean time.

(Recently, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov (Russian puppet in Ingushetia – K.C.) has told nonsense: he stated, that he will not let militants participate in local elections in Ingushetia. Supposedly, all candidates would be checked for any connections with an underground. It is not clear, what he meant – Militants has totally pissed away these elections, they are games of kuffar (disbelievers – K.C.) for them. On the contrary, Russian authorities should be dreaming, that militants would participate in the elections, would join in the Russian political process.)

There is a such opinion, that militants are terrorists, and there should be no negotiations with terrorists. It is always difficult to argue with something as this unsubstantiated point. Obviously, the idea initially meant: it is necessary not to encourage terrorism, making concessions to terrorists during capture of hostages, planes, etc.

But there is a war on Caucasus. Enforcement agencies intimidate the population there in the same way, kidnap and kill hostages. There a question not about satisfaction of requirements of any terrorists is there, but to end the war. Why is not possible to negotiate, I do not understand that.

Russia must understand, that Caucasus is colonized territory. To accept this as a fact. Not to pretend, that they have voluntary joined in, to understand, that there will inevitably be those problems which normally arises in colonies.

To remember that majority of countries have understood that and have decided to leave colonies. It not the only way out. But, if you are staying, it is necessary to reach an agreement with these societies.

It is, certainly, possible to waste separatists and to give money to princelings – but by doing that we shall not solve a problem, but only hush it up temporarily. That means, in twenty, fifty, a hundred years there will be a war again. Do we want it? Do we want, as Americans are saying “to throw hot potato” to children?

(In case of Chechnya this question is absolutely stalemate. Do you believe, that Chechnya would agree to live in Russia having each tenth of Chechen been killed? In my opinion, there is no chance. There Kadyrov is there today, everyone trembles before him, but there is so much latent hatred towards Russia as it is hard to imagine the depth of it. On the first turn Chechnya would try to come off again. Then what is all of it for?).

But there is probability in fact, that Russia subconsciously wants war. I remember, I have ran into some drunk guy last winter and for unknown reason has sharply felt, that people want war. Not a small Chechen war, but a real one, which would give them again the meaning to our existence.

Shura Burtin, correspondent and curator of project “Through my eyes”

Devoted Circassians, who represent the Circassian Diaspora in U.S.A., had decided to observe an important turning point in their both life and history, when on Thursday, the 4th of October, 2007, they decided to perform meaningful demonstrations and serious protests against Russian aggressive  ambitions and plans.
Demonstrations in U.S.A. were observed in two different locations in New York City that were chosen to be the bases to gather the supporters of this blessed move, and to be able to show their anger towards the Russian imperial relentless, awkward, and clumsy policies towards the dozens of nations that are colonized and controlled by the Russian Colonial Regime including the Circassians and North Caucasians.

Circassians decided to expose and unmask the imperial policies of those who occupied the North Caucasus, committed genocide, butchering, and ethnic cleansing for the last 450 years against Circassians and others. They even added their practical steps of trying to normalize and legalize their policies of occupying and digesting the land and the human beings to try to show the world that the colonized and captured land is part of their so-called  federation!

The first demonstration was held in front of the Russian consulate in New York City, while holding signs, banners, and flags of Circassia, to protest the Russian big lie of the so-called 450 years of voluntary association with Russia, which was considered by the demonstrators who represented the majority of the Circassians’ who live in the United States as disgusting, antipathetic, unacceptable and naive which will be believed only by primitive and those who lack the tolerance or breadth of vision. The demonstrators also rejected and condemned the Russian deceiving policies of hosting the Winter Olympic Games of the Year 2014 in the Circassian Sochi area on the land that should be respected as is, especially by the International Olympic Committee and all other good people of the world.
The second protest was held in front of the United Nations building in New York City as well, to make the message to reach all nations of the world that Circassians were deprived of their legitimate rights since Russia completely occupied their Motherland in the year 1864, after a mass-slaughter, ethnic cleansing, genocide.
Both demonstrations showed their remarkable enthusiastic feelings about the planned Sochi winter Olympic Games of the year 2014, which are going to be held on the cemeteries that contain the bones and the remains of those who perished while defending their Homeland against Russian Tsarists’ invaders who terrorized, killed, displaced, deported and exiled the entire brave Circassian Nation.
One of the Circassian participants Mr. Iyad Youghar explained that Circassians decided to carry out the protests to show their refusal and protests to the big lie of Russian celebrations of the so-called Circassians’ voluntary association with Russia, and the ongoing Russian plans and preparations to hold the 2014 Winter Olympic Games on the Sochi, “The Land Of Genocide”.
Another Circassian participant, Mr. Adnan Ihsan added that there was only one out of fifty Circassian princes who made an agreement with the Russians, and that was considered treason by the rest of Circassians. Also this traitor went as an example of “breach of trust” that anyone would make him as an example of treason for working against the Circassian Nation’s interests.
The Circassian journalist and Human Rights activist, Fatima Tlisova was among those who attended the events, and was carrying the Circassian flag, with large banner that indicated “NO JUSTICE FOR GENOCIDE VICTIMS”.  The Circassian journalist herself was a victim of harassment by the Russian Secret Services (FSB), and was terrorized and subjected to horror, black-mail, and night-mares of getting arrested, tortured, and interrogated any time, before she luckily managed to get a safe refuge with her family in the United States Of America. She spoke to Radio adiga / The Circassian Radio in Adiga, Russian and English Languages. She said that Circassians should be aware of their history not to drag them back to the past, but to make them looking forward to the promising future, and that would be beneficial for the generations to come. She also added  that Circassians should wake up to understand what Russia is trying to do about the unrealistic claims in regard to their big lie of voluntary association with Russia, in addition to the year 2014 Winter Olympic Games that Russia is going to hold on the graveyards and the remains of those Circassians who were buried during the Russian invasion to Circassia.
The demonstrations were organized and conducted in a civilized manor, that were “eye-catching” eventuality, attracting outcome, and an important occurrence in the Circassians long way of reclaiming and obtaining their legitimate rights, and to demand the recognition of atrocities and genocide that the Russian occupation forces had committed, and on top of all that the Russians are still stubborn to the extent that they wanted the victims themselves to celebrate the memory of  being occupied, but with a polished and decorated inappropriate description that the occupied and terrorized nation should celebrate a Russian false “voluntary association” as been described, with all the consequences of accepting all the colonial Russian demands especially approving and accepting the Russian agenda and conditions!
Wise people said the following proverbs: “The Darkest Hour Is That Before The Dawn”, and “Truth Will Prevail”…

Source: Justice For North Caucasus Group

As is commonly known the undemocratically elected president of Russia, Medvedev, has ordered all propaganda institutions to enter positive messages about Russia in all English-language sites and forums. The order was executed with patriotist energy by the Russian internet brigades that have been working up a sweat recently lying about what is happening in Russia.

Russian web brigades, department K (computer) of the FSB (the former KGB) have hit the Internet and have for example uploaded photo-stories of Russian cities, roads and villages, marriage rituals etc. In short, they post anything except the truth. The presidential order is not to say anything about the opposition, the financial crisis in Russia, repression of the freedom of speech and murder of journalists. When a Western journalist asked about Putin and Medvedev, a male journalist of the Russian state media replied: ‘they are heroes. Strong men. My great examples. Men with great characters.’. To the same question Russian female journalists anwer that they are the most good-looking men they have ever known and that they would like to marry such men.  The presidential order would be a great success for Russia, but unfortunately reality is different. Western media and the general public have already understood who they are dealing with. This is the 21st century, the truth can no longer be kept secret as easily as in soviet times.

Russia needs international support against Georgia, support from the US and EU. That is why KGB-propagandists like you write things like “I am Russian, born in the USA” “My mother is US but father Russian”, ” I am a US citizen” in order to gain sympathy from US and EU citizens. But this is an insult to the Western world to think it is so stupid as to believe this. In fact Russians writing on iReport are strongly anti-American and anti-Western. That is not hard to see, because they cannot keep it a secret. One of these zombies wrote to me: “You will see what we will turn America into.”

All this Republics have their own presidents, own national flag, own parliaments, hymn and all other things that an independent state needs. These republics are not Russian linguistically, they have their own culture, traditions and religion.

Full independence for Russian colonies:

The Adygea Republic
The Tatarstan Republic
The Chechnya Republic
The Dagestan Republic
The North Ossetia
The Bashkortostan Republic
The Karelia Republic
The Altai Republic
The Kabardino-Balkaria
The Buryatia Republic
The Chuvash Rebublic
The Ingushetia Republic
The Kalmykia Republic
The Karachayevo-Circassian Republic
The Khakasia Republic
The Komi Republic
The Mari Republic
The Mordovian Republic
The Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
The Tyva Republic
The Udmurtia Republic

THEY DREAM ABOUT IT EVERY DAY.

It is only Putin’s bloody regime, that does not tolerate freedom
of speech, makes them afraid to speak about this.
These republics are in fact independent, they are not
Russians and never want to be. Chechnya for example has
already issued a declaration of independence, that is one
step away recognition. How cynical can you be to demand
independence for regions in Georgia and not to allow this
for republics in Russia.

I would like to introduce Karelia:

Joensuu, Karelia del Norte

Mikel Roy vivió por la beca Erasmus en Joensuu, una ciudad en la región de Karelia del Norte. En este podcast nos cuenta – ya desde Bilbao – de sus experiencias sobreviviendo las estaciones del año norteño y la mentalidad finlandesa.

El archivo de MP3 (7:58 min, 7,3 MB)

Rezando por que no viniera la policía

Durante su estancia Mikel escribió de su vida en un blog “De Erasmus en el Valhalla”, un blog que a mi me ha gustado mucho. Aún tenía un poco de publicidad anónima en Finlandia, su cumpleaños fueron a parar en Poliisi-TV! Lee más en su blog.

"El Barrio"

La vista invernal desde la ventana

International seminar Strengthening of the Role of Non-Government Organizations Protecting Culture and Languages of National Minorities is to be held in Karelia on September 19-21. The seminar is organized by the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation, Council of Europe, European Commission at the support of the Fund for Promotion of International Cooperation and Karelian Resource Center of Non-Government Organizations.

Representatives of bodies of the government, local self-government, non-government organizations and mass-media will take part in the seminar. The seminar is organized within the scope of the joint program of the Council of Europe and European Commission in cooperation with the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation National Minorities in Russia: Development of Languages, Cultures, Mass-Media and Civil Society. The purpose of the seminar is to brisk up the work of non-government organizations on preservation and protection of culture and languages of national minorities.

Organizers are carrying out the seminar in three stages. On September, 19 participants of the meeting will work in Olonets where the round table discussion on the subject of Operational Experience of Local Community on Ensuring the Language Rights of People Living in Territory of Olonets National Metropolitan Region will be held along with the meeting with non-government organizations of Olonets region.

Opening of the second day of the seminar (on September 20) will be held on Kizhi island where there will be held the creative laboratory entitled From the Operational Experience of the KIZHI State Open-Air Museum of History, Architecture and Ethnography in Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Indigenous Peoples of Karelia. Further participants will return to Petrozavodsk and will visit the Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia where presentation of the Space of the Russian North project will take place. The same day it is planned to hold round table discussion on Use of Non-Government Organizations’ Potential in Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Area.

Presentation of the Program National Minorities in Russia: Development of Languages, Cultures, Mass-Media and Civil Society will be held in Petrozavodsk on September 21. Speeches of representatives of international organizations and heads of national public associations are planned. The third and the last day of the seminar will culminate with the press conference.

Source: Official Government Site of the Republic of Karelia