Are Russia’s Failed Statelets in Eastern Ukraine Safe Havens for Terrorists? by Paul Goble
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Staunton, April 10 – A great deal of attention has been given to Chechens, Buryats and other non-Russians going to the Donbass to fight for the pro-Moscow “peoples republics” there, a flow that Russian propagandists have played up as evidence that support for Vladimir Putin’s “Russian world” is broader than just among ethnic Russians.
But much less attention has been paid to what may be a far more important and dangerous influx: the arrival of young fighters from Afghanistan and other Islamic countries, at least some of whom may be seeking as many of their cohort are in Syria, Yemen or Iraq to acquire military skills for Islamist jihad.
The reason for that concern is obvious: The pro-Moscow territorial formations in eastern Ukraine set up as a result of Moscow’s intervention have many of the characteristics of failed states. And as a result and just other failed states, they may be safe havens for and breeding grounds of international terrorists.
That danger, created by Vladimir Putin’s invasion and his failure to establish effective state power in these regions even as his forces block Kyiv from restoring order there, makes what the Kremlin leader has done far more threatening to the international community and requires a more vigorous respond to his actions from it than has been forthcoming so far.
The exact size of this threat is unknown, but given the often hair-trigger response major Western powers have shown to the appearance of terrorist groups in failed states elsewhere, one has to ask why they have not shown more concern about an analogous case in Russia’s “failed statelets” in eastern Ukraine given the risks involved.
Moreover, and what is particularly worrisome is that in some cases such people in those pro-Moscow statelets not only have links not only to terrorists like Al Qaeda but also have ties to the Russian and before that Soviet security services, a pattern that suggests Putin may even be using the two “peoples republics” as safe havens for terrorists he controls.
Information about this shadowy world is understandably sparse, but some information has been in the public domain for some time. At the end of November last year, Krasnaya Zvezda, the weekly supplement to Komsomolskaya Pravda reported on Abdullah, an Afghan relative of the infamous Gulbedin Hekmatiyar and someone fighting for pro-Moscow forces in eastern Ukraine.
Two of the Moscow newspaper’s journalists, Aleksandr Kots and Dmitry Steshin, met with him in the Donbass where Abdullah was serving as a guard accompanying Russian nationalist Aleksandr Prokhanov who was visiting the region and who earlier wrote a classic novel on that conflict, A Tree Grows in Kabul.
Abdullah talked about his background, his reasons for coming to Russian-occupied Ukraine and his plans to use violence elsewhere to promote his ideas.
The son of the governor of Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, Abdullah says he was from the Alokazay family and closely related to Hekmatiyar, the leader of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan that the US declared a terrorist organization a dozen years ago because of its support of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda.
After his father was assassinated in 1985 leaving him an orphan, Abdullah said he was taken to the USSR as part of “the semi-secret Watan program,” which brought the offspring of pro-Soviet officials in Afghanistan there to provide them with secular education so that they could play leading roles in a Sovietized Afghanistan.
The Watan program, he continued, had both Russian and Afghan teachers. He and his fellows studied secular subjects as well as religion, and “we were even taught Islam. According to Abdullah, some 1,800 Afghans went through the program, although about half of them are no longer among the living.
After the Soviet Union collapsed, he and they were left to their own devices, not given citizenship or any documentation, and told to go home. But there in power were already “alien people,” precisely those “against whom we had been prepared” to fight. And many could not fit into the new world.
Speaking of the parallels between Afghanistan and eastern Ukraine, Abdullah said the two conflicts were “just the same” in that the US had destroyed his country and was now working to destroy others. The Americans, he said, “want Russians to bomb the mother of Russian cities, Kyiv.”
“Except for geography, mentality and religion,” those fighting the Americans in Afghanistan and those fighting them in Ukraine “are identical.” In his unit, Abdullah said, “there are boys who served in Afghanistan…Sometime they helped my people. But now I have a chance to help. I do not want them to destroy your people as they did mine.”
His words up to that point are perfectly consistent with Moscow’s propaganda, but then Abdullah said something which shows that he is prepared to engage in terrorist acts in the future. He said that “there will not be a peaceful life for [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko or anyone else. They will always be waiting for an attack, even in emigration.”
Like the single passage in Prokhanov’s Afghan novel which showed his understanding that the mujahideen would fight to the death against the Soviets, Abdullah’s threat demonstrates that he and one doesn’t know how many others are gaining skills and taking on attitudes in the Donbass that they may deploy against the civilized world.
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 Today.kz |
Президент Венесуэлы и его жена прибыли на саммит Америк вместе с двойниками (видео)
Today.kz Президент Венесуэлы Николас Мадуро и его жена прибыли на саммит Америк в Панаму вместе со своими двойниками, сообщает Газета.Ru. На видеозаписи видно, как двойник в сопровождении охраны садится в автомобиль президента, направляющийся на саммит, сам же Мадуро ... Мадуро требует от США компенсаций пострадавшим от американского вторжения в ПанамуНарьян-Мар on-line Мадуро: Венесуэла готова к диалогу с США, но требует отменить санкцииРИА Новости Моралес: Санкции США против Венесуэлы – самая крупная ошибка Обамы в отношении Латинской АмерикиАгентство Бизнес Новостей Все похожие статьи: 87 » |
Obama Upbeat On Final Iran Nuke Dealby noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL)
U.S. President Barack Obama says he optimistic a comprehensive nuclear accord to curb Iran's nuclear program will be finalized despite strong words this week from the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Obama, Maduro Meet for 'a Few Minutes'by webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Cuban President Raul Castro was not the only Latin American leader to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the Americas Summit in Panama. Obama met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who wants the U.S. to lift sanctions recently slapped on seven senior Venezuelan officials accused of human rights abuses tied to anti-government protests last year in Venezuela. Maduro often criticizes the U.S. for what he says is meddling in his country's affairs, and even accuses the U.S. of trying to overthrow his government. "It was a serious, frank meeting. We told the truth but it was cordial," said Maduro. "We believed that with the results of the summit, supported by the handing over of 10.5 million signatures, with the support of the people (of Latin America), with the willingness of our peoples, we could open up the possibility of a process for talks with the United States government and explore a path to relations with respect, which is fundamental.'' Venezuelan presidential aide Teresa Maniglia said on her Twitter account that there was "a lot of truth, respect and cordiality" at the meeting, which Obama administration officials said lasted only a few minutes. National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said Obama "reiterated" in the meeting with President Maduro that the U.S. is not interested "in threatening Venezuela, but in supporting democracy, stability and prosperity in Venezuela and the region." Several of Maduro's Latin American counterparts have been critical of the sanctions. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who met with Mr. Obama at the summit and is slated to meet with Mr. Obama in Washington in June, said Saturday that "unilateral measures and policies of isolation" are "always counterproductive and ineffective." She said the South American regional block UNASUR supports dialogue to ease political tensions in Venezuela. President Obama also met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos who said the relations between his country and the U.S. "are at the best level ever." Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, like many of his counterparts at the summit, praised the U.S. president for the push to establish ties with Cuba. He said at the summit's plenary session the "openness to dialogue is charged with promise and possibilities."
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Pope Calls Armenian Slaughter '1st Genocide of 20th Century'by webdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)
Pope Francis on Sunday honored the 100th anniversary of the slaughter of Armenians by calling it "the first genocide of the 20th century,'' a politically explosive pronouncement that will certainly anger Turkey. Francis, who has close ties to the Armenian community from his days in Argentina, defended his declaration by saying it was his duty to honor the memory of the innocent men, women, children, priests and bishops who were "senselessly'' murdered. "Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it,'' he said at the start of a Mass Sunday in the Armenian Catholic rite in St. Peter's Basilica honoring the centenary. Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey, however, denies that the deaths constituted a genocide, saying that the toll has been inflated, and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest. Turkey's embassy to the Holy See canceled a planned press conference for Sunday, presumably after learning that the pope would utter the word "genocide'' over its objections. Several European countries recognize the massacres as genocide, though Italy and the United States have avoided using the term officially given the importance they place on Turkey as an ally.
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From a dimly lit room at his base in eastern Ukraine, the commander of a battalion of Chechens fighting Russia-backed rebels looked shaken as TV broadcast news of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov's slaying. Adam Osmayev hailed Nemtsov as a "true hero" both for condemning Russia's war against separatists in Chechnya and for decrying Russian intervention in the current conflict in Ukraine.
"Watch them try to tie Ukraine to this (murder) in some way," Osmayev added.
He was half-joking. But two weeks later, Kremlin-friendly Russian newspapers published reports based on unidentified sources in the security services that accused the Ukrainian government and also Osmayev himself of ordering the Feb. 27 murder of Nemtsov in central Moscow in an attempt to destabilize Russia.
Osmayev denies involvement and no evidence has been presented linking him to the hit on Nemtsov, who was a relentless critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Attempts to implicate the British-educated Chechen commander appear to be part of efforts aimed at deflecting attention from anyone close to Putin, including his security services and the powerful leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Within days of Nemtsov's assassination, investigators arrested five Chechens, including a senior officer in Kadyrov's police force, and charged them with carrying out the killing. All five have denied the charges.
The arrests heralded a crisis in relations between the Kremlin and Kadyrov, who rules Chechnya like a personal fiefdom. With generous subsidies from Moscow, he has rebuilt the region after two separatist wars and has relied on his feared security forces to track down and kill foes. His men have steadily expanded their sway beyond Chechnya to control lucrative businesses in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia.
Leaders of federal law enforcement agencies have watched Kadyrov's growing power with dismay and have made no secret of their desire to curb him. Some observers speculated that the killing might have been ordered by Kadyrov's enemies in the federal government — an attempt to prompt Putin to fire or at least punish the Chechen leader.
If such a plan existed, it underestimated Putin's reliance on Kadyrov. The relative stability in Chechnya is seen as one of Putin's main achievements, and he sees the burly red-haired Chechen strongman as key to maintaining the status quo.
Putin quickly sent a signal that he intended to stand by Kadyrov by awarding him the Order of Honor for distinguished public service, a day after Kadyrov spoke out in defense of the arrested Chechens.
The arrests were a rare case in which federal law enforcement agents managed to nab a member of Kadyrov's security force, but the investigation then seemed to fizzle.
Russian media, citing investigators, have pointed to a possible link between the suspected triggerman, Zaur Dadaev, and his commander, Ruslan Geremeyev, a senior officer in the Chechen police force. But Geremeyev is in Chechnya and off limits to federal investigators.
Russian newspapers have floated a variety of theories about the killing that have muddied the waters — a possible attempt to defuse tensions with Kadyrov.
Some reports claimed that investigators believe Dadaev and his suspected accomplices could have acted on their own, even though most observers agree that a senior officer in Kadyrov's security force would not have acted without sanction from his superiors.
Dadaev, in turn, has rescinded his initial testimony, saying he was beaten and pressured to confess.
The reports pointing to Osmayev, a Kadyrov foe, were seen as part of these efforts to deflect attention.
"State-controlled media have put forward a theory that is politically satisfying for Russia's security forces, the Kremlin, Kadyrov and all of their rival groups — namely, that Chechen Adam Osmayev ordered Nemtsov's murder," political analyst Georgy Bovt wrote in a commentary published in The Moscow Times.
Osmayev, 33, has a troubled history with both Kadyrov and Putin.
After graduating from Wycliffe College, a prestigious private school in Britain, and attending the University of Buckingham, he returned to his native Chechnya shortly after the second war there ended in 2000. He worked alongside his father, who had been appointed the head of Chechnya's state oil company.
Chechnya at that time was led by Kadyrov's father. After his assassination in 2004, power passed to his son, Ramzan, and his relationship with the Osmayevs quickly deteriorated in a dispute over lucrative energy contracts. The Osmayevs fled to Ukraine.
In February 2012, Adam Osmayev was arrested at Russia's behest and charged with planning an assassination attempt against Putin. Ukraine at the time had a pro-Kremlin government. Osmayev spent three years in detention until being released in November 2014 by Ukraine's new Western-leaning government.
Shortly after his release, he joined a battalion formed by prominent Chechen commander Isa Munayev to fight against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. When Munayev was killed on Feb. 1, Osmayav took over the command.
His battalion includes several dozen Chechens, many with combat experience gained in the separatist wars in their homeland against Russian army troops. They regularly get calls from Ukrainian army units asking them to carry out reconnaissance missions or diversionary raids behind rebel lines.
Hundreds of Chechens also are fighting on the separatist side. They first joined the rebels last summer in the early stages of the conflict, and with their combat gear and professional demeanor they stood out among what was then a ragtag local force. Kadyrov has described pro-Russia Chechens fighting in Ukraine as volunteers, the same explanation the Kremlin provides for the Russians among the separatist forces.
Osmayev said he has few doubts that the perpetrators of Nemtsov's killing have ties to Kadyrov, but that the security services now need a convenient scapegoat whose guilt would be easily acceptable to the Russian general public.
"The fact the FSB is . trying to somehow implicate me in Nemtsov's murder is utterly ridiculous," Osmayev said, "but not hard to believe now that I am involved in the situation here in Ukraine."
———
Lynn Berry and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
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From a dimly lit room at his base in eastern Ukraine, the commander of a battalion of Chechens fighting Russia-backed rebels looked shaken as TV broadcast news of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov's slaying. Adam Osmayev hailed Nemtsov as a "true hero" both for condemning Russia's war against separatists in Chechnya and for decrying Russian intervention in the current conflict in Ukraine.
"Watch them try to tie Ukraine to this (murder) in some way," Osmayev added.
He was half-joking. But two weeks later, Kremlin-friendly Russian newspapers published reports based on unidentified sources in the security services that accused the Ukrainian government and also Osmayev himself of ordering the Feb. 27 murder of Nemtsov in central Moscow in an attempt to destabilize Russia.
Osmayev denies involvement and no evidence has been presented linking him to the hit on Nemtsov, who was a relentless critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Attempts to implicate the British-educated Chechen commander appear to be part of efforts aimed at deflecting attention from anyone close to Putin, including his security services and the powerful leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Within days of Nemtsov's assassination, investigators arrested five Chechens, including a senior officer in Kadyrov's police force, and charged them with carrying out the killing. All five have denied the charges.
The arrests heralded a crisis in relations between the Kremlin and Kadyrov, who rules Chechnya like a personal fiefdom. With generous subsidies from Moscow, he has rebuilt the region after two separatist wars and has relied on his feared security forces to track down and kill foes. His men have steadily expanded their sway beyond Chechnya to control lucrative businesses in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia.
Leaders of federal law enforcement agencies have watched Kadyrov's growing power with dismay and have made no secret of their desire to curb him. Some observers speculated that the killing might have been ordered by Kadyrov's enemies in the federal government — an attempt to prompt Putin to fire or at least punish the Chechen leader.
If such a plan existed, it underestimated Putin's reliance on Kadyrov. The relative stability in Chechnya is seen as one of Putin's main achievements, and he sees the burly red-haired Chechen strongman as key to maintaining the status quo.
Putin quickly sent a signal that he intended to stand by Kadyrov by awarding him the Order of Honor for distinguished public service, a day after Kadyrov spoke out in defense of the arrested Chechens.
The arrests were a rare case in which federal law enforcement agents managed to nab a member of Kadyrov's security force, but the investigation then seemed to fizzle.
Russian media, citing investigators, have pointed to a possible link between the suspected triggerman, Zaur Dadaev, and his commander, Ruslan Geremeyev, a senior officer in the Chechen police force. But Geremeyev is in Chechnya and off limits to federal investigators.
Russian newspapers have floated a variety of theories about the killing that have muddied the waters — a possible attempt to defuse tensions with Kadyrov.
Some reports claimed that investigators believe Dadaev and his suspected accomplices could have acted on their own, even though most observers agree that a senior officer in Kadyrov's security force would not have acted without sanction from his superiors.
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Chechen Commander in Ukraine Drawn Into Russian Intrigue
ABC News From a dimly lit room at his base in eastern Ukraine, the commander of a battalion of Chechens fighting Russia-backed rebels looked shaken as TV broadcast news of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov's slaying. Adam Osmayev hailed Nemtsov as a ... and more » |
Корабль ВМФ России эвакуировал из Йемена 308 человек
Вестник Кавказа Официальный представитель Минобороны России генерал-майор Игорь Конашенков заявил, что корабль ВМФ России "Приазовье" доставил в порт Джибути 308 человек. "Корабль ВМФ России "Приазовье" с 308 гражданами из 19 государств, эвакуированных вчера из зоны военных ... и другие » |
Корабль "Приазовье" эвакуировал из Йемена 308 человек, среди них - 14 украинцев
Mail.Ru Корабль Военно-морского флота России «Приазовье» эвакуировал из Йемена 308 человек из 19 стран, среди спасенных — 14 украинцев. Об этом в воскресенье, 12 апреля, сообщил официальный представитель Минобороны РФ генерал-майор Игорь Конашенков. «Корабль ВМФ ... и другие » |
Moscow at War with Ukraine Goes to Church on Russian Easterby paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)
Paul Goble
Staunton, April 12 – According to the Russian interior ministry, 1.15 million Muscovites – approximately ten percent of the Russian capital’s population -- attended Easter services today. According to the Russian Orthodox Church, the actual figure was 1.5 million. But both agreed that the number this year, a record, is far higher than it was a year ago.
Then, the interior ministry estimated 300,000 Muscovites went to church on Easter, and the Church itself claimed 714,000 did. If the government officials are right, the number more than trebled; and if the Church officials are, it more than doubled – indications that people turn to their faith in times of trial (bbc.co.uk/russian/russia/2015/04/150411_russia_easter).
Figures from other parts of the Russian Federation and from neighboring countries, many of whose people are Eastern Orthodox, are not yet available. But they too are also likely to be high given that Easter is the most important date in the Christian calendar and one on which even those who do not attend services regularly make a greater effort to do so.
At Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Patriarch Kirill led the service which was attended by President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.In his homily, Kirill suggested that the reason so many were in church is because “the people are responding to the latest anti-church attacks.”
In his message to the Russian Orthodox Church released the day before, however, the patriarch acknowledged that when most of the faithful think about great feats, they think in the first instance about “some legendary warrior.” But he urged them to view it in a different way, as self-sacrificing service to near ones and those who need their help.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Patriarch Filaret, who heads the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate which Moscow views as non-canonical, focused on more immediate issues: “We firmly believe that in the near future, the Lord will send us victory over the aggressor because truth is on our side and where there is truth, there is God and victory.”
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 Вести.Ru |
ВКО: за Россией следит целая группа спутников
Вести.Ru Войска Воздушно-космической обороны России недавно засекли образовавшуюся на орбите для слежки за РФ группировку спутников радиотехнической разведки, сообщил командующий войсками Космического командования войск ВКО генерал Олег Майданович. "Совсем недавно ... и другие » |
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 Wall Street Journal |
US to Protest 'Unsafe' Interception of Reconnaissance Plane by Russian Fighter ...
Wall Street Journal The U.S. will protest what it called the unsafe interception of a U.S. spy plane by a Russianfighter over the Baltic Sea last week, an incident American officials said Sunday was an example of increasingly aggressive air operations by Moscow. The ... US to file complaint over 'unsafe' intercept by Russian fighter jetCNN Russian fighter jet intercepts Air Force reconnaissance flight over Baltic SeaDaily Mail Russia's air provocations becoming more seriousAmerican Thinker (blog) Global Times all 67 news articles » |
Obama: Talks With Castro 'Candid and Fruitful'by webdesk@voanews.com (Luis Ramirez)
U.S. President Barack Obama is back in Washington, following a historic face-to-face meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro and a first meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The talks with Castro in Panama were strongly criticized by some Republican presidential hopefuls. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said in a statement, "Keeping up a disturbing trend of this administration, President Obama is in the process of striking another very bad deal, now with the communist dictatorship of Cuba. "President Obama's approach gives the Castros exactly what they want - economic relief and legitimacy on the international stage. ... The President said today that his unprecedented meeting with Raul Castro was a step towards the future. Unfortunately, he is leaving the Cuban people imprisoned in the past," he added. Cruz, the son of an American mother and a Cuban father, would be the nation's first Hispanic president, if elected. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush said on Twitter: "Obama meets with Castro but refused to meet w/@netanyahu (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu). Why legitimize a cruel dictator of a repressive regime?" Talks in Panama The historic talks in Panama, on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas, came after Obama and Castro announced in December that they would move to normalize ties between the United States and communist Cuba after more than a half-century of animosity. Obama characterized his meeting with Castro - the first sitdown between leaders of both nations in 50 years - as "candid and fruitful," while the White House said Obama voiced support for a peaceful dialogue between Venezuela's government and the opposition during brief talks with Maduro. The president also said he will review recommendations to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism - another step that needs to be taken before embassies can reopen in Washington and Havana. 'Historic meeting' “This is obviously a historic meeting. The history between the United States and Cuba is obviously complicated and over the years, a lot of mistrust has developed," Obama said. But Obama said it is time to turn the page, and Castro agreed, saying, “I think that, fundamentally, what the (U.S.) president has expressed to you reflects the same as what we are thinking." Yet the two acknowledged the differences that exist between the two governments. Obama said the U.S. would speak out for democracy and human rights, and Cuba would raise concerns about U.S. policy as well. "Over time, it is possible for us to turn the page and develop a new relationship between our two countries," the U.S. president said. As for Castro, he told Obama he agreed with all the points he'd made and said he was open to discussion, but "we need to be patient, very patient. "We might disagree on something today on which we could agree tomorrow," he said. The Cuban leader said his government is willing to discuss all issues, including human rights if those discussions are respectful. After Castro spoke, the men stood and shook hands. At a late-afternoon news conference, Obama said that his trip to Panama City for his third Summit of the Americas reflected a new era of U.S. engagement in the region. He said that part of his talks with Castro involved how to promote greater opportunities for the Cuban people, and how access to education could be expanded throughout Latin America. "We are focused on the future and on what we can build and achieve together," he said. Majority support In response to a question, Obama said his outreach to Havana had majority support in the United States and overwhelming support in Cuba. And with regard to the U.S. removal of Cuba from Washington's state sponsors of terrorism list, he said he wanted to study recommendations from State Department officials "before we announce publicly what the policy outcome will be." Obama called his talks with Castro - two previous visits by phone and Saturday's personal encounter - "candid and fruitful." "We are able to speak honestly about our differences and concerns in ways that offer the possibility" of taking bilateral relations in a different direction, he said. "What has been clear through the summit," he said, "is the unanimity that the leaders of Latin America think this is the right thing to do. They see the possibility of a more constructive dialogue that ultimately benefits the Cuban people. I am cautiously optimistic that, over coming months and years, this will lead to a different future for the Cuban people." Asked whether his outreach ended the policy of regime change in Cuba, Obama said: "We are not in the business of regime change. We are in the business of making sure the Cuban people have freedom and chance to shape their own lives." Cold War is over But the U.S. leader wants to focus on the future and says he is not caught up in ideology. “The Cold War has been over for a long time and I’m not interested in having battles that, frankly, started before I was born," Obama said. Obama said he came to the summit to boost his engagement with the hemisphere. At this summit, an event usually ignored by the U.S. media, a handshake and words of conciliation mark the start of a major shift of the landscape. Some material for this report came from AP and AFP. Watch a related video of a meeting between President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro:
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 Российская Газета |
ДНР: Ополченцы отбили танковую атаку на аэропорт Донецка
Российская Газета Украинские силовики при помощи танков попытались прорваться к аэропорту Донецка. Об этом сообщает представитель министерства обороны ДНР Эдуард Басурин. ранее по теме. Фото: Владимир Аносов/РГ В ДНР сообщили об обстреле силовиками храма и больницы в Донецке. Ополченцы договорились с украинскими силовиками о прекращении обстреловВзгляд ДНР: силовики попытались на танках прорваться к аэропорту ДонецкаАргументы и факты В ДНР заявили об уговоре с Киевом о прекращении обстреловКорреспондент.net РИА Новости -Московский комсомолец -Независимая газета Все похожие статьи: 191 » |
Imprisoned Sochi Environmentalist Begins Hunger Strikeby paul goble (noreply@blogger.com)
Paul Goble
Staunton, April 12 – Yevgeny Vitishko, the environmental activist who is serving a three year sentence in a Russian penal colony for exposing official malfeasance in the run-up to the Sochi Olympiad, has declared a hunger strike after the Russian Supreme Court refused to review the way his case has been handled.
The activist, who was initially given a suspended sentence for his activities, had that suspension revoked and was sent to the camps. He and his lawyers appealed that decision to the Supreme Court, but at the end of March, he was informed that his appeal had been denied (bellona.ru/articles_ru/articles_2015/vitishko_hunger-strike).
In protest, he has begun a hunger strike possibly in the hope that the Tambov court which is scheduled to hold a hearing on his case this Wednesday, April 15, will re-instate his suspension and allow him to go home. But the odds of that happening seem very long against, the Bellona organization says.
While in the camps, Vitishko has taken up the causes of his fellow prisoners. His jailors have thus found him guilty of violating prison rules eight ties and subjected him to seven spells of disciplinary treatment. Most of these came after he protested the mass beating of prisoners by their jailors to the press.
In a related development, one that highlights the contempt many Russian officials and even ordinary Russian citizens feel for their environment, the Kavkaz-uzel news agency reports that much of the Olympic Village constructed for the Sochi Games at such high cost has been vandalized and left uninhabitable (kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/259804/).
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 Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ |
Россия планово раскрыла космическую группировку спутников-шпионов
Московский комсомолец По его словам, специалисты Главного центра разведки космической обстановки (РКО) была вскрыта вновь созданная группировка космических аппаратов радиотехнической разведки. «Группировка создается для того, чтобы осуществить радиотехническую разведку средств, ... Спутники-шпионы маскировались под космический мусорКомсомольская правда Военные России засекли спутники-шпионы в виде космического мусораРБК На орбите обнаружены спутники-шпионы, следящие за РоссиейOAnews Вести.Ru -Российская Газета -Общественный контроль Все похожие статьи: 108 » |
US Defense Secretary Ends Asia-Pacific Tourby webdesk@voanews.com (Carla Babb)
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter is returning to Washington Sunday after a week-long trip visiting U.S. allies in the Asia-Pacific region. Secretary Carter spent the last day of his Asia-Pacific tour speaking with military leaders at the U.S. Pacific Command headquarters in Honolulu. He heard from commanders on issues ranging from the land disputes in the South China Sea to the missile threat on the Korean peninsula. He, in turn, briefed the command’s leadership on his visit to Japan and South Korea. “The two issues I heard most about on this trip were, first TPP, and second, the importance of U.S. alliances and partnerships to the stability of this, one of the future’s most important regions," Carter said. TPP is the Trans Pacific Partnership, an agreement intended to expand trade among a dozen Asia-Pacific nations, including the U.S. Carter thanked Admiral Sam Locklear, the head of U.S. Pacific Command, for leading the effort to ensure security in the region as the defense secretary oversees the next phase of the United States’ refocus on the region. Prior to the Pacific Command headquarters visit, Carter boarded the destroyer USS John Paul Jones, docked at Pearl Harbor. He thanked Navy sailors on board for their dedication to protecting the Pacific.
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 ИА REGNUM |
МИД РФ обеспокоен тенденцией сближения Швеции и Финляндии с НАТО
ИА REGNUM Российская Федерация озабочена сближение Швеции и Финляндии с военным блоком НАТО, а также с тем, что военное сотрудничество стран Северной Европы начинает позиционироваться, как направленное против России. Об этом сказано в заявлении министерства иностранных ... МИД России обеспокоен сближением Финляндии и Швеции с НАТОКоммерсантъ Москва обеспокоена попытками НАТО навязать нейтральным скандинавам конфронтацию с РФНТВ.ru МИД РФ: Москва озабочена сближением с НАТО Финляндии и ШвецииРоссийская Газета Lenta.ru -Газета.Ru -Аргументы и факты Все похожие статьи: 59 » |
Polish Outrage Over Pro-Putin Bikers' Victory Lap To Berlinby noreply@rferl.org (Mark Krutov)
A small group of Russian motorcyclists, including members of the pro-Putin Night Wolves club, are planning a trip from Moscow to Berlin to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe
Saudi Airstrike Targets Rebel Camp in Yemenby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Saudi-led air strikes targeting a military camp killed at least eight civilians in the central Yemeni city of Taiz on Sunday, a medical source said, while France's top diplomat offered Western support to Riyadh's air campaign. Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab allies began airstrikes against the Houthis more than two weeks ago, hoping to halt their advance toward the southern port city of Aden, where clashes continued Sunday. While meeting with Saudi King Salman in Saudi Arabia, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday France was "naturally on the side of its regional partners for the restoration of stability in Yemen," according to his entourage. "Concerning Yemen, we are here to demonstrate our support, especially political, to the Saudi authorities," Fabius told reporters as he began a series of meetings with Salman. The air raids were aimed at a site held by soldiers loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh who have joined up with Iranian-allied Houthi rebels against local militias in the south, the source said. Former president Saleh remains highly influential despite having given up power in 2012 after mass protests against his rule and troops loyal to him back the Houthis. The campaign has raised fears that a sectarian proxy war between rivals Riyadh and Tehran will further destabilize the Middle East and potentially destroy the Yemeni state. In a sign of the military's weakening control, suspected al-Qaida militants killed an army colonel in the central Shabwa province on Sunday, a local official said. Separately, an al-Qaida leader was killed in an apparent U.S. drone strike on a group of militants west of the port city of Mukalla on the Arabian Sea, residents told Reuters. It was the first reported drone strike against the powerful Yemeni branch of the global militant group since the U.S. evacuated about 100 special forces troops advising Yemeni forces last month. While the United States and its Sunni Gulf allies are worried about the threat from Sunni radicals such as al-Qaida, they also fear the war will increase the influence of Shi'ite Iran. Saudi Arabia is concerned its war on the Houthis could spill over the border, but Iran has denied Saudi allegations that it has provided military support to the group. The Houthis also deny getting help from Iran and say their armed campaign is designed to stamp out corruption and Sunni al-Qaida militants. Saudi Arabia dismissed Iranian calls for an end to its airstrikes Sunday, saying Tehran should not interfere in the conflict. “How can Iran call for us to stop the fighting in Yemen? … We came to Yemen to help the legitimate authority, and Iran is not in charge of Yemen,” Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said in the Saudi capital Riyadh at a press conference with French counterpart Laurent Fabius. Civilian deaths The United Nations says the conflict, in which the Houthis seized the capital Sana'a in northern Yemen in September, has killed 600 people, wounded 2,200 and displaced 100,000 others. Saudi Arabia said Saturday that at least 500 insurgent Shi'ites have been killed along the Saudi-Yemen border since the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes late last month. It did not say how it arrived at that figure. A Saudi Defense Ministry statement also said three Saudi border guards were killed in a mortar attack Friday in the Saudi border province of Najran. The statement did not provide details of how the death toll was tabulated. But a coalition spokesman earlier in the day said there had been 1,200 coalition airstrikes between March 26 and midday Saturday, including sorties on the southern port city of Aden that killed at least 22 people. The airstrikes so far have failed to stop the Houthi rebel advance across the country. Some material for this report came from Reuters, AFP and AP.
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Orthodox Christians Celebrate Easterby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Orthodox Christians around the world are celebrating Easter Sunday. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his family observed Orthodox Easter services at Volodymyrsky Cathedral in the capital, Kyiv. Ukrainian Patriarch Filaret prayed for peace and said "we are strongly sure that God will send us a win over the aggressor," in a reference to Russia, which has annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula. "This year Ukraine is celebrating Easter in conditions of non-claimed war on Donbass. But we are strongly sure that God will send us a win over the aggressor, because the truce is with us," he said. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attended services in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Easter marks the day Christians believe Jesus was resurrected after his crucifixion and entombment more than 2,000 years ago. Roman Catholics and Protestants observed Easter last Sunday in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Eastern Orthodox churches use the older Julian calendar. Some information for this report came from AP.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be invited to attend the G7 summit of leading industrial nations in Bavaria this June.
Al-Qaeda's branch in India has confirmed that two of its leaders were killed in U.S. drone air strikes in Pakistan earlier this year.
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 Украинское национальное информагентство |
Лавров надеется, что Порошенко нейтрализует сторонников войны
Украинское национальное информагентство Глава МИД РФ Сергей Лавров считает, что Президент Украины Петр Порошенко должен доказать свое стремление к установлению мира на Донбассе и нейтрализовать сторонников войны. Об этом Лавров заявил в интервью для "Вестей недели". "Если Порошенко является ... Лавров дал Порошенко совет по нейтрализации противников мираУтро.Ru Лавров: Порошенко должен нейтрализовать пытающихся ввергнуть Украину в гражданскую войнуМосковский комсомолец Лавров: Порошенко должен нейтрализовать сторонников войныРБК Украина РБК -Новости туризма Турции -Вести.Ru Все похожие статьи: 55 » |
 RT |
Russia's space defense troops spot foreign spying satellites
RT This satellite constellation is being developed to carry out communications surveillance of the facilities based inside Russian Federation territory," commander of the Space Command, Major-General Oleg Maidanovich, informed Zvezda TV channel. Official: Russia 'Busts Satellite Spy Ring'DefenseNews.com Russia 'busts foreign satellite spy ring'Business Insider Russia detects spy satellites disguised as space junk, commander saysThe Japan Times all 19 The Telegraph: Russia 'busts foreign satellite spy ring'Kyiv Post all 16 news articles » |
 ЛІГА.net |
Петр Порошенко намерен упростить предоставление украинского гражданства россиянам
Коммерсантъ Президент Украины Петр Порошенко рассказал о законодательной инициативе, которая упростит предоставление гражданства страны россиянам. Речь, прежде всего, идет об активистах, преследуемых на родине за проукраинскую позицию. «Нынешние процедуры предоставления ... Порошенко пообещал упростить для россиян получение украинского паспортаLenta.ru Украина упростит процедуру предоставления гражданства преследуемым в РФ - ПорошенкоУНИАН Порошенко намерен предоставлять убежище российским оппозиционерамЛІГА.net РБК Украина -Грани.Ру -Деловой Петербург Все похожие статьи: 29 » |
Russia has discovered a group of spy satellites gathering Russian communications signals while masquerading as space junk.
Gunmen Attack South Korea Embassy in Tripoliby webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
Unidentified gunmen fired shots at the South Korean embassy in Tripoli on Sunday killing two local security guards, a South Korean official in Seoul said. The gunmen fired from a car at the embassy compound, killing two security officers who were Libyan government employees and wounding another, the South Korean foreign ministry official said, asking not to be identified. The official said the embassy is staffed by two foreign service officials and one administrative staff member. There was no confirmation of the identity of the gunmen, the official said. China's Xinhua news agency quoted a Libyan security official as saying the gunmen were affiliated with Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Libyan militants professing loyalty to the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria have been blamed for several high-profile attacks this year involving foreigners, including an assault on a luxury Tripoli hotel and the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians. Libya is caught up in a conflict between two rival governments and armed forces who have attacked towns allied with opponents. But Islamist militants are also increasing their reach in the chaos since Moammar Gadhafi's fall in 2011. The South Korean foreign ministry official said the government was considering relocating the embassy, without elaborating.
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Iraq's Leader to Seek Arms With Deferred Payment on US Visitby webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
Iraq's prime minister will seek U.S. President Barack Obama's help to acquire billions of dollars in drones and other U.S. arms to fight the Islamic State group during a U.S. visit next week, a senior Iraqi official told Reuters. Facing a cash crunch due to a plunge in oil prices and a budget deficit of roughly $21 billion this year, Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi wants to defer payment for the purchases, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Abadi is grappling with an insurgency by militants from Islamic State, an al-Qaida offshoot that emerged from the chaos in Iraq and neighboring Syria and seized much of northern and central Iraq last year. Visiting Washington for the first time as prime minister, he hopes to convince a war-weary United States Iraq deserves more U.S. manpower and arms three years after U.S. troops withdrew from the country in December 2011, as his fledgling army confronts the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS and ISIL. 'Everybody's problem' "ISIS is everybody's problem now," said the Iraqi official. "You can't run away from the problem if it comes to Canada or goes to France," he said in reference to attacks by people influenced by Islamic State or al-Qaida in those countries. The official hinted Baghdad could turn to Tehran if it did not get the aid it wants from Washington. "If that's not available, we've already done it with the Iranians and others," he said, saying that was not the first choice. "The PM is committed to the U.S. ... What he also wants to make sure is that he has a partner that he can rely on." Obama in August authorized the first U.S. airstrikes on Iraq since the U.S. withdrawal and has deployed about 3,000 American military forces to help Iraq to battle the group. But he has also imposed limits on the U.S. military role on the ground to training and advising Iraqi and Kurdish forces. The official said Abadi, who is to meet Obama on Tuesday, wanted to explore obtaining a series of advanced weapons, including unarmed drone aircraft, Apache attack helicopters manufactured by Boeing Co. and ammunition. He will also seek permission to postpone payment for the weaponry. "We're talking about billions here," the official said. "This is a new approach for us because of the scale of the challenge we have ahead. Mosul and Nineveh province and Anbar will cost us a lot." National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said the United States will continue to consult Iraq's leaders to ensure they have what they need to fight Islamic State. "The United States is committed to providing essential equipment to Iraqi security forces, including Kurdish forces, as part of the Coalition fight against ISIL," he said. Meeting between officials U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters on a visit to Hawaii he expected to meet Abadi in Washington. Asked whether the United States would consider providing equipment including Apache helicopters on deferred payment, he replied, "We will consider any request he makes we have been conducting all of our support to the counter-ISIL campaign in Iraq through the Iraqi government and that's the way we want to keep doing it." Aware of the time it takes to train pilots, one possibility that could also be explored during Abadi's visit would be the United States loaning Apaches to Iraq, along with the pilots to fly them. Likely payment terms on those and the other arrangements for U.S. arms were unclear. The Iraqi government on April 2 claimed victory over Islamic State insurgents in Tikrit after a month-long battle for the city supported by Shi'ite militiamen and U.S.-led air strikes, an achievement marred by complaints of militia looting and burning of homes in the Sunni city. Seeking to gain momentum, Iraqi security forces on Wednesday launched a new offensive against Islamic State in the Sunni Muslim heartland of Anbar. They are eventually expected to move on to Nineveh and its capital Mosul, the group's stronghold. But Iraq is still burdened by a legacy of sectarianism. Its minority Sunni population resented former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-majority government and were incensed by his ordering troops to clear a Ramadi protest camp in December 2013. U.S. officials believe they have a better partner in Abadi but are still wary of the volatile politics in a fractured country that is seeing Iran strengthening its role.
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Page 6
 BBC Russian |
Германия отказалась пригласить Россию на саммит G7
BBC Russian Министр иностранных дел Германии Франк-Вальтер Штайнмайер в воскресенье отклонил призывы радикальной партии "Левых" пригласить российского лидера Владимира Путина на нынешний саммит стран "Большой семерки" G7. В прошлом году группа семи развитых стран провела ... Глава немецкого МИД выступил против приглашения Путина на саммит G7Комсомольская правда Глава МИД Германии против участия Путина в саммите "большой семерки"Утро.Ru МИД Германии отказался пригласить Россию на встречу G7 в БаварииИА REGNUM НТВ.ru -BFM.Ru -Украинское национальное информагентство Все похожие статьи: 124 » |
Iran's State TV Says Social Media Accounts Hackedby webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
Iran's Arabic-language state TV network Al Alam said on Sunday its Twitter account had been hacked and a false report was posted that an Iran-allied rebel leader in Yemen had died. Al Alam has covered the crisis in Yemen since Saudi Arabia and Arab allies launched air strikes against the Shi'ite Houthi movement this month. The airstrikes have raised tensions between Shi'ite Muslim Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, who are vying for influence amid sectarian wars shaking the region. The false news on Houthi leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi's death was tweeted by Al Alam's account on Saturday, and several later posts published contact information for the channel's reporters around the region. The channel said it was working on restoring its account. Al Alam's Youtube channel also appeared to be hacked, and a video was posted of a song praising Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz with the Saudi flag as a backdrop. The station was taken off the air by Arab satellite operators based in Egypt and Saudi Arabia in November. U.S.-allied Arab governments have watched with alarm as Iran's influence has spread in the wake of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and the rise of Iranian-backed armed groups throughout the region.
Russian president joins Patriarch Kirill for Easter prayers in Moscow cathedral
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