Vladimir Putin on The Huffington Posttag:huffingtonpost.com,2011:/tag/vladimir-putinThe Huffington PostKhalil Nouri: Afghanistan: The Karzai-Medvedev Russian Roulettehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/khalil-nouri/afghanistan-the-karzaimed_b_812705.htmlKhalil Nourihttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/khalil-nouri/
Afghan President Hamid Karzai's recent trip to Moscow marks an unprecedented state level rendezvous by an Afghanistan Head of State. The first since the Soviet backed President Najibullah's trip; whose term ended shortly after the Soviet Union withdrew its forces from Afghanistan. <br />
<br />
It is a life and death game for Hamid Karzai akin to spinning the cylinder of a new Russian revolver, aiming for a cajolement by a western backed Afghan state with the Russian federation -- once its foe -- and to tie the knot for a new marriage as if there was always a sweet serenity in their past history. However, in this tweaked "Great Game" of the 21st Century for this Central Asian state, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has already mastered his single bullet roulette play by skillfully defeating the Karzai impact. In contrast and seemingly with pitiful and insincere solicitations towards the Russians, the odds for Karzai's Afghanistan surviving are slim and thus worthy of undergoing some litmus tests that could result in great success or utter failure for Afghanistan. <br />
<br />
<strong>Friction with the West and the Immense Hurdles</strong> <br />
<br />
Is Karzai's dangerous game-play prompted by the political climate between Washington and Kabul getting strained and spiraling deeper into a black hole of emptiness? Of course, the insurgency has spiked, the Taliban are ignoring efforts of reconciliation with the rigged-ridden and long-suffering Afghan government; there is rampant corruption, the U.S. is unsure of troop withdrawal by 2014, there is a lack of Pashtun participation in Afghan National Army and Police, a tribal imbalance, drug trafficking, a fragmented NATO alliance, regional actors muddling in Afghanistan's state of affairs, an Afghan constitutional crisis, no Georg W Bush style video conferencing between Obama and Karzai, and many other factors that are causing ill progress scenarios and ultimately friction between the Karzai government and the West. <br />
<br />
If Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the late, Richard Holbrook's funeral ceremony resembled a political barometer of relations between Washington and Kabul, where Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari participated and Hamid Karzai did not show up in Washington last month, then the questions surrounding this new Moscow stopover by Karzai may be indications that there are clearly new ideas being brewed. <br />
<br />
<strong>Afghan Displeasure</strong> <br />
<br />
Is it time to change the political tide back towards a dangerous old friend and subsequent foe of the 80's Afghanistan occupation, only, now under new management, but still attached to cold war era comrades -- Vladimir Putin and Dimitry Medvedev? It remains to be seen as to how much the Afghan populace could absorb of this love hate relationship between Kabul and Moscow. Because, one must bear in mind, most Afghans cannot distinguish between the old Soviet communist mentality and the new democratic Russia. To them, they are the same tyrants that killed over 2 million Afghans during their occupation of Afghanistan. And therefore, the Soviet war wounds are still fresh in the minds of many Afghans, and efforts at welding a positive common consensus towards Russia amongst the Afghans may not serve Karzai very well. <br />
<br />
A negative test result was made apparent when a recent joint U.S-Russian counternarcotics raid in Eastern Afghanistan raised eyebrows in Kabul palace and amongst the Afghan populace, reminding them of personal pain and suffering at the hands of Russians in echoes of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. <br />
<br />
Mr. Karzai may think that he has an opportunity to use one against the other (U.S. verses Russia) for his elongated power grab, and personally benefit in a way that may not serve any good for the average Afghans. <br />
<br />
<strong>Russian Interests</strong><br />
<br />
Russians are concern about two main threats emanating from Afghanistan; drugs and terrorism, and it is clear that these problems must be dealt with, at least at the Afghan border. If Russia is willing to support [Afghanistan] in any possible way, then it should not be direct military involvement in Afghanistan. No Russian solder should ever be on Afghan soil. <br />
<br />
However, there is also the direct possibility that any Russian involvement in Afghanistan could spark a terrorist response akin to Chechnya and the Caucuses events inside Russian territories via Afghanistan, and consequently tempt the Russians to engage once again in some kind of militarily operations inside Afghanistan; clandestine or otherwise if the U.S. completely withdraws. <br />
<br />
Russia also has the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) natural-gas pipeline in its radar; wanting to gorge the lion's share of any future worldwide energy demand benefits from it, which may cause friction with other interests in the West where Karzai has a fiduciary obligation to his old employer UNOCAL and other Western energy companies. <br />
<br />
Hamid Karzai, unlike a strong and true Afghan statesman is apparently but stealthily in his cyclical emotional tantrum. His crony and gratuity tipper Ahmadinejad has also engaged in a love-hate relationship with Karzai. He stepped directly on top of Karzai's cronyism, showed his upper hand and used a dose of power play by halting thousands of oil tankers en route to Afghanistan for a month, consequently depriving millions of Afghans of heat in the frigid Hindu-Kush country. <br />
<br />
Out of desperation, Karzai made the move to call upon Russian President Medvedev, and opened up a dialogue emphasizing Russian's role in Afghanistan, including counternarcotics cooperation. As Western powers ready themselves for an exit, the relationship with Russia is going to be a key factor in the future. However, the looming danger is that, when the gun barrel is loaded with the one bullet and it is Hamid Karzai's turn to fire, he won't be able to fake his way out of the consequences and could spark a second round of Russia-versus-Afghan strife and conflict. <br />
<br />
<em>Khalil Nouri is the cofounder of New World Strategies Coalition Inc <a href="http://newworldstrategiescoalition.org/Home_Page.php" target="_hplink">www.nwscinc.org</a>, a native think tank for a nonmilitary solution studies for Afghanistan, and a member of Afghanistan Study Group <a href="http://www.afghanistanstudygroup.org" target="_hplink">www.afghanistanstudygroup.org</a> </em> <br />
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/hamid-karzai">Hamid Karzai</a>, <a href="/tag/kabul">Kabul</a>, <a href="/tag/nato">Nato</a>, <a href="/tag/khalil-nouri">Khalil Nouri</a>, <a href="/tag/afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/afpak">Afpak</a>, <a href="/tag/soviet-union">Soviet Union</a>, <a href="/tag/dmitry-medvedev">Dmitry Medvedev</a>, <a href="/tag/war-on-terror">War on Terror</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
President Obama's Gifts From Foreign Officials: What Queen Elizabeth II, The Pope Gave In 2009http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/20/president-obamas-gifts-fr_n_811652.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
Officials have just released a <a href="http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/154926.pdf" target="_hplink">list</a> of all gifts that federal employees received from international politicians and other diplomats in 2009. Not surprisingly, President Obama tops the list of recipients, followed closely by First Lady Michelle Obama. Next to each gift is an estimated value. <br />
<br />
As the BBC is <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12222845" target="_hplink">reporting</a>, the gifts range from extravagant (a "large desert scene on a green veined marble base featuring miniature figurines of gold palm trees and camels; large gold medallion with the Royal seal in a green leather display box; large brass and glass clock by Jaeger-LeCoultre in a green leather display case" from Saudi Arabia's Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud was collectively worth a cool $34,500.00) to the more economical (at a mere $400, an antique brass samovar, or tea kettle-like container, from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seems thrifty). <br />
<br />
See the full list <a href="http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/154926.pdf" target="_hplink">here</a>. <br />
<br />
Check out some gifts, and see how much foreign diplomats spent, here: <br />
<br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/abdullah-bin-abd-alaziz-al-saud">Abdullah Bin Abd Al-Aziz Al Saud</a>, <a href="/tag/michelle-obama">Michelle Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/retail">Retail</a>, <a href="/tag/slidepollajax">Slidepollajax</a>, <a href="/tag/angela-merkel">Angela Merkel</a>, <a href="/tag/gift-giving">Gift Giving</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/gifts">Gifts</a>, <a href="/tag/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/queen-elizabeth-ii">Queen Elizabeth II</a>, <a href="/tag/nicolas-sarkozy">Nicolas Sarkozy</a>, <a href="/tag/us-state-department">US State Department</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Vladimir Putin Celebrates Orthodox Christmas (PHOTOS)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/07/vladimir-putin-celebrates_n_805768.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
Christmas is traditionally a time for family -- and Russian diplomats are no exception. <br />
<br />
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin returned to his own roots yesterday in honor of the holiday, by attending a solemn Orthodox Christmas mass in the church of the Intercession of the Mother of God in the small village of Turginovo, in the country's Tver region. The Russian premier opted for a simple sweater, given to him as a gift by a local official. <br />
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8245454/Vladimir-Putin-celebrates-Christmas.html" target="_hplink"><br />
According</a> to the<em> Telegraph</em>, Putin's ancestors have lived in Turginovo since the 17th century. The Russian premier's grandmother is even buried at a local cemetery. Like most eastern Christian nations, Russian Orthodox churches <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/06/epiphany-three-kings-day-photos_n_805245.html#s219869&title=Cyprus" target="_hplink">mark Christmas</a> on Jan. 7, 13 days after Catholics and Protestants. <br />
<br />
View photos of Putin marking Christmas here: <br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/epiphany">Epiphany</a>, <a href="/tag/orthodox-christianity">Orthodox Christianity</a>, <a href="/tag/holidays">Holidays</a>, <a href="/tag/slidepollajax">Slidepollajax</a>, <a href="/tag/christmas">Christmas</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/russian-prime-minister-vladimir-putin">Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/orthodox-christmas">Orthodox Christmas</a>, <a href="/tag/christianity">Christianity</a>, <a href="/tag/russia-christmas">Russia Christmas</a>, <a href="/tag/russian-prime-minister">Russian Prime Minister</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Jeff Danziger: Khodorkovsky Casehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-danziger/khodorkovsky-case_b_803222.htmlJeff Danzigerhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-danziger/
<img alt="2011-01-01-danzcolor4610.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2011-01-01-danzcolor4610.jpg" width="600" height="459" /><br />
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/dmitry-medvedev">Dmitry Medvedev</a>, <a href="/tag/political-cartoons">Political Cartoons</a>, <a href="/tag/mikhail-khodorkovsky">Mikhail Khodorkovsky</a>, <a href="/politics">Politics News</a></p>
Book details strongman Vladimir Putin's artful ways http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/30/book-details-strongman-vl_n_802947.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
WAS it theft or a diplomatic misunderstanding?<br />
<br />
Either way, when Vladimir Putin left the Guggenheim Museum with a vodka-filled glass sculpture shaped like an AK47 rifle, no one had the courage to stop him.<br />
<br />
That, at least, is the tale told by an art consultant who was working at the prestigious New York venue in 2005, when the alleged incident took place. Nic Iljine, 66, outlines details of the incident in The Hedonist's Guide to Art, a collection of essays by curators, collectors and critics.
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/art-books">Art Books</a>, <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/the-hedonists-guide-to-art">The Hedonist's Guide to Art</a>, <a href="/tag/united-nations">United Nations</a>, <a href="/tag/guggenheim-museum">Guggenheim Museum</a>, <a href="/tag/sculpture">Sculpture</a>, <a href="/tag/art-theft">Art Theft</a>, <a href="/tag/masterpiece">Masterpiece</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/vodka">Vodka</a>, <a href="/tag/guns">Guns</a>, <a href="/tag/ak47">ak47</a>, <a href="/arts">Arts News</a></p>
Sunil Sharan: Will India Win Coveted UN Seat?http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sunil-sharan/will-india-win-coveted-un_b_801786.htmlSunil Sharanhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sunil-sharan/
<p>Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao says Pakistan is hypnotically<br />
obsessed with India but she and her bosses too are fixated on a<br />
coveted prize, a permanent seat at the United Nations Security<br />
Council. The mandarins of New Delhi must be pleased as punch to have<br />
had over to visit leaders of all five permanent member countries in<br />
quick succession. Inexorable appears the march but will India find the<br />
pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? And, if it does, what are the<br />
implications for itself as well as for Pakistan?</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>First in was David Cameron of Britain, who arrived during the summer<br />
and offered unstinting support, whetting local appetite for the main<br />
American course. And, did he fail to disappoint? No sir, Barack Obama<br />
set the cat amongst the pigeons by endorsing India for the seat, the<br />
first time ever by the US. India rejoiced while Pakistan recoiled.</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>But a careful examination shows him adhering closely to what he told<br />
Bob Woodward in the book,<em> Obama's Wars</em>. In lieu of the seat, he<br />
expects India to resolve Kashmir. At a press conference with Manmohan<br />
Singh, Obama characterized Kashmir as a long-standing dispute making<br />
the latter stutter that the K-word was not scary. Only then did Obama<br />
hand over the endorsement in India's Parliament but couched in such<br />
diplomatese that countless local hair were split over when "the years<br />
ahead" would dawn.</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>Next waltzed in Nicolas Sarkozy of France. The French, like the<br />
British, have consistently seen merit in India's case. Sarkozy though,<br />
true to type, proved an enigma. He first tagged on the applications of<br />
Africa, the Arabs and pretty much the rest of the world onto India's,<br />
befuddling his hosts, who are willing to concede as equal aspirants<br />
only "self-appointed frontrunners" Germany, Japan and Brazil. Just as<br />
they were about to give up on him, Sarkozy warmed the cockles of<br />
India's heart by throwing in 2011 as early as when it could make it.</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>But soon came the caveat. Sarkozy, just like Obama before him,<br />
cautioned that with great power status came great responsibilities.<br />
Whereas Obama wanted India to be more mindful of human rights<br />
violations of countries such as Iran and Myanmar, Sarkozy wanted India<br />
to send military forces to keep world peace. With India already being<br />
one of the foremost contributors to UN peacekeeping missions<br />
throughout the world, the mandarins of New Delhi must have been left<br />
wondering what more was being asked of them.</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>No matter, three down, two to go. By now the state jets were landing<br />
at Delhi airport almost on top of one another. Wen Jiabao, the leader<br />
India was least looking forward to, came with the master key to entry.<br />
Shortly before his visit, WikiLeaks revealed China's opposition to any<br />
council expansion. Indian hopes were up nevertheless but Wen remained<br />
inscrutable, willing only to acknowledge an understanding of India's<br />
aspirations. No one in India knew quite what to make of him and since<br />
Wen was off to Pakistan next, all the country could do was wait with<br />
clenched teeth to hear what he would say there.</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>Rounding off the passage to India was Dmitry Medvedev. Relations<br />
between Russia and India have frayed considerably since the heady days<br />
of the cold war, so much so that Russia has waffled on India's bid.<br />
Medvedev signaled that the waffle still needed baking, voicing support<br />
for India while reiterating that reforming the council was tough and<br />
required consensus.</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>All the while Pakistan protested vociferously against what it deemed<br />
an indulgence of Indian hegemonism. But what will India gain with a<br />
permanent UN seat? Could it block Pakistani claims on Kashmir? True a<br />
permanent member wielding veto power can stonewall but the veto seems<br />
unattainable for seekers since they themselves have forsaken it. And,<br />
while India sees red when the K-word is uttered in the UN by Pakistan,<br />
no ascension to permanency can make it strangle the latter. Nor can it<br />
efface any past security council resolutions.</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>So then, what is it? Nothing comes to mind but the obvious, the<br />
acceptance that any arriviste craves. Even that appears a false<br />
hankering because ever since its early years, Gandhi's legacy and<br />
Nehru's charisma burnished the country with global influence<br />
disproportionate to its economic and military capabilities. A bee once<br />
in one's bonnet is hard to get rid of though. And, as every journey<br />
must have a fitting end, India has found a destination to its liking.</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>Flush with cash, New Delhi wants to beef up its military. All of the<br />
recent visitors bar China are major suppliers of defence equipment to<br />
India. As bees flock to honey, they arrived armed with catalogues of<br />
the most terrifying stuff. Inherent was a delicate diplomatic<br />
quid-pro-quo. The more arms you buy from us, the more we will push<br />
your candidacy. As Islamabad keeps raising the bar for India's seat,<br />
so too will India have to up its arms binge.</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>Lost in Pakistan's current rhetoric was its vote in October to put<br />
India in the security council for two years beginning January 1, 2011.<br />
Once on, we will never get off is the new mantra of India's brave.<br />
India seemingly returned the favor by taking in stride the sale of<br />
Chinese nuclear reactors to Pakistan. Is there more afoot than meets<br />
the eye?</p><p><br />
<br />
<p>Every country is entitled to its obsession. Pakistan's is obvious. By<br />
continually thumbing its nose at a NATO mired in Afghanistan, it has<br />
put the K-word in spotlight, albeit on the backstage. A deal has been<br />
blessed by the powers that be. Both the seat and Srinagar are not far<br />
away.</p><p><br />
<br />
<em>The writer edits <a href="www.scooptime.com" target="_hplink">http://www.scooptime.com/</a> . He can<br />
be reached at <a href="mailto:sunil_sharan@yahoo.com" target="_hplink">sunil_sharan@yahoo.com</a></em> .<br />
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/uk">Uk</a>, <a href="/tag/united-kingdom">United Kingdom</a>, <a href="/tag/india">India</a>, <a href="/tag/sarkozy">Sarkozy</a>, <a href="/tag/france">France</a>, <a href="/tag/usa">Usa</a>, <a href="/tag/obama-wars">Obama Wars</a>, <a href="/tag/david-cameron">David Cameron</a>, <a href="/tag/washington-dc">Washington DC</a>, <a href="/tag/president-obama">President Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/obama-administration">Obama Administration</a>, <a href="/tag/obama">Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/president">President</a>, <a href="/tag/hu-jintao">Hu Jintao</a>, <a href="/tag/manmohan-singh">Manmohan Singh</a>, <a href="/tag/united-nations">United Nations</a>, <a href="/tag/obamas-wars">Obama's Wars</a>, <a href="/tag/washington">Washington</a>, <a href="/tag/carla-bruni">Carla Bruni</a>, <a href="/tag/un">Un</a>, <a href="/tag/putin">Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/britain">Britain</a>, <a href="/tag/united-states-of-america">United States of America</a>, <a href="/tag/new-delhi">New Delhi</a>, <a href="/tag/pakistan">Pakistan</a>, <a href="/tag/england">England</a>, <a href="/tag/cameron">Cameron</a>, <a href="/tag/wen-jiabao">Wen Jiabao</a>, <a href="/tag/united-nations-security-council">United Nations Security Council</a>, <a href="/tag/uno">Uno</a>, <a href="/tag/the-uk">The UK</a>, <a href="/tag/great-britain">Great Britain</a>, <a href="/tag/us">Us</a>, <a href="/tag/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/un-security-council">UN Security Council</a>, <a href="/tag/kashmir">Kashmir</a>, <a href="/tag/bob-woodward">Bob Woodward</a>, <a href="/tag/prime-minister">Prime Minister</a>, <a href="/tag/delhi">Delhi</a>, <a href="/tag/singh">Singh</a>, <a href="/tag/dimitri-medvedev">Dimitri Medvedev</a>, <a href="/tag/michelle-obama">Michelle Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/united-states">United States</a>, <a href="/tag/the-us">The Us</a>, <a href="/tag/nicolas-sarkozy">Nicolas Sarkozy</a>, <a href="/tag/dmitry-medvedev">Dmitry Medvedev</a>, <a href="/tag/the-un">The UN</a>, <a href="/tag/china">China</a>, <a href="/tag/dave-cameron">Dave Cameron</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Anna Chapman Joins Putin's Russian Youth Group (VIDEO)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/22/anna-chapman-joins-putins_n_800406.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
MOSCOW — Former spy Anna Chapman publicly reaffirmed her allegiance to Russia and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday by joining the youth wing of his United Russia party.<br />
<br />
Chapman was exposed in the United States along with nine other so-called sleeper agents in the biggest spy swap since the Cold War and deported back to Russia this summer.<br />
<br />
Rather than recede into anonymity like the other agents, she has reveled in the fame, appearing at the launch of a Russian spacecraft and stripping to her underwear for a men's magazine, among other things. She also agreed to become the public face of a bank that serves the space industry.<br />
<br />
At Wednesday's meeting of the Young Guards, the red-haired 28-year-old Chapman was in beauty pageant mode, even mouthing the kind of banalities usually saved for such occasions.<br />
<br />
"Let's dream about the boldest things," said Chapman, wearing a red dress and heavy makeup, her flaming hair carefully styled. "Let's start changing the country by changing ourselves first.<br />
<br />
"There would be less negativity in society if each of us woke up with a smile," she continued. "If each of us greets each day with joy, then you can create something new and useful."<br />
<br />
Chapman later refused to answer questions about her duties at the Young Guards and left a press conference with her bodyguard. The youth group's leader, Timur Prokopenko, also could not specify her job, saying that she simply was "the heroine of her generation."<br />
<br />
Chapman is "an example of unconditional patriotism," Young Guards spokesman Andrei Tatarinov said in a statement. "She is a good example for the new generation."<br />
<br />
The Young Guards is known for its anti-U.S. rhetoric and violent pranks against Kremlin critics.<br />
<br />
It was among several youth groups formed in the mid-2000s to counter anti-Kremlin groups and prevent uprisings similar to the "color revolutions" in Georgia and Ukraine that brought pro-Western politicians to power.<br />
<br />
The Young Guards staged mass rallies involving thousands of activists, including a 2006 demonstration dubbed "the world's Independence Day from America" that featured anti-U.S. posters and slogans accusing the White House of meddling in Russian politics with "guns and burgers."<br />
<br />
A former Young Guards leader told the Associated Press in January that the group has hired soccer fans and neo-Nazis to assault opposition leaders.<br />
<br />
In recent months, the group has been roiled by widely publicized scandals and reprimands from its Kremlin mentors.<br />
<br />
One of its leaders resigned after faking photos of himself helping extinguish forest fires around Moscow this summer. The group also called for action against a journalist who challenged government policies. The journalist, Oleg Kashin, was later brutally beaten by unidentified assailants and remains hospitalized.<br />
<br />
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Russia Unveils New World War II Memorial To Replace Destroyed Georgian Monument (VIDEO)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/21/russia-unveils-new-world-_n_799645.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
Russia unveiled a stunning new memorial dedicated to Soviet troops who fought in World War II in Moscow, just one year after a similar monument was destroyed in the Georgian town of Kutaisi,<em> Russia Today</em> is <a href="http://rt.com/news/kutaisi-memorial-moscow-georgia/" target="_hplink">reporting</a>. <br />
<br />
Though initially planned an exact replica of the destroyed monument known as the "Memorial of Fame," Moscow's architectural commission is said to have altered the scale and scope of the new memorial, while paying significant homage to the original concept. <br />
<br />
Among the many diplomats who were <a href="http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15800663&PageNum=0" target="_hplink">reported</a> to have taken part in Tuesday's<a href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20101221/161871783.html" target="_hplink"> debut </a>ceremony were Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Georgian opposition leaders Nino Burdzhanadze and Zurab Nogaideli as well as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Also expected were an ensemble of Russian and Georgian war veterans, scientists, cultural workers and artists. <br />
<br />
Slamming the 2009 destruction of the Memorial of Fame (which <a href="http://georgiamediacentre.com/content/destruction_war_memorial_ends_tragedy_two_are_killed_botched_explosion" target="_hplink">reportedly</a> resulted in two deaths) as a "shameful example of state vandalism," Putin then went on to dedicate Moscow's version as "a memorial to the immortal heroism of our people and also a symbol of our strong resolve to protect the truth about the heroes of the war. We stand together against nationalism, xenophobia, extremism -- however appealing they may be made to look." <br />
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Watch video of the new memorial's unveiling here: <br />
<br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/former-soviet-union">Former Soviet Union</a>, <a href="/tag/kutaisi-memorial-destroyed">Kutaisi Memorial Destroyed</a>, <a href="/tag/sergei-sobyanin">Sergei Sobyanin</a>, <a href="/tag/memorial-of-fame">Memorial of Fame</a>, <a href="/tag/world-war-ii-memorial">World War II Memorial</a>, <a href="/tag/moscow">Moscow</a>, <a href="/tag/georgia">Georgia</a>, <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/soviet-union">Soviet Union</a>, <a href="/tag/world-war-ii">World War II</a>, <a href="/tag/world-war-ii-monument">World War II Monument</a>, <a href="/tag/kutaisi">Kutaisi</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Alina Kabayeva, Vladimir Putin's Alleged Mistress, Poses For Russian 'Vogue' (PHOTOS)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/14/alina-kabayeva-putin-vogue_n_796488.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
In a move that is certain to set tongues wagging in the fashion world, Alina Kabayeva -- the reputed mistress of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin -- is set to grace the pages of <em>Russian Vogue</em> next month. <br />
<br />
The 27-year-old former Olympic gymnast is seen on the cover of the magazine's January 2011 issue wearing a gold Balmain gown, StyleBistro is<a href="http://www.stylebistro.com/Fashion+Forum/articles/uFZ0eiHSAol/Putin+Gymnast+Alina+Kabaeva+Covers+Vogue+Russia" target="_hplink"> reporting</a>. The issue is already shaking up readers, many of which have taken to <a href="http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f78/vogue-russia-january-2011-alina-kabaeva-118553.html" target="_hplink">online forums</a> to vent their disapproval, particularly since the dress -- worth an estimated $33,000 -- had previously been photographed for other publications. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1338455/Putins-mistress-Alina-Kabayeva-Russian-Vogues-debut-cover-girl.html?ITO=1490" target="_hplink">According</a> to the<em> Daily Mail</em>, Kabayeva is best known in her native Russia for participating in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where she took home a bronze medal, followed by a gold medal four years later in Athens. Putin reportedly requested an audience with the then-17-year-old Kabayeva upon her return from Sydney. <br />
<br />
Though reps for both Kabayeva and Putin have denied the allegations of an affair, a St. Petersburg wedding planning firm<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1895905/Vladimir-Putin-to-wed-Olympic-gymnast-half-his-age.html" target="_hplink"> claimed</a> they had been contacted to plan the couple's wedding in 2008. Kabayeva<a href="http://siberianlight.net/has-alina-kabaeva-given-birth-to-putins-son/" target="_hplink"> gave birth</a> to a son last year, though the father has never been publicly identified. Meanwhile, the 58-year-old Putin has been married to Lyudmila Shkrebneva since 1983 -- incidentally, the same year Kabayeva was born. <br />
<strong><br />
<em>Russia Vogue</em> January 2011 cover: </strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/227920/VOGUE-COVER.jpg"></center><br />
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<strong>See photos of Kabayeva over the years here: </strong><br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/vogue">Vogue</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin-affair">Vladimir Putin Affair</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/alina-kabaeva">Alina Kabaeva</a>, <a href="/tag/russian-vogue">Russian Vogue</a>, <a href="/tag/russian-vogue-january-2011yworld">Russian Vogue January 2011@Y:World</a>, <a href="/tag/russian-prime-minister">Russian Prime Minister</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin-mistress">Vladimir Putin Mistress</a>, <a href="/tag/olympics">Olympics</a>, <a href="/tag/slidepollajax">Slidepollajax</a>, <a href="/tag/alina-kabayeva-photos">Alina Kabayeva Photos</a>, <a href="/tag/alina-kabayeva">Alina Kabayeva</a>, <a href="/tag/alina-kabayeva-putin">Alina Kabayeva Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/alina-kabayeva-vogue">Alina Kabayeva Vogue</a>, <a href="/tag/alina-kabayeva-russian-vogue">Alina Kabayeva Russian Vogue</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Vladimir Putin Sings, Plays Piano At St. Petersburg Charity Event (VIDEO)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/13/vladimir-putin-sings-play_n_795761.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
He may already be<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/02/putins-commanding-photos-_n_777445.html#s171761" target="_hplink"> renowned</a> as a valiant equestrian and skillful pilot, but as he took to the stage at a St. Petersburg charity event, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin revealed yet another talent -- this time, for music. <br />
<br />
As CBS <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20025421-503543.html" target="_hplink">reports</a>, Putin took a break from the political stage Friday, tickling the ivories on a piano for a Soviet-era patriotic song, "From Where the Motherland Begins," before warbling a heartfelt, if modest, rendition of the pop standard "Blueberry Hill" to a celebrity-packed audience. <br />
<br />
Sharon Stone, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn were among the elite Hollywood stars who witnessed the "Kremlin Crooner" in his musical debut at a concert for children suffering from eye diseases and cancer. Also spotted: French actor Vincent Cassel, currently earning raves for his turn as a sleazy ballet instructor in the Natalie Portman thriller "Black Swan." <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337872/Sing-Vlad-Now-Putin-Blueberry-Hill-crooner-Kremlin.html#ixzz17vTX2jLm" target="_hplink">According</a> to the<em> Daily Mail</em>, Putin learned the lyrics to Blueberry Hill as part of his English language studies.<br />
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Watch video of Putin singing and playing piano here: <br />
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<iframe src="http://widget.newsinc.com/single.htm?WID=2&VID=23250510&freewheel=90057&sitesection=huffingtonpost" height=320 width=425 frameborder=no scrolling=no noresize marginwidth=0px marginheight=0px></iframe>
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin-sings">Vladimir Putin Sings</a>, <a href="/tag/goldie-hawn">Goldie Hawn</a>, <a href="/tag/sharon-stone">Sharon Stone</a>, <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/kurt-russell">Kurt Russell</a>, <a href="/tag/russian-prime-minister">Russian Prime Minister</a>, <a href="/tag/vincent-cassel">Vincent Cassel</a>, <a href="/tag/st-petersburg">St. Petersburg</a>, <a href="/tag/blueberry-hill">Blueberry Hill</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin-plays-piano">Vladimir Putin Plays Piano</a>, <a href="/tag/st-petersburg-charity">St. Petersburg Charity</a>, <a href="/tag/black-swan">Black Swan</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Siberian Elections Show Russia Becoming A One-Party Statehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/11/siberia-elections-russia-party_n_795388.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
NOVOSIBIRSK, Russia -- On the eve of regional elections, an opposition candidate named Olga V. Safronova arrived at a school for a campaign finale. She planned a rousing speech with a refrain that Russia had been seized by a dictatorial ruling party.
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/a-just-russia">A Just Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/olga-safronova">Olga Safronova</a>, <a href="/tag/kremlin">Kremlin</a>, <a href="/tag/russia-one-party">Russia One Party</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/russia-elections">Russia Elections</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
WikiLeaks' Julian Assange 'Should Get Nobel Peace Prize,' Says Russiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/10/wikileaks-julian-assange-_n_794965.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
Despite being<a href="http://bigpondnews.com/articles/World/2010/12/10/Brazils_solidarity_with_Assange_550173.html" target="_hplink"> lambasted </a>as "Batman and Robin" respectively, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev have pledged support for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and have gone as far as to suggest the beleaguered site's frontman be honored with a Nobel Peace Prize. <strong>(Scroll down for photos of worldwide protests in support of Assange and WikiLeaks)</strong><br />
<br />
The <em>Guardian</em><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/09/julian-assange-nobel-peace-prize" target="_hplink"> quotes </a>a Kremlin source as urging international non-governmental organizations to think seriously about "nominating Assange as a Nobel Prize laureate." Speaking in Brussels, where Medvedev was attending a Russia-EU summit, the source told Russian news agencies that "public and NGOs should think of how to help him." <br />
<br />
Russia's premier also personally pledged his support for WikiLeaks, slamming Assange's arrest as "undemocratic,"<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101209/wl_afp/usdiplomacywikileaks" target="_hplink"> according</a> to the AFP. "Why was Mr. Assange hidden in jail? Is that democracy?" Putin asked in a press conference after a briefing with his French counterpart Francois Fillon Thursday. When asked about leaked U.S. diplomatic cables which cast him as Russia's "alpha-dog" ruler of a corrupt bureaucracy, Putin questioned whether the U.S. Foreign Service was a "crystal clean source of information."<br />
<br />
Putin and Medvedev aren't the only world leaders backing Assange. In Brazil, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva <a href="http://bigpondnews.com/articles/World/2010/12/10/Brazils_solidarity_with_Assange_550173.html" target="_hplink">reportedly expressed</a> solidarity with the Australian activist. "They have arrested him and I don't hear so much as a single protest for freedom of expression," he said.<br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/world-leaders-slammed">World Leaders Slammed</a>, <a href="/tag/brazil">Brazil</a>, <a href="/tag/slidepollajax">Slidepollajax</a>, <a href="/tag/cablegate">Cablegate</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/julian-assange">Julian Assange</a>, <a href="/tag/wikileaks-doucments">WikiLeaks Doucments</a>, <a href="/tag/batman-and-robin">Batman and Robin</a>, <a href="/tag/wikileaks">Wikileaks</a>, <a href="/tag/dmitry-medvedev">Dmitry Medvedev</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Sunil Adam: Diplomatic Impunityhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sunil-adam/diplomatic-impunity_b_791453.htmlSunil Adamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sunil-adam/
<img alt="2010-12-03-diplomacyweb.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2010-12-03-diplomacyweb.jpg" width="562" height="427" /><br />
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/hamid-karzai">Hamid Karzai</a>, <a href="/tag/afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, <a href="/tag/us-state-department">US State Department</a>, <a href="/tag/pakistan">Pakistan</a>, <a href="/tag/foreign-affairs">Foreign Affairs</a>, <a href="/tag/asif-ali-zardari">Asif Ali Zardari</a>, <a href="/tag/obama-administration">Obama Administration</a>, <a href="/tag/wikileaks">Wikileaks</a>, <a href="/tag/canada">Canada</a>, <a href="/tag/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/nicolas-sarkozy">Nicolas Sarkozy</a>, <a href="/tag/nuclear-weapons">Nuclear Weapons</a>, <a href="/tag/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="/tag/kim-il-sung">Kim Il Sung</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/hillary-clinton">Hillary Clinton</a>, <a href="/tag/north-korea">North Korea</a>, <a href="/tag/cartoon">Cartoon</a>, <a href="/tag/political-cartoons">Political Cartoons</a>, <a href="/politics">Politics News</a></p>
Joe Favorito: "Russian" Back Into Sports Againhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-favorito/russian-back-into-sports-_b_791468.htmlJoe Favoritohttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-favorito/
Earlier this week, <em>HBO</em> aired the critically acclaimed documentary <em>Miracle</em> (2001), which took us back through all the elements leading up to Team USA's "Miracle On Ice" Gold medal performance in hockey at Lake Placid in 1980. The story lines for that team and those events still transcend time.<br />
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As we know, "Miracle on Ice" told the story of the dogged, underdog, youthful Americans battling the evil Soviet Empire, and how their hard work and success captured a nation and helped turn the tide of negativity in the United States at the time. It was a great example of the power of sport, and was a great time for American sport on an international stage, especially with the games on U.S. soil. In so many ways, the ebb and flow of life has changed time and again since those days in Lake Placid. The dominance of the Soviet Union has come and gone along with so many changes in our everyday lives, both positive and negative. Our focus is on adversaries of a much more stealth nature today, ones that are probably more dangerous and deadly than whatever was faced during the Cold War.<br />
<br />
However, in the world of sport, one thing that has risen again is the imprint Russian sport is making on the global landscape. The latest example came Thursday, when Russia was awarded the 2018 World Cup, outdistancing several European powers in sport and business to gain the honor of hosting the World's greatest single sport event for the first time. The World Cup will follow the Sochi Winter Games in 2014, and are the latest example of a culture which once embraced global dominance in sport coming to embrace sport fully once again.<br />
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There is a difference in the Russian sport landscape today from days of old, though. Whereas the old Soviet Union looked to take its might and exert its excellence across the board with its collective athletes, the Russia of today is looking to use athletics much more as a bridge for commerce and success. Bringing global dollars INTO the country, which will happen with the Olympics and the World Cup, is just as or even more important than the on field dominance during the Cold War days.<br />
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Even outside of the large scale events now coming to Russia, the idea of sport for commerce and brand is growing in ways never before seen. Women's tennis now has a large cadre of elite and marketable Russian players, many of whom schooled and trained in the United States, who dominate both the game and the commercial brand marketplace. The New Jersey Nets made their big splash by bringing Mikhail Prokhorov on board as owner last spring, and his presence has had a profound impact on the marketing and visibility of the team... a team which in two years will move into a community, Brooklyn, with perhaps the fastest growing Russian population in the world. Nets sponsors with Russian ties now trump their American ones in many categories, and the team launched a Russian language website this week. The change is even being seen in hockey (the subject of <em>Miracle</em>, as we know), where the KHL continues to exert branding and contract dollars in an effort to become a Pan European league which someday may be a partner of the still dominant NHL.<br />
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What does the new Russian sport model mean for the business? For brands looking to activate in the country and the surrounding Republics it will probably still be a slow go, as the economy is still in a mode that is reflective and sometimes less stable than the rest of the world. However, for properties looking to bring the brands of the new Russian economy to a new audience, or for entities looking to engage in brand building around the mega-events now going to Russia, there is great possibility. The Nets, and perhaps with other teams to follow, seem to have broken the code on bringing Russian brands to American consumer exposure, and those brands which do succeed in growing will look to other opportunities. Businesses which can find ways to navigate the Russian system may also find dollars and brand share, so long as they do not compete with the privately held Russian companies that still have a stranglehold on a good number of essential categories.<br />
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The new Russia has embraced sport as a way to gain global positioning, just like the Soviet Union of old. However, the difference is the embrace of today is much more on the commercial side than on the physical side, and has many more areas of cash flow, opportunity and brand building than was ever seen during the traditional Communist regime of the past. The similarity, some say, whether it is having elite athletes dominate the world or elite events showcased on Russian soil, is that it is still chiefly about Russian growth and only Russian growth, although that may be changing. Even with all the big picture success, the country remains one in transition, with small pockets of wealth and large infrastructure problems. Maybe this growth in sport can help change that position as well. Big events bring big dollars from outside, and marquee athletes who are flourishing in the west in some sports can be great ambassadors in breaking down stereotypes.<br />
<br />
So while Thursday's World Cup announcement brought more disappointment to the United States (who lost out to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup), it brought more promise for an emerging economy, one which was a fierce enemy of the United States not too long ago. It is true that there is no real long-term proven effect that building stadia and bringing transient fans to an area has for the economy. South Africa, for example, is still a lot of TBD following the perhaps most successful World Cup ever. However, if that economic progress continues, maybe the doors to commerce can open more for global brands, which would be positive news for the economy all over, including those based in the States who engage in the business of sport.<br />
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Positive news for Russian sport helping the U.S.? It certainly is a different world from the days of Lake Placid. That's hopefully a good thing for all.
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/bill-clinton">Bill Clinton</a>, <a href="/tag/new-jersey-nets">New Jersey Nets</a>, <a href="/tag/2014-sochi-olympics">2014 Sochi Olympics</a>, <a href="/tag/olympics">Olympics</a>, <a href="/tag/world-cup">World Cup</a>, <a href="/tag/mikhail-prokhorov">Mikhail Prokhorov</a>, <a href="/tag/nba">Nba</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/khl">Khl</a>, <a href="/tag/qatar">Qatar</a>, <a href="/tag/tennis">Tennis</a>, <a href="/tag/anna-kournikova">Anna Kournikova</a>, <a href="/tag/gazprom">Gazprom</a>, <a href="/tag/miracle-on-ice">Miracle on Ice</a>, <a href="/tag/cold-war">Cold War</a>, <a href="/tag/world-cup-2018">World Cup 2018</a>, <a href="/tag/soviet-union">Soviet Union</a>, <a href="/sports">Sports News</a></p>
WikiLeaks Documents: World Leaders, Nations React To Cablegate (PHOTOS)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/03/wikileaks-documents-world_n_791296.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
Though WikiLeaks' <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/29/wikileaks-reactions_n_789179.html#s193330" target="_hplink">unprecedented release</a> of U.S. classified documents has proved embarrassing both to U.S. leaders and their foreign counterparts, the diplomatic reaction to "Cablegate" has largely been one of sympathy with the Obama administration. <br />
<br />
As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other officials scramble with damage control, leaders such as Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101129/ap_on_re_us/wikileaks_berlusconi" target="_hplink">shrugged </a>off many of the criticisms. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- who arguably got the harshest assessment when he was compared to Adolf Hitler -- is <a href="http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/7474408-in-quotes-global-reaction-to-wikileaks-release" target="_hplink">quoted</a> as saying he failed to see value in the release of the documents. <br />
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See how many world leaders and nations responded to "Cablegate" here: <br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/italy">Italy</a>, <a href="/tag/wikileaks-reactions">Wikileaks Reactions</a>, <a href="/tag/germany">Germany</a>, <a href="/tag/foreign-affairs">Foreign Affairs</a>, <a href="/tag/cablegate">Cablegate</a>, <a href="/tag/international-relations">International Relations</a>, <a href="/tag/wikileaks">Wikileaks</a>, <a href="/tag/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/dmitry-medvedev">Dmitry Medvedev</a>, <a href="/tag/world-news">World News</a>, <a href="/tag/nicolas-sarkozy">Nicolas Sarkozy</a>, <a href="/tag/france">France</a>, <a href="/tag/world-leaders">World Leaders</a>, <a href="/tag/iran">Iran</a>, <a href="/tag/mahmoud-ahmadinejad">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</a>, <a href="/tag/classified-documents">Classified Documents</a>, <a href="/tag/world-leaders-slammed">World Leaders Slammed</a>, <a href="/tag/silvio-berlusconi">Silvio Berlusconi</a>, <a href="/tag/angela-merkel">Angela Merkel</a>, <a href="/tag/slidepollajax">Slidepollajax</a>, <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/julian-assange">Julian Assange</a>, <a href="/tag/foreign-relations">Foreign Relations</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Vladimir Putin To Larry King: I Don't Want You To Leave CNN (VIDEO)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/02/vladimir-putin-larry-king-leave-cnn_n_791151.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told a bemused Larry King that he doesn't want him to leave CNN on Wednesday's "Larry King Live."<br />
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King interviewed Putin for the entire hour on the show. The two discussed many different issues, but, as the show was wrapping up, Putin brought up one that had gone unmentioned: King's imminent departure. (King's last day is Dec. 16th.)<br />
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"Can I ask you one question?" he said. "I don't know why, but the King leaves the scene at the U.S. stage."<br />
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"I sometimes don't know why myself," King cut in.<br />
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Putin continued:<br />
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<blockquote>"At the U.S. stage and the U.S. mass media, there are many talented and interesting people, but still there is just one King there. I don't ask why he is leaving. But, still, what do you think? When shall we have a right to cry out, long live the King, when there will be another man who is as popular in the whole word as you happen to be?"</blockquote><br />
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<strong>Watch (comments begin at 13:46):</strong><br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/putin-larry-king-cnn">Putin Larry King Cnn</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/video">Video</a>, <a href="/tag/larry-king">Larry King</a>, <a href="/tag/larry-king-live">Larry King LIve</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin-larry-king">Vladimir Putin Larry King</a>, <a href="/tag/cnn">Cnn</a>, <a href="/media">Media News</a></p>
Pepe Escobar: The Naked Emperorhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/pepe-escobar/the-naked-emperor_b_789694.htmlPepe Escobarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/pepe-escobar/
President Bush: <em>Frank, please consider filling a post I'm creating. It may mean long hours and dangerous nights, surrounded by some of the scummiest elements in our society</em>. <br />
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Frank: <em>You want me to be in your cabinet?</em> <br />
- <em>The Naked Gun 2 1/2</em>, starring Leslie Nielsen <br />
<br />
<br />
Whatever the spin, the fact is that 1.6 gigabytes of text files on a memory stick spanning 251,287 leaked State Dept. cables from more than 250 embassies and consulates are not exactly bound to provoke "a political meltdown" -- as German magazine <em>Der Spiegel</em> has put it -- concerning the foreign policy of the world's declining hyperpower. <br />
<br />
Behind the multiple, hypocritical layers of spin served to the frantic 24/7 news cycle, politics is mostly a tacky reality show. And that's what the latest WikiLeaks show graphically lays bare. A Muammar Gaddafi that applies botox and just can't get enough of his sexy Ukrainian nurse belongs to the realm of Big Brother. <br />
<br />
Although it would all make for great TV, it's hardly a scoop that for US diplomats Ahmadinejad is "Hitler", Hamid Karzai is "paranoid", Sarkozy is an "emperor with no clothes", "vain and feckless" Berlusconi is fond of "wild parties", Angela Merkel is "rarely creative", Medvedev "plays Robin to Putin's Batman" or Dear Leader Kim Jong-il is a "flabby old chap" suffering from "physical and psychological trauma". <br />
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But to believe, as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton does, that these disclosures constitute "an attack not only on American foreign policy interests but on the international community"; or that WikiLeaks, as President Barack Obama has put it, committed a serious crime, is to display nothing but tacky imperial arrogance. As if the world didn't have the right to gorge itself on the kind of political junk food served to a few consumers inside the Washington palaces of power. <br />
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Clinton must have sensed that the overall sentiment after reading these cables is of a Washington suffering a nervous breakdown worthy of an Almodovar flick. For instance, a key US ally such as Berlusconi, defined as "vainglorious", "indifferent to the fate of Europe" and dangerously close to Putin, of which he seems to be "the spokesperson", can be regarded as a threat equal to Ahmadinejad. How paranoid can you get? The US Embassy in Moscow, by the way, describes Putin as an "alpha-dog" ruling over a Russia that is virtually "a Mafia state"; cynics would say this also applied to Dick Cheney during the George "Dubya" Bush era. <br />
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Anyone with an IQ superior to 75 might have suspected by now that US diplomats spy on their United Nations colleagues (under Clinton's orders); that Washington conducted a bazaar to force small countries to accept Guantanamo inmates; that the Pakistani military/intelligence establishment is intertwined with the Taliban; or that paragon of democracy and human rights Saudi King Abdullah urged the US to attack Iran. <br />
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Fear of Shi'ite Iran after all is the rule among that gaggle of unpopular Sunni Arab autocrats/dictators constantly harping and begging for the US to sell them the weapons that keep them in power. <br />
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But things do get more serious when we have the US ambassador to Turkey saying Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is "a fundamentalist. He hates us religiously" and his hatred is spreading; that is a blatant lie. <br />
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Or when Pentagon supremo Robert Gates tells Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini that Iran was not supplying weapons for the Taliban -- in fact nullifying a massive Pentagon-orchestrated suspension-of-disbelief campaign that lasted for months. <br />
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There's no evidence to prove that Beijing's collective leadership was the real power behind the cyber-attacks against Google. And when former South Korean vice foreign minister Chun Yung-woo told the US ambassador in Seoul that new generation of Chinese party leaders no longer regarded North Korea as a useful ally, how much of it is purely self-serving wishful thinking? After all, Chun is now the national security adviser to South Korea's president. <br />
<br />
Context is key in all these disclosures - around 220 so far. The diplomats or low-level functionaries speaking through these cables are essentially telling the State Department what it wants to hear, or bluffing their way into what has been already set in policy stone in Washington; the amount of independent, critical analysis is virtually zero. <br />
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On with the show <br />
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A much juicier perspective is to consider that from now on, most concerned global citizens will believe virtually nothing hurled at them during those cosmically boring diplomatic/government/military press conferences and photo ops. <br />
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The leaked cables prove that Europe -- never impervious to self-ridicule -- was already being marginalized during the Bush era, and more so now with Obama concentrating on Asia-Pacific. As for the bulk of what has been leaked so far, especially on Iran and the movers and shakers in the Persian Gulf, it is barely disguised US/Israeli propaganda. <br />
<br />
Not accidentally, many a global headline is beating the same drum along the lines of "Israel greets WikiLeaks cables as vindication of its Iran policy". An overall assessment of the leaked cables reveals that as much as Israel and the powerful US Israel lobby worked overtime to bring about the invasion and destruction of Iraq, it is doubling the bet to do exactly the same regarding Iran. Attention should be paid to a cable warning that "elegant and seductive" Bibi Netanyahu "never keeps his promises". As in: no halt to settlements in the West Bank, and let's bomb, bomb Iran. <br />
<br />
The Wiki reality show will go on for weeks as new gossip is dumped online. At least the show once again proves that the real information is on the Internet -- not on global corporate media; and global citizens should make the best use of it to unmask, and ridicule, power. <br />
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It's salutary to learn that the emperor, in secret, bad-mouths his friends and sycophants as much as his enemies. And also to learn that the emperor is no friend of democratized information. But now that the emperor is indeed naked, we should all celebrate these cable-writers, friends, enemies and sycophants for bringing us this priceless reality show -- a sort of extended The Naked Gun. Pity the late, great Leslie Nielsen won't be able to join us. <br />
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<em>Pepe Escobar is the author of <em>Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving into Liquid Wa</em>r (Nimble Books, 2007) and <em>RedZone Blues: a snapshot of Baghdad during the surge</em>. His latest book is <em>Obama does Globalistan</em> (Nimble Books, 2009). </em>
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/internet">Internet</a>, <a href="/tag/iran">Iran</a>, <a href="/tag/empire">Empire</a>, <a href="/tag/ahmadinejad">Ahmadinejad</a>, <a href="/tag/naked">Naked</a>, <a href="/tag/south-korea">South Korea</a>, <a href="/tag/king-abdullah">King Abdullah</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/hillary-clinton">Hillary Clinton</a>, <a href="/tag/leslie-nielsen">Leslie Nielsen</a>, <a href="/tag/china">China</a>, <a href="/tag/wikileaks">Wikileaks</a>, <a href="/tag/north-korea">North Korea</a>, <a href="/politics">Politics News</a></p>
MP Nunan: The Wikileaks Diplomacy Leaks: High School Never Endshttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mp-nunan/the-wikileaks-diplomacy-l_b_789336.htmlMP Nunanhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/mp-nunan/
<strong>What was the most compelling aspect of <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/28/AR2010112802395.html?hpid=topnews" target="_hplink">Wikileaks' release of 220 US diplomatic cables</a> - the latest move by the online whistle-blower to - well, whistle-blow - about anything it can get its hands on? Because hey - information <em>wants</em> to be free, national security and diplomacy be damned? <br />
<br />
It wasn't that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/world/middleeast/29missiles.html?hp" target="_hplink">North Korea aided Iran</a> in acquiring technology for medium range ballistic missiles; and it wasn't that the US knows <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/28/world/20101128-cables-viewer.html?hp" target="_hplink">Ahmed Wali Karzai is a narco-trafficking thug.</a><br />
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It was that in global politics, the US plays the part of the "Gossip Girl" Alpha-Female - and that high school never really ends. <br />
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Reading Wikileaks, in fact, is like listening to one side of a teenage girl's cellphone conversation. A little something like this:</strong><br />
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I know - it's such a total drag, but really, we just <em>have</em> to close Guantanamo - holding terror detainees in violation of the Geneva Conventions is just so 2001! Who can we get to take these people off our hands? <br />
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<em>[Pause.]</em><br />
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Couldn't we, like, get Belgium to do it? <em>[Pause.] </em>Seriously. Here's how we say it: Taking more Guantanamo prisoners represents<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/world/29cables.html?_r=1&hp" target="_hplink"> "a low-cost way for Belgium to attain prominence in Europe." </a> 'Cause being the capital of the European Union just isn't as cool as they thought it would be, right? So we can just tell them, This. Is. Cool. <br />
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But we need one more, 'cause Belgium's not going to buy it if we make them take <em>everyone.</em> <em>[Pause.] </em>How about Slovenia? No one's ever heard of them! Just tell them - tell them if they take at least one Guantanamo person, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/world/29cables.html?_r=1&hp" target="_hplink">we'll invite them to sit with us at the cool table</a>. But Obama's only going to do it once. <br />
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<em>[Pause].</em><br />
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OHMYGOD. Don't get me started on Qaddafi! That <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/28/world/20101128-cables-viewer.html?hp#report/cables-09TRIPOLI771" target="_hplink">Ukrainian nurse</a>? <em>[Pause.] </em>Is she really going out with him? Are you kidding? That is totally about the money. <em> [Pause.]</em> I know, but living in like, a Libyan palace, has got to be better than the Ukraine. <br />
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And have you heard? Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Russian PM Vladimir Putin are totally like BFF's! They hang out all the time! I know Putin's not supposed to be in charge anymore but really - <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/29/3079151.htm" target="_hplink">he's like Batman, and President Medvedev is totally Robin</a>. <em>[Pause.] </em>I know he's supposed to be in charge, but in real life, he is totally Robin.<br />
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<em>[Pause.]</em><br />
<br />
Hang on. I have another call coming in - let me look. No - OK, nevermind. It's just Pakistan. <em>[Pause.]</em> I know. We give them like <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/aug/09/pakistan-flood-aid#data" target="_hplink">half a billion dollars </a>for the floods, and every once in a while, I'm like, <em>Guard your nuclear arsenal! </em> And then they get all huffy about it. <br />
<br />
Wait. Oh. I have to take this, this time - it's Saudi Arabia. They're like, totally pissed off that Iran found out how bad they don't really like them. <br />
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<em>[Pause.] <br />
</em><br />
No - seriously. They never said anything, because they're almost neighbors, but the Saudis told us to get rid of the Iranian nukes. <em>[Pause.] </em> Yes, way! They said, 'Cut off the snake's head!' And then they'd get to act all mad, like, <em>Oh, you've violated the sovereignty of our Muslim brothers! </em>And really, I don't know why they think we're just going to do everything they say. They act like we don't know <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/28/world/20101128-cables-viewer.html?hp#report/iran-08RIYADH649 " target="_hplink">they're still funding al-Qaeda! </a> It pisses me off sometimes. But it's still ringing, so I have to go. <br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/alqaeda">Al-Qaeda</a>, <a href="/tag/julian-assange-wikileaks">Julian Assange Wikileaks</a>, <a href="/tag/iran">Iran</a>, <a href="/tag/obama">Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/media">Media</a>, <a href="/tag/wikileaks">Wikileaks</a>, <a href="/tag/dmitry-medvedev">Dmitry Medvedev</a>, <a href="/tag/whistleblowers">Whistleblowers</a>, <a href="/tag/comedy-and-satire">Comedy and Satire</a>, <a href="/tag/snakes-head">Snake's Head</a>, <a href="/tag/wikileaks-afghanistan">WikiLeaks Afghanistan</a>, <a href="/tag/comedy-and-humor">Comedy and Humor</a>, <a href="/tag/silvio-berlusconi">Silvio Berlusconi</a>, <a href="/tag/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/iran-nuclear-program">Iran Nuclear Program</a>, <a href="/tag/belgium">Belgium</a>, <a href="/media">Media News</a></p>
WikiLeaks Documents: World Leaders SLAMMED In Confidential Wires (PHOTOS)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/29/wikileaks-reactions_n_789179.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
WikiLeaks' <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/29/wikileaks-update-us-tries_n_789031.html" target="_hplink">unprecedented release</a> of classified material is embarrassing U.S. leaders and their foreign counterparts alike, with unflattering and often churlish assessments of some world leaders -- many of them U.S. allies -- included within the various documents. <br />
<br />
Among the many comments: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is <a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/140882" target="_hplink">compared</a> to Adolf Hitler, while Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev fare slightly better <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40412844/ns/us_news-security/" target="_hplink">as "Batman and Robin,"</a> respectively. In addition, Italy's scandal-plagued Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/australian-federal-police-to-investigate-wikileaks-cablegate/story-e6frf7lf-1225962895317" target="_hplink">called</a> "feckless, vain and ineffective as a modern European leader," while French President Nicolas Sarkozy is "an emperor with no clothes." <br />
<br />
Though the Obama administration had been bracing for the "Cablegate" release since last week, MSNBC <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40412844/ns/us_news-security/" target="_hplink">reports </a>many of the potentially offended countries such as France remain "very much in solidarity with the American administration," according to French government spokesman Francois Baroin. <br />
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Vote on the most damning insult to a world leader as revealed by WikiLeaks here: <br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/italy">Italy</a>, <a href="/tag/germany">Germany</a>, <a href="/tag/cablegate">Cablegate</a>, <a href="/tag/foreign-affairs">Foreign Affairs</a>, <a href="/tag/international-relations">International Relations</a>, <a href="/tag/wikileaks">Wikileaks</a>, <a href="/tag/dmitry-medvedev">Dmitry Medvedev</a>, <a href="/tag/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/nicolas-sarkozy">Nicolas Sarkozy</a>, <a href="/tag/france">France</a>, <a href="/tag/world-leaders">World Leaders</a>, <a href="/tag/iran">Iran</a>, <a href="/tag/mahmoud-ahmadinejad">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</a>, <a href="/tag/classified-documents">Classified Documents</a>, <a href="/tag/silvio-berlusconi">Silvio Berlusconi</a>, <a href="/tag/world-leaders-slammed">World Leaders Slammed</a>, <a href="/tag/angela-merkel">Angela Merkel</a>, <a href="/tag/slidepollajax">Slidepollajax</a>, <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/julian-assange">Julian Assange</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/foreign-relations">Foreign Relations</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Reese Schonfeld: Tea with Medvedev or GFYhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/reese-schonfeld/tea-with-medvedev_b_788170.htmlReese Schonfeldhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/reese-schonfeld/
Last May, I, along with a group I'm part of, was invited to have tea with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Our group, including many more illustrious than I, was invited to the Russian White House as a courtesy to our Russian partners, the Moscow State University Higher School of Economics. <br />
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More than two dozen of us, including our Russian partners, were ushered into a grand reception room where we waited for the Russian President around a rectangular table for his appearance. A half dozen television cameras, and more than a dozen still photographers, were arranged along the wall opposite to the side on which the President would be sitting.<br />
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The group with which I am associated actively promotes and assists in the development of democratic governments, social justice and regulated private capitalism. I enthusiastically endorse all its aims, but the group is not famous for its discretion. We were in Moscow to present our message to Russian academics and government officials. The invitation to meet the President was a grand and more than welcome surprise.<br />
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President Medvedev arrived a few minutes late and explained that he had been held up by a last minute message from Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad criticized Russia and the Russian President for agreeing with the United States to support further sanctions against Iran because of its continuing nuclear build up. He reminded the Russian President that Russia and Iran were neighbors, had a cordial relationship, and were cooperating with each on other issues. President Medvedev told us that he had informed Ahmadinejad that he appreciated Russia's neighborly and cordial relationship with Iran, and that he wished to continue that relationship, but that, in this case, he would support the United States because he believed that the sanctions were in the best interests of the people of Russia and he always tried to act in the best interests of his country. <br />
<br />
Our group then began its presentation. Our leader pointed out to President Medvedev all of what he perceived to be Russia's shortcomings: its lagging economy, its unjust judicial system, and its rampant corruption. This was followed by criticism from a former Latin American president of Russia's decision to supply Venezuela with weapons worth billions of dollars. <br />
<br />
I have mentioned a lack of discretion above, but it seemed to me that our presentation had gone beyond indiscretion to rank arrogance. President Medvedev seemed to feel the same way. He immediately dismissed all the camera crews and all the photographers from the room. He then informed us that he was well-aware of Russia's weaknesses, and that he would do all he could to remedy them. But he reminded us of Russia's long tradition and its strengths, saying that his remedies would be derived from Russian traditions and implemented in a Russia way. And he told us, just as he had told President Ahmadinejad that he would always act in the best interests of the Russian people. He had told us politely and without rancor to "GFY".<br />
<br />
I had hesitated before this to write about it, because I did not know if there were any ground rules about our meeting -- was it off the record or could we report on it? Then Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) announced that he would not support New Start, the arms control treaty that President Obama had negotiated with Russian leaders. Since foreign treaties must be approved by two thirds majority, Senator Kyl's support was necessary to pass the bill. Without his support, there was no chance of getting that from the Republican side of the aisle. Once again, an American institution, one far more important than our little group, was demonstrating its arrogance, and dissing Russia.<br />
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It is as if we don't understand that Russia has ways of dissing us. For instance, we bring in arms and other supplies for our troops into Afghanistan through Russia because Russia has agreed to let us do so. If Russia decides that its in "Russia's interest" to withdraw that permission, our troops will suffer, might even die, and we might lose the war. Nevertheless, Senator Kyl would've succeeded in dissing President Obama.<br />
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To quote Pat Buchanan, "Simply because this treaty is 'Obama's treaty' does not mean it is not in America's interest. If Republicans should kill New Start, and Vladimir Putin [or President Medvedev] responds by using U.S. rejection to rev up Russian nationalism to terminate the 'reset' and return to a policy of cooperating with American's enemies from Pyongyang to Tehran to Caracas, does the Republican party wish to be held responsible for that?"<br />
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When I hired Pat Buchanan as one of the first co-hosts of <em>Crossfire</em>, I knew he was one of the smartest guys in Washington, but I didn't expect that I'd agree with him about very much. On this question, I couldn't agree with him more. <br />
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/pat-buchanan">Pat Buchanan</a>, <a href="/tag/mahmoud-ahmadinejad">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</a>, <a href="/tag/president-obama">President Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/united-states">United States</a>, <a href="/tag/iran">Iran</a>, <a href="/tag/jon-kyl">Jon Kyl</a>, <a href="/tag/new-start-treaty">New Start Treaty</a>, <a href="/tag/nuclear-arms-treaty">Nuclear Arms Treaty</a>, <a href="/tag/dmitry-medvedev">Dmitry Medvedev</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen: Green News Report: November 23, 2010 (Audio)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brad-friedman-and-desi-doyen/green-news-report-novembe_b_787753.htmlBrad Friedman and Desi Doyenhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/brad-friedman-and-desi-doyen/
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/chevy-volt">Chevy Volt</a>, <a href="/tag/green-jobs">Green Jobs</a>, <a href="/tag/epa">Epa</a>, <a href="/tag/united-nations">United Nations</a>, <a href="/tag/regulation">Regulation</a>, <a href="/tag/contaminated-water">Contaminated Water</a>, <a href="/tag/clean-energy">Clean Energy</a>, <a href="/tag/green-news-report">Green News Report</a>, <a href="/tag/arnold-schwarzenegger">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a>, <a href="/tag/coal">Coal</a>, <a href="/tag/offshore-drilling">Offshore Drilling</a>, <a href="/tag/global-tiger-initiative">Global Tiger Initiative</a>, <a href="/tag/water-contamination">Water Contamination</a>, <a href="/tag/cop16">cop16</a>, <a href="/tag/endangered-tigers">Endangered Tigers</a>, <a href="/tag/christiana-figueres">Christiana Figueres</a>, <a href="/tag/big-oil">Big Oil</a>, <a href="/tag/fossil-fuels">Fossil Fuels</a>, <a href="/tag/greenhouse-gases">Greenhouse Gases</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/gop">Gop</a>, <a href="/tag/climate-change">Climate Change</a>, <a href="/tag/climate-change-denial">Climate Change Denial</a>, <a href="/tag/gulf-of-mexico">Gulf of Mexico</a>, <a href="/tag/global-warming-deniers">Global Warming Deniers</a>, <a href="/tag/coal-mining">Coal Mining</a>, <a href="/tag/cancun-climate-summit">Cancun Climate Summit</a>, <a href="/tag/global-warming">Global Warming</a>, <a href="/tag/green-buildings">Green Buildings</a>, <a href="/tag/bp">Bp</a>, <a href="/tag/california">California</a>, <a href="/tag/carbon-emissions">Carbon Emissions</a>, <a href="/tag/new-zealand">New Zealand</a>, <a href="/tag/perchlorate">Perchlorate</a>, <a href="/tag/nissan-leaf">Nissan Leaf</a>, <a href="/tag/tiger-summit">Tiger Summit</a>, <a href="/tag/cancun">Cancun</a>, <a href="/tag/senate">Senate</a>, <a href="/tag/brad-blog">BRAD BLOG</a>, <a href="/tag/water">Water</a>, <a href="/tag/green-news">Green News</a>, <a href="/tag/endangered-species">Endangered Species</a>, <a href="/tag/climate-legislation">Climate Legislation</a>, <a href="/tag/bp-oil-spill">BP Oil Spill</a>, <a href="/green">Green News</a></p>
Christina Patterson: Politicians on Reality TV Are a Good Reason to Get Out Your Gunhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/christina-patterson/politicians-on-reality-tv_b_786348.htmlChristina Pattersonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/christina-patterson/
To the man in Wisconsin who shot his TV when he saw Bristol Palin on <em>Dancing With The Stars</em>, I have one word to say: respect. I imagine that he, like me, usually only watches adaptations of works by 19th-century novelists, adaptations that involve crinolines and bonnets, but definitely not sequins, and was disappointed that there were sequins, but no bonnets.<br />
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I imagine that he, like me, also found it a little bit depressing that you can't switch on the telly now without seeing a politician, or a politician's child, wiggling their hips in moves that are clearly meant to emulate sexual intercourse, even if they've never had it, or even if they are members of a religion that says you mustn't have it unless you're married, which you aren't. I imagine that he thinks that if you liked dancing you would be dancing, instead of slumped on a sofa eating a family pack of Doritos and watching people dancing, just as if you liked football, you would be kicking a ball and not a telly. <br />
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I imagine that he was just feeling a bit fed up. He may, for example, have been watching the program about Bristol's mother, who is also a hockey mom and a mama grizzly, which is a special kind of mother from which key parts of the brain have been surgically removed, and he may have watched her climbing mountains and leaping across crevasses and catching bears and fishing for salmon, and he may have thought that the woman who, two years ago, ran to be vice president of the world's only superpower, and who is now planning to run as president, was beginning to look a bit like Vladimir Putin. <br />
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I don't think he would have thought that she looked physically very like Vladimir Putin, who used to be a president and is hoping to be one again, because although you can put lipstick on a pig, and you can put an awful lot of lipstick on a presidential candidate, even when they're watching bears or fishing, you can't really put it on a Russian Prime Minister, or, if you did, he would look a bit less masculine than the photos of him sitting on horses or fishing, sometimes without even a top on, would suggest he wants to. But he might have thought that the fact that she liked doing the same kind of things as a man who seemed to be really rather nasty wasn't a brilliant sign, and nor was the fact that she liked doing them in front of TV crews. <br />
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He might, in fact, have thought that when politicians, or ex-politicians, or aspiring politicians, start doing things in front of TV crews that you would usually only do when their weren't any TV crews, it was usually a sign that they might be a bit confused about what was their life and what was pretending to be their life, about what, in other words, was truth and what was lies, and that they might, in fact, think that there was no difference. He might think that where this applied to a very silly former member of the British Parliament who was hanging around in a jungle with a bunch of other people who were called "celebrities", but most of which nobody had ever heard of, to make a program that it was too painful to watch, that it didn't really matter because, although the man didn't seem to have anything that you might call common sense, or knowledge of human nature, or of himself, he was unlikely to hold any kind of public office again and might need to earn some kind of living by taking part in televised freak shows, which certainly wouldn't do any good to anyone, but might not do any harm. But he might think that when this applied to politicians who wanted to make the laws, and policies, that would shape millions of people's lives, and even, in some cases, determine the length of them, it might matter quite a lot. <br />
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He might also think that politicians who thought a lot about how they appeared on TV, so that in some cases they had hair transplants and plastic surgery, and also bought up most of the TV stations, and in other cases wore stacked-up heels, and made people stand on boxes, so that they wouldn't look small, even though they were, didn't tend to be the people who did the most to make other people's lives better. <br />
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He might think that he was very lucky to live in a country which, although it seemed to have an awful lot of very, very, very stupid people living in it, people who thought that the best way to run a country was not to run it, but to be like grizzly bears who look after baby grizzly bears, but don't, apparently, give a monkey's about anyone else, and where quite a lot of these people were running for political office, and one of them even wants to be president, by some amazing quirk of fate, or luck, or perhaps by an act of God, but not the God of the people who want grizzly government, has a president who is thoughtful and intelligent and brave. <br />
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It has a president who, when he was asked to feign emotions, because he lives in a country which prefers emotion to thought, refused to, and when he was asked to act a part, because he lives in a country which likes acting, refused to, and who prefers to sit in a study and write books than strike poses on mountains. It is this president who has managed to do something that presidents for a century have tried, and failed, to achieve, which is to pass a bill to make sure that people, even mentally ill people who fire guns at their TVs, can get treatment from doctors or in hospitals, even if they're not rich. <br />
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It is this president, who is very far from perfect, because no politician anywhere is perfect, but who is trying to make things better for poor people, though most people, including quite a lot of the poor people, don't seem to want to let him, who will, in two years' time, probably be running against the woman who prefers grizzly bears to people. If he doesn't, or if he does and doesn't win, we might think it would be a good idea if someone fired a gun at us, too. <br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/reality-tv">Reality TV</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/bristol-palin">Bristol Palin</a>, <a href="/tag/alaska">Alaska</a>, <a href="/tag/obama">Obama</a>, <a href="/tag/sarah-palin">Sarah Palin</a>, <a href="/tag/america-by-heart">America by Heart</a>, <a href="/tag/bristol-plain-dancing-with-the-stars">Bristol Plain Dancing With the Stars</a>, <a href="/comedy">Comedy News</a></p>
Russia Contemplates Major Population Redistribution: Reporthttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/17/russia-contemplates-major_n_784833.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
The Kremlin is contemplating a major geographical redistribution of its population structure that would concentrate the majority of its citizens in urban centers instead of being scattered across the country. <br />
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<a href="http://www.rttnews.com/Content/GeneralNews.aspx?Id=1483086&SM=1" target="_hplink">According</a> to RTT News, President Dmitry Medvedev could announce the new plan, said to be in line with his <a href="http://www.aei.org/outlook/101006" target="_hplink">goal</a> of modernizing the nation's economy, as early as next month. The daily<em> Vedomosti </em>newspaper leaked details of the new plans, which would re-locate much of Russia's 141 million population into just 20 urban centers with solid access to natural resources such as oil and gas, the <em>Telegraph</em> is<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8137816/Russia-considers-biggest-population-redistribution-since-Stalin.html" target="_hplink"> reporting</a>. <br />
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The new plan would also address some long-standing absurdities in Russian geography. With a population of just 160 people, Gorenskoe is referred to as a town, while Kanevskoe in south Russia calls itself a village, despite nearly 50,000 inhabitants. Many of the smaller settlements, whose industry is often limited to one or two factories, are thought to be no longer economically viable. <br />
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"Changing the map of the country is a necessary but not simple task which needs to be done very carefully as any overreaction could lead to a fight for urban resources," a government official is <a href="http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/russia-plans-major-population-shakeup-20101116-17vxp.html" target="_hplink">quoted</a> by the AFP as saying. If enforced, the redistribution plan could be the largest of its kind since Josef Stalin's forced deportations of entire nationalities in the 1940s, and as the AFP notes, the process could be prompted by the overall decline in Russia's population. <br />
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/russian-population">Russian Population</a>, <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/russian-population-redistribution">Russian Population Redistribution</a>, <a href="/tag/dmitry-medvedev">Dmitry Medvedev</a>, <a href="/tag/kanevskoe">Kanevskoe</a>, <a href="/tag/gorenskoe">Gorenskoe</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Femen, Ukraine Topless Women's Rights Group, Causes Stir In Protests (PHOTOS)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/16/femen-ukraine-topless-wom_n_784191.htmlThe Huffington Post News Teamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/
The brazen young members of Ukraine's women's rights group Femen are going to new lengths to ensure their voices are heard -- and those methods often include letting down their bra straps. <strong>(Scroll down for photos.)</strong><br />
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Established in 2008 by a group of Kyiv university students, Femen now comprises an estimated 300 members, mainly students, who are prepared to go topless in public in support of women's rights, Reuters <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AE1FB20101115" target="_hplink">reports</a>. Anna Hutsol, Femen's 26-year-old leader, says the group's main aims are to improve the role of women in Ukraine's male-dominated, post-Soviet society.<br />
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Though sex tourists and visiting foreign businessmen are their main <a href="http://globalcomment.com/2009/femens-anna-gutsol-on-sex-tourism-and-short-skirts-in-ukraine/" target="_hplink">targets</a>, members of the group most recently stripped down at an event promoting Iranian culture to reportedly <a href="http://sify.com/news/topless-ukraine-feminists-protest-iranian-woman-s-death-sentence-news-international-klltEmficgb.html" target="_hplink">demonstrate</a> against the case of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a woman in Iran handed a death sentence for adultery. The <em>Kyiv Post</em> <a href="http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/87935/" target="_hplink">reports</a> that a boob barrage was staged in October during a visit from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, with members holding signs that read, "We won't sleep with Kremlin midgets," a less-than-subtle dig at the Russian premier's diminutive height. <br />
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Hutsol's followers say they remain undeterred by Ukrainian officials' initial reaction to Femen, which was one of casual dismissal. "We want to show that our women have a demeaning role in our society," 22-year-old economics student Alexandra Shevchenko told Reuters. "Their place is seen as in the kitchen or in bed." <br />
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And if the city's increased police presence at their protests is any indication, Femen is starting to be seen as a force to be reckoned with. "The police are becoming more aggressive now," Hustol said. "But at least that shows we are being taken seriously." <br />
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<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/womens-rights">Women's Rights</a>, <a href="/tag/iran-woman-to-be-stoned">Iran Woman to Be Stoned</a>, <a href="/tag/womens-movement">Women's Movement</a>, <a href="/tag/ukraine">Ukraine</a>, <a href="/tag/iran-stoning">Iran Stoning</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/kiev">Kiev</a>, <a href="/tag/sakineh-mohammadiashtiani">Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani</a>, <a href="/tag/femen">Femen</a>, <a href="/tag/kviy">Kviy</a>, <a href="/tag/slidepollajax">Slidepollajax</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>
Robert Amsterdam: Magnitsky and Russia's Opportunity Costhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-amsterdam/magnitsky-and-russias-opp_b_784003.htmlRobert Amsterdamhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-amsterdam/
November 16th will mark the one-year anniversary of the murder of Russian lawyer <a href="http://lawandorderinrussia.org/" target="_hplink">Sergei Magnitsky</a>, who was imprisoned last year in Moscow under pre-trial detention and intentionally denied the medical care that led to his death. The responsibility lies with the Russian government, and specifically with individual officials who sought to cover up a $230 million tax fraud they had orchestrated using stolen documentation from Magnitsky's client, Hermitage Capital Management.<br />
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No one has ever been held accountable for Magnitsky's death: no charges, no arrests, no trials, and no justice, despite the mountains of evidence and even the names of the "untouchables" made public. Instead, with a familiar Russian twist, the killers were rewarded with <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704804504575606523510709334.html" target="_hplink">promotions and decorations</a>, while the victim has been blamed for the crime. Those who make a fuss over the Magnitsky incident are <a href="http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/activist-questioned-in-magnitsky-case/422939.html" target="_hplink">investigated</a>, persecuted, and <a href="http://www.robertamsterdam.com/2010/02/exclusive_interview_with_jamison_firestone_i_would_be_a_fool_not_to_leave.htm" target="_hplink">sometimes chased into exile</a>.<br />
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"Sergei Magnitsky reported a crime committed by police officers," William Browder told <em><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/world/europe/16moscow.html?partner=rss&emc=rss" target="_hplink">The New York Times</a></em>. "They then arrested him, tortured him and killed him. Now, one year later, they are accusing him of the crime that they committed. There is a special place in hell for people like this."<br />
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So why, after a full year of this embarrassing and entirely avoidable farce, does the Russian leadership still see no incentive to change the situation? It seems hard to imagine that relatively low-level officers like <a href="http://russian-untouchables.com/eng/2010/06/kuznetsovs-illicit-and-sudden-wealth/" target="_hplink">Lt. Col. Artem Kuznetsov</a> or <a href="http://russian-untouchables.com/eng/2010/06/kuznetsovs-illicit-and-sudden-wealth/" target="_hplink">Maj. Pavel Karpov</a> of the Interior Ministry could be so incredibly valuable to the Kremlin that their protection should be worth such a high cost. In fact, it would be extraordinarily easy for the leadership to make an example with a symbolic prosecution, and begin implementing even the most modest legal reforms as a gesture of goodwill.<br />
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Instead there is an active resistance from the Kremlin to any change to the status quo. This pattern of unwillingness is meaningful, denoting a certain level of political investment in legal nihilism, despite the <a href="http://www.iie.com/publications/opeds/oped.cfm?ResearchID=1671" target="_hplink">extraordinary economic damage</a> it causes. The power structure surrounding Prime Minister Vladimir Putin faces an opportunity cost with regard to legal reform, seeing greater incentives in maintaining a system of cronyism and political arbitrage rather than creating accountability before law and judicial independence.<br />
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This choice seems evident in a number of extra steps taken against victims, which not only add insult to injury, but also serve to communicate the indiscriminate threat of state power. <br />
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When journalist Anna Politkovskaya was killed, Putin didn't even acknowledge the event for a week, and only then disparaged her work as insignificant. Later friends of the government would suggest that forces of the opposition likely ordered her murder, looking to give the state a bad name. When Alexander Litvinenko was murdered by polonium poisoning, the lead suspect enjoys a Duma seat as a celebrity while the government argues that Litvinenko probably poisoned himself. When Mikhail Khodorkovsky wouldn't go down, they attacked all his lawyers to try to flip witnesses, including Vasily Alexanyan, who was imprisoned, contracted HIV and tuberculosis, and was then denied medication.<br />
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Similar fallout has occurred following the most recent near-fatal attack on the journalist <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/11/06/the_horrible_truth_about_oleg_kashin?page=0,1" target="_hplink">Oleg Kashin</a> and other violence against journalists. A Nashi leader attacked his reputation as a reporter, and then suggested that <a href="http://www.theotherrussia.org/2010/11/10/nashi-tells-journalists-to-stop-asking-to-be-murdered/" target="_hplink">journalists should stop writing</a> things that provoke these attacks and murders. Anatoly Adamchuk, another journalist who suffered an attack on the same day, was <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jZmPi_ZIZD2Fjwmnl_VfzlwrYZ0A?docId=CNG.343e541c0c6b010ffdd4b15c71b3040d.651" target="_hplink">accused</a> by the police of beating himself up. Although journalist Mikhail Beketov was brutally attacked back in 2008, he went on trial this month as a defendant in a defamation case. Naturally, he lost. The examples go on and on.<br />
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In preparation for Magnitsky's anniversary, fresh efforts are underway to drag his name through the mud. The Interior Ministry has dug up a new fake witness, who, like the convicted murderer Viktor Markelov, had also been appointed after Hermitage had lost control of the subsidiary companies. While blaming a dead man and rewarding his killers, "Russian authorities figuratively spit on his grave," <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/11/15/adding_insult_to_murder" target="_hplink">writes David J. Kramer</a>.<br />
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In an even more bizarre twist, Moscow's notorious Butyrka prison, where Magnitsky lived his final days, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A83KE20101109" target="_hplink">announced</a> last week that they will be installing tanning beds and wireless internet in order to improve conditions for inmates. This really seems like quite the cruel joke timed for the anniversary, as the inmates don't even have access to hot water for basic hygiene. <br />
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Lawlessness has been working out pretty well for Putin - when courts don't work, and when the investigators are specialized in inventing cases rather than solving crimes, the Kremlin becomes the ultimate arbiter in the system. This fragile and desperate power is threatened by perceptions of clemency, and eagerly exploited by the corrupt. It's a machine that requires a constant flow of victims, and one that must be protected from reforms that may pry it away from its dependence on the state. <br />
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In the long run, rule by fear always loses out to rule of law. As the greater the level of instability becomes visible, the more Putin's stakeholders are going to have to review the incentives of building these independent institutions vs. the benefits of maintaining a brokedown fiefdom of unitary power.
<p>Read more: <a href="/tag/russia">Russia</a>, <a href="/tag/politics">Politics</a>, <a href="/tag/human-rights">Human Rights</a>, <a href="/tag/hermitage-capital-management">Hermitage Capital Management</a>, <a href="/tag/billbrowder">Bill-Browder</a>, <a href="/tag/william-browder">William Browder</a>, <a href="/tag/sergei-magnitsky">Sergei Magnitsky</a>, <a href="/tag/robert-amsterdam">Robert Amsterdam</a>, <a href="/tag/prisons">Prisons</a>, <a href="/tag/moscow">Moscow</a>, <a href="/tag/international-relations">International Relations</a>, <a href="/tag/freedom-of-press">Freedom of Press</a>, <a href="/tag/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="/tag/dmitry-medvedev">Dmitry Medvedev</a>, <a href="/tag/rule-of-law">Rule of Law</a>, <a href="/world">World News</a></p>