Russian MP Sergei Yushenkov, an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, has been murdered in Moscow. His colleagues are calling his death an assassination. No!
Mr Yushenkov, a leader of the Liberal Russia party, was shot three times in the back near his home. His home is near his back? Oh... I get it
Police confirm he died later of his wounds and a pistol with a silencer was found near the scene. In Moscow, this is "death by natural causes"
A supporter of human rights causes and an opponent of the war in Chechnya. O for 2 huh?
Mr Yushenkov, 52, is the second member of his party to be murdered this year. "I have no doubt at all that this was a political murder," said Gennady Seleznyov, the speaker of the State Duma. In August, party member Vladimir Golovlyov was shot in the head, and Mr Yushenkov said at the time that he thought that killing was politically motivated. duh
The Liberal Russia party was founded last year with the financial backing of Boris Berezovsky, a self-exiled tycoon and President Putin opponent who was elected one of its co-chairmen along with Yushenkov. Several months later, however, Liberal Russia broke ties with Berezovsky because of his political overtures to the Communists. Mr Yushenkov, and a member of the Duma Security Committee, was a critic of Mr Putin and the Federal Security Service, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB. Just for those who see Putin and his cronies as "new democrats" in Russia? A dose of reality. It's a cold hard world out there
But let me add that there are lots of other reasons than making faces at Putin for him to have been bumped off. My own suspicions would actually gravitate toward Berezovsky before they'd land on Vlad. Just having been in the intel biz doesn't necessarily mean you have people bumped off casually. On the other hand, just being a mobster kinda sorta hints that you might... And those opinions aren't even taking into consideration any other players who didn't make it into the story.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/17/2003 01:16 pm ||
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#1
Didn't quite know where to post this Fred - move as you see fit
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/17/2003 13:22 Comments ||
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#3
well now we have a standard - if we can create a government in Iraq that is more democratic and rule of law focused then the government of Russia, we've succeeded!!!!
Makes me think once again i should read Fareed Zakaria on "illiberal democracy" which is what Russia is.
Yeltsins big mistake was in never grooming a successor or institutionaling his popularity with an alliance with reformers. Clinton's mistake was trusting Yeltsins strategy. Bush's mistake seems to have been trusting his own vibes on Putin.
#5
Anonymous - exactly! makes me think it's either ex-kgb or the russian mafia - he's pissed off enough of the "elite"...maybe it was one of the hitmen on the list Putin gave Saddam?
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/17/2003 13:58 Comments ||
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#6
Vlad is feeling the heat so he sets for the natural rythm of russia politics....
Create a permanent place for the axis of weasels...web blogging is the only medium where the framed context of media control can be exposed and reframed...1000 cheers to you and yours for bringing interactive context to reported news!
I actually regard Putin as a big improvement over Yeltsin. Yeltsin should have been a hero, but he turned out to be a drunk with a family and feet of clay. Putin should have been a nightmare, but he's turned out to be firm enough to control the anarchy that flourished while Yeltsin was lapsing further into the DTs, but not harsh enough to stifle the democratic impulses unfolding in Russia. He's the subtle type who doesn't assassinate most of his political adversaries...
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2003 14:09 Comments ||
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#8
I agree that Putin is an improvement Fred, I just don't like when we get all doe-eyed over the guy. He's smart, ruthless, and, if in Russia's interest, an ally.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/17/2003 15:37 Comments ||
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#9
I prefer Putin to most Russian alternatives... We should have been able to "flip" him with incentives, but we didn't, and at least he didn't deceive us, and rush around proactively "weaseling" ala DeVillipen.
Little Dominique, on the other hand, has big aspirations and it will be so sad when he is left crying in his french wine on the Left bank.
#10
I'm figuring this whacked guy had the only bid in on some pre-babylonian steele, but it didn't meet the confidential reserve.
Posted by: Scott ||
04/17/2003 18:19 Comments ||
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#11
Never forget, Putin was a KGB agent. He didn't survive for long in that atmosphere by being nice or by being unable to hide his tracks. This guy actually has done some dirty work. He wouldn't be that easy to "flip" or manipulate.
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/17/2003 20:03 Comments ||
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#12
"...it's either ex-kgb or the russian mafia..."
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