Ukraine Crisis: Crimean MPs' Vote to Join Russian Federation Sparks Outrage

THE GUARDIAN: Simferopol parliament votes for Crimea to leave Ukraine, as poll that could confirm split is brought forward

Authorities in Crimea voted on Thursday to accelerate secession from Ukraine, unanimously backing a law that declared the territory to be part of the Russian Federation.

In a move that drew howls of outrage from the new leadership in Kiev, MPs voted by 78 votes to nil for the territory to leave Ukraine, further escalating what has become the most serious crisis in Russian relations with the west since the cold war.

At the same time, a referendum on more autonomy for the region due on 30 March was brought forward to 16 March, and the question was changed to give residents the option to unify the Black Sea peninsula with Russia.

Crimea's deputy prime minister, Rustam Temirgaliev, said the referendum was now only to "confirm" parliament's decision, and he considered Crimea to be part of Russia already. He said that all Ukrainian troops on the territory should either leave or be treated as occupiers. Crimea is planning to introduce the rouble and readopt Russian state symbols. » | Shaun Walker in Simferopol | Thursday, March 06, 2014

RT Documentary: My Son Is Ex-Terrorist

For the past 20 years Ingushetia, the smallest and youngest Republic of the Russian Federation, has lived through several conflicts, anti-terror operations and a string of retaliations. Terrorists fight to create an Islamic State and young people are lured away to be trained to become terrorists and suicide bombers. It is only their mothers who never lose hope of bringing their sons from the forest hideouts and return them to a normal life.

Haare von Yeti gefunden
Sibirische Region erklärt Existenz des Fabelwesens für bewiesen
NZZ ONLINE: Die Existenz des sagenumwobenen Yeti-Menschen ist bewiesen - zumindest nach Ansicht einer russischen Regionsverwaltung: Fussabdrücke und möglicherweise sogar Haarreste von Yetis seien auf einer Forschungsreise gefunden worden.

Der Yeti lebt. Dieser Ansicht ist zumindest eine Gruppe von Wissenschafter aus Sibirien. Die Forscher fanden «seine Fussabdrücke, seine mutmassliche Schlafstätte und verschiedene Markierungen, mit denen der Yeti sein Revier kennzeichnet», wie die Verwaltungsbehörde der sibirischen Region Kemerowo am Montag auf ihrer Homepage erklärte. »
sda/afp | Montag 10. Oktober 2011

Russian 'Secret Agents' Arrested in US
THE TELEGRAPH: Ten alleged secret agents of the Russian government living in "deep-cover" in the United States and engaged in Cold War-style espionage have been arrested in a coordinated operation by the FBI.

The FBI accuses the SVR, the successor organisation to the Soviet Union's KGB, of running a network of "illegals", described in court documents as Russians who received training in languages, codes and ciphers, invisible writing and counter-surveillance before living in the United States under false identities.

Each of the 10 was charged with conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison on conviction.

They were alleged to have met US government officials given codenames such as "Farmer", "Parrot" and "Cat" as well as engaging such tried and tested espionage methods as dead drops and brush passes.

The arrests come after President Barack Obama met his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Washington, praising him as a "solid and reliable partner" and taking him out to a burger restaurant.

As well as the 10 arrested in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Virginia over the weekend, the FBI identified an eleventh suspect, known as "Christopher R. Metsos" who remains at large. >>> Toby Harnden in Washington | Monday, June 28, 2010

Russian Priest and Muslim Critic, Daniil Sysoyev, Assassinated in Church
The Russian Orthodox priest Daniil Sysoyev, 35, was shot by a masked gunman. Photo: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: A Russian Orthodox priest known for his outspoken criticism of Islam and attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity has been assassinated in his Moscow church.

A masked gunman shot Father Daniil Sysoyev in the head and chest after asking for him by name, police said. The choirmaster, Vladimir Strelbinsky, was seriously wounded in the attack at St Thomas Church in southern Moscow.

Father Daniil, 35, died of his wounds in hospital late last night. A Russian newspaper reported that he had recently told its journalists of 14 death threats by telephone and e-mail, which he had received as a result of his work among Muslim migrants from former Soviet republics.

“They’ve threatened to cut my head off 14 times,” the priest told Komsomolskaya Pravda, adding that the Federal Security Service had contacted him last year after uncovering a plot to murder him. >>> Tony Halpin in Moscow | Friday, November 10, 2009

The Land of the Rich: Medvedev's Desperate Fight against Corruption
Models display fur creations from a collection of the Julia Dilua company at the Moscow Millionaire fair in 2009 in October. In Russia, the connection between extreme wealth and government is tight. Photo: Spiegel Online International
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: A new novel has drawn attention to the depth of corruption in Russian society. President Dmitry Medvedev has taken steps to combat the problem, but his appeals for improvement are falling flat.

It isn't often that a senior member of the innermost circle of power writes an exposé novel in which he describes the demise of the very system he created. Which explains why a book, written under a pseudonym but widely assumed to be the work of one Vladislav Surkov, is causing such a stir in Moscow. Surkov is the chief ideologue at the Kremlin or, as retired KGB General Alexei Kondaurov describes his former associate, a "genius of cynicism".

The novel, "Okolonolya" (Close to Zero), is being touted as "gangsta fiction," but the political gangsters featured in its 112 pages are very much real. The author paints a shocking picture of the Russian capital, with its "trading in offices, medals and bonuses." It is a place where government funds are siphoned off into the pockets of wives, lovers and nieces. "Corruption and organized crime, next to schools and the police, are the pillars of social order," explains an intelligence service colleague of the protagonist.

There is probably no other European country -- not Silvio Berlusconi's Italy or post-communist Romania -- where political offices and wealth are so closely intertwined than in Russia. The affliction has "struck deep roots in our country" and has "taken on particularly repugnant forms," President Dmitry Medvedev said in a SPIEGEL interview in early November. Bribery and nepotism are pervasive in public life, from the healthcare system to the courts. Last year, it put Russia in a tie with Kenya, Bangladesh and Syria for 147th place on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.

"From the political leadership all the way down to local administrations, we are hampered by corruption" Medvedev said, adding how accepted it has become among the Russian population. "In your countries in Europe, drivers don't automatically pull out their wallets when stopped by a traffic policeman," said the president. According to Medvedev, the notion that bribery is a crime must become second nature to citizens. Arbitrary Arrests >>> Uwe Klussmann and Matthias Schepp. Translated from German by Christopher Sultan | Monday, November 16, 2009

Stalin's Grandson Fights for the Good Name of Joseph
THE INDEPENDENT: Russian liberals sued over pamphlet saying that the dictator killed civilians

The grandson of Joseph Stalin has launched a libel suit against one of Russia's leading liberal newspapers, accusing it of lying in an article which stated Stalin had killed Soviet citizens.

As the Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, defended the reputation of the wartime leader in Poland, Yevgeny Dzhugashvili, the dictator's grandson, began his quest to claim nearly £200,000 from Novaya Gazeta.

"Half a century of lies have been poured over Stalin's reputation and he cannot defend himself from the grave, so this case is essential to put the record straight," Mr Dzhugashvili's lawyer, Leonid Zhura, told Reuters.

Liberal critics say that the drive to rehabilitate Stalin has official backing, with the Kremlin keen to glorify Russia's Soviet past and make Russians proud of their history, while glossing over Stalin's crimes.

Dzhugashvili is Stalin's real surname, and Yevgeny Dzhugashvili is the son of Stalin's son, Yakov, who was killed during the Second World War. It is believed that the Nazis offered to trade Yakov for a captured German field marshal, but Stalin refused the offer. Yevgeny Dzhugashvili, however, remains an enthusiastic Stalinist. >>> Shaun Walker in Moscow | Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Bomb Blast Rocks Ingushetia – August 17, 2009

The Rise and Rise of Russian Nationalism
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Long tolerated by the authorities, right-wing groups are now being seen as a serious threat to national security. Shaun Walker reports from Moscow

Russian nationalists make Nazi-style salutes during a May Day rally in Moscow. Photo courtesy of The Independent on Sunday
There have been a number of threats to Russia's security in recent years, from Chechen terrorism to the country's worrying demographic decline. But according to sources close to the Russian security services, what the authorities fear most in these times of economic crisis is the very thing that many Russians see as the country's saviour – nationalism.

Amid a dizzying array of May Day marches, featuring various groups from across the political spectrum, all eyes were on the nationalists. They gathered around a metro station in north Moscow, as well as in other cities across the country, calling for all immigrants to be deported and a "Russia for the Russians". In the event, the Moscow meeting passed off peacefully; police arrested a few demonstrators for the possession of knives, and the rest dispersed without incident. But with a huge migrant population, poverty and unemployment among locals, and with the high oil prices that fuelled the economic boom of the past few years a fast-receding memory, many feel the time for Russia's nationalists to take the political initiative is coming soon.

Then there's Alexander Belov, Moscow's answer to the BNP's Nick Griffin. Dressed in a sharp black suit, the light of a Bluetooth receptor constantly winking over his left ear, he fingers a set of Orthodox Christian prayer beads and sips a freshly squeezed orange juice, looking like one of the thousands of well-to-do businessmen who have made decent money as Russia boomed over the past decade. But as well as being successful in the construction industry, Mr Belov is also Russia's most famous racist. He believes that the time for the nationalists to take the limelight is coming soon.

"What I want is very simple," he says, in a quiet and measured voice. "I don't want parts of Moscow to be ghettos. This city is already full of places where Russians aren't welcome, and it's unacceptable. This is a Russian city and should remain that way."

An erudite and self-assured man who heads a group of skinheads with a reputation for violence, he leads the Movement Against Illegal Immigration – the DPNI, as it's known by its Russian initials – one of Russia's largest far-right groups. One of its main policies is that Russia should introduce a visa regime for migrants from the former Soviet republics, sending most of the millions of Gastarbeiters (Russians use the German term to refer to guest-workers) back home. >>> Shaun Walker | Sunday, May 3, 2009

Thousands of Russians March in Protest over Vladimir Putin and the Economy
THE TELEGRAPH: Thousands of Russians have marched in protests demanding the resignation of the prime minister, Vladimir Putin, for his handling of the country's flailing economy.

The biggest display of public disaffection with Russia's normally popular prime minister prompted a violent response in Moscow, the capital.

Pro Kremlin youths brutally beat some protestors, while others were detained, including Eduard Limonov, a prominent Kremlin critic and leader of the outlawed National Bolshevik Party.

But the largest turnout was in Vladivostok, the focal point of anti-government protests over the past six weeks.

A protest march led by Communist party officials and civil rights leaders was allowed to go ahead at the last minute in an apparent change of heart by the Kremlin. A rally last month was violently dispersed by riot police, and over 200 people were detained.

The march was sanctioned on the condition that demonstrators kept off the road, carried no banners and chanted no slogans.

The marchers blithely ignored the restrictions. Marching down the city's main street, they chanted "Putin resign!". Some banners compared even compared [sic] the prime minister to Hitler. >>> By Adrian Blomfield in Vladivostok | Saturday, January 31, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)

Could This Woman Be Vladimir Putin's Real Mother?
Vera Putina claims to be Vladimir Putin’s real mother. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: Little is known about the childhood of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, despite his position as one of the world's most powerful men. Now in an extraordinary development, a Georgian woman has come forward to say she is his mother.

Vera Putina, 82, has claimed he is the child she gave away at the age of ten, giving an account of an unhappy childhood which is fiercely disputed by the Kremlin:

Vera Putina lives hand-to-mouth in rural Georgia but displays the famous hospitality of the people of the Caucuses. Draping a cloth over the table in her garden, she piles it with fruit, nuts and shot glasses of chacha – homemade vodka.

Her house sits on a dirt track in the village of Metekhi, about 12 miles from Gori which was occupied by Russian tanks this August during the conflict over the breakaway state of South Ossetia. A tiny woman, with gnarled worker's hands, only Mrs Putina's strong cheekbones and deep-set, piercing blue eyes are suggestive of who she claims she is.

"I used to be proud of having a son who became President of Russia. Since the war I am ashamed."

Since Russian-born Mrs Putina saw Vladimir Putin on the television in 1999, she has been convinced he is her estranged son. Backed up by other residents in Metekhi, Mrs Putina claims he lived in the village between the ages of two-and-a-half and ten before being sent back to his grandparents in Ochyor, Russia.

Records in the archives of Metekhi's closest town, Caspi, indicate that a Vladmir Putin was registered at Metekhi school, 1959-1960, stated nationality: Georgian.

Mrs Putina's account is at odds with the Kremlin's version of events and Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's spokesman, yesterday dismissed the claims: "The story is not true. It does not correspond to reality at all." >>> By Kate Weinberg in Georgia | December 5, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

Patriarch Alexiy II, Head of Russian Orthodox Church, Dies
Patriach Alexiy II, Head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Photo courtesy of TimesOnline
TIMESONLINE: Patriarch Alexiy II, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, died this morning, aged 79.

Russia's first post-Soviet Orthodox leader died at his residence outside Moscow, a church spokesman said. The cause of death was not given, although the Patriarch had been in poor health for some time and diplomats in Moscow have said that he was suffering from cancer.

Alexiy II was elected head of the Orthodox Church in 1990 and oversaw its restoration to a dominant role in Russian society thanks to open support from the Kremlin under Boris Yeltsin and in particular Vladimir Putin, the former KGB officer.

Patriarch Alexiy's links with the Kremlin were clouded by allegations that he himself had been a long-serving KGB agent codenamed "Drozdov" (the thrush), who had been awarded a "certificate of honour" for his service by the Soviet authorities in 1988. He was accused of providing information on dissident priests, and the KGB even sent him to England in 1969 on a mission with a church delegation.

As Patriarch, however, he oversaw the restoration of the Church's authority in Russia after the fall of Communism as churches were rebuilt and reopened across the country. He was seen as a unifying national figure,his moral strictures and benevolent appearance offering certainty at a time of extreme economic hardship and political upheaval.

Alexiy II also presided over a reunification ceremony at Christ the Saviour cathedral in Moscow last year that ended an 80-year schism with the Orthodox faithful whose families had fled Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.

His death after an 18-year reign is likely to prompt an outpouring of grief in Russia, which has experienced a profound religious revival since the collapse of the Soviet Union. State television screened images from Alexiy's life, accompanied by the sound of tolling church bells, immediately after the announcement of his death. >>> Tony Halpin, Moscow | December 5, 2008

LE FIGARO: Le patriarche de l'Église orthodoxe russe est mort

Proche du premier ministre Vladimir Poutine, Alexis II avait rétabli, avec l'appui du Kremlin, l'influence de la plus grande Eglise othodoxe du monde, après 70 ans d'athéisme soviétique.

Le patriarche de Moscou et de toutes les Russies, Alexis II, chef de la plus grande église orthodoxe au monde, est décédé vendredi matin à l'âge de 79 ans dans sa résidence de Peredelkino, près de Moscou. Les raisons de son décès n'ont pas été rendues publiques par l'Eglise orthodoxe, mais le religieux souffrait depuis longtemps d'une maladie cardiaque.

«Je suis bouleversé, j'ai du mal à trouver des mots. J'éprouvais un immense respect à son égard», a déclaré le père de la Perestroïka et ex-président soviétique, Mikhaïl Gorbatchev, réagissant parmi les premiers à l'annonce de sa mort.

Proche du Premier ministre et ex-président Vladimir Poutine, Alexis II était depuis 1990 le chef de la plus grande Eglise orthodoxe au monde. Il a rétabli, avec l'appui du Kremlin, l'influence de l'Eglise orthodoxe en Russie, après 70 ans d'athéisme soviétique.

Le visage orné d'une imposante barbe blanche, la voix grave, Alexis II était un personnage très respecté des Russes et très présent au plan politique et médiatique. Il officiait à toutes les grandes liturgies à la cathédrale du Christ-Sauveur à Moscou, en présence souvent des dirigeants du pays. >>> | 5.12.2008

NZZ Online: Russisch-orthodoxer Patriarch Alexi II. Gestorben: Todesursache noch unklar - Oberhaupt von 150 Millionen Gläubigen

Das Oberhaupt der russisch-orthodoxen Kirche, der Moskauer Patriarch Alexi II, ist am Freitag im Alter von 79 Jahren gestorben. Dies teilte ein Sprecher seines Büros mit. Die Todesursache wurde zunächst nicht genannt.

(sda/afp/Reuters) Der Deutschbalte starb am Morgen in seiner Residenz nahe Moskau. Der Geistliche hatte seit einigen Jahren an Herzproblemen gelitten. Mehrere Male wurde er deshalb im Spital behandelt, unter anderem im vergangenen Jahr in der Schweiz.

Der Patriarch war für eine schrittweise Annäherung an die katholische Kirche. Dennoch sprach er sich gegen eine Reise des Papstes nach Russland aus. Er fürchtete, der Vatikan wolle dabei im Land missionieren. >>> | 5. Dezember 2008

BBC: Double Life of Russia's Patriarch

Christ the Saviour cathedral in Moscow. Photo courtesy of the BBC
Patriarch Alexiy II, who died on Friday, had an extraordinary career, in which he switched from suppressing the Russian Orthodox Church to being its champion.

A favourite of the KGB, he was promoted rapidly through the Church hierarchy, doing the Kremlin's bidding at a time when dissident priests were thrown into jail.

As the Church's effective foreign minister, he helped cover up the repression of Russian Christians, defending the Soviet system to the outside world.

He rose quickly through the ranks, being elected head of the Russian Orthodox Church at a crucial time, in 1990, with the Soviet Union on the path to collapse.

Surprisingly, perhaps, he seized the moment, and went on to oversee the revival and flowering of the Church, exuding moral authority and inspiring devotion among his followers.

Born free

Born Alexei Ridiger in 1929 in Estonia, which was then independent, he had some taste of freedom before the country was annexed by the Soviet Union during World War II.

But his mother was Russian, and he found he had some sympathy with the Soviet cause. >>> | December 5, 2008

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Des milliers de Russes rendent hommage à Alexis II

MOSCOU | Plus de 10 000 fidèles se sont recueillis devant la dépouille du patriarche de l'Eglise orthodoxe, exposée dans une cathédrale de la capitale.

Des milliers de fidèles se pressaient aujourd'hui pour rendre un dernier hommage au patriarche de Moscou et de toutes les Russies Alexis II. Sa dépouille était exposée dans une cathédrale de la capitale.
Plus de 10 000 fidèles se sont recueillis devant le cercueil du patriarche orthodoxe depuis qu'il a été transporté samedi soir à la cathédrale du Christ-Sauveur à Moscou. >>> AFP | Dimanche 07 Décembre 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)

Vladimir Putin 'Wanted to Hang Georgian President Saakashvili by the Balls'
TIMESONLINE: Vladimir Putin, the Russian Prime Minister, planned to topple the President of Georgia and "hang him by the balls", according to the chief adviser to President Nicolas Sarkozy of France.

Mr Putin outlined his aims to Mr Sarkozy when the French leader flew to Moscow on August 12 to broker a ceasefire after the Russian invasion of northern Georgia, Jean-David Levitte told le Nouvel Observateur news magazine. It published the account today.

President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia, who is in Paris, laughed nervously when he heard of Mr Putin's threat on French radio this morning and said that he was aware of it.

Mr Sarkozy was aware from intelligence reports that the Russian army was aiming to overthrow Mr Saakashvili and install a puppet government. He told Mr Putin that the world would not accept this, according to Mr Levitte, Mr Sarkozy's foreign policy chief, who was in the Kremlin for the talks.

"I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls," Mr Putin replied.

Mr Sarkozy responded: "Hang him?"

"Why not? The Americans hanged Saddam Hussein," said Mr Putin.

Mr Sarkozy replied, using the familiar "tu": "Yes but do you want to end up like (President) Bush?" Mr Putin was briefly lost for words, then replied: "Ah, you have scored a point there." >>> Charles Bremner in Paris | November 13, 2008

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Edward Luttwak*: The Party’s Over for Europe: The Bear Is Back
GLOBE AND MAIL: South Ossetia may be very small, but it has become the scene of an event of colossal proportions: the return of Great Power politics, in which tanks are the deciding factor, not "soft power," let alone international legitimacy.

This huge change follows inevitably from Russia's regression to its own historic version of empire, which existed under the czars and was revived by Stalin. It is based on a tacit bargain: The Russians accept authoritarian rule and the loss of personal freedom in exchange for an imperial role on the global scene, starting with the "near abroad" - countries such as Georgia that used to belong to the Soviet Union.

For all its weaknesses, the Russian Federation has all it needs to function as a Great Power, from a determined ruling elite to a vast nuclear arsenal, adequate military forces now being modernized, and a revitalized intelligence service. Hence, the reversion of Russia to the dangerous rules of Great Power politics compels all others to change their behaviour as well - it is not a game, and participation is not voluntary.

Understandably, the Poles were the first to react. After bargaining with the Americans for months to extract more rewards for accepting a small anti-ballistic missile base on their territory, within hours of the Russian advance into Georgian territory, they dropped all their demands to sign on the dotted line. Other reactions may be much less obvious but could be much more important. Japan, for example, is likely to draw even closer to the United States, while China's rulers might be influenced in a most unfortunate way. After leaning this way and that, they had seemingly decided that maximum economic success was more valuable than a fast buildup of military strength; they may now revise their priorities.

The most direct impact, however, will be on Europe and the North Atlantic alliance. All through the Cold War, it was a truly operational organization, in which every member had to be ready to fight in defence of every other member. There were serious defence plans for vulnerable borders that were realistically exercised by hundreds of thousands of troops, and periodic airlifts to bring reinforcements to exposed frontiers as a reminder of what would happen in war. The Party’s Over for Europe: The Bear Is Back >>> By Edward Luttwak* | August 21, 2008

*Senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies

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Fear of New Mid East ‘Cold War’ as Syria Strengthens Military Alliance with Russia
TIMESONLINE: Syria raised the prospect yesterday of having Russian missiles on its soil, sparking fears of a new Cold War in the Middle East. President Assad said as he arrived in Moscow to clinch a series of military agreements: “We are ready to co-operate with Russia in any project that can strengthen its security.”

The Syrian leader told Russian newspapers: “I think Russia really has to think of the response it will make when it finds itself closed in a circle.”

Mr Assad said that he would be discussing the deployment of Russian missiles on his territory. The Syrians are also interested in buying Russian weapons.

In return Moscow is expected to propose a revival of its Cold War era naval base at the Syrian port of Tartus, which would give the Russian Navy its first foothold in the Mediterranean for two decades. Damascus and Moscow were close allies during the Cold War but the Kremlin’s influence in the region waned after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yesterday’s rapprochement raised the possibility that Moscow intends to re-create a global anti-Western alliance with former Soviet bloc allies.

Many in Israel fear that the Middle East could once again become a theatre for the two great powers to exert their spheres of influence, militarily and politically. And with Israel and the US providing military backing to Georgia, Russia appears set to respond in kind by supporting Syria. Fear of New Mid East 'Cold War' as Syria Strengthens Military Alliance with Russia >>> By Kevin O’Flynn in Moscow and James Hider, Middle East Correspondent | August 21, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
Poland Risks Serious Confrontation with Russia: The Cold War is returning to Poland. Warsaw wants to further tighten ties with Washington and it has used the US missile defense system to do so -- against massive opposition from Moscow. In return, the Poles will now be given Patriot missiles to protect themselves >>> By Jan Puhl | August 20, 2008

NZZ Online:
Israel warnt Moskau vor Waffenlieferungen: Syriens Präsident Asad zu Besuch in Russland >>> | 20. August 2008

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Russia Threatens New Confrontation over Georgian Provinces
THE TELEGRAPH: A fresh confrontation between Moscow and the West was looming after Russia announced that it was preparing to recognise the independence of the two Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

The State Duma, Russia's parliament, has been recalled and will meet in emergency session on Monday to debate an Abkhaz appeal for immediate recognition of the region's sovereignty. The South Ossetian rebel leader, Eduard Kokoity, said he would follow suit imminently.

Russian acquiescence to the proposals would inevitably mark a serious escalation of the crisis in the Caucasus by further undermining a fragile ceasefire in the area and creating a fresh diplomatic rift with the United States and Europe.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has signed 14 United Nations Security Council resolutions upholding accepting that Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain part of Georgia despite establishing rebel administrations after secessionist wars in the early 1990s.

But after crushing Georgia on the battlefield, Russia has indicated that it was no longer prepared to honour UN edicts on the breakaway provinces. Earlier this week, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told the world to "forget" about Georgia's territorial integrity.

Moscow is now signaling that it will move much quicker than expected in formally recognizing the two regions.

Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Duma's upper house or Federation Council, said a vote on recognition would be overwhelmingly passed.

"The Federation Council is ready to recognize the independent states of South Ossetia and Abkhazia if that is what the people of these republics want," he said. Russia Threatens New Confrontation over Georgian Provinces >>> By Adrian Blomfield in Tbilisi | August 20, 2008

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Saakashvili Speaks with Al Jazeera - August 15, 2008

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A New World Order: The Week Russia Flexed Its Military Muscle
THE INDEPENDENT: A six-day conflict in the Caucasus mountains has transformed the international balance of power, with Russia now looking stronger than ever. But what sparked it? Diplomatic Editor Anne Penketh reveals how the Georgian government walked straight into a trap set by Moscow – and considers the consequences of the first war in Europe for a decade

The Georgian president was on vacation in Italy. The defence minister and foreign minister were away on holiday too. The world's attention was riveted on the Olympic Games in Beijing, where the preparations for the lavish opening ceremony were in full swing.

Days later, the forces of the small, mountainous republic of Georgia, trained by American and Israeli experts, were fighting for the survival of their country against Russia's army in a vicious six-day war that brought Russia and the US into direct confrontation for the first time since the Cold War and led to a threat of nuclear conflagration.

The outcome was the humiliating rout of the Georgian army, pushed back by a huge Russian land, air and sea assault, and the loss of Georgia's two breakaway territories over which the government had intended to assert central control. And Russia is back at the forefront of a new world order in the dying days of the Bush presidency.

Few would have predicted that the firefights in Georgia's breakaway territory of South Ossetia between ethnic Ossetians and Georgian forces in the first week of August would escalate into a David versus Goliath combat in the Caucasus on 8 August. On that day, Vladimir Putin and George Bush were sitting only a few feet apart at the Olympic ceremony. The US president watched events through binoculars. He remained a spectator during the conflict, too, watching closely but letting it be known that the US would not intervene militarily to save Georgia.

As the dust begins to settle, it is becoming clear – based on accounts from Georgian officials, Russian officials and Western diplomats – that the pro-Western government of Georgia fell into a trap set by Russia following Nato's loss of nerve at a summit in April, when Nato leaders declined to offer Georgia a firm timetable for membership. And when Russia hit back with overwhelming force, the West was caught napping. A New World Order: The Week Russia Flexed Its Military Muscle >>> By Anne Penketh, Diplomatic Editor | August 20, 2008

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
The Dangerous Neighbour - Vladimir Putin Takes on a Powerless West: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin approached the crisis in Georgia coolly and efficiently, prompting admiration even from some American observers. But Moscow's brutal strike against Georgian President Saakashvili has divided the Western world, with the split running straight through the European Union >>> | August 18, 2008

NZZ Online:
Russland lehnt Uno-Resolutionsentwurf zum Kaukasus ab: Rice wirft Moskau Zerstörung ziviler Infrastruktur vor >>> | 20. August 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
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Nato Cools Relations with Russia
Watch video: Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has warned Russia that there "will be no business as usual" >>>
BBC: Nato foreign ministers have said they "cannot continue business as usual" with Russia, and demanded that Moscow pull troops from Georgia immediately.

The declaration followed talks in Brussels about the conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi over Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Russia accused Nato of bias and of trying to save a "criminal regime".

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a withdrawal was possible within three or four days - if Georgia did likewise. Nato Cools Relations with Russia >>> | August 19, 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Russia Dismisses Nato's 'Empty Words' as it Stands Firm in Georgia >>> By Michael Evans, Defence Editor, in Brussels | August 19, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH:
Russia rejects UN call to pull out of Georgia: Russia has rejected a draft UN resolution demanding it immediately pull out of Georgia, as President Demitry Medvedev again delayed the withdrawal >>> By Adrian Blomfield in Tbilisi and Jon Swaine | August 20, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>

Putin Strikes Libya’s Debts in Return for Deals
Photo of Putin with Gaddafi courtesy of the BBC
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The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)