Das Zögern in «Londongrad»

TAGES ANZEIGER: Der britische Premier David Cameron droht Russland mit Sanktionen. Er fürchtet aber Konsequenzen für den Finanzplatz London. Dieser ist bei russischen Oligarchen beliebt.

In ihrer Wortwahl sind die Briten nicht sehr weit entfernt von Washington. «Völlig unakzeptabel» nennt Premierminister David Cameron die russische Übernahme der Krim. «Erhebliche Konsequenzen» hat Londons Regierungschef dem russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin verheissen. Eine starke gemeinsame Front gegen Moskau sei vonnöten, befindet Cameron. Sanktionsmässig dürfe «nichts ausgeschlossen» werden in der EU.

Zugleich zögert man in London aber entschieden, solche Worte in Taten umzusetzen. Das hat nicht zuletzt finanzielle Gründe. Die Briten fürchten, dass etwa Visa-Restriktionen für russische Geschäftsleute oder das Einfrieren russischen Kapitals in Grossbritannien nachteilige Folgen fürs Vereinigte Königreich haben könnten. Immerhin fliessen im Jahr über elf Milliarden Dollar an russischem Investment auf die Britischen Inseln. » | Tagesanzeiger.ch/Newsnet | Freitag, 07. März 2014

Moscou respectera le "choix historique" de la Crimée au référendum

LE POINT: La Crimée doit proposer par référendum aux électeurs un rattachement de la péninsule ukrainienne à la Russie.

Le Parlement russe respectera le "choix historique" de la Crimée au référendum qui proposera aux électeurs un rattachement de la péninsule ukrainienne à la Russie, a déclaré vendredi le président de la Douma (chambre basse). "Nous respecterons le choix historique de la population de Crimée", a déclaré Sergueï Narychkine, cité par les agences russes, laissant entendre que les parlementaires russes voteraient en faveur du rattachement de la Crimée à la Russie. "Nous soutiendrons le choix libre et démocratique de la population de Crimée", a-t-il ajouté. Il s'exprimait lors d'une rencontre à Moscou avec une délégation du Parlement local de Crimée.

Dominé par des pro-russes, le Parlement local de Crimée a demandé jeudi à Vladimir Poutine le rattachement de la péninsule ukrainienne à la Russie et a annoncé l'organisation d'un référendum le 16 mars pour le valider. Les électeurs auront le choix entre un rattachement à la Russie ou une autonomie nettement renforcée. » | Le Point.fr | vendredi 07 mars 2014

US and EU Impose Sanctions and Warn Russia to Relent in Ukraine Standoff

THE GUARDIAN: • Pair issue grave warning to Moscow to pull back from Crimea
• Crimean parliament votes to secede from Ukraine
• Obama tells Putin: sanctions for ‘violation of sovereignty’

Barack Obama and his EU allies unveiled a co-ordinated set of sanctions on Thursday to punish Russia for occupying the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, imposing visa restrictions on individuals and sharpening rhetoric in what has rapidly degenerated into the worst east-west crisis since the end of the cold war.

President Obama spoke for an hour on Thursday afternoon with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. According the White House, the US president told Putin that newly-announced sanctions, introduced in co-ordination with the UK, were a response to Russia’s “violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

“President Obama indicated that there is a way to resolve the situation diplomatically, which addresses the interests of Russia, the people of Ukraine, and the international community.” the White House said in a statement to reporters. » | Dan Roberts in Washington and Ian Traynor in Brussels | Thursday, March 06, 2014

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

New Dark Age Alert! Sultan of Brunei Hits Back at Foreign Criticism of Looming Implementation of Sharia Law That Will Introduce Amputations and Stonings as Punishments

MAIL ONLINE: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said all races should unite under Sharia law / He said introduction is 'a great achievement and not a backward step' / Harsh penalties include stoning for adultery and amputation fro [sic] theft / Punishments can be applied to non-Muslim residents of Brunei

The sultan of Brunei has rejected foreign criticism of the countries impending introduction of a form of strict Islamic Sharia law, saying it is not a backwards step.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said all races should unite under Sharia law and that the new penal code was a 'great achievement' for the small Southeast Asian nation.

Starting in April, Brunei will begin implementing a version of Sharia that allows for penalties such as amputation for theft and stoning for adultery.

Under limited circumstances, punishments can be applied to non-Muslim residents of the oil-rich country, according to those who have seen the law.

Public criticism of the government is extremely rare in the country, but some citizens have turned to the Internet to express alarm at the law.

Around one-third of Brunei's 440,000 people are non-Muslims, mostly Christian or Buddhist Chinese.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah told legislators Thursday that all races should unite and support the laws, which he said were a 'great achievement for the country, and not a backward or old-fashioned step.' » | Daily Mail Reporter | Wednesday, March 06, 2014

Geert Wilders Backs New Anti-Islam Party, the Australian Liberty Alliance

THE GUARDIAN: The far-right politician sends pre-recorded message to a conference being held in Melbourne on Friday that will feature two speakers barred entry into Britain


Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders will welcome a new anti-Islam political party, the Australian Liberty Alliance, in a pre-recorded message to a conference on “Islam and liberty” starting in Melbourne on Friday.

The conference, organised by the “Islam-critical” Q Society, will start on Friday morning at a secret location, and will feature two speakers who were last year barred entry into Britain.

“It’s a bringing together of many people who are concerned about the march of Islam into many western democracies, and how it changes the laws and values of western democracies,” Q Society’s spokesman, Andrew Horwood, said.

“You get segregation when you get Muslims coming in, because their core belief is that Muslims are better people than non-Muslims,” he said. “We’re keen to have integrated societies, but we think it’s important to have integration, not segregation.”

The Q Society sparked protests last year when it sponsored a speaking tour by Wilders. The firebrand MP warned audiences that Islam was “a force of darkness” that had made European cities such as Rotterdam and Paris look like “suburbs of Cairo”. The tour was hampered by 30 venue cancellations and a refusal by some banks to provide financial services. Horwood said this year’s event has not seen any cancellations or boycotts so far. » | Michael Safi | Thursday, March 06, 2014

PERTH NOW: ‘No place’ for Dutch extremist Geert Wilders in Australian politics : THERE’S one thing Warren Truss and Bill Shorten agree on: There is no place in Australian politics for extremism. » | AAP | Wednesday, March 05, 2014

THE AUSTRALIAN: Anti-Islam party to contest next election: AN anti-Islam party based on the hardline views of Dutch politician Geert Wilders plans to field candidates at the next federal election, raising fears among moderate Muslims of a rise in extremism. » | Chip Le Grand | Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Russia Hits Back at US ‘Barefaced Cynicism and Double Standards’ over Ukraine

RUSSIA TODAY: The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the US State Department of double standards and low-level propaganda after it published a list of President Vladimir Putin’s “false claims” about the events in Ukraine.

“The State Department is trying to play on a shamelessly one-sided interpretation of the events,” ministry spokesperson Aleksandr Lukashevich said on Thursday. “Surely, Washington cannot admit that they were nurturing Maidan [protests], encouraging the violent overthrow of the legitimate government, and thus clearing the way for those who are now pretending to be a legitimate power in Kiev.”

On Wednesday, one day after the Russian president's media conference on the events in Ukraine, the US State Department accused him of lying and published a “fact sheet” of Putin's 10 “false claims” surrounding the crisis.

Moscow said that it will not respond to such “low-level propaganda.”

“We will only say, yet again, that we are dealing with unacceptable arrogance and a pretense of having a monopoly on the truth,” Lukashevich said in a statement posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website.

The United States has “no moral right” to lecture about observing international laws and respecting the sovereignty of other states, the diplomat added.

“What about the bombing of former Yugoslavia or the invasion of Iraq over a fabricated cause?” Lukashevich pointed out. » | Thursday, March 06, 2014

Why CNN Dumped Piers Morgan

Mar. 02, 2014 - 5:08 - Did gun control crusade cost host?

The Queen's 'Hidden-away' Cousin Katharine Bowes-Lyon Dies at 87

DAILY EXPRESS: ONE of the Queen's cousins who lived with learning disabilities and was hidden away for decades has died at the age of 87.

Katharine Bowes-Lyon, the niece of the late Queen Mother, died on February 23 but her death was only announced by her family yesterday. She was laid to rest at a private family funeral.

She and her late elder sister Nerissa, who also had learning disablities, were two of the four daughters of the Queen Mother's elder brother John Bowes-Lyon.

In an era when families treated the disabled with shame and even young unmarried women who got pregnant were locked in asylums or hospitals, the sisters were hidden away from polite society for much of their lives, even while the Queen Mother was patron of Mencap, the charity for what used to be known as the mentally handicapped, people with learning disabilities. » | Richard Palmer | Thursday, March 06, 2014

Rumsfeld on Ukraine, Obama-Putin, and America

Mar. 03, 2014 - 4:13 - Former defense secretary on president's handling of the Ukraine crisis and Putin and what it means to America's perception on the world stage

Russia Today TV Presenter Liz Wahl Quits On Air

BBC: For the second time American presenters on the Russian backed TV station Russia Today have gone off script to voice their personal concerns about Russia's occupation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Abby Martin signed off her programme with an ad-libbed attack on the Kremlin. Now her colleague Liz Wahl has added her voice to the disquiet among the channel's on air staff by announcing her resignation on air.

Katy Watson reports. (+ BBC video) » | Thursday, March 06, 2014

Crimea Will Be Part of Russia 'In a Few Days' - Deputy PM

BBC: First Deputy Prime Minister of Crimea, Rustam Temirgaliev, says that he is confident that the region will be part of the Russian Federation "in a few days".

Speaking to the BBC's World Affairs editor John Simpson, he said that he was confident that up to 75% of Crimean citizens would support such a move.

MPs in Crimea have asked Moscow to allow the southern Ukrainian region to become part of the Russian Federation. There will be a referendum to ratify the parliament decision on 16 March. (+ BBC video) » | Thursday, March 06, 2014

The Irresponsible Bank of England Keeps Interest Rate Down At Record Low

Simon Rose of Save Our Savers, interviewed on Sky News after the Bank of England's MPC announced the 60th month of base rate at 0.5%.

BBC: UK interest rates kept at record low: UK interest rates have been held at 0.5% for another month, the Bank of England has said. » | Thursday, March 06, 2014

Crimea Parliament Backs Joining Russia, Sets Referendum for March 16th

A referendum on the status of Crimea will be held March 16, the region's deputy prime minister announced. Crimeans will be asked to decide if the autonomous republic stays part of Ukraine or joins Russia

Peter Hitchens on Ukraine: Don't Lump Those Who Want Change in with Neo-nazis

On the most wanted list - international arrest warrant is now out for the head of a Ukrainian neo-nazi group. Russian prosecutors accuse him of publicly inciting terrorist and extremist actions. And concerns are growing over neo-nazi movements gaining power in the wake of the ousting of the old administration. To talk more on the tension within Ukraine and the diplomatic spat, RT's joined by London-based journalist Peter Hitchens.

Obama Warns Israel Time Is Running Out On Palestinian Peace

Mar. 03, 2014 - 5:04 - Spokesman reacts to President Obama's message

Politics and Policy between Obama, Putin

Mar. 03, 2014 - 2:20 - Analysis from Brit Hume

Obama's Foreign Policy Based on 'Fantasy'?

Mar. 03, 2014 - 4:33 - Amb. John Bolton on the latest in the Ukraine crisis, Putin's maneuvers and how they reflects holes in the president's approach to foreign policy

Ron Paul: We Have 'No Business' Being Involved in Ukraine

Mar. 05, 2014 - 5:13 - Reaction to U.S. pledging aid

Ed Miliband: 'I'm a Zionist and Oppose Boycotts of Israel'

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE: Ed Miliband has pledged to protect Jewish customs including brit milah and shechita if he becomes Prime Minister.

Speaking at a Board of Deputies event the Labour leader said he was opposed to boycotts of Israel and warned of the need to be “ever-vigilant”against antisemitism.

Asked whether he would work to ensure religious slaughter and circumcision practices could continue in Britain, Mr Miliband said: “Yes, these are important traditions. The kosher issue has recently been brought to my attention. Ways of life must be preserved.”

He added: “I take antisemitism very seriously. Any kind of delegitimisation of Israel is something we should call out for what it is and not tolerate it.

“I think the boycotts of Israel are totally wrong. We should have no tolerance for boycotts. I would say that to any trade union leaders.” » | Marcus Dysch | Thursday, March 07, 2013

HT: crosscop »

Krim-Krise: Parlament der Krim stimmt für Anschluss an Russland

ZEIT ONLINE: Die ukrainische Halbinsel soll künftig russisch sein – so will es das Parlament der autonomen Region. Die Einwohner sollen Mitte März darüber abstimmen.

Das Parlament der ukrainischen Halbinsel Krim hat nach russischen Angaben für einen Anschluss an Russland gestimmt. 78 der 81 Abgeordneten der Autonomen Republik unterstützten in Simferopol eine entsprechende Beschlussvorlage, meldete Itar-Tass unter Berufung auf den Vizepremier der Krim, Rostam Temirgaljew.

Das Parlament hat 100 Sitze. Russlandtreue Kräfte hatten das Gebäude vor wenigen Tagen gestürmt. Inwieweit dies die Zusammensetzung des Parlaments veränderte, ist unklar. » | ZEIT ONLINE, dpa, AFP, Reuters, tst | Donnerstag, 06. März 2014

Krim-Krise: Obama verhängt Strafmaßnahmen gegen Russland

SPIEGEL ONLINE: US-Präsident Obama reagiert auf die Krim-Krise mit Sanktionen. Ausgewählte Russen und Ukrainer dürfen nicht mehr in die USA einreisen. Ihre Konten sollen eingefroren werden.

Washington - Die US-Regierung hat mehrfach betont, dass sie das Vorgehen Russlands auf der ukrainischen Krim missbilligt. Jetzt hat US-Präsident Barack Obama erste Sanktionen gegen jene verhängt, die er für Verantwortliche der Krise hält.

Washington belegt eine Gruppe von Russen und Ukrainern mit Einreiseverboten in die USA. Die Visabeschränkungen sollen sich gegen eine "Reihe von Regierungsbeamten und Personen" richten. Außerdem soll das US-Vermögen von "Einzelpersonen und Institutionen" eingefroren werden. Namen wurden nicht genannt.

Bestraft werden sollen jene, die die "Souveränität und territoriale Integrität der Ukraine bedrohen" und "die demokratischen Prozesse und Institutionen des Landes" untergraben, heißt es in einer Erklärung des Weißen Hauses. Die USA behielten sich weitere Schritte vor, abhängig von der Lage auf der Krim. » | kgp/Reuters/AP | Donnerstag, 06. März 2014

End Religious Slaughter of Animals without Stunning First, Urges Top Vet

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The religious slaughter of animals should be banned if Muslims and Jews do not agree to stun all the animals unconscious first to minimise their suffering, Britain's top vet said

Religious slaughter of animals to produce halal and kosher meat should be banned if more humane methods are not adopted, the leader of Britain’s vets has said.

John Blackwell, who took over as president elect of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) last year, claimed killing animals by letting them bleed to death after slitting their throats causes unnecessary suffering.

He called on Muslims and Jews to allow the livestock to be stunned unconscious before they are killed.

The farm vet said the ritual slaughter of poultry, sheep and cattle which are still conscious should be outlawed, as it is in Denmark[.]

“As veterinary surgeons, it is one of the most important issues on our radar. This is something that can be changed in an instant.,” he told The Times [£]. » | Miranda Prynne, News Reporter | Thursday, March 06, 2014

Hillary Clinton Veering from White House Response to Russia?

Mar. 05, 2014 - 4:09 - Reaction to her latest comments

Right-Wing Extremism: Germany's New Islamophobia Boom

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Across Germany, right-wing organizations are using anti-Islam rhetoric to further their ideas -- and finding a receptive audience. Now legal experts are debating whether it's time for a new kind of hate-crime legislation.
?
Stachus is one of Munich's nicest squares. It is rich in tradition and filled with pedestrians -- and perfect for Michael Stürzenberger's purposes. Hand balled into a fist, he paces back and forth and screams, "The Koran is the most dangerous book in the world." Because a couple dozen people have come to demonstrate against Stürzenberger, police officers in bullet-proof vests are watching over the area.

A decade ago, Stürzenberger, 49, was the spokesperson for the Munich office of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union. But since 2012 he has been active in a splinter party called Die Freiheit ("The Freedom"), of which he was elected federal chairman three months ago. He preaches hate against Islam and compares the Koran to Hitler's "Mein Kampf." For two years now, he's been collecting signatures opposing the planned construction of an Islamic center in Munich. He has already held over one hundred anti-Islam rallies.

The Freiheit leader isn't alone. Several supporters, have joined him on Stachus, some carrying signs such as "No mosque on Stachus," or "Stop the enemies of democracy." Stürzenberger screams that Sharia instructs men to hit women. His voice cracks. "We don't want that in Bavaria!" A retiree asks where he can sign "against Islam."

For most Munich residents, Stürzenberger's verbal assaults are an embarrassment. CSU city councilwoman Marian Hoffman compares his incitements to the "droning speeches of the Nazis." The city government of Mayor Christian Ude, a member of the center-left Social Democrats, is worried about possible conflict during the upcoming local elections. Munich, he says, has become the focus of "experimentation" by radical anti-Islamists with the right-wing populists from Die Freiheit testing whether or not their attacks on the Muslim minority have majority appeal. If Stürzenberger gathers enough signatures for a citizens' initiative against the mosque, it would send a signal across Bavaria and beyond that Muslims are not welcome. » | SPIEGEL Staff | Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Putin Speaks Ukraine, Yanukovich, Maidan, Crimea (Full Video)

Russia will not go to war with the people of Ukraine, but will use its troops to protect citizens, if radicals with clout in Kiev now try to use violence against Ukrainian civilians, particularly ethnic Russians, Putin told the media

Hillary Clinton Compares Vladimir Putin’s Actions in Ukraine to Adolf Hitler’s in Nazi Germany

LONG BEACH PRESS TELEGRAM: LONG BEACH >> Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday compared recent actions by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine to those implemented by Adolf Hitler in the late 1930s.

Putin’s desire to protect minority Russians in Ukraine is reminiscent of Hitler’s actions to protect ethnic Germans outside Germany, she said.

Putin has been on a campaign to give Russian passports to anyone who has Russian connections, Clinton said.

The Russian leader has recently done so in the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which, Clinton said, is similar to what happened in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s. Hitler resettled tens of thousands of ethnic Germans who were living in parts of Europe to Nazi Germany. » | Karen Robes Meeks, Long Beach Press Telegram | Tuesday, March 04, 2014

George P Bush Looks to Continue Family's Political Legacy

Land Commissioner candidate George P. Bush speaks during
a visitation even while on the campaign trail Wednesday, Feb. 19. 2014

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Grandson of George HW Bush easily wins Republican primary election in Texas

George P Bush, the grandson of George HW Bush, has won his first election in Texas as he looks to continue the political dynasty.

The 37-year-old lawyer is the nephew of George W Bush, who was governor of Texas before becoming president, and the son of Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor considered a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate.

The younger Mr Bush is widely hailed as a future star of the party. His mother is Mexican and he speaks Spanish, offering an inroad to Latino voters who vote overwhelmingly for the Democrats. » | Raf Sanchez, Washington | Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Dealing with the Villain Putin

Mar. 04, 2014 - 8:44 - Talking Points 3/4

Exclusive Interview with Barbara Bush

Mar. 05, 2014 - 5:46 - Steve Doocy sits down with former first lady

Who Is the Real Vladimir Putin?

Mar. 04, 2014 - 4:04 - Expert takes a look at the man responsible for the growing crisis

Saakashvili: Putin 'Wants to Be Feared'

Mar. 04, 2014 - 7:53 - Former Georgia president on Ukraine crisis

Außenpolitisch ist Barack Obama eine Niete

DIE WELT: In einem sind sich Freunde wie Feinde des US-Präsidenten einig: In der Außenpolitik agiert Barack Obama fast schon schockierend undurchsichtig. Als Führer der freien Welt taugt er nicht.

Was dem regelmäßigen Besucher des "großen Welttheaters", wie Churchill einst die politische Szene von Washington nannte, besonders auffällt in dieser letzten Phase der Obama-Präsidentschaft, ist vor allem in der Ukraine-Krise die Verwirrung und sogar Verzweiflung über die undurchsichtige Außenpolitik des Präsidenten.

Bei aller Anerkennung seiner Rhetorik und seiner Willenskraft in der Innenpolitik wird Obama die Begabung, sich außenpolitisch positiv zu profilieren und durchzusetzen, gemeinhin abgesprochen. In fast allen meinen Gesprächen mit jüngst zurückgetretenen, aber auch weiterhin aktiven hohen Staatsbeamten war eine Enttäuschung über Obamas Außenpolitik zu spüren. Wahrnehmbar ist seine Rückzugspolitik aus den großen Krisenherden der Welt in einem Augenblick, in dem der Einsatz der noch immer führenden Weltmacht USA dringlichst benötigt wird.

Obamas übereilter Rückzug aus Afghanistan, Verteidigungsminister Hagels Entschluss, die Armee auf ihr Vorweltkriegsniveau zu reduzieren, der "Ruck" der Wehr- und Außenpolitik in Richtung Ostasien, aber vor allem die Nicht-Intervention in Syrien haben alte Alliierte vor den Kopf gestoßen und drohen Änderungen auf dem diplomatischen Schachbrett zu Ungunsten der westlichen Alliierten mit sich zu bringen. » | Von Lord Weidenfeld | Dienstag, 04. März 2014

Purchasing Power? The Russia Sanction Ripple Effect

Washington's threats of sanctions might be tough to keep, according to experts citing Russia's economic clout. RT's Marina Kosareva has been looking over the numbers.

View from Moscow: Ukraine Blame: US Criticism of Moscow At Odds with White House Policies

And on the frontline of the deepening diplomatic row over Ukraine Washington has been making some harsh statements against Moscow's stance on the crisis. With Secretary of State John Kerry once again travelling to Kiev to meet with the new government there - Anastasiya Churkina looks at whether the US has been following its own advice.

British Officials Oppose Sanctions Because Russia's Elite Are London's Cash Cows

NEW REPUBLIC: If you’re looking for Russia’s weak point at the moment, you could do worse than start at 88 West Heath Road, a house in leafy north London. It looks modest enough, but it would probably set you back $15 million.

It is the primary residence of Andrey Yakunin. His father, Russian Railways chief executive Vladimir Yakunin, is a former KGB agent and longtime pal of President Vladimir Putin. He was also a lead organizer of the Sochi Olympics and heads National Glory of Russia, an organization that aims to protect Russians from Western culture. (In a barely-readable book called Problems of Contemporary World Futurology, he predicted the collapse of the West in 10-20 years). His wife, Natalya, is in the same trade. She heads Sanctity of Motherhood, which propagates the “many-child family” through traditional Russian values and Orthodox Christianity. Their son Andrey is a fund manager, a graduate of the London Business School, and a specialist in “mid-market business hotels,” particularly ones that adjoin Russian train stations. His son Igor, in turn, attends a posh English private school.

The Yakunin family is Putin’s Kremlin in microcosm, a hypocritical spookocracy that rejects everything about the West except its money, houses, and consumer goods. It also encapsulates the Kremlin’s weakness. If Putin’s Ukraine adventure causes Europe to freeze assets and inconvenience the Kremlin elite, then Putin will find himself losing support fast—from the constituency he needs the most.

Putin may project a macho image by getting his guns out at any opportunity, but his actual power is based on elite support, and the elite supports him because he has made it rich beyond the dreams of avarice. For example, Vladimir Yakunin and Putin were neighbors in St. Petersburg. Putin made Yakunin head of Russian Railways, and now, Yakunin owns a palace outside Moscow, where the bathhouse alone has a reported floor area of 15,000 square feet. Read on and comment » | Oliver Bullough | Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Should White House Impose Sanctions on Russia?

Mar. 04, 2014 - 8:31 - Congressmen Mike Pompeo and Luke Messer react to President Putin's agression in Ukraine

Inside Story: Russian Defence or Dominance?

President Vladimir Putin breaks his silence on the Ukrainian crisis.

Russia Today Host Who Criticised Kremlin Sent to Crimea

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Russian state-funded TV presenter in anti-Kremlin tirade sent to Crimea to get a 'better understanding' of situation on the ground


A TV presenter working for a Kremlin-funded channel who spoke out against Russia's military invasion in Ukraine live on air has been sent by the broadcaster to Crimea to "better her knowledge" of the situation.

In an off-message tirade, Abby Martin, a Washington-based American news anchor for Russia Today, shocked mostly pro-Russian viewers by announcing she "cannot stress enough" how strongly she felt about presence of its troops in Crimea, saying "Russia was wrong".

The host addressed the camera in unscripted remarks at the end of the station's Breaking the Set segment, saying: "Just because I work here, for RT, doesn't mean I don't have editorial independence and I can't stress enough how strongly I am against any military intervention in sovereign nations' affairs.

"I will not sit here and apologise or defend military aggression," she went on.

The English-language Russia Today is widely perceived as the voice of the Kremlin, with Reporters Without Borders describing it as a "step of the state to control information." » | Josie Ensor | Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Obama: Russia's Actions Are Not a Sign of Strength

Mar. 04, 2014 - 4:52 - President addresses crisis in Ukraine

Team Obama Wins Fight to Have Christian Home-school Family Deported

FOX NEWS: Uwe and Hannelore Romeike came to the United States in 2008 seeking political asylum. They fled their German homeland in the face of religious persecution for homeschooling their children.

They wanted to live in a country where they could raise their children in accordance with their Christian beliefs.

The Romeikes were initially given asylum, but the Obama administration objected – claiming that German laws that outlaw homeschooling do not constitute persecution.

“The goal in Germany is for an open, pluralistic society,” the Justice Department wrote in a legal brief last year. “Teaching tolerance to children of all backgrounds helps to develop the ability to interact as a fully functioning citizen in Germany.”

On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear the Romeike’s appeal – paving the way for the Christian family of eight to be deported. » | Tod Starnes | Todd’s American Dispatch | Monday, March 03, 2014

Tory Councillor Who Shared Burka Joke on Facebook Expelled from Party

Tory councillor Chris Joannides has been expelled from his
party after comparing Muslim children wearing burkas
to bin[-]bags on Facebook

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Chris Joannides, a Conservative councillor in Enfield, has been dropped as a candidate for May's local elections and banned from the party for a year

A Tory councillor has been expelled from his party after comparing Muslim children wearing burkas to bin[-]bags on Facebook.

Chris Joannides, a councillor for Enfield, in north London, also upset colleagues by complaining that his job as a local councillor was interfering with his social life.

Conservative Central Office has now dropped him as a candidate for the local elections in May and expelled him from the party for 12 months.

The decision comes after Mr Joannides posted a photograph showing a woman and child dressed in the traditional Muslim clothing standing next to two bin[-]bags.

A caption read: "I saw her standing there and I told her she had three beautiful children. She didn't have to get all ****** off and threaten me. It was an honest mistake!" » | Hayley Dixon | Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Did Sarah Palin Predict the Ukraine Crisis Back in 2008?

Mar. 03, 2014 - 8:01 - Former vice presidential candidate says Obama is not exercising 'peace through strength'

How to Handle Putin

Mar. 03, 2014 - 3:54 - Talking Points 3/3

Judge Jeanine: Obama's Policies Reducing US to Paper Tiger

Mar. 02, 2014 - 6:02 - President issues another warning

Sen. Inhofe Concerned with 'Weakened Condition' of US Abroad

Mar. 04, 2014 - 6:35 - Republican lawmaker critical of vulnerability displayed by White House

Krim-Konflikt: Europas Ohnmacht gegenüber Russland

Wladimir Putin und Premierminister Dmitri Medwediew

ZEIT ONLINE: EU und USA können die russische Aggression auf der Krim nicht stoppen. Ihnen fehlt eine Strategie gegen Putins Neoimperialismus und so bleibt nur, mit ihm zu verhandeln.

Wie soll der Westen auf den Aufmarsch der russischen Armee auf der Krim und auf die unverhohlene militärische Drohung des Kreml gegen die Ukraine reagieren? In den europäischen Hauptstädten und in Washington herrscht Rat- und Hilflosigkeit. US-Präsident Barak Obama warnt Wladimir Putin zwar davor, sich zu isolieren. Und die Europäer mahnen beide Seiten, den Konflikt nicht weiter anzuheizen. Doch Obamas Drohung wird Putin kaum beeindrucken und auch Europa kann oder will nicht mit Konsequenzen drohen.

Denn militärisch werden sich weder die USA noch die Europäer in der Ukraine engagieren. Die neue Führung in Kiew und die ukrainische Armee haben dem russischen Riesen ebenfalls kaum etwas entgegenzusetzen. So kann Russland ungestört Truppen auf die Krim verlegen. Faktisch hat es die ukrainische Halbinsel, die jahrhundertelang zum russischen Reich gehörte, annektiert und dort auch politisch über eine Marionetten-Regierung in der Provinzhauptstadt die Macht übernommen.

Noch weiß niemand, ob sich das russische Expansionsstreben auf die Krim mit ihrer russischsprachigen Bevölkerungsmehrheit beschränkt, oder ob Putin versuchen wird, auch die Ostukraine mit ihrer Schwerindustrie und ihren engen Beziehungen zu Russland unter Kontrolle zu bringen. Auch in diesem Fall könnte er sich auf Hilferufe der russischsprachigen Bevölkerung berufen. Das Land würde damit zweigeteilt – ein Alptraum für die meisten Menschen in der Ukraine, aber auch für den Westen. » | Ein Kommentar von Ludwig Greven | Sonntag, 02. März 2014