Yet Another Russian Plane Kills

It is now being reported that “a Russian-made Tupolev 154 aircraft blew a tire, skidded off a runway and caught fire while landing in northeastern Iran on a few hours ago, killing up to 80 of the 147 passengers aboard. The Tu-154, the workhorse of passenger airlines in the former Soviet Union, has been in commercial service since 1972. More than 900 have been built and more than 160 exported to airlines around the world. Due to noise and pollution regulations, the planes do not fly to Western destinations.” As previously reported on La Russophobe, a Tu-154 crashed during a thunderstorm in Ukraine on Aug. 22 while en route from a Black Sea resort to St. Petersburg, Russia, killing all 170 aboard. That craft was owned by Russia’s Pulkovo Airlines, and was only the latest in recent string of Russian air disasters.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe !

LR Welcomes 10,000th Visitor

A few minutes ago La Russophobe was pleased to welcome the 10,000th visit to the blog. Visit #10,000 came from Egham, Slough, United Kingdom.

It took La Russophobe 153 days to reach this milestone, meaning that she averaged 65 visits per day during the first 5+ months of her existence (visit #10,000 came six days after her five-month anniversary). At her current rate of traffic, it will only take about 105 days for her to accrue a second 10,000 visits.

Though she knows she’s still a baby, La Russophobe is already a force to be reckoned with in the Russia-watching world because she is the most heavily trafficked and most content-rich Russia specialty blog on the planet.

If you are reading these words, (and especially if you are writing or commenting on others) you are a part of La Russophobe and her accomplishments are yours as well. But her challenges are also yours, and there is a long, long way to go before even a reasonable semblance of democracy or freedom arrives in Russia, much less a benign, non-imperial government (if it ever does). La Russophobe thanks all her readers and especially her contributors for their continuing support and courage in the face of the rising Neo-Soviet monstrosity.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe !

Neo-Soviet Russia Attempts Coup D’etat in Georgia

The Moscow News reports that Russia has attempted, in the manner of the Bay of Pigs, to funnel support to Georgian coup plotters seeking to destabilize Georgia’s elected government in order to avoid Georgia falling into the evil clutches of NATO and the European Union. In combination with the dire state of human rights in Russia as documented on La Russophobe this can only be viewed as a shocking escalation of Neo-Soviet behavior and naked imperialism. It is truly breathtaking hypocrisy for Russia to intervene in Georgian and Ukrainian politics while screaming to high heaven if any foreign country interferes with Russia in Chechnya. And it is truly horrifying to imagine that Russia is now so drunk on oil revenues that it is prepared to court disaster with such provocative behavior.

Nearly 30 people were arrested in Georgia on suspicion of plotting a coup against the government, officials said. They say those detained are supporters of Igor Giorgadze — the fugitive former head of the state security service. Lawyers for those arrested deny the coup accusations, saying the arrests amount to political persecution.

Giorgadze fled Georgia after being accused of trying to assassinate then President Eduard Shevardnadze in 1995 — a charge he denies. “They will be charged under Article 315 of the Georgian criminal code — plotting against the state and overthrowing the government,” Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili told reporters.

Among those detained are officials of two opposition parties — the pro-Russian Justice Party and the Conservative Monarchists.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant wrote Thursday that Georgia has accused Moscow of backing the plotters. Vano Mirabishvili announced that an attempted coup financed by Russia had been prevented. The opposition says that a new political era has begun in Georgia as “the authorities try to hold on to power through repression alone.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Georgian security forces broke raided apartments of the leaders of Justice Party, Anti-Soros Movement and Conservative Monarchists Party across the country. Those parties make up the so-called Igor Giorgadze bloc. Police operations were also carried out at the homes of his relatives. After searches were conducted, 29 opposition leaders and activists were arrested. Searches of the opposition groups’ offices were conducted simultaneously and, according to official accounts, charter documents, computers, money and weapons were seized.

Georgia also accuses Moscow of backing separatists in Georgia’s breakaway provinces, while Russia has banned the import of certain Georgian goods.

RIA Novosti says that the problems are far from over:

TBILISI, September 7 (RIA Novosti) – A Georgian opposition party, Justice, called Thursday for a national disobedience campaign to topple the president and his government as 14 party activists were charged with preparing a coup.

The interior minister said Wednesday the country’s law enforcement agencies had information that supporters of controversial former Georgian minister and security chief Igor Giorgadze were preparing to overthrow the government and making arrangements for Giorgadze’s return from exile. In all, 29 people were detained in raids and 14 individuals who remained in custody Thursday were officially charged.

But Justice party representative Irina Sarishvili told a news conference that her party would seek to bring down President Mikheil Saakashvili, who himself came to power on the back of popular protests, and his government.

“We propose setting up a national disobedience movement and starting large-scale actions with only one demand: that the country’s current leadership resigns,” said Sarishvili, who runs the Igor Giorgadze Foundation in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.

Justice party leader Giorgadze himself is said to live in Russia after fleeing the country in 1995 when he was accused of organizing an assassination attempt on then-president Eduard Shevardnadze. He has denied the claims.

“If these authorities want revolution, they will get it,” said Sarishvili, who also claimed Wednesday her office was being searched by security officers.

Georgian law enforcement agencies carried out an operation Wednesday to arrest supporters of Giorgadze, his Justice party and other public and political organizations, including the leader of the opposition Conservative Monarchist party, Teimuraz Zhorzholiani, and of the Anti-Soros political movement, Maya Nikoleishvili.

President Saakashvili told journalists in Poland, where he is on an official visit, that the alleged plotters would be dealt with harshly. “They will get what they deserve, and those who finance them can be sure of that,” he said.

But Sarishvili rejected a statement by the Georgian Interior Ministry about an alleged conspiracy aiming at overthrowing the authorities at a party conference on May 4. “There was no conference and, of course, no plan to overthrow authorities,” she said.

The detained activists have protested their innocence and have said their political work led to their arrest, which prompted Sarishvili to say the detentions looked like the start of a political repression campaign.

A senior Russian diplomat said Moscow, which has had tense relations with Tbilisi since the 2003 “rose revolution” brought Saakashvili to power, regarded the arrests as a domestic matter for Georgia.

“We regard yesterday’s arrests of opposition representatives as the country’s internal affair,” Yury Popov, Russia’s ambassador-at-large and co-chairman of the Joint Control Commission for Georgian-South Ossetian conflict resolution, told a news conference.

The diplomat also said it was unsurprising that some politicians in Georgia had accused Russia of financing the opposition’s activities. “Georgia by habit blames Russia for all its troubles,” Popov said.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe !

Neo-Soviet Russia Attempts Coup D’etat in Georgia

The Moscow News reports that Russia has attempted, in the manner of the Bay of Pigs, to funnel support to Georgian coup plotters seeking to destabilize Georgia’s elected government in order to avoid Georgia falling into the evil clutches of NATO and the European Union. In combination with the dire state of human rights in Russia as documented on La Russophobe this can only be viewed as a shocking escalation of Neo-Soviet behavior and naked imperialism. It is truly breathtaking hypocrisy for Russia to intervene in Georgian and Ukrainian politics while screaming to high heaven if any foreign country interferes with Russia in Chechnya. And it is truly horrifying to imagine that Russia is now so drunk on oil revenues that it is prepared to court disaster with such provocative behavior.

Nearly 30 people were arrested in Georgia on suspicion of plotting a coup against the government, officials said. They say those detained are supporters of Igor Giorgadze — the fugitive former head of the state security service. Lawyers for those arrested deny the coup accusations, saying the arrests amount to political persecution.

Giorgadze fled Georgia after being accused of trying to assassinate then President Eduard Shevardnadze in 1995 — a charge he denies. “They will be charged under Article 315 of the Georgian criminal code — plotting against the state and overthrowing the government,” Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili told reporters.

Among those detained are officials of two opposition parties — the pro-Russian Justice Party and the Conservative Monarchists.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant wrote Thursday that Georgia has accused Moscow of backing the plotters. Vano Mirabishvili announced that an attempted coup financed by Russia had been prevented. The opposition says that a new political era has begun in Georgia as “the authorities try to hold on to power through repression alone.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Georgian security forces broke raided apartments of the leaders of Justice Party, Anti-Soros Movement and Conservative Monarchists Party across the country. Those parties make up the so-called Igor Giorgadze bloc. Police operations were also carried out at the homes of his relatives. After searches were conducted, 29 opposition leaders and activists were arrested. Searches of the opposition groups’ offices were conducted simultaneously and, according to official accounts, charter documents, computers, money and weapons were seized.

Georgia also accuses Moscow of backing separatists in Georgia’s breakaway provinces, while Russia has banned the import of certain Georgian goods.

RIA Novosti says that the problems are far from over:

TBILISI, September 7 (RIA Novosti) – A Georgian opposition party, Justice, called Thursday for a national disobedience campaign to topple the president and his government as 14 party activists were charged with preparing a coup.

The interior minister said Wednesday the country’s law enforcement agencies had information that supporters of controversial former Georgian minister and security chief Igor Giorgadze were preparing to overthrow the government and making arrangements for Giorgadze’s return from exile. In all, 29 people were detained in raids and 14 individuals who remained in custody Thursday were officially charged.

But Justice party representative Irina Sarishvili told a news conference that her party would seek to bring down President Mikheil Saakashvili, who himself came to power on the back of popular protests, and his government.

“We propose setting up a national disobedience movement and starting large-scale actions with only one demand: that the country’s current leadership resigns,” said Sarishvili, who runs the Igor Giorgadze Foundation in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.

Justice party leader Giorgadze himself is said to live in Russia after fleeing the country in 1995 when he was accused of organizing an assassination attempt on then-president Eduard Shevardnadze. He has denied the claims.

“If these authorities want revolution, they will get it,” said Sarishvili, who also claimed Wednesday her office was being searched by security officers.

Georgian law enforcement agencies carried out an operation Wednesday to arrest supporters of Giorgadze, his Justice party and other public and political organizations, including the leader of the opposition Conservative Monarchist party, Teimuraz Zhorzholiani, and of the Anti-Soros political movement, Maya Nikoleishvili.

President Saakashvili told journalists in Poland, where he is on an official visit, that the alleged plotters would be dealt with harshly. “They will get what they deserve, and those who finance them can be sure of that,” he said.

But Sarishvili rejected a statement by the Georgian Interior Ministry about an alleged conspiracy aiming at overthrowing the authorities at a party conference on May 4. “There was no conference and, of course, no plan to overthrow authorities,” she said.

The detained activists have protested their innocence and have said their political work led to their arrest, which prompted Sarishvili to say the detentions looked like the start of a political repression campaign.

A senior Russian diplomat said Moscow, which has had tense relations with Tbilisi since the 2003 “rose revolution” brought Saakashvili to power, regarded the arrests as a domestic matter for Georgia.

“We regard yesterday’s arrests of opposition representatives as the country’s internal affair,” Yury Popov, Russia’s ambassador-at-large and co-chairman of the Joint Control Commission for Georgian-South Ossetian conflict resolution, told a news conference.

The diplomat also said it was unsurprising that some politicians in Georgia had accused Russia of financing the opposition’s activities. “Georgia by habit blames Russia for all its troubles,” Popov said.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe !

Neo-Soviet Russia Attempts Coup D’etat in Georgia

The Moscow News reports that Russia has attempted, in the manner of the Bay of Pigs, to funnel support to Georgian coup plotters seeking to destabilize Georgia’s elected government in order to avoid Georgia falling into the evil clutches of NATO and the European Union. In combination with the dire state of human rights in Russia as documented on La Russophobe this can only be viewed as a shocking escalation of Neo-Soviet behavior and naked imperialism. It is truly breathtaking hypocrisy for Russia to intervene in Georgian and Ukrainian politics while screaming to high heaven if any foreign country interferes with Russia in Chechnya. And it is truly horrifying to imagine that Russia is now so drunk on oil revenues that it is prepared to court disaster with such provocative behavior.

Nearly 30 people were arrested in Georgia on suspicion of plotting a coup against the government, officials said. They say those detained are supporters of Igor Giorgadze — the fugitive former head of the state security service. Lawyers for those arrested deny the coup accusations, saying the arrests amount to political persecution.

Giorgadze fled Georgia after being accused of trying to assassinate then President Eduard Shevardnadze in 1995 — a charge he denies. “They will be charged under Article 315 of the Georgian criminal code — plotting against the state and overthrowing the government,” Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili told reporters.

Among those detained are officials of two opposition parties — the pro-Russian Justice Party and the Conservative Monarchists.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant wrote Thursday that Georgia has accused Moscow of backing the plotters. Vano Mirabishvili announced that an attempted coup financed by Russia had been prevented. The opposition says that a new political era has begun in Georgia as “the authorities try to hold on to power through repression alone.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Georgian security forces broke raided apartments of the leaders of Justice Party, Anti-Soros Movement and Conservative Monarchists Party across the country. Those parties make up the so-called Igor Giorgadze bloc. Police operations were also carried out at the homes of his relatives. After searches were conducted, 29 opposition leaders and activists were arrested. Searches of the opposition groups’ offices were conducted simultaneously and, according to official accounts, charter documents, computers, money and weapons were seized.

Georgia also accuses Moscow of backing separatists in Georgia’s breakaway provinces, while Russia has banned the import of certain Georgian goods.

RIA Novosti says that the problems are far from over:

TBILISI, September 7 (RIA Novosti) – A Georgian opposition party, Justice, called Thursday for a national disobedience campaign to topple the president and his government as 14 party activists were charged with preparing a coup.

The interior minister said Wednesday the country’s law enforcement agencies had information that supporters of controversial former Georgian minister and security chief Igor Giorgadze were preparing to overthrow the government and making arrangements for Giorgadze’s return from exile. In all, 29 people were detained in raids and 14 individuals who remained in custody Thursday were officially charged.

But Justice party representative Irina Sarishvili told a news conference that her party would seek to bring down President Mikheil Saakashvili, who himself came to power on the back of popular protests, and his government.

“We propose setting up a national disobedience movement and starting large-scale actions with only one demand: that the country’s current leadership resigns,” said Sarishvili, who runs the Igor Giorgadze Foundation in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.

Justice party leader Giorgadze himself is said to live in Russia after fleeing the country in 1995 when he was accused of organizing an assassination attempt on then-president Eduard Shevardnadze. He has denied the claims.

“If these authorities want revolution, they will get it,” said Sarishvili, who also claimed Wednesday her office was being searched by security officers.

Georgian law enforcement agencies carried out an operation Wednesday to arrest supporters of Giorgadze, his Justice party and other public and political organizations, including the leader of the opposition Conservative Monarchist party, Teimuraz Zhorzholiani, and of the Anti-Soros political movement, Maya Nikoleishvili.

President Saakashvili told journalists in Poland, where he is on an official visit, that the alleged plotters would be dealt with harshly. “They will get what they deserve, and those who finance them can be sure of that,” he said.

But Sarishvili rejected a statement by the Georgian Interior Ministry about an alleged conspiracy aiming at overthrowing the authorities at a party conference on May 4. “There was no conference and, of course, no plan to overthrow authorities,” she said.

The detained activists have protested their innocence and have said their political work led to their arrest, which prompted Sarishvili to say the detentions looked like the start of a political repression campaign.

A senior Russian diplomat said Moscow, which has had tense relations with Tbilisi since the 2003 “rose revolution” brought Saakashvili to power, regarded the arrests as a domestic matter for Georgia.

“We regard yesterday’s arrests of opposition representatives as the country’s internal affair,” Yury Popov, Russia’s ambassador-at-large and co-chairman of the Joint Control Commission for Georgian-South Ossetian conflict resolution, told a news conference.

The diplomat also said it was unsurprising that some politicians in Georgia had accused Russia of financing the opposition’s activities. “Georgia by habit blames Russia for all its troubles,” Popov said.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe !

Neo-Soviet Russia Attempts Coup D’etat in Georgia

The Moscow News reports that Russia has attempted, in the manner of the Bay of Pigs, to funnel support to Georgian coup plotters seeking to destabilize Georgia’s elected government in order to avoid Georgia falling into the evil clutches of NATO and the European Union. In combination with the dire state of human rights in Russia as documented on La Russophobe this can only be viewed as a shocking escalation of Neo-Soviet behavior and naked imperialism. It is truly breathtaking hypocrisy for Russia to intervene in Georgian and Ukrainian politics while screaming to high heaven if any foreign country interferes with Russia in Chechnya. And it is truly horrifying to imagine that Russia is now so drunk on oil revenues that it is prepared to court disaster with such provocative behavior.

Nearly 30 people were arrested in Georgia on suspicion of plotting a coup against the government, officials said. They say those detained are supporters of Igor Giorgadze — the fugitive former head of the state security service. Lawyers for those arrested deny the coup accusations, saying the arrests amount to political persecution.

Giorgadze fled Georgia after being accused of trying to assassinate then President Eduard Shevardnadze in 1995 — a charge he denies. “They will be charged under Article 315 of the Georgian criminal code — plotting against the state and overthrowing the government,” Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili told reporters.

Among those detained are officials of two opposition parties — the pro-Russian Justice Party and the Conservative Monarchists.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant wrote Thursday that Georgia has accused Moscow of backing the plotters. Vano Mirabishvili announced that an attempted coup financed by Russia had been prevented. The opposition says that a new political era has begun in Georgia as “the authorities try to hold on to power through repression alone.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Georgian security forces broke raided apartments of the leaders of Justice Party, Anti-Soros Movement and Conservative Monarchists Party across the country. Those parties make up the so-called Igor Giorgadze bloc. Police operations were also carried out at the homes of his relatives. After searches were conducted, 29 opposition leaders and activists were arrested. Searches of the opposition groups’ offices were conducted simultaneously and, according to official accounts, charter documents, computers, money and weapons were seized.

Georgia also accuses Moscow of backing separatists in Georgia’s breakaway provinces, while Russia has banned the import of certain Georgian goods.

RIA Novosti says that the problems are far from over:

TBILISI, September 7 (RIA Novosti) – A Georgian opposition party, Justice, called Thursday for a national disobedience campaign to topple the president and his government as 14 party activists were charged with preparing a coup.

The interior minister said Wednesday the country’s law enforcement agencies had information that supporters of controversial former Georgian minister and security chief Igor Giorgadze were preparing to overthrow the government and making arrangements for Giorgadze’s return from exile. In all, 29 people were detained in raids and 14 individuals who remained in custody Thursday were officially charged.

But Justice party representative Irina Sarishvili told a news conference that her party would seek to bring down President Mikheil Saakashvili, who himself came to power on the back of popular protests, and his government.

“We propose setting up a national disobedience movement and starting large-scale actions with only one demand: that the country’s current leadership resigns,” said Sarishvili, who runs the Igor Giorgadze Foundation in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.

Justice party leader Giorgadze himself is said to live in Russia after fleeing the country in 1995 when he was accused of organizing an assassination attempt on then-president Eduard Shevardnadze. He has denied the claims.

“If these authorities want revolution, they will get it,” said Sarishvili, who also claimed Wednesday her office was being searched by security officers.

Georgian law enforcement agencies carried out an operation Wednesday to arrest supporters of Giorgadze, his Justice party and other public and political organizations, including the leader of the opposition Conservative Monarchist party, Teimuraz Zhorzholiani, and of the Anti-Soros political movement, Maya Nikoleishvili.

President Saakashvili told journalists in Poland, where he is on an official visit, that the alleged plotters would be dealt with harshly. “They will get what they deserve, and those who finance them can be sure of that,” he said.

But Sarishvili rejected a statement by the Georgian Interior Ministry about an alleged conspiracy aiming at overthrowing the authorities at a party conference on May 4. “There was no conference and, of course, no plan to overthrow authorities,” she said.

The detained activists have protested their innocence and have said their political work led to their arrest, which prompted Sarishvili to say the detentions looked like the start of a political repression campaign.

A senior Russian diplomat said Moscow, which has had tense relations with Tbilisi since the 2003 “rose revolution” brought Saakashvili to power, regarded the arrests as a domestic matter for Georgia.

“We regard yesterday’s arrests of opposition representatives as the country’s internal affair,” Yury Popov, Russia’s ambassador-at-large and co-chairman of the Joint Control Commission for Georgian-South Ossetian conflict resolution, told a news conference.

The diplomat also said it was unsurprising that some politicians in Georgia had accused Russia of financing the opposition’s activities. “Georgia by habit blames Russia for all its troubles,” Popov said.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe !

Neo-Soviet Russia Attempts Coup D’etat in Georgia

The Moscow News reports that Russia has attempted, in the manner of the Bay of Pigs, to funnel support to Georgian coup plotters seeking to destabilize Georgia’s elected government in order to avoid Georgia falling into the evil clutches of NATO and the European Union. In combination with the dire state of human rights in Russia as documented on La Russophobe this can only be viewed as a shocking escalation of Neo-Soviet behavior and naked imperialism. It is truly breathtaking hypocrisy for Russia to intervene in Georgian and Ukrainian politics while screaming to high heaven if any foreign country interferes with Russia in Chechnya. And it is truly horrifying to imagine that Russia is now so drunk on oil revenues that it is prepared to court disaster with such provocative behavior.

Nearly 30 people were arrested in Georgia on suspicion of plotting a coup against the government, officials said. They say those detained are supporters of Igor Giorgadze — the fugitive former head of the state security service. Lawyers for those arrested deny the coup accusations, saying the arrests amount to political persecution.

Giorgadze fled Georgia after being accused of trying to assassinate then President Eduard Shevardnadze in 1995 — a charge he denies. “They will be charged under Article 315 of the Georgian criminal code — plotting against the state and overthrowing the government,” Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili told reporters.

Among those detained are officials of two opposition parties — the pro-Russian Justice Party and the Conservative Monarchists.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant wrote Thursday that Georgia has accused Moscow of backing the plotters. Vano Mirabishvili announced that an attempted coup financed by Russia had been prevented. The opposition says that a new political era has begun in Georgia as “the authorities try to hold on to power through repression alone.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Georgian security forces broke raided apartments of the leaders of Justice Party, Anti-Soros Movement and Conservative Monarchists Party across the country. Those parties make up the so-called Igor Giorgadze bloc. Police operations were also carried out at the homes of his relatives. After searches were conducted, 29 opposition leaders and activists were arrested. Searches of the opposition groups’ offices were conducted simultaneously and, according to official accounts, charter documents, computers, money and weapons were seized.

Georgia also accuses Moscow of backing separatists in Georgia’s breakaway provinces, while Russia has banned the import of certain Georgian goods.

RIA Novosti says that the problems are far from over:

TBILISI, September 7 (RIA Novosti) – A Georgian opposition party, Justice, called Thursday for a national disobedience campaign to topple the president and his government as 14 party activists were charged with preparing a coup.

The interior minister said Wednesday the country’s law enforcement agencies had information that supporters of controversial former Georgian minister and security chief Igor Giorgadze were preparing to overthrow the government and making arrangements for Giorgadze’s return from exile. In all, 29 people were detained in raids and 14 individuals who remained in custody Thursday were officially charged.

But Justice party representative Irina Sarishvili told a news conference that her party would seek to bring down President Mikheil Saakashvili, who himself came to power on the back of popular protests, and his government.

“We propose setting up a national disobedience movement and starting large-scale actions with only one demand: that the country’s current leadership resigns,” said Sarishvili, who runs the Igor Giorgadze Foundation in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.

Justice party leader Giorgadze himself is said to live in Russia after fleeing the country in 1995 when he was accused of organizing an assassination attempt on then-president Eduard Shevardnadze. He has denied the claims.

“If these authorities want revolution, they will get it,” said Sarishvili, who also claimed Wednesday her office was being searched by security officers.

Georgian law enforcement agencies carried out an operation Wednesday to arrest supporters of Giorgadze, his Justice party and other public and political organizations, including the leader of the opposition Conservative Monarchist party, Teimuraz Zhorzholiani, and of the Anti-Soros political movement, Maya Nikoleishvili.

President Saakashvili told journalists in Poland, where he is on an official visit, that the alleged plotters would be dealt with harshly. “They will get what they deserve, and those who finance them can be sure of that,” he said.

But Sarishvili rejected a statement by the Georgian Interior Ministry about an alleged conspiracy aiming at overthrowing the authorities at a party conference on May 4. “There was no conference and, of course, no plan to overthrow authorities,” she said.

The detained activists have protested their innocence and have said their political work led to their arrest, which prompted Sarishvili to say the detentions looked like the start of a political repression campaign.

A senior Russian diplomat said Moscow, which has had tense relations with Tbilisi since the 2003 “rose revolution” brought Saakashvili to power, regarded the arrests as a domestic matter for Georgia.

“We regard yesterday’s arrests of opposition representatives as the country’s internal affair,” Yury Popov, Russia’s ambassador-at-large and co-chairman of the Joint Control Commission for Georgian-South Ossetian conflict resolution, told a news conference.

The diplomat also said it was unsurprising that some politicians in Georgia had accused Russia of financing the opposition’s activities. “Georgia by habit blames Russia for all its troubles,” Popov said.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe !

*EVENT OF INTEREST*

On Saturday October 7th, at 1 pm in the 37 Arts Gallery located at 450 West 37th Street in Manhattan, Russian political activist Garry Kasparov will be interviewed by David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker magazine. The cost of attending is $25 and further details can be obtained by calling (877) 391-0545. All those interested in the development of democracy and political alternatives in Russia should consider attending and expressing their support to the valiant Mr. Kasparov, who is risking all to give Russia a choice. The event is part of the 7th Annual New Yorker Festival, and is especially timely in light of the shocking attempt by Russia, detailed above, to subvert the elected regime in Georgia (after attempting the same thing in Ukraine) and the orgy of racism and other human rights violations sweeping the country. Even if you don’t specifically support Mr. Kasparov, you should support his presence on the political landscape as way of encouraging other prospective leaders to throw their hats into the ring and give Russians real choices during elections. La Russopohbe has already documented the Kremlin’s relentless attacks on Mr. Kasparov and his party, showing how significant they really are and how genuine is Mr. Kasparov’s commitment.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe !

Annals of Cold War II: The Arms Race Redux

Did somebody say “Star Wars redux”? In yet another harbinger of the cold war Russia has provoked with the United States, Russia is now panicking over the U.S. plan to develop a ballistic missile shield. 7Days reports:

The planned US anti-missile shield is a threat to global security as it could lead to another arms race, Russia’s army chief, General Yuri Baluyevski, said in an article published in a Polish newspaper yesterday. “Deploying the large-scale US anti-missile shield threatens to spark a new arms race,” Baluyevski said in the Polish daily Dziennik. Of particular concern, according to Baluyevski, was Washington’s intention to base some of the anti-missile shield in central Europe. Poland and the Czech Republic are being considered for the European base of the anti-missile shield, although opposition to that plan is rising in both countries. Other countries where the United States could base its interceptor missiles and radar are Bulgaria, Hungary or Turkey. “We are firmly convinced that, if the US project is carried out, it could lead to the deployment near the Russian border of systems which threaten to upset the strategic balance in weapons positioning,” Baluyevski said. The US missile defence system employs radar and satellites to detect enemy missile launches and guide interceptors to their targets. The command centre is based in the southwestern US state of Colorado, and interceptor missiles are located in Alaska and in California. The head of the US missile defence agency, General Henry Obering, said last month he expects to make recommendations in a matter of months on where to position interceptor missiles and radar in Europe.

Meanwhile, the RSNF blog reports that even as it complains about U.S. policy Russia is seeking to unilaterally withdraw from a major SALT provision, the INF medium range ICMB agreement. Russia obviously wants these weapons to terrorize the former Soviet slave states who are reluctant for obvious reasons to come under Russia’s thumb, such as Ukraine and Georgia.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe !

LR on PP

Take a look at La Russophobe’s item on Publius Pundit summarizing the shocking series of events last weekend on the human rights scene in Russia. As noted below, the story coming out of Kondopoga is getting worse by the hour, and the total picture gives every indication of rapidly spinning out of control. “President” Putin’s silence in the face of these events is disgusting to say the least (though hardly suprising). Comments from readers are especially welcome on this important issue.

Thanks for reading La Russophobe !