In this issue:

Ivanov: Russia-China-India Contacts Soon

Moscow Paper Features LaRouche Slamming Cheney

Leading Russian Website Compares Cheney to Hitler

Russia Denounces NATO Base Relocation Plans

Russian Foreign Minister Condemns War in Iraq

Chechen Leader Heads Russian Delegation to Saudi Arabia

Moscow Is Watching Syria-Lebanon-Israel Triangle

Russian Electoral Commission Rejects Gerashchenko Candidacy

From Volume 3, Issue Number 4 of Electronic Intelligence Weekly, Published Jan. 27, 2004
Russia and the CIS News Digest

Ivanov: Russia-China-India Contacts Soon

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Jan. 20 in New Delhi that trilateral contacts among Russian, Indian, and Chinese Foreign Ministry representatives could be expected this year, to discuss security issues in the Asia-Pacific region, Novosti reported. He said that the improving political climate of Indian-Chinese relations is an important positive trend. Security in the Asia-Pacific region, the largest and most unstable region of the world, "will largely depend on our cooperation." Ivanov said. (For full coverage of Ivanov's negotiations in India, see In-Depth.)

Moscow Paper Features LaRouche Slamming Cheney

The Moscow daily Stolichnaya Vechernyaya Gazeta (Capital Evening Newspaper), published an interview with Lyndon LaRouche on Jan. 21, under the headline, "U.S. Presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche: 'Dick Cheney Planned the Transit of American Weapons into Chechnya through Georgia'." That quotation, like a number of others in the published text, is not accurate; but, the identification of Cheney as the source of the most dangerous U.S. policies came across. The interview reflects LaRouche's enormous credibility in Russia, as a strategic analyst and American political leader.

Stolichnaya introduced LaRouche as "one of the Democratic Party candidates for President, well-known politician and economist, who, for a long time, has been considered a pro-Russian political figure." It noted that in the interview, "LaRouche identifies Russia's main adversaries within the U.S. government, and promises that if he were to become President, he would restore the ties with Russia that President Bush has broken." Highlighted in published version of the interview, was LaRouche's statement that Cheney and his grouping have no use for President Vladimir Putin, who represents an obstacle to their "Storm over Asia" plans. Also clear, was LaRouche's statement on President George Bush as a confused person. Several of LaRouche's carefully worded remarks about the new regime in Georgia, however, were significantly distorted.

LaRouche was also interviewed on the recent regime change in Georgia, in the Georgian Times of Jan. 15 (see Latest from LaRouche).

Leading Russian Website Compares Cheney to Hitler

The Russian site Strana.ru carried a commentary by Victor Sokolov on Jan. 16, titled "I Hit First. Cheney." It made the case that the Hitler regime is the appropriate historical comparison for the Bush Administration—as guided by its chief ideologue, Vice President Dick Cheney. Sokolov cited Cheney's recent speech to the Los Angeles Council on Foreign Relations, in which he declared that "America is trying to achieve the global expansion of democracy," as a demonstration of the "Hit First, Freddy" principle (a reference to a 1960s Danish spoof of the James Bond movies). "The Vice President believes that as long as Yasser Arafat remains in power, settlement of the Mideast crisis is impossible," wrote Sokolov. "He thereby hints that the Palestinian leader needs to be removed by force, just like Saddam Hussein."

Sokolov recalled how upset Soviet leaders were, when people compared Stalin to Hitler. By the same token, "It will probably seem blasphemous to compare George Bush with Adolf Hitler or America with Nazi Germany.... And yet, some very unpleasant analogies are simply glaring..... Hitler sought lebensraum [territorial expansion] [and] ... attacked the Soviet Union, to free the world from the virus of communism. George Bush and his government at first could win lebensraum without the use of weapons, but then, the United States attacked Afghanistan, threatens Syria with war, scowls in the direction of Iran and North Korea, and, of course, Iraq goes without saying. The United States, as many prominent Americans are now asserting, attacked Iraq without cause.... This was the so-called 'expansion of American democracy using preventive strikes,' which Richard Cheney spoke of....

"In fairness, it should be noted that the Americans bravely fought fascism during the Second World War, but that was a war against an aggressor. Now America itself is acting as the aggressor."

The Russian author suggested that Iraq now resembles the Soviet Union under Nazi occupation, with seemingly haphazard, but constantly growing, resistance activity by "the partisans." He cited cases of the behavior of U.S. and British troops, humiliating Iraqi men, women and children, detaining civilians without justification, and defiling religious institutions and buildings. These are "intolerable actions by occupying forces," wrote Sokolov.

In conclusion, he wrote, "Who knows, the time may come when other dictators, not only Stalin, are listed alongside Hitler. True, they will not be the dictators who wanted to quash democracy, but some of those who wanted to extend it, by force, over the whole world. And used arms to do so, and killed, robbed, and tortured those upon whom they were forcing this democracy."

At its founding a few years ago, Strana.ru was widely considered a semi-official Kremlin mouthpiece. Its founder, Gleb Pavlovsky, no longer runs the site (and is out of favor with Putin's aides, in any case), but Strana.ru remains a major news service that often reflects views held in leading Russian circles.

Russia Denounces NATO Base Relocation Plans

Touring Siberia the week of Jan. 19, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov spoke out strongly against U.S. plans to relocate certain bases from Western Europe into NATO's new members in Eastern Europe. On Jan. 22 in Omsk, Ivanov said the United States had informed Russia that it was considering moving some bases from Germany, to Poland, Romania, or Bulgaria. Said Ivanov, "I have repeatedly said that any relocation of the military infrastructure of the NATO bloc closer to our borders can only evoke a reaction and cause appropriate concern on our part."

Russian Foreign Minister Condemns War in Iraq

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has condemned the U.S.-led war in Iraq for causing chaos and worsening world security. "One can hardly name another period in contemporary history that saw so many unresolved regional problems in the world effectively threatening international security as we witness today," wrote Ivanov in in his 3,000-word article, "The Iraqi Crisis and the Struggle for New World Order." The document was published in the Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Academy's 2003 Diplomatic Year Book.

"The realities of the post-war situation in Iraq are the destruction of national statehood and the resulting legal vacuum, along with the rampage of violence and crime," Ivanov wrote. "All this provides a breeding ground for extremism and terrorism and, moreover, threatens Iraq with a break-up along ethnic and confessional lines. Iraq has become a pulling ground for terrorist groups from across the Middle East (West Asia).... There are reasons to fear that Iraq's internal crisis may merge with other hotbeds of instability in the region, above all the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

Calling for a political settlement in Iraq, modelled on Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister wrote, "Russia is in favor of the UN Security Council issuing a mandate that would clearly define tasks for the international forces and the time frame for their stay in Iraq."

Chechen Leader Heads Russian Delegation to Saudi Arabia

Russia wants understanding and cooperation with the Islamic community, emphasized Russia's President Vladimir Putin in a message to Saudi Arabia's Prince Abdallah. It was delivered by Chechnya's elected President, Ahmad Kadyrov, whose official visit to Riyadh concluded on Jan. 18. Kadyrov also met Defense Minister Sultan bin Abdul al Aziz, Health Minister Hamad al Manea, and other top officials, whom he briefed on the situation in Chechnya.

According to Gazeta.ru, the Chechen leader discussed the purchase of oil mini-refineries (500-1,000 tons of oil per day), deliveries of medical products to Chechnya, and investment in small and medium-sized businesses. Kadyrov's spokesman said the small refining facilities would be used to clean up the 4 million tons of oil in "lakes" and "swamps" around Grozny, the Chechen capital, and its war-destroyed refinery.

Andrei Baklanov, Russia's Ambassador in Saudi Arabia, told Itar-TASS that Prince Abdallah expressed confidence in the development of bilateral relations. Whereas in the past Russia had been wary of Saudi involvement in Chechnya as a source of funding for the rebel movement, Baklanov said Kadyrov's visit has demonstrated an impressive potential for friendly relations and mutually favorable cooperation between the two countries. Prince Abdallah and other high-level Saudi officials visited Russia last year.

Putin said in his message to Prince Abdallah, "I would like to confirm our commitment to expanding our comprehensive cooperation with Saudi Arabia, to improving our open dialogue, as well as the personal dialogue between us. It is very important for us that the first visit by the legitimately elected President of Chechnya is a visit to Saudi Arabia. The improvement of understanding over the problem of Chechnya with the Islamic community, in which Saudi Arabia is one of the leading nations, is very important for Russia.... We hope that the Moslem community will join the process of reconstruction of Chechnya, also in the framework of UNESCO's programs."

Moscow Is Watching Syria-Lebanon-Israel Triangle

After meetings in Beirut Jan. 18, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov told Itar-Tass the Russian government was closely monitoring developments around Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Saltanov had visited Cairo on a previous tour of the region. He said the parties must refrain from escalation of tensions. Saltanov met with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Information Minister Michel Samaha (acting Foreign Minister). Russia is supporting Syria's proposals to resume Syrian-Israeli talks for a Middle East settlement. It would be right to take the signal to return to the dialogue, Saltanov said.

Russian Electoral Commission Rejects Gerashchenko Candidacy

As expected, the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation ruled Jan. 22 that Victor Gerashchenko could not run in the Russian Presidential elections without petitioning, although he was nominated by the Russia's Regions Party, from within the Rodina bloc, which won representation in the Duma. "Parliamentary" parties are not supposed to have to petition, but Rodina is an alliance, not a party. Rodina announced it would appeal the ruling to the Russian Supreme Court.

The CEC decision leaves Rodina leader Sergei Glazyev, who filed his independent candidacy at the beginning of January, as the sole Presidential candidate from Rodina. Interviewed by NTV, Gerashchenko affirmed that he would support Glazyev if the appeal fails, "since there are no contradictions among us, at least regarding the problem we would want to raise during the Presidential elections—government economic policy."

Politicking and dirty tricks are the order of the day, as six non-party candidates, including President Putin, attempt to collect the required 2 million valid signatures in Russia in the dead of winter, by Jan. 28. On Jan. 22, ORT Channel 1 TV tried to make hay with an exposé about campaign workers allegedly buying signatures for Glazyev (for about 30 cents each, the report claimed) in the city of Saratov. At a press conference Jan. 23, Glazyev denounced the broadcasts as fabrications.

All rights reserved © 2004 EIRNS