Showing posts with label Putin. Show all posts
Snowden affair: Redefining worldwide democracy
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| A member of German Piraten Partei (Pirates party) holds the portraits of U.S. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden (R), a former contractor at the National Security Agency (NSA), during a protest in Berlin's Tiergarten district, June 19, 2013. (Reuters) |
Days after the G8 summit in Northern Ireland brought an awkward meeting between Presidents Obama and Putin, US-Russia relations are put under a new critical test.
This time the name of the game is not “Syria”, but “Snowden”. Moreover, the Snowden story is already evolving into a global debate on what are the do’s and don’t of a decent partnership and the ABC of personal freedoms and genuine democracy.
The detective story of the 30-year old NSA leaker, who landed in Moscow after leaving Hong Kong, added to the growing frustration which has plagued US-Russian relations in recent months.
Unwrapping the riddle of Snowden’s whereabouts President Putin confirmed he is still at the transit area of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Denying any accusations against Russia as “nonsense and rubbish” as Snowden “has not crossed” the Russian border, Putin called on the US to turn down anti-Russian rhetoric and finally tried to draw a line under the whole story in his trademark colorful language: “In any case, I would like not to deal with such issues because it is like shearing a pig: there's lots of squealing and little fleece”.
However, as the Snowden saga is far from being over, the scandal has a potential to pave the way for a lengthy period of even more chilled relations between Moscow and Washington; its ups and downs at present can be described not as a “cold war”, but a “cold peace”.
While the Obama administration refrains from further rocking the boat, it is done by US congressmen, who are exercising fresh attacks on President Putin and making thinly-veiled warnings about US retaliation.
“The bottom line is very simple. Allies are supposed to treat each other decently, and Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States, whether it is Syria, Iran and now, of course, with Snowden. That’s not how allies should treat one another, and I think it will have serious consequences for the United States-Russia relationship”, -- explains Sen. Charles E.Schumer.
The dominant mood on the large part of the American political elite is seemingly this: the Edward Snowden case comes as another defining moment for US relations with the rest of the world, including Russia. So, by not lending the US a helping hand at this critical point, both Russia and China placed themselves on the other side of global barricades – in a camp of old US adversaries, like Cuba and Venezuela.
Neocons would stick to the point which long before the Snowden saga was articulated by some leading Republicans, including presidential hopeful Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential race. Mr.Romney repeatedly spoke of an informal global alliance of non-democratic regimes, which is trying to hinder the interests of the US and their Western allies world-wide, whenever the situation allows, at every possible point (the policy of “putting a finger in the eye”).
Following this way of understanding things, the Snowden scandal is seen by some as another lively episode of a grand battle “democracies” versus “autocracies”. The list of the countries which has adopted non-cooperative approach on the Snowden case is becoming highly symbolic: China, Russia, Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador (either regular autocracies, like China or Cuba, or troubled democracies sliding to autocratic rule, like Russia). So, it looks as if the whole story illustrates the slogan of the day once coined by Andrew Kuchins ” Autocracies of the world, unite!
Truly, in the Snowden case democracy is a core divisive issue, but things are not that simple. Ironically, it is Edward Snowden who is waging the battle for democracy on his own, posing as another “warrior of truth” – but not a traitor. He explained that what made him become a whistleblower was the credibility gap between the state and civil society. So, on his part it was not an act of national betrayal, but a decent protest move to expose US crimes and human rights violations both at home and abroad. In a way, he hinted he wanted to help President Obama who is more and more often described as “George Obama” (but not a reincarnation of President Kennedy).
The Snowden case pinpoints a certain tendency. After Bradley Manning, the 25-year old US soldier, accused of passing classified files to WikiLeaks, we have another story of a young American citizen, who is behind an important leak of classified information. While some in Washington tend to describe it as a global plot against the US, with Russia siding with US adversaries, the cases of both Manning and Snowden have a lot in common. Both cases spilt America into those, who consider whistleblowers traitors, putting US national security at risk and those who describe them as a brave citizens, who were not scared to expose the US government wrongdoing in the interests of Americans themselves.
No surprise, that the story of Snowden has already triggered a global debate on what is the delicate balancing act between democracy and security, which make uneasy bedfellows. In his recent interview to RT President Putin hinted that surveillance "is becoming a global phenomenon in the context of combating international terrorism", and that "such methods are generally practicable". However, "the question is how well those security agencies are controlled by the public."
"I can tell you that, at least in Russia, you cannot just go and tap into someone’s phone conversation without a warrant issued by a court. That’s more or less the way a civilized society should go about fighting terrorism with modern-day technology. As long as it is exercised within the boundaries of the law that regulates intelligence activities, it’s alright. But if it’s unlawful, then it’s bad”, said Putin.
So, it is probably high time for President Obama to answer a tough question about what went wrong in the US to produce the phenomena of Manning-Snowden. It is not President Putin who is “putting finger in the eye of the United States”, but a growing army of disenchanted Americans, who are not buying President Obama’s notion that “you can’t have 100 per cent security and 100 per cent privacy”.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
Loot or trophy? Russia and Germany in choppy waters over captured WWII art
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| No agreement in sight. Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a news conference after their meeting at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, June 21, 2013. (Reuters) |
A dispute over the ownership of priceless artifacts brought to Russia after World War II hung over Angela Merkel’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, as the two leaders cancelled and then re-scheduled a visit to an exhibition of German art.Initially, Putin and Merkel were scheduled to end the Chancellor’s tour in Russia on Friday by making speeches side-by-side at the opening of an exhibition at the Hermitage museum, St. Petersburg. The show – 'The Bronze Age of Europe: Europe Without Borders' – includes the so-called Treasure of Eberswalde, the largest hoard of golden pre-historic objects ever discovered in Germany, set to go on display for the first time since 1945. But around midday, the German media stated that the Russians cancelled the speeches, setting off a diplomatic incident over what Germans call ‘looted art’ – over a million art objects taken from German collections that have still not been returned.German government spokesman Georg Streiter said that "Merkel would perhaps have once more referred to the German position on the issue of 'looted art'."“Germany and Merkel maintain the position, backed by international law, that the objects brought to Russia should be returned,” Streiter told the German media in Berlin, “Russia has a different view.”
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| Items from the Treasure of Eberswalde (from a replica in a German museum) (Photo from Wikipedia) |
In response, the Russian President’s press service insisted that no speeches were ever planned, and the two leaders merely intended to walk through the exhibition for a photo opportunity, and Mikhail Piotrovsky, the director of the Hermitage said that “there are no political motives behind the cancellation”. But the damage was done. Then during the final press conference, the leaders performed an about turn, and said that they “found the time” to visit the exhibition after all. Yet, no solution to the diplomatic impasse itself seems in sight. When asked about possible restitution, Putin offered a thinly-veiled denial on what he admitted was “a sensitive issue”. “If we start a public debate about the restitution of German valuables, experts could quickly tote up their value and measure how it stacks up next to the damage done by Nazi forces to Russian and Soviet objects of cultural value. I believe this is the wrong way to go about it,” said the Russian president. Merkel stood beside in stone-faced silence. International law on return of ‘trophy art’ is convoluted, with intersecting jurisdictions of international and domestic laws, and different provisions depending on who originally owned the art (for example, if it can be proven that art taken from Germany was previously forcibly taken from a Jewish victim of the Holocaust, it is easier to return). Yet, Germany believes that international rules show broadly that it is entitled to the restitution of the majority of the pieces kept in Russia’s museums (many of which have rarely gone on display).The Russian parliament, however, passed a law forbidding the restitution of German artworks more than a decade ago, once again making exceptions for Jewish victims of the Nazi regime. Russia also points out that the majority of captured artworks – more than 1.5 million pieces – was returned in the late 1950s to the former East Germany, as a goodwill gesture.Still, among the world-famous pieces that remain in Russia is Priam’s Treasure, a cache of archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann’s discoveries at what he claimed to be the site of Troy in the 1870s.
At least 600 Russians and Europeans fighting alongside Syrian opposition – Putin
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| Russian President Vladimir Putin (RIA Novosti/Michael Klimentyev) |
At least 600 Russians and Europeans are fighting alongside the rebels battling the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. “It is known that there are at least 600 people from Russia and Europe fighting along with opposition forces in Syria,” Putin said during the Forum’s plenary session. Putin reiterated that weapon supplies to the Syrian rebels violate international law, and threaten to further destabilize the war-torn state. "Why supply weapons to militant forces in Syria when we are not sure of the composition of these groups?” he said, adding that it remains unclear where these arms will end up. "If the United States ... recognizes one of the key Syrian opposition organizations, al-Nusra, as terrorist ... how can one deliver arms to those opposition members?" Putin said. "Where will (those weapons) end up? What role will they play?" Russia’s Foreign Ministry has also criticized the supply of arms to the rebels in separate remarks to AP and Bloomberg: “The problem is that the weapons are coming to the region anyway,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. “And if you take, you know, stock of what is being used by the opposition you would find a lot of arms shipped by the West, including the US, to the Gulf countries and to other countries in the region,” he said. “So, this smuggling continues and this is very dangerous. Because the leading opposition force on the ground is very extremist.”
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Putin’s remarks echo a statement made by French Interior Minister Manuel Valls earlier in June, when he said that more than 600 European nationals, including 120 from France, are fighting in Syria. At the time, Russia said that around 200 of its citizens were fighting in Syria alongside rebel militants as part of a self-proclaimed ‘Caucasus Emirate' under the flag of Al Qaeda, and that there were “various organizations affiliated with it.” In Spain, at least eight people allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda were arrested in Ceuta on suspicion of recruiting jihadi fighters to go to Syria, and elsewhere. Prior to that, Belgium announced in April it had detained the leader of Sharia4Belgium, radical Salafist organization that was allegedly recruiting volunteers to fight in the Syrian civil war. Britain was one the first Western countries to raise concerns over European Muslims joining the Syrian rebels. The Home Office voiced fears that scores of UK citizens fighting in Syria may use their military know-how to wreak havoc when they return home, and carry out terror attacks. However, despite these concerns, EU governments agreed to not extend the arms embargo on Syria, effectively allowing them to supply the Syrian opposition with weapons. Russia slammed the move, but in response was criticized for its contract to deliver advanced S-300 long-range air defense systems to Damascus. Moscow maintains that all arms supplies to Syria are being carried out under a contract signed with the country several years ago. "Russia, in the framework of existing international law, in open and transparent contracts, supplies weaponry to the current and the legitimate government of Syria," Putin said at the Economic Forum.
Sky defender: Russia unveils S-300 SAM replacement
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| Vladimir Putin (3-L) visits Obukhov Plant in St. Petersburg, June 19, 2013 (RIA Novosti / Michael Klimentyev) |
Russia has for the first time demonstrated the short-to-mid-range air defense platform ‘Vityaz,’ which will replace older variants of the S-300 system due to be scrapped soon. The army will begin testing the new hardware later this year. The new surface-to-air missile system is made by Russian weapons manufacturer Almaz-Antey. The company demonstrated the system at the Obukhov State Plant in St. Petersburg, home to its branch that manufactures the Vityaz launchers.
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| Vityaz SAM launcher (RIA Novosti / Michael Klimentyev) |
The system boasts advanced all-aspect phased array radar, a new mobile command post and a launcher carrying 12 vertical-launch missiles, which will use a variant of the 9M96 active radar homing missile. Similar missiles are used by the S-400, the newer generation of the S-300, which is currently being deployed in Russia. Vityaz launchers can also fire a short-range missile that was not officially identified, but is likely a variant of the 9M100. “I believe the system will be able to engage target within ranges from 30km to 120km,” Said Aminov, military analyst and editor of the World of Air Defense website told RT. “It’s a system of object air defense with some element of tactical antimissile defense.” Almaz-Antey aims to hand over the system to the Russian Defense Ministry for testing before the year’s end, company head Vladislav Menshikov told Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was inspecting the plant. The company partially based the design of the Vityaz on its work with the South Korean KM-SAM Chun Koong system. Almaz-Antey designed three radar units for the KM-SAM, and is rumored to have also helped design the system’s missiles. The Russian military officially backed the Vityaz project – which has better capabilities than the Korean air defense system – after studying its performance, Almaz-Antey said in 2010. The new Russian system has been in the works since 2007, and is expected to be completed in record time. The ministry earlier said it plans to buy at least 30 Vityaz systems before 2020, if it passes testing, and deployment of the platforms could start as early as next year.
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| KM-SAM Chun Koong (image from http://www.militaryphotos.net) |
Vityaz was designed as a replacement for the S-300PS, an older variant of the S-300 air defense system developed in the early 1980s. The Russian army is expected to decommission about 50 of the S-300PS by 2015 due to old age. The name of the system comes from an archaic Slavic word for a noble warrior. It is shared by the famous aerobatic team known as the Russkie Vityazi (‘Russian Knights’). Russia plans to deploy the Vityaz system alongside other advanced air defense weapons, including the service-ready S-400 and Pantsir-S1, and the future long-range S-500 and short-range Morfei. Moscow aims to create a multi-layered grid to cover Russia’s airspace, defending against threats ranging from drones, to conventional manned aircraft, to cruise and ballistic missiles.
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| S-400 Triumf anti-aicraft missile system (RIA Novosti / Alexander Vilf) |
Putin: Didn’t feel isolated, not all G8 leaders agree Assad used chemical weapons
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| Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a media conference at the conclusion of the G8 summit at the Lough Erne resort near Enniskillen in Northern Ireland on June 18, 2013.(AFP Photo / Matt Dunham) |
There is no proof that the Syrian government used chemical weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the G8 summit. Some of the G8 countries share this view, he added. “We do not have any facts of the use of such weapons by the Syrian government. I assure you, that by no means all the G8 members believe that they were used,” Putin said. The Russian President stressed he “never felt isolated” at the summit despite the difference in views, and said the G8 leaders have been seeking a common solution to the Syrian conflict. Supplying arms to the rebels based on unconfirmed reports that chemical weapons were used by the Assad government would further destabilize Syria, Putin warned. Putin urged Western nations not to be hasty in arming the Syrian opposition, saying that such weapons could fall into the wrong hands, or be uncontrollable.“I call on all our partners to think twice before making such steps. It is a very dangerous stuff,” the Russian president said, pointing to the “horrible” and “tragic” Woolwich murder. There are “loads of such criminals fighting for the [Syrian] opposition, who could commit a brutal murder like this,” he stressed. However, Putin did not rule out Russia signing new arms contracts with the Syrian government. The Russian president stressed that all such contracts comport with international law: “We are supplying arms under legal contracts to the legitimate government. It is the government of the President Assad. And if we are going to make such contracts, then we will deliver.” Russia and the United States will spearhead the development of a peace plan for Syria, Putin said. The G8 countries have agreed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the US Secretary of State John Kerry will take on “main role and the main burden of responsibility” for working out the principles of the solution to the crisis, he added. Tuesday’s communique by the G8 nations calling for an end to the fighting in Syria represents a “much better outcome” than was expected, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said. Harper also apparently changed his view on Russia’s role in Syrian conflict talks, saying there has been “a very significant move on the part of Mr. Putin and the Russians.”
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