Russia gives powers to FSB to prosecute 'thought crime'

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk The Russian security service has been given extended powers to act against people for so-called "thought crime" under a new law which opponents say marks a return to Soviet-era policing. The bill, criticised by rights groups, would allow the Federal Security Service (FSB) to issue official warnings to individuals whose actions are deemed to be creating the conditions for crime. Rights groups say the bill would essentially put the special service above the law and harks back to Soviet times when the much-feared FSB predecessor KGB used warnings to persecute dissidents. The bill had already sailed through the lower and upper houses of parliament and was today signed into law by the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev. In response to protests from human rights activists, lawmakers earlier removed an amendment allowing the FSB to summon people to their offices to hand out the warnings and also publish their warnings in the media.

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New powers given to Russia's security agency

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New powers given to Russia's security agency

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  MOSCOW – The upper house of Russia's parliament on Monday passed a bill granting expanded powers to the country's main security agency, a move that critics say echoes the era of the Soviet KGB.
  The bill, which now goes to President Dmitry Medvedev to be signed into law, would allow the Federal Security Service to issue warnings to people suspected of preparing to commit crimes against Russia's security.
  Human rights and democracy activists say this power could be used to intimidate government opponents and stifle protests.
  "This law is targeted against the opposition ... It's a draconian law which is unprecedented in the world and is reminiscent of our repressive past," Boris Nemtsov, a leader of the opposition Solidarity movement, was quoted as saying by the news agency Interfax.
  The security service is the main successor agency to the KGB.
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  The bill was approved by the upper house by a vote of 121-1. The sole vote against was cast by the house's speaker, Sergei Mironov, who said he had was apprehensive about the measure.
  Opposition groups frequently are denied permission to hold rallies or are allowed to hold them only in out-of-the-way neighborhoods. Riot police often break up unsanctioned rally attempts swiftly and brutally.
  The bill has raised doubts about President Dmitry Medvedev's commitment to promoting full-fledged democracy and freedom of expression. Medvedev often has spoken of instituting judicial and police reforms, and has taken a less hard line on many issues than his predecessor Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent and later head of the FSB.

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Russian President Shows "New World Currency" At G-8 Summit

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  MOSCOW/AQUILA (Worthy News) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for a new global currency to replace the dollar as the World's Reserve Currency.
  At the summit of leaders of the eight most influential nations, the G-8,  Medvedev showed a new coin to illustrate what he said was a "united future world currency", Worthy News learned on Monday, June 21st.
  The coin, which bears the words "unity in diversity", was minted in Belgium and presented to all the G-8 leaders attending the gathering in the Italian city of Aquila.
  "We are discussing both the use of other national currencies, including the ruble, as a reserve currency, as well as supranational currencies," Medvdev told reporters.
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  July 10 (Bloomberg) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev illustrated his call for a supranational currency to replace the dollar by pulling from his pocket a sample coin of a "united future world currency."
  "Here it is," Medvedev told reporters today in L'Aquila, Italy, after a summit of the Group of Eight nations. "You can see it and touch it."
  The coin, which bears the words "unity in diversity," was minted in Belgium and presented to the heads of G-8 delegations, Medvedev said.
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  Medvedev, who has repeatedly called for a supranational currency to match the dollar, said discussions with China are continuing on broadening the global options. The world may need as many as six reserve currencies, Medvedev said.
  "It's something that's obviously needed," he said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. "Developing a financial center in Moscow will considerably help to strengthen the rouble's position as one of the reserve currencies." Medvedev's comments underline Russia's ambition to reassert its global power following the financial crisis. Gross domestic product shrank 7.9 % last year, the worst contraction since the fall of communism in 1991, after the credit crunch sent commodity prices plunging.
  "If the world depended completely on the dollar, the situation would have been more difficult," Medvedev said.

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Russia, Turkey becoming strategic partners - Medvedev

clipped from en.rian.ru Russia and Turkey are becoming strategic partners, President Dmitry Medvedev said shortly before his visit to Ankara, due May 11-12. "June 3 will see 90 years since the day diplomatic relations between our countries were established, and my visit will take place shortly before that remarkable date," Medvedev said in an article for Turkish newspaper Zaman. "First of all, we can say with conviction that Russian-Turkish ties are reaching the level of full-scale strategic partnership," the Russian leader said, adding that a declaration signed by the two presidents in Moscow in February 2009 testified to that. He also said Russia sees Turkey as a "good and reliable neighbor with whom we are happy to jointly build plans to further strengthen cooperation for the good of our countries' peoples."

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Experts analyze Moscow's connection to radical Islam

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clipped from www.ynetnews.com Experts analyze Moscow's connection to radical Islam, say it is all part of much bigger plan Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Syria this week and met with Hamas politburo Khaled Mashaal. On Wednesday, he even stated that Hamas should be included in the Middle East peace process, despite Israel's firm stand against the Islamist movement. Is Russia taking a pro-Islamic side in one of the most explosive regions in the world? Moscow is seeking to increase its involvement, and hold, in the region. Terror organizations? It's doesn't really matter to them. "Russia doesn't view it as taking sides. That's too harsh. It's taking the middle. It wants to assume the role of the Middle East mediator," "It seeks to upgrade its status. It wants to turn into a more important power. For this purpose it must activate worldwide moves, in the Middle East as well."

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Russia's Medvedev promises 'crueler' measures

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clipped from www.cumberlink.com President Dmitry Medvedev made a surprise visit Thursday to the violence-wracked southern province of Dagestan, telling police and security forces to use tougher, "more cruel" measures to fight the "scum" responsible for terrorist attacks. Russia's security chief said some terror suspects had been detained. Twin suicide bombings in Moscow _ which Islamic militants from the North Caucasus claim to have carried out _ have refocused attention on the violence that for years has been confined to Russia's predominantly Muslim regions. The rush-hour attacks Monday on the Moscow subway killed 39 people and left nearly 90 hospitalized. "The measures to fight terrorism should be expanded, they should be more effective, more harsh, more cruel, if you please," he told federal and local officials in a televised meeting. "We have torn off the heads of the most odious bandits, but clearly this was not enough. In any case, we will find them all and punish them," Medvedev said.

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Russian president approves new military doctrine

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clipped from en.rian.ru © RIA Novosti. | Buy this image Related News Baltic Fleet vs. Patriots? Russia`s Military Doctrine: Nukes as Most Weighty Argument in Strategic Deterrence Russia moves to ease concerns over new military doctrine Who should fear Russia’s new military doctrine? Russia's military doctrine to be presented to president by yearend Russia's new military doctrine allows pre-emptive nuclear strikes Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has approved the country's new military doctrine which allows preventive nuclear strikes against potential aggressors. Russia's nuclear triad comprises land-based ballistic missile systems, nuclear-powered submarines equipped with sea-based ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers carrying nuclear bombs and nuclear-capable cruise missiles. The new military doctrine also aims to transform the Armed Forces into a more effective and mobile military force. Their structures will be "optimized" through the use of combined arms units performing similar tasks.

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Russia to test stealth fighter as rearmament cranks into gear

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clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk The maiden flight of the T-50 advanced frontline fighter jet underlines the Kremlin's determination to overhaul its ageing Soviet-era weaponry at a time when it is locked in key nuclear arms reductions talks with the United States. President Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, his Russian counterpart, discussed a new nuclear arms treaty as recently as last Wednesday. The putative treaty would slash the number of war heads both countries possess and is seen as the centrepiece of a thus far largely rhetorical "reset" in relations between Moscow and Washington. Negotiators have been hammering out the details of such a deal for months and are said to be weeks if not days away from a final settlement. Russian military experts say the plane is needed to defend Russia's enormous borders and to ensure the country can take on its neighbours in the event of any localised conflicts such as its 2008 war with Georgia.

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Turkey and Russia determined to become strategic partners Gog Of Magog

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Those of you who do now know about God of Magog.
Gog-Magog War of Ezekiel 38

clipped from www.panorama.am Erdogan: Turkey and Russia determined to become strategic partners Turkey is determined to sign a contract on strategic cooperation with Russia, Turkish PM Erdogan told Sabah commenting on the results of his Moscow visit. Erdogan told that Russia and Turkey are on the eve of setting strategic cooperation.  “We plan to sign a contract on our strategic cooperation during Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to turkey as we had the same experience with Syria and Iraq. Russia has already signed similar papers with Germany and France; Germany and France also have mutual contracts. Now it’s high time for Turkey.” Commenting on energy cooperation with Russia, Erdogan stated that energy factor is to change much. Erdogan told that some disagreements particularly on “Blue stream” gas pipeline made the sides hold serious negotiations.

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