LaRouche Interview Nailing London's Role in Strategic Threat Appears In Russia

Oct. 1 (EIRNS)—The Russian web journal RPMonitor.ru on Sept. 29 posted the interview with Lyndon LaRouche, given to its director Andrei Kobyakov last May, during LaRouche's visit to Moscow. The headline characterizes the thrust of the interview well: "Lyndon LaRouche: The danger comes from London—The shared mission of America and Russia is to prevail over the world oligarchy."

A section of this interview, in the original English, appeared in the June 15, 2007 issue of EIR (see www.larouchepub.com/lar/2007/interviews/3424rpmonitor.html). The full version that is now out in Russian includes this same passage, beginning, "The enemy was Britain in 1945-46; the enemy of Russia is Britain today. It's not the United States, it's Britain. It's London, what it represents as a financial clique center of the world."

LaRouche also emphasized in the interview the importance of the "Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Roosevelt" refrain, heard from circles around Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent times. "If you are Russian and you understand how the world works," LaRouche told Kobyakov, "then you want to get the United States back to the ideas of Roosevelt. It's the only chance."

In an editorial introduction to the LaRouche interview, RPMonitor notes that Sept. 8, 2007 was LaRouche's 85th birthday, and calls LaRouche "a social philosopher of the first magnitude, a brilliant politician and public figure, enthusiast for scientific and technological progress, and exposer of the world oligarchy that blocks it, as well as the author of numerous bold projects for economic development."

The introduction continues: "This extraordinary mind was able to detect the internal erosion of Soviet communism, and to expose its essence, 35 years before the disintegration of the U.S.S.R., and to forecast the current world financial crisis 30 years before it became obvious. In the early 1980s, Lyndon LaRouche was a developer of the SDI program, and in 1989-1994 he was a political prisoner in this own country, the U.S.A. The first country he visited after his release from prison was Russia. He was the first politician in the West to call the Russian liberal reforms a catastrophe, and the first to believe in the rebirth of our country—in its ability to carry out a special mission in the world. That was back when we ourselves saw the situation as almost hopeless.

"His youthful passion, amazing energy, and unshakable belief in the victory of good over evil have inspired many thoughtful and engaged people in dozens of countries, and has moralized many Russian scientists and specialists, who have waited a long time for there to be demand for their ideas and projects."

Russian Media Cover Cheney's Drive for War Against Iran

Oct. 1 (EIRNS)—The latest report on specific plans by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney for an attack on Iran is receiving major attention in Russia. From RIA Novosti wire service to newspapers to dozens of online publications, Russian media today reported on Seymour Hersh's article in the Oct. 8 issue of The New Yorker, about Cheney's plan for air strikes targetting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Two weeks earlier, Russian media gave wide publicity to reports Cheney had pushed for an Israeli strike against alleged nuclear facilities in Iran.

Putin Will Run for Duma, Offers Succession Scenario

Oct. 1 (EIRNS)—Russian President Vladimir Putin today accepted an offer to head up the United Russia slate in the Dec. 2 elections for the State Duma. In announcing this decision, Putin opened the door to the prospect of his becoming Prime Minister, after a new President of the Russian Federation is chosen next March 2. These indications followed a speech to the United Russia party congress, in which Putin emphasized the stabilization of Russian society over the past seven years, the need for continuity of policy, and the magnitude of problems still facing the country.

Keynoting the meeting, Putin attributed Russia's "state of depression" when he became President, to two main factors: the "shock therapy" policies of the 1990s, with their culmination in the financial collapse of 1998, and the threatened fragmentation of Russia through the North Caucasus insurgencies. Now, he said, "we cannot miss the historic chance for peaceful and stable development." As Putin presented the case, the key to such "stable development" of Russia is a victory by United Russia, the party he helped to found in 2001. Now is the time, he added, "that we have every opportunity to provide that Russia is truly a great country."

Among today's pressing issues, he mentioned infrastructure construction, especially roads, and the gap between rich and poor in Russia.

While saying that he is "not a party man," Putin agreed to head the United Russia slate. As for the other "suggestions," put forward by people at the United Russia meeting, Putin said, "Heading up the government would be an entirely realistic proposition. But it's early to think about that, because it would require at least two preconditions: United Russia has to win in the Dec. 2 State Duma elections, and a decent, competent, efficient and modern person, with whom it would be possible to work as a team, has to be elected President."

The speech was carried on the Kremlin website, the United Russia website, and major Russian media, with excerpts aired on national television.

Russian Radar for Joint Use with USA Nearly Ready

Oct. 4 (EIRNS)—The commander of the Russian Space Forces, Gen.-Col. Vladimir Popovkin, told the military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda today that the state-of-the-art radar under construction in southern Russia, near Armavir, will be ready for duty in late 2007. Previously, Popovkin had stated it would be ready in 2008. Located just 450 miles northwest of the Iranian border, the new, next-generation technology radar facility, together with the older Gabala radar in Azerbaijan, was offered by President Putin as an element for cooperation with the USA in ballistic missile defense. In mid-October, the group of Russian and U.S. experts is scheduled to meet, followed by a meeting of the Russian Foreign and Defense Ministers, with the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense.

Sputnik Anniversary Celebrated in Russia, USA, Germany

Oct. 5 (EIRNS)—Yesterday's celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the first satellite launched into Earth orbit were held in the three historic centers of rocket development: Russia, Alabama, and Germany.

This week marks the 65th anniversary of the world's first successful launch of a rocket into space, at the German Army rocket test site on the Baltic Sea coast at Peenemünde, on Oct. 3, 1942. What had been accomplished by the German rocket team, became the foundation for the programs in the Soviet Union and also in the United States, when many of the top German experts came to Huntsville, Alabama to build the Saturn V rocket to take men to the Moon.

In Huntsville, standing in front of a replica of Sputnik, and a real Saturn V rocket that never flew to the Moon, enjoying a champagne toast, two rocket team members, Konrad Dannenberg (95) and Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger (93) recalled the spur to create the American civilian space program in response to the surprise of Sputnik. "Without the 'wake-up call' from Sputnik," Stuhlinger said, "who knows if we would have ever gone to the Moon." A banner hung from the Saturn V said, "Thank you, Sputnik," in Russian and English.

Attending a ceremony at the Russian Academy of Sciences, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin likewise said: "I am convinced that the Sputnik accomplishment by the Russian people was responsible for the creation of the American space program that I head today. Without Sputnik, there would have been no Apollo." During Griffin's visit to Moscow, he and Russian Space Agency head Anatoli Perminov signed an agreement on Oct. 3 for cooperation in the scientific exploration of the Moon and Mars.

The Russian celebration of the Sputnik anniversary coincide with the 150th anniversary of the birth of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, who laid out the basics of space flight in 1903, and contributed imaginative stories and detailed plans for the space age. In addition, Jan. 12, 2007 was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Russia's "Wernher von Braun," Sergei Korolyov, who succeeded in turning Tsiolkovksy's work into reality.

President Putin sent a congratulatory message for the Sputnik celebration, saying: "The launch of the Earth's first satellite was a truly historic event, which started the space age." A delegation of officials paid homage to Korolyov and the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, by laying flowers at their tombs in the Kremlin wall. A monument commemorating Sputnik was unveiled at the cosmonaut training center in Star City, outside of Moscow.

Another Electoral Stalemate Looms in Ukraine

Oct. 6 (EIRNS)—Yet another election for Ukraine's parliament, the Supreme Rada, has produced a tense standoff among the forces of the 2004 Orange Revolution, Prime Minister Victor Yanukovych's Party of Regions, and a handful of smaller, swing parties. Ex-Premier and Orange Revolution demagogue Yulia Tymoshenko (her bloc got 30.71% of the vote) demanded the go-ahead to form a new government "within 48 hours" of the Sept. 30 election. But Yanukovych also said he should form the government.

The Party of Regions ended with 34.37%. Neither the PoR plus the Communists (5.39%), nor Tymoshenko's bloc plus the Our Ukraine party of President Victor Yushchenko (14.15%), has a clear majority. The Socialist Party slipped below the 3% threshold for entering the Supreme Rada. A new bloc under Speaker of the Rada Vladimir Lytvyn received 5.39%.

PoR spokesman Taras Chornovil accused Tymoshenko of boosting her vote level since last Spring's election by promising everything to everybody, in various parts of the country. The fourth Supreme Rada election in the last three years has left many Ukrainian citizens disgusted with the inability of the parliamentary process to produce workable leadership for the country.