Clipmarks | RecordSage's 'russia' clips

Syria/Russia - 2nd wedding

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:41:00 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage

Fear of new Mid East 'Cold War' as Syria strengthens military alliance with Russia

Syria raised the prospect yesterday of having Russian missiles on its soil, sparking fears of a new Cold War in the Middle East. President Assad said as he arrived in Moscow to clinch a series of military agreements: “We are ready to co-operate with Russia in any project that can strengthen its security.”

The Syrian leader told Russian newspapers: “I think Russia really has to think of the response it will make when it finds itself closed in a circle.”

Mr Assad said that he would be discussing the deployment of Russian missiles on his territory. The Syrians are also interested in buying Russian weapons.

Many in Israel fear that the Middle East could once again become a theatre for the two great powers to exert their spheres of influence, militarily and politically. And with Israel and the US providing military backing to Georgia, Russia appears set to respond in kind by supporting Syria.

Tags: syria, russia

Glimpse Into Georgia/Ossetia Conflict

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:06:39 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage
clipper's remarks: Fascinating article - highly recommend reading the whole thing (although somewhat lengthy)

Clip Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

The new cold war hots up

Riding to war in Georgia alongside a bloodthirsty and vengeful gunman, Mark Franchetti saw at first hand how one small conflict in a faraway country led to a superpower confrontation

Georgian prisoners being interrogated by Osettian army men

Vadim, a South Ossetian militiaman, raced through the deserted Georgian streets, a Soviet Makarov pistol in one hand and a Kalashnikov in the other. Dishevelled, unshaven and wild-eyed, he was searching for someone to kill. For the first time in 10 years he had crossed the border from his secessionist province and reached Gori, a town well inside Georgian territory, hours after it had been taken by Russian soldiers.

“This has been building up for years,” he said. “I knew it would happen and I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. If I see a Georgian soldier I’ll shoot his brains out. They’re dogs.”

Tags: georgia, ossetia, russia, war

Cross us and we will crush you, warns Medvedev

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:35:47 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage
clipper's remarks: The man doesn't look like he's bluffing.

Clip Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Cross us and we will crush you, warns Medvedev

President Medvedev of Russia yesterday promised a “shattering blow” against any foreign power that moved against Russian citizens.

The threat will compound the fears of former Soviet states, which are concerned that they could be next after Russia’s attack on Georgia.

“If someone thinks they can kill our citizens, kill soldiers and officers fulfilling the role of peacekeepers, we will never allow this,” Mr Medvedev told a group of Second World War veterans in Kursk. “Anyone who tries to do this will receive a shattering blow.”

He continued: “Russia has the capabilities - economic, political and military. Nobody has any illusions left about that.”

Russia’s incursion into Georgia, and its reluctance to leave, has alarmed former Soviet states such as Ukraine and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Tags: russia

Cold War 2.0

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:15:32 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage
clipper's remarks: The 'bear' is back

Clip Source: www.powerlineblog.com

Russia Threatens Nuclear Attack On Poland

Much is happening today in Georgia and other states formerly under the thumb of Russia. President Saakashvili has signed a cease-fire agreement; Russian troops have nevertheless advanced within 35 miles of Tbilisi; President Bush denounced Russia for "bullying and intimidation" and said that "Moscow must honor its commitment to withdraw its invading forces from all Georgian territory," something Russia plainly has no intention of doing.

Yesterday, in what may or may not have been a coincidence of timing, the U.S and Poland announced that after 18 months of negotiations, they have reached on an agreement whereby the U.S. will furnish Patriot missiles to Poland and will locate a missile interceptor base in that country.

A top Russian general said Friday that Poland's agreement to accept a U.S. missile interceptor base exposes the ex-communist nation to attack, possibly by nuclear weapons, the Interfax news agency reported.

Tags: russia, cold war, poland, missiles, nuclear weapons

Cyberwar between Russia and Georgia

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:03:49 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage
clipper's remarks: weeks before physical escalation

Clip Source: ebiquity.umbc.edu

Cyberwar between Russia and Georgia preceeded shooting

Clip Source: ebiquity.umbc.edu

In an article in Wednesday’s New York Times, Before the Gunfire, Cyberattacks, John Markoff describes how the Russia-Georgia conflict broke out on the Internet weeks before the troops engaged.

“Weeks before bombs started falling on Georgia, a security researcher in suburban Massachusetts was watching an attack against the country in cyberspace. Jose Nazario of Arbor Networks in Lexington noticed a stream of data directed at Georgian government sites containing the message: “win+love+in+Rusia.”

Other Internet experts in the United States said the attacks against Georgia’s Internet infrastructure began as early as July 20, with coordinated barrages of millions of requests — known as distributed denial of service, or D.D.O.S., attacks — that overloaded and effectively shut down Georgian servers.

As it turns out, the July attack may have been a dress rehearsal for an all-out cyberwar once the shooting started between Georgia and Russia.

Tags: russia, georgia, cyberwar

Putin's message: We're baack!

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:54:34 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage
clipper's remarks: with Ray Charles playing 'Georgia on my mind' in the background

Clip Source: www.nydailynews.com

Putin's message: We're baack!

A poster depicting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as Adolf Hitler is seen in front of Georgia's Parliament building.

The conflict encompasses many of the major issues that defined international politics in this region for the past decade - and likely will continue to well into the future. Those concerns include the struggle for influence between Russia and the United States; energy, with the oil pipeline running through Georgia; the promotion of democracy, and the sovereignty of small countries.

Second, it will send a very clear message to Western powers, particularly the United States, that Russia is back as the major force in this part of the world.

The bitter, brutal conflict in Georgia is far more than just another example of ethnic strife, Russian aggression or the last gasps of the Soviet Union's unraveling.

First, the invasion will weaken, if not altogether destroy, the current Georgian state and its government.

Tags: russia, georgia, putin, war

Georgia sends troops from Iraq to South Ossetia

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:01:44 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage

Clip Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Georgia sends troops from Iraq to South Ossetia

Georgian soldiers in South Ossetia will be bolstered by troops currently based in Iraq

Half of Georgia’s 2,000 troops in Iraq plan to leave the country by Monday to join the fight against separatists in the breakaway province of South Ossetia, with the rest following as soon as possible, their commander said.

“First of all we need to remove 1,000 guys from here within 96 hours, after that the rest of the guys,” Colonel Bondo Maisuradze told The Times this morning.

“The US will provide us with the transportation,” he added.

Georgia had said initially that it planned to withdraw just half of its contingent in Iraq.

Last year, the Georgians raised the number of troops in Iraq from 850 to 2,000 at a time when most non-American contingents were cutting back — a move that won them points with US commanders.

Tags: georgia, iraq, russia, war

Russian forces battle Georgians

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 09:08:02 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage
clipper's remarks: Georgians certainly know how to make great shish kabobs, they know their wines and even live longer than most... but if they think they can do something with Russia militarily - big mistake.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Russian forces battle Georgians

Russian forces are locked in fierce clashes with Georgia inside its breakaway South Ossetia region, reports say, amid fears of all-out war.

Moscow sent armoured units across the border after Georgia moved against Russian-backed separatists.

Russia says 12 of its soldiers are dead, and separatists estimate that 1,400 civilians have died.

Georgia accuses Russia of waging war, and says it has suffered heavy losses in bombing raids, which Russia denies.

Russian tanks have reportedly reached the northern suburbs of the regional capital, Tskhinvali, and there were conflicting claims about who was in control of the city.

"Now our peacekeepers are waging a fierce battle with regular forces from the Georgian army in the southern region of Tskhinvali," a Russian military official was quoted as saying by Moscow-based news agency, Interfax.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Russia was at war with his country.

Tags: russia, georgia, war

Solzhenitsyn is dead at 89

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:39:45 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage
clipper's remarks: The man who brought 'gulag' to the masses passed away.

Clip Source: edition.cnn.com

Russian novelist, former dissident, Solzhenitsyn dead

(CNN) -- Russian novelist and historian Alexander Solzhenitsyn, whose works detailed the horrors of Stalin's Soviet labor camps, has died at 89, Russian news agencies reported Monday.

His son, Stepan Solzhenitsyn, told The Associated Press his father died of heart failure late Sunday at his home near Moscow, Russia.

Awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1970 for "The First Circle," Alexander Solzhenitsyn was considered a moral voice for Russia. His works centered on issues of good and evil, materialism and salvation.

His three-volume "Gulag Archipelago" unveiled the horrors of the Soviet labor camps, where he himself was imprisoned for eight years.

Tags: solzhenitsyn, death

Medvedev Takes the Helm in Russia

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:44:06 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage

Clip Source: andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his wife Svetlana attend a service at the Assumption Cathedral of Moscow's Kremlin on May 7, 2008 after an inauguration ceremony. Medvedev was inaugurated as Russia's president pledging to bolster the country's economic development and civil rights, in what may signal a departure from his predecessor's heavy-handed tactics. By Dmitry Astakhov/AFP/Getty Images.

Putin restarts the arms race

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:44:50 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage
clipper's remarks: Here we go again...

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Putin vows 'arms race' response

In a nationally-televised speech, he condemned Nato's expansion and the US plan to include Poland and the Czech Republic in a missile defence shield.

"It is already clear that a new phase in the arms race is unfolding in the world," Mr Putin said.

Mr Putin was speaking less than a month before Russians elect his successor.

Our correspondent says there was a time when Moscow appeared weakened, short of money, preoccupied with domestic problems, and relatively passive in terms of foreign policy.

But he says it is clear that Mr Putin is sending a none-too-subtle message that Russia is back on the international stage.

Tags: russia, putin, cold war, arms race

Malware - From Russia with Love

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:49:33 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage

Clip Source: www.eweek.com

Malware Maelstrom Coming from Russia with Love

A resurgence of malware activity in Russia has caught the eye of security vendors.

Recently, researchers at Trend Micro have found a Russian server hosting some 400 pieces of malware that may be part of a forthcoming large-scale attack, while at least one other vendor reported that the country has quickly moved back up on the list of purveyors of Web-based malware.

The operation dubbed "the Italian Job" by Trend Micro researchers involved some 10,000 Web sites with malicious code that redirected visitors to a server booby-trapped with drive-by exploits. The attack used Italian Web sites more than others.

Malware numbers are growing rapidly, in particular adware, spyware and stealthy, targeted attacks, according to officials at McAfee, headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. In 2000, McAfee Avert Labs counted about 50,000 unique malicious items. That jumped to 100,000 in 2003, and in August 2006, the 200,000 mark was reached.

Tags: russia, security, attack, malware

Britain expels Russian diplomats

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:15:05 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage
clipper's remarks: it's been too quiet for too long...

Clip Source: www.turkishpress.com

Britain expels Russian diplomats amid Cold War clouds

Britain said Monday it will expel four Russian diplomats over Moscow's refusal to extradite a key suspect in the murder of ex agent Alexander Litvinenko, raising the spectre of a Cold War-style standoff.

The expulsions, announced by Foreign Secretary David Miliband, were the first in over a decade amid rising tensions between Moscow and the West fuelled by Litvinenko's radioactive poisoning in London last November.

In fast-moving developments, Russia's foreign ministry responded warning that the sanction measures announced by Britain "cannot but lead to the most serious consequences in British-Russian relations as a whole," the ministry's spokesman, Mikhail Kamynin, said in broadcast comments.

The last time Britain expelled Russian diplomats was in 1996, and observers have recently warned the rift could escalate into a full-blown Cold War-type style crisis.

Tags: britain, russia, diplomats, expulsion, cold war

Boris Yeltsin - a Timeline for a late Russian leader

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 19:13:33 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Boris Yeltsin: Timeline

Boris Yeltsin, who died Monday at the age of 76, oversaw the collapse of communist rule in Russia and its chaotic transformation into a market economy. Here are key dates in his political career:

Tags: boris yeltsin, dead, timeline, russia, leader, president

Kasparov arrested in anti-government march in Moscow

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 19:43:24 GMT

clipped by: RecordSage

Clip Source: www.cbc.ca

Kasparov arrested in Moscow march

Russian police arrested opposition leader and former chess champion Garry Kasparov and a large number of his supporters on Saturday during an anti-government protest in Moscow.

Authorities had banned the demonstration and about 9,000 police officers, many of them in riot gear, blocked the streets.

As head of the United Civil Front, part of the Other Russia opposition coalition, Kasparov has accused President Vladimir Putin of trampling on democracy and has often called on his supporters to stand up to his rule.

Kasparov was taken into custody along with about 170 other activists as police prevented them from marching through the centre of the Russian capital.

The former chess grandmaster appeared briefly outside a Moscow court after being charged with public order offences. He told reporters the crackdown on the protest was another attempt by the Kremlin to suppress free speech.

Tags: garry kasparov, arrest, government, politics, opposition, chess, champion