Archive for category Russia

Russia Taking Next Steps to Expansionism

Now that constitutional limits to foreign interventions have been removed by the Duma, Putin is buying advanced

Soon To Be in Russian Hands

Soon To Be in Russian Hands

military equipment from France, including an assault warship that is making a lot of people very nervous. And, rightfully so.

Russia’s military aggression in Georgia and the recent removal of restrictions on the President’s war-making abilities are bringing back the spectre of Soviet-esque expansionism, albeit in a cruder, less forceful way.

The bigger problem, of course, is the threat Russia poses to Western Europe with its stranglehold on energy sources. As a re-energized and rising military power, Russian combativeness will only increase.

On a related note, Putin said on a recent visit to Paris:

We are buyers, you are sellers

There was once a time when Russia would sell its military equipment to anyone willing to buy. Now, it has to buy it from other countries. What a pity.

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Medvedev+Putin’s Expansionist Coup

Medvedev: Let's Go West; Putin: Go South, Young Man

Medvedev: Let's Go West; Putin: Go South, Young Man

Medvedev and Putin have been re-introducing Soviet Russia’s expansionist and interventionist policies back into Russian consciousness.

After last year’s successful incursion into Georgia, the Kremlin has formally instituted changes that allow the

“operational use” of the Russian armed forces abroad, as well as the number of troops and weapons deployed

to defend Russian soldiers and citizens, fight piracy and defend foreign nations against threats

…because, of course, the Georgian mission was technically unconstitutional and Medvedev really cares about legality of his actions.

For the past 13 years, the Russian President was prevented from initiating military campaigns because:

… the Federation Council was required to discuss the situation and pass a resolution allowing or disallowing the use of force as well as troop deployment strength and duration of the mission

Now, that restriction is out.

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Islamic Militants in Ukraine: Pro Russia or What?

One of the most unlikely places in the world for Hizb-ut-Tahrir operations would have to be Ukraine. With an estimated population of 0.3 million, Muslims account for barely 0.65% of the population. The vast majority are Tartars, who in turn are about 0.5% of the population. The rest are Chechens, Afghans and other immigrants.

What I didn’t know was that Tartars/Muslims make up about 12% of the population in the Crimea, which was part of the Ottoman empire at one point.

And that is where security forces have apprehended Muslim terrorists according to this report from the Jamestown Foundation: Read on »

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Ingushetia: The Next Chechnya?

Chechnya’s western neighbor, Ingushetia, is now descending into a vicious cycle of violence. The latest is a bombing in the capital Nazran that killed 7.

Putin needs to change his approach to the region, lest we have another civil war on our hands. His current approach of autocracy and oppression only incites more violence.

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Abkhazia Likes The Oppressor of Chechnya and Ingushetia

This headline  would be perfect for the Kavkaz Center, a pro-Chechen independence news website. They might even have used it at some point.

The point of the headline, however, is still valid. Abkhazia is seemingly very happy under Russian control at this time. As is South Ossetia. Both are apparently glad to have effectively seceded from Georgia.

The question is how much better, or rather, beneficial, will the Russians prove when compared to the Georgians. Russia hasn’t taken dissent in the Caucasus lightly before. For almost 200 years, the Russians fought to subdue the Chechens and the Daghestanis. For most of the ’90s, the Russian military wrecked havoc in the North Caucasus just to prevent the secession of tiny little states that provided little benefit to the Russian Federation. The only benefit was to send the message to whoever was listening that Russia would not give up an inch of its territory.

Georgia did the same with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In fact, Georgia might even have been more brutal than the Russians because fewer outsiders cared about the human rights violations in an inconsequential little republic in the hind quarters of Europe. The Chechen wars invited thousands of journalists and observers from across the world. Abkhazia and South Ossetia – not quite as many.

Abhazia and South Ossetia have both suffered in Georgia just as Chechnya, Daghestan and Ingushetia suffered in Russia. Astonishingly, both of them have now taken refuge with Russia. It just doesn’t make any sense.

Both states have shown a very independent streak. With Georgia, they had Russia as a backer. What if the same story repeats itself? Who will now protect them from the Russians? The Iranians?

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Pro-Georgian Tweeter Writes To Medvedev; Forwarded to Putin

Dear Vlad,

What should I do in this matter?

Yours,

Dmitri


From: ‘Giorgi aka cyxymu’
Sent: Thursday, August 6, 2009 21:00
To: ‘Dmitri Anatolievich Medvedev’
Subject: DDos Attacks

To President of Russian federation
Dmitri Anatolievich Medvedev

Mr. President, Read on »

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Reducing Nuclear Weapons: What’s the Point?

Obama is already desperately trying to achieve something of a legacy as Reagan did. But, nuclear weapons reduction by the USA and Russia doesn’t achieve a thing, really, until China, India, Pakistan, Israel and the other nuclear states agree to cut their stockpiles as well.

With the latest developments in weapons technology, we don’t need as many weapons as we did before. As such, the only way we can protect ourselves from their specific threat is to eliminate them altogether, not just by reducing their numbers by just a bit.

Obama- get off your high horse already.

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