Curtailing Putin's Brand of "Democracy"

[Adam's Apple]

Don't Play Dead for Putin
By Max Boot, The Los Angeles Times
December 6, 2006

THERE ARE A lot of ways to make a man's death look like an accident, suicide or a street crime. That wasn't the intent of whoever murdered former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London. By using such an exotic murder weapon — a radioactive isotope known as polonium-210 — his killers sent a message: Don't mess with the powers that be in Russia.

for full article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion...,6527494.column?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

 

[Kagom]

Goddamn Russians. :<

 

[akiboy]

This is not unusual. Moscow never like traitors/defectors. Death was the only punishment for them. And the KGB is the only known intell organisation in the world to kill people by unusual and "exotic" means.

And talking about Russia's weapons sales to "rogue" nations like Iran , Syria etc. This cannot be stopped. There is no use in fighting Russia. Even attempting to persuade former Soviet states like Georgia , Ukraine to enter the NATO won't be of much help either. Moscow can topple the governments of both the above mentioned states without any opposition. Russia's military maybe declining. Its nuclear arsenal maybe old but one must not forget that Russia still has many many facilities of bio/chem wepaons still functioning. Russia still has more workable warheads then the United States.Russia still has the largets ICBM stockpile in the world. Russia still has many nuclear submarines carrying missiles.
I agree Washington dosen't like Moscow selling arms to rogue states but that's how Russia's military stays afloat. Almost half of the Russian military budget is obtained from weapon's sales. But , well one wouldn't expect Russia to be so choosy about whom they sell their missiles to.

I have noticed a positive trend in the Russian economy.As I mentioned earlier , Russia is concentarting more on economic strength then its military. Russia aims to improve its economy drastically. The Cold War is over.

And Russia supplies gas to 35% of Europe. Threatening Russia will only be foolish for the European countres dependant on its gas.


Akshay