News Block
Ukraine is now the most important country for Russia. It's not just a country, it's a part of us. We are all the Slavs and we have no future without the United country.
воскресенье, 27 июня 2010 г.
суббота, 26 июня 2010 г.
Glance at China
I particularly recommend that we consult world maps to understand political events better.
Let's take a look at a map of China with its surrounding neighbors.
What do we have north of China? Russia. China needs Russia for its resources. China's enemies do not want China to get those resources. Instead, they want China to get instability, chaos and "freedom fighters" mixed with "fighters for independence". For this reason, separatists keep blowing up bombs in Russia while stooges stage "marches of disagreement" and blame Putin for all possible problems.
Mongolia, which has a long border with China, has recently become a political hotbed. On 29 June 2008 Mongolia held a parliamentary election. Preliminary official results showed that the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party won 45 seats and only 21 seats went to the opposition party, the Democrats. Both parties secured seats in the State Great Khural. Serious riots broke out in the capital on the following day. Several thousand opposition supporters suspected that the election had been rigged and set fire to the MPRP headquarters. On 1 July President Nambaryn Enkhbayar declared a state of emergency to be in effect for the following four days. Link
It points to the conclusion that democracy begins only when democrats speak or win. They use their defeat as a chance to stage a coup or destabilize the situation.
Next to these countries are Kazakhstan and Kirgizia. The former is quiet so far, the latter is in turmoil. Which of these two hosts an American military base and which of these, fortunately, does not?
India is suffering from terrorist attacks too. Who is to blame for killing innocent people? Pakistani terrorists, apparently. In other words, terrorists from a Chinese ally. Indian people are tricked into believing that the Chinese are their enemies. Suspected Maoist rebels derailed an overnight passenger train Friday in eastern India, triggering a crash with an oncoming cargo train that killed at least 71 people and injured 200 more, officials said. Link
Mao Zedong needs no introduction. But what do Maoists fight for these days? China is a different country now. Mao's ideas became archive material. Maoists do not exist now because the Maoist ideology has vanished. However, there is a strong reason to hate China or even unleash a new war.
Let's skip Nepal and Bhutan. What follows next is Myanma described in detail in my book "Cherchez la Oil" (Rus.: "Shershe lya Neft'"). Public rage, clashes, dead bodies, coup attempts are all parts of one scenario which was a success in Russia in 1917, but is still a failure in modern Russia. The Chinese are building new military bases in Myanma, a country rich in mineral resources vital to Beijing. "Myanmar’s ruling generals have started a secret program to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to deliver them in a high-stakes bid to deter perceived hostile foreign powers. … Myanmar’s leaders are also building a complex network of tunnels, bunkers and other underground installations where they and their military hardware would be hidden against any external aerial attack, including presumably from the United States". Link
The next country is Laos. Laos is a quiet place, a sharp contrast with Thailand. Although Thailand does not have a border with China, it has great potential to blow up the entire region. I mentioned Thai "revolutions" in my book "Crisis, how to make it" (Rus.: "Krizis. Kak eto delaetsya"). The scenario is just the same in Kirgizia: unidentified masked men spraying bullets from assault rifles, snipers killing off bystanders. Well, the journey from Bangkok to Osh takes a couple of hours by plane…
East of mainland China is another China which lies on the islands – Taiwan, or Formosa – the major ploy used by the Americans to maintain a democratic (i.e. puppet) China. For this reason the Americans will not let the two parts of one single nation unite peacefully. They need to supply weapons to Taipei or bargain with the Chinese, threatening them with these weapon supplies.
North and South Koreas are for dessert. I have written in my previous blogs about the nation responsible for sinking the South Korean warship. Who creates "independent" investigation commissions from US, UK, Australia, Canadian and Swedish representatives? Russia, however, does believe these findings. It sent its own expert team to prevent the US from starting a war in this region.
Consulting maps helps a lot even to predict deterioration. The US is narrowing the circle of instability around China for a reason. China should be surrounded by chaos and instability.
Which countries are quiet so far? Which of them will be thrown into turmoil? Tajikistan, Nepal, and, again, Mongolia. Kazakhstan is a hard target. Which of them will see the situation worsen? Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and, sadly, Russia. The Russians will not be left in peace for a number of reasons, China being one of them.
Original text by Nikolay Starikov
Translated by Maksim Antonov
Edited by Yana Starikova
вторник, 22 июня 2010 г.
Kemal Atatürk quiz: correct answers
Two weeks ago we looked at some of the events from the history of our neighbour. It appears that my readership is quite familiar with the personality of the founder of modern Turkey.
Let's look at the correct answers before naming the winner.
Kemal Atatürk quiz: correct answers
Two weeks ago we looked at some of the events from the history of our neighbour. It appears that my readership is quite familiar with the personality of the founder of modern Turkey.
Let's look at the correct answers before naming the winner.
пятница, 18 июня 2010 г.
USA Is Getting Ready
News Block
This article opens a new section of my blog. Every day I receive news and information from enthusiasts all over the world. I will try to bring together the most interesting things here.
понедельник, 14 июня 2010 г.
The Ups and Downs of Euro
A couple of weeks ago the president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, said that he did not believe in an Anglo-Saxon conspiracy against Euro. Curiously enough, he didn't mention any other suspects, such as Chinese, Iranians, or Stalinists. The official's Freudian slip only revealed distrust towards Anglo-Saxons.
воскресенье, 13 июня 2010 г.
Accident or Attack
Brainstorm
The deadly explosion on the oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico brings to light plenty of interesting details about the offstage life of the biggest Western oil monsters. At first the flow of oil could not be plugged, then they told us that the leak is capped, but the amount of oil flowing from the well will remain unchanged up to August 2010. What's next? Will they postpone the oozing time again? Or will they sit idly by until the oil has poured completely into the Gulf?
суббота, 12 июня 2010 г.
Turkey is Always Relevant
Historical Quiz
Turkey is a popular tourist destination. Many of our compatriots travel there and claim that they know a lot about this country. And yet, there are topics that one doesn't know much about. One of them is certainly the personality of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of modern Turkey.
Let's get to know him:
Israel Attacks Turkish Ship
It is generally known that everything in this world is interrelated. Though this principle is more often associated with the weather – the Iceland volcano awakes, European air traffic is paralyzed – it works in politics too. Things there are also interrelated.
USA needs war to save the falling dollar. The scheme is pretty common – when the international tension increases, investors and countries deposit their assets in US dollars and US Treasury bonds. Hence, the demand rate is proportional to the tension level.
Thus US economy, with the enormous annual budget deficit, gets more and more money from the rest of the world. Greece cannot afford such financial policy, US can. Why? Because Greece doesn't have the note printing press and US does. He who has this printing press and can print dollars can afford living with budget deficit. There is only one condition – growing demand for the "product", that is dollars and treasury bonds. I wrote about it both in my book and in the recent article "Rescue of Dollar is War".
However, it is not that easy to provoke war today – everyone is shrewd and far-sighted.
That is why USA tries to provoke war whenever there is an occasion. The method they use has long proved it efficacy. Let us recall the grounds upon which USA and South Korea accused North Korea of Cheonan corvette sinking?
«Tensions between the two Koreas rose after a group of independent experts accused Pyongyang of firing a torpedo that sank the South Korean Cheonan corvette», reports RosBusinessConsulting .
The countries representing this group were USA, UK, Australia and Sweden.
One raises the eyebrows – how "independent" is that! Kremlin could have made the same independent brigade comprising the representatives of Russia, Belorussia, South Ossetia, and – just for fun – one "specialist" from Finland.
So, what do we have in the UK-USA-Australia-Sweden independent group? There are UK and Australia with one head of state – Queen of England, USA who needs war and Sweden – the great sea power.
No wonder the conclusions they came to contradict reality. The torpedo turned out to be of German origin, and has never been delivered to North Korea… But here came China – the least interested in having a military conflict at its border – with its view of the situation. TV channel Russia Today, when speaking about Chinese position on the subject, doesn't hesitate to call a spade a spade – that is to refer to the situation as the American provocation.
And now let us turn our eyes to the Middle East. There are four main figures here – Iran, Turkey, Israel and Iraq. It doesn't matter for the printing press owners who will be involved in the conflict, the point is that the conflict actually starts. Bearing that in mind we can take another look at the series of events that SUDDENLY started to happen in the region and that COULD trigger off war.
War version No.1: Israel-Iran
The pretext of the possible conflict has long been elaborated – Iranian nuclear threat.
May 30, 2010
KABUL, Afghanistan — The commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan said Sunday there is “clear evidence” that some Taliban fighters have trained in Iran. Link
May 30, 2010
Israel has deployed subs equipped with tactical nukes to the Persian Gulf, putting their weapons in range of any target in Iran. Link
June 01, 2010 .
The United Nations nuclear agency says Iran is continuing to stockpile nuclear material and is preparing equipment to enrich uranium to higher levels. A restricted report by the International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium has grown to more than 2.5 tons. With such a large stockpile Iran still would have enough uranium that could be used to produce a nuclear weapon. Link
War version No.2: Israel-Turkey
After Israel attacked Turkish ship on May 31 killing civilians, the relations between the two countries, that had been quite tense lately, have reached the boiling point.
"No explanation can justify or whitewash the crime that was committed, and no excuse can explain away the stupid actions of the government and the army. Israel did not send its soldiers to kill civilians in cold blood; this is the last thing it wanted. With a combination of excessive military force, and a fatal failure to anticipate the intensity of the reaction of those aboard the ship, it killed and wounded civilians, and did so – as if it were a band of pirates – outside its territorial waters". Link
"At least nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed in Monday’s assault on the Turkish ship leading a convoy bringing aid to Gaza. The action drew widespread international condemnation". Link
May 31 was marked with anti Israeli protests in many countries over Europe, Asia and Africa. According to Associated Press the largest manifestation was held in Istanbul. More than 10 thousand people gathered on the central square – they shouted anti Israeli slogans and burned Israeli flags. Link
The war between Turkey and Israel is rather a complicated issue – Turkey is a member of NATO, which declares itself as a defence coalition and has to protect Turkey from possible aggression. Although it might happen that Israel is attacked by some unknown bombing aircraft and while NATO arranges a "special investigation commission" Israel attacks Turkey in return and the countries are at war.
That is why it is too naïve to wonder why Israel committed this violent act. Because it had to, it was ordered to. When you cannot support yourself, it is impossible to refuse…
Besides, this Israeli demarche fans the flames of Israel-Iran conflict.
June 01, 2010
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has once again condemned Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy as “brutal,” urging decisive action against Israel. He called upon the members of the UN Security Council to adopt a “decisive resolution” to stop Israeli crimes. Link
War version No.3: Turkey -Iraq
May 31, 2010.
"Kurdish rebels launched a rocket attack on a military vehicle near naval base in southern Turkey early Monday, killing seven soldiers and wounding seven. The rebels fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the vehicle carrying soldiers to a naval logistics base in the Mediterranean port of Iskenderun, officials said." Link
These Kurdish rebels came from Iraq, where USA has made it possible for them to create an independent Kurdistan. Turkey has not once encroached upon Iraq's territory, but this time the conflict has to be far more serious. The States need war.
War version No.4: Iran-Iraq
Due to the policy of American puppet Saddam Hussein, the countries have been at war for 10 years. Millions died on both sides, the countries loathe each other and the easiest way to aggravate the situation is to drag the same old Kurds into it.
May 30, 2010.
An Iraqi border official says Iranian artillery fire in Iraq’s Kurdish north has killed a 14-year-old girl and wounded three other villagers. Border guard Capt. Kamiran Jalal said Sunday the Iranian artillery targeted villages in the Balakiyaki border area in Irbil province. Iran has previously targeted the border areas in pursuit of a Kurdish rebel group known as the Party for Free Life in Kurdistan, or PEJAK. Link
Pay special attention to the dates – the above listed events happened within three days!
There can be several conclusions.
1. USA is trying to provoke military conflicts wherever it is possible.
2. The States provoke four Middle East conflicts at once to make sure at least one of them works out. In case Israel-Turkey war breaks out, it will be given to understand that Al-Quaeda doesn't exist in Iran. In case of Israel-Iran conflict, Turkey will no longer be included into the "new axis of evil" alongside with Moscow.
As for the main conclusion, it is far more surprising – American growing activity in the Middle East testifies to their failure in Korea: it appears that China doesn't let them unleash war there.
Since war in Korea is hardly possible, they try to spark it off elsewhere, launching four different scenarios at once to make sure one of them will work.
Everything is interrelated…
Original text by Nikolay Starikov
Translated by Yana Starikova
воскресенье, 6 июня 2010 г.
The Debts Are Sheer Lie
One can wonder if it is true that Russia has re-entered the external borrowings market, although it is generally known that one shouldn’t borrow unless one undergoes terrible hardships. The same refers to states. If any country takes the paper with the images of American presidents printed on them, it will give its independence in return.
What is behind the news?
четверг, 3 июня 2010 г.
Big Game
On the eve of Victory Day it is important to understand how the war that cost us millions of compatriots began. Where were its sources from? Why did Adolf Hitler make a suicidal decision to attack the Soviet Union? There is still no answer.
среда, 2 июня 2010 г.
When things Are Crystal Clear
Sometimes the things are crystal clear – there is even no need to analyze them, you should just read the news.
When Things Are Crystal Clear
Sometimes the things are crystal clear – there is even no need to analyze them, you should just read the news.
Good news
There is some good news for those who still have illusions. The curtain was raised so we can see what is going on behind the scenes.
Media Pirates
It appears that Somali pirates have a press service. Had I known earlier about the fact I wouldn't have entitled my previous article "A Pirate Trick", for it's not a mere trick, it's a real magic.
thefirstpost.co.uk
A Pirate Trick
If all your knowledge about pirates is based on Treasure Island novel you missed a lot. Modern pirate stories are way more exciting.
And way more mysterious.
Media Pirates
It appears that Somali pirates have a press service. Had I known earlier about the fact I wouldn't have entitled my previous article "A Pirate Trick", for it's not a mere trick, it's a real magic.
thefirstpost.co.uk
Media Pirates
It appears that Somali pirates have a press service. Had I known earlier about the fact I wouldn't have entitled my previous article "A Pirate Trick", for it's not a mere trick, it's a real magic.
thefirstpost.co.uk
Just a few weeks ago these Somali chaps were poor fishermen and farmers who made ends meet by attacking the passing-by ships and getting ransom for them. And now they've become a new Al-Qaeda.
They work really fast. No sooner had Angela Merkel arrived in Russia to participate in Victory Day celebrations than the following news hit headlines:
«May 9th, Saturday – Somali pirates have hijacked a German-owned chemical tanker». Link
The pirates have made official announcements surprisingly soon.
«A pirate spokesman said at least ten of his men were executed by the Russian navy after the troopers stormed MV Moscow University». Link
And the news spread round the world.
Did Somali government accuse Russia? No, the pirates did.
The Somali ambassador to Russia, Dr Mohamed Handule has on Tuesday defended the decision of the Russian navy. “It does not concern us whether the pirates died or not. We, the states of Russia and Somalia, are responsible for a criminal's civil rights when he voluntarily surrenders or we take him alive,” Ambassador Handule told journalists. Link
Why would international and Russian news agencies quote pirates' representatives?
The fate of the ten Somali pirates seized by the Russian destroyer Admiral Shaposhnikov during release of MV Moscow University is still not clear, reports ABC. A pirate spokesman, who wished to remain anonymous, said Somalilandpress: "The Russians never released the young men instead they shot them point-blank range then loaded their lifeless bodies back on the boat," Link
The meaning of all these publications is clear.
- The wild Russians killed helpless fellows;
- The Russian government has messed everything up again.
While the first implication is divulged by the international news agencies, our liberals lay a particular stress on the second.
Russian radio station site Ekho Moskvy quotes Mikhail Voitenko as saying: "There is no excuse for the outrage that our navy officers have done. It means that Russian crew floating in dangerous waters should beware of Russian commando". Link
This radio station is notoriously famous for its peculiar way of providing information.
Following the words of Somali pirates' statesman, it condemned the action of the Russian navy. Quote: "our men never hurt their hostages, we simply want foreign ships to stop overfishing in our waters." Link
Our so-called liberals are notorious for their constant desire to misinterpret things – pirates turn into innocent victims of Russian aggression.
The same day another curious announcement was made.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced at the Federation Council meting today: "Russia is can protect its interests on its own. We are open to cooperation with all the states in matters of solving any problems. However, if our partners are not interested in that, we shall have to act unilaterally to protect our national interests, and our actions will be based on the international law," reports RosBusinessConsulting . Link
The haggle between Russia and pirates' bosses came to nothing. Our opponents now try their best to blacken our reputation. They do not hesitate to use the weapons of mass destruction – the mass media – for the sake of it.
Anyway, Russia still acts on its own.
And the pirates go on doing their job. Where was Moscow University headed to? It was headed to China. When did it become certain that the pirates hadn't reached the shore? On May, 12th.
Here is another piece of May 12th news:
"Pirates have seized a Greek-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden," reports BBC News. "The Eleni P, which is managed by Eurobulk, was carrying a cargo of iron ore from the Black Sea to China."
And one more thing.
Within the last few years all terrorists involved in attacks in Russia were killed in the course of the operation. Have you ever wondered why? Then you should have a closer look at all the media companies shielding the pirates.
When Russian special services arrest a terrorist, it appears that the scoundrel has a bunch of rights, a lawyer, human rights "defenders", and the attention of the press.
FSB Chief Alexander Bortnikov told president Medvedev, May 13th: "Three members of the criminal group behind the blasts in Moscow Subway were killed while resisting arrest. The terrorists offered fierce armed resistance and were eliminated", he added. Link
Information really is a weapon.
Original text by Nikolay Starikov
Translated by Yana Starikova
A Pirate Trick
If all your knowledge about pirates is based on Treasure Island novel you missed a lot. Modern pirate stories are way more exciting.
And way more mysterious.
A Trick with Pirates
If all your knowledge about pirates is based on Treasure Island novel you missed a lot. Modern pirate stories are way more exciting.
And way more mysterious.
Good News
There is some good news for those who still have illusions. The curtain was raised so we can see what is going on behind the scenes.
¨The United States would oppose International Monetary Fund bailout packages to countries that are not likely to repay them under a measure passed by the U.S. Senate on Monday. The 94-0 vote came amid widespread concern that the United States is indirectly supporting a $40 billion IMF bailout approved for Greece earlier this month as that country struggles to rein in its debt. According to the bill the United States’ executive director will be directed at the IMF to determine whether there is likely to be repayment of loans to countries whose public debt exceed their gross domestic product. If the director determines that the loan is not likely to be repaid, the executive director would be obligated to vote against it. It would have to be reconciled with a similar bill that passed the House of Representatives in December before President Barack Obama could sign it into law. Senator Christopher Dodd said that the IMF clause might be modified in coming weeks to satisf y others’ concerns,¨ reports Reuters. Link
Why is that possible? The thing is that the USA owns the control packet of IMF shares, but I haven’t yet seen it being reported avowedly in the media. That is why the news attracted my attention.
Does anybody else think that the international organizations like IMF, WTO or The World bank and the like are, in fact, INDEPENDENT, if one country’s senate determines the way they should act?
Do you still have any illusions that these organizations take into account interests of the whole humanity, rather than those of one country?
Can you be that naïve?
Media Pirates
It appears that Somali pirates have a press service. Had I known earlier about the fact I wouldn't have entitled my previous article "A Trick with pirates", for it's not a mere trick, it's a real magic.
Just a few weeks ago these Somali chaps were poor fishermen and farmers who made ends meet by attacking the passing-by ships and getting ransom for them. And now they've become a new Al-Qaeda.
They work really fast. No sooner had Angela Merkel arrived in Russia to participate in Victory Day celebrations than the following news hit headlines:
«May 9th, Saturday – Somali pirates have hijacked a German-owned chemical tanker». Link
The pirates have made official announcements surprisingly soon.
«A pirate spokesman said at least ten of his men were executed by the Russian navy after the troopers stormed MV Moscow University». Link
And the news spread round the world.
Did Somali government accuse Russia? No, the pirates did.
The Somali ambassador to Russia, Dr Mohamed Handule has on Tuesday defended the decision of the Russian navy. “It does not concern us whether the pirates died or not. We, the states of Russia and Somalia, are responsible for a criminal's civil rights when he voluntarily surrenders or we take him alive,” Ambassador Handule told journalists. Link
Why would international and Russian news agencies quote pirates' representatives?
The fate of the ten Somali pirates seized by the Russian destroyer Admiral Shaposhnikov during release of MV Moscow University is still not clear, reports ABC. A pirate spokesman, who wished to remain anonymous, said Somalilandpress: "The Russians never released the young men instead they shot them point-blank range then loaded their lifeless bodies back on the boat," Link
The meaning of all these publications is clear.
- The wild Russians killed helpless fellows;
- The Russian government has messed everything up again.
While the first implication is divulged by the international news agencies, our liberals lay a particular stress on the second.
Russian radio station site Ekho Moskvy quotes Mikhail Voitenko as saying: "There is no excuse for the outrage that our navy officers have done. It means that Russian crew floating in dangerous waters should beware of Russian commando". Link
This radio station is notoriously famous for its peculiar way of providing information.
Following the words of Somali pirates' statesman, it condemned the action of the Russian navy. Quote: "our men never hurt their hostages, we simply want foreign ships to stop overfishing in our waters." Link
Our so-called liberals are notorious for their constant desire to misinterpret things – pirates turn into innocent victims of Russian aggression.
The same day another curious announcement was made.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced at the Federation Council meting today: "Russia is can protect its interests on its own. We are open to cooperation with all the states in matters of solving any problems. However, if our partners are not interested in that, we shall have to act unilaterally to protect our national interests, and our actions will be based on the international law," reports RosBusinessConsulting . Link
The haggle between Russia and pirates' bosses came to nothing. Our opponents now try their best to blacken our reputation. They do not hesitate to use the weapons of mass destruction – the mass media – for the sake of it.
Anyway, Russia still acts on its own.
And the pirates go on doing their job. Where was Moscow University headed to? It was headed to China. When did it become certain that the pirates hadn't reached the shore? On May, 12th.
Here is another piece of May 12th news:
"Pirates have seized a Greek-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden," reports BBC News. "The Eleni P, which is managed by Eurobulk, was carrying a cargo of iron ore from the Black Sea to China."
And one more thing.
Within the last few years all terrorists involved in attacks in Russia were killed in the course of the operation. Have you ever wondered why? Then you should have a closer look at all the media companies shielding the pirates.
When Russian special services arrest a terrorist, it appears that the scoundrel has a bunch of rights, a lawyer, human rights "defenders", and the attention of the press.
FSB Chief Alexander Bortnikov told president Medvedev, May 13th: "Three members of the criminal group behind the blasts in Moscow Subway were killed while resisting arrest. The terrorists offered fierce armed resistance and were eliminated", he added. Link
Information really is a weapon.
Original text by Nikolay Starikov
Translated by Yana Starikova
A Trick With Pirates
If all your knowledge about pirates is based on Treasure Island novel you missed a lot. Modern pirate stories are way more exciting.
And way more mysterious.
Let the facts go first. Russian operated and Liberia-flagged oil tanker Moscow University with dead weight of 106, 474 tons and a cargo of crude oil was heading to China. On Wednesday at around 8.00 a.m. Moscow time [04:00 GMT] it was hijacked by Somali pirates.
The situation calls for some interesting details.
- The Gulf of Aden and Somali cost is a pinch point for all sea traffic routed through the Suez Canal.
It is much like Moscow Avenue in St.Petersburg or Leningrad Avenue in Moscow – the traffic there is really heavy.
- Although there are a great number of vessels floating near the coast, the pirates often hijack ships quite far beyond their shores – their record being more than 1,000 km. In case of Moscow University it was more that 600 km.
- Moscow University is not an ordinary oil tanker; it is the FIRST one to open the NEW way to transport oil to China from the new Baltic oil-loading plant.
And this is THE SHIP to be "accidentally" attacked by Somali pirates. More that 600 km off the shore and right in the time it was left by the convoy warship Marshal Shaposhnikov (which will then rescue the "students") as there could no longer be any threat of attack. The crew managed to establish a connection with Marshal Shaposhnikov shortly before the ship was hijacked. Then the crew members locked themselves in an engine room and were finally rescued by the Russian commando.
“During the warship Marshal Shaposhnikov’s special operation, the pirates on board of the Moscow University tanker opened fire. One of them was shot during return fire,” the military official said, adding none of the Russian sailors was injured. Link
"A criminal case was opened on tanker hijacking and according to the Russian Criminal Code piracy penalty rates from 10 to 15 years imprisonment," stresses the International Marine Right Association president. Link
Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said that all the detained pirates involved in hijacking the Moscow University tanker would be sent to Moscow for proceedings.
“The investigation committee has begun measures to send the detained pirates to Moscow for investigations and launch proceedings under Russian law and international legal norms,” Vladimir Markin said. Link
The story is over, the end is happy – the crew is free, China gets its oil, and pirates will be under trial.
And this is when the media gives the utmost strange information.
“Somali pirates, who were detained after a mission to free the Moscow University tanker, were released Thursday as no legal rules exist for prosecuting the pirates operating in the region of Somali in court,” the Russian Defense Ministry source said. “This means they do not fall under the jurisdiction of any state or international law.” Link
What a trick. All legal rules for their prosecution disappeared overnight and the criminals are let go. It appears that hijacking the tanker and opening fire on the Russian ship doesn't give enough legal ground for prosecution.
It is even more strange that the very fact of pirates being released was refuted.
The representative of Russian naval task force deployed in the region said that the pirates were still on board of the tanker. “Nobody has taken them from the ship and set free”. Link
Finally it was admitted that the pirates were actually released.
Pirates who had hijacked Russian tanker Moscow University were set free, reports RIA Novosti citing the source in Defense Ministry familiar with the ship release operation. According to the source, there are no legal rules for court action against pirates acting off Somalia, so “they do not fall within jurisdiction of any country and international law either”. Pirates arrested by Russian marines were disarmed, put on inflatable boat, deprived of navigational facilities, and let off. Link
How can that be? Pirates were already detained by our navy officers – television broadcasted the video with our ships' commander reporting about what's happened. Why was the news about the arrest messed up?
This is what I think has happened.
It is not a secret that Somali pirates are used to hijack CERTAIN ships. It means that they are given definite tasks and then rewarded for the job done. The reward is the ransom that is thrown from helicopters on the decks, the rest of the sum is transferred on a Swiss bank account.
It resembles the way Boris Berezovsky financed Chechen militants – they kidnapped soldiers and civilians, then Mr. BB assumed an air of compassion and ransomed them. As a result his rate went up and the militants got the money – everyone was satisfied.
The same thing with pirates. They get the task, fulfill it then get the money – and nobody will ever fight them.
When you realize this, it becomes easier to get some other important things:
1. Nobody will ever fight piracy, if the pirates are used to influence their political adversaries.
2. Negotiations should be held with secret services of the countries that patron the pirates.
The names of these countries are easy to figure out. These are the countries whose fleet is never hijacked – I mean the USA and the UK. There are also sea powers whose vessels constitute 90 percent of the world's fleet and therefore are always subject to attack – they are Russia, Germany, China and Turkey.
So, who is for and against fighting piracy?
Rossiyskaya Gazeta quotes Russia's deputy public prosecutor as saying:
“Russia has long been advocating elaboration of an international legal body that would regulate anti piracy policy – a sort of International Criminal Court that would fight piracy as a criminal activity. Unfortunately, we cannot put these ideas into practice as there is a strong opposition to it. A number of countries including USA, Britain and some other states think it will be too expensive. Spain and Germany as well as the rest of the EU, on the contrary, support the idea as one third of their carbohydrates is transported via Somali coast.” Link
Seizure of the FIRST tanker of the new China oil supply transport system was symbolic. The rescue operation was symbolic too – Russia has exerted strong resolution and power in opposing pirates' bosses. They signal that our oil transfer to China is unwanted – we signal that don't care about what they want.
The detained pirates were needed for a haggle; a haggle on higher political levels, of course.
Did you notice that the media information about Moscow University became vague and contradictory at once? It is a sure sign that the haggle has begun. Russia needs guarantees that our China-headed tankers will no longer be attacked, or, rather, that none of our ships will be hijacked irrespective of the flag they carry.
But to begin the haggle we need to pretend that the pirates are let go – this is just a trick, a shrewd political trick which cannot be explained to every honest navy officer. That is why on receiving the information on the alleged release of the pirates the honest navy officers hurry to refute the news, as "the released" are still kept in the tanker hold:
The representative of Russian naval task force deployed in the region said that the pirates were still on board of the tanker. “Nobody has taken them from the ship and set free”, he said commenting the news on their alleged release. Link
After the "general politics" is made clear the news become adequate. The pirates were set free in a boat. Whether they reach the shore or not depends largely on haggle results with their bosses rather than on sea, sharks and weather conditions. Because they are all still sitting in the tanker hold.
The news that appeared next showed that the haggle failed:
“A group of Somali pirates captured by the Russian navy in the Gulf of Aden and then set free in a boat are most probably dead after failing to reach the shore, a Russian defence source said Tuesday.” Link
The information was not officially confirmed – it is a hint for the partners. The pirates (sitting in the same old hold) still have a chance to reach the shore if our conditions are accepted. However, judging by the news that followed, the conditions were not accepted:
Somali media accused Russia in killing pirates who hijacked the tanker: a pirate spokesman contacted Somalilandpress to dismiss the Russian navy statement that his men were released. "The Russians never released the men instead they shot them point-blank range then loaded their lifeless bodies back on the boat," he added. Link
How sweet of him to care about pirates so much. But the end of the news is more important – it clearly is a message from the bosses:
"In future, if we capture Russians they will meet the same fate as those they executed", he said. Link
We shall send more ships to Somali, we shall convoy every vessel that Russia is interested in. We shall stand up for the right to do whatever is good for our country.
There is one thing that has occurred to me.
Moscow University operation is the sequel of South Ossetia conflict. The scale is incomparable, to be sure, but the results are the like. We parried the blow and made it clear we would do it again…
I wonder what Putin and Hú Jǐntāo were talking about during the Moscow parade…
Original text by Nikolay Starikov
Translated by Yana Starikova
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