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Breaking news & commentary


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The Destruction of Sarposa
June 18, 2008 1829 GMT


By Fred Burton and Scott Stewart
Friday June 13 turned out to be an unlucky day for the guards at Sarposa prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan. At approximately 9:20 p.m. local time, some 30 Taliban insurgents launched a complex and highly coordinated attack on the facility. The operation freed all 1,100 inmates incarcerated there, including a reported 350 to 400 Taliban militants. The attack also resulted in the deaths of several guards — reports on the actual number vary between six and 15.
The assault reportedly began with the detonation of a massive vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) at the prison’s main gate. The suicide device reportedly was concealed inside a tanker truck and, according to a Taliban spokesman, contained 1,800 kilograms of explosive material. The powerful device shattered the prison’s front gate and guardhouse, causing substantial damage to shops and other buildings in the neighborhood.
Either shortly after or at the same time as the attack on the main gate, a second suicide bomber approached the back gate of the compound on foot and detonated his device, breaching the gate and neutralizing the guards. A Taliban assault team armed with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and small arms then stormed the prison. According to some eyewitness reports, many of the attackers entered the prison on motorcycles — a form of transport frequently used by the Taliban to move personnel. Some fighters reportedly engaged the surviving guards while others broke open the cell doors.
The prisoners were then rushed through the gate to a caravan of waiting vehicles staged by the Taliban to transport them to safety. In recent days, the Taliban have taken over several villages in the Arghandab district, located just northwest of the city of Kandahar, where they reportedly laid mines, destroyed bridges and prepared fighting positions in the area. At least some of the Taliban fighters participating in these recent activities are possible Sarposa escapees.
Many observers have expressed shock over the storming of Sarposa prison. But the attack — and its success — is not at all surprising when viewed in the context of historical operations undertaken to free jihadist prisoners in Afghanistan and elsewhere and given conditions on the ground in the Kandahar area, the general preparedness of Afghan security elements and the construction and location of this particular prison.
A Focus on Prisoners
Jihadists have long placed a high importance on their imprisoned comrades. This emphasis became publicly evident by the number of statements and threats generated following the arrest of Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman (the “Blind Sheikh”) in New York in 1993. However, even prior to his arrest, Abdul-Rahman and his followers had discussed plans for a different prison break. They considered several possible approaches, one of which was a truck bomb attack combined with an armed assault, to rescue El Sayyid Nosair from Attica State Prison in New York. The group had even conducted detailed surveillance of the facility. Nosair was serving a sentence in Attica after being convicted on weapons charges relating to the assassination of Rabbi Meir Kahane. Although convicted of assault and firearms possession, Nosair was acquitted of the murder charges.
The jihadist emphasis on colleagues in captivity has continued to the present day. In addition to propaganda decrying the captivity of their comrades, jihadists have also conducted a number of operations to free imprisoned colleagues, such as the December 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight 814, which eventually ended up in Kandahar after short stops in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. More recently, Taliban forces have kidnapped foreigners and held them in exchange for their imprisoned comrades.
In April 2005, al Qaeda in Iraq militants under the command of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi launched a remarkably similar attack against the Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad. Like the Sarposa incident, the attack on Abu Ghraib included a suicide VBIED attack against the prison’s main gate followed by an attempt to storm the prison by an assault team. In the Abu Ghraib case, the initial VBIED attack was unable to reach or breach the prison’s gate, and the assault team was prevented from entering the facility. However, the assault team displayed a great deal of determination and continued the attack on the prison for several hours before finally being repelled. The al Qaeda assault team suffered heavy casualties, but not before wounding 18 U.S. servicemen and 12 prisoners during the protracted battle.
In addition to armed assaults, there have also been many clandestine attempts to free jihadist prisoners from captivity. Several of these attempts have involved tunnels, such as in the February 2006 jailbreak in Sanaa, Yemen, or the October 2003 break from Sarposa prison in Kandahar in which 41 Taliban prisoners, including the brother of the Taliban defense minister, escaped through a tunnel. High-profile jihadists have also managed to escape from prisons in places as diverse as Pakistan and Singapore.
Escapes are not confined to prisons with sand cell floors, poorly trained personnel or revolving doors and complicit prison guards, as it would seem in the case of Yemeni prisons. In addition to the Singapore incident, militants have also escaped from U.S.- and British-run prisons in Iraq. In Afghanistan, four high-profile al Qaeda militants escaped from a U.S. detention facility at the Bagram Air Base outside Kabul. The escapees, dubbed the “Bagram Four,” included Abu Yahya al-Libi, a charismatic and credentialed al Qaeda theologian who has since become one of the organization’s main spokesmen.
Location, Location, Location
Like in real estate sales, in insurgency and counterinsurgency operations, location is vital — and Kandahar is quite an interesting location. While Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan, Kandahar has been the spiritual and physical capital of the Taliban. Even when the Taliban controlled most of Afghanistan and assumed control of the government, their real headquarters remained in Kandahar, the place where they first emerged as a force in Afghan politics and where their leader Mullah Omar resided. Osama bin Laden also resided in Kandahar with many of his al Qaeda followers. Although the Taliban and al Qaeda militants were quickly forced to flee the city following the U.S. invasion in October 2001, much of the population in the area has remained ideologically committed to the Taliban, and we have long considered Kandahar city and province to be Taliban strongholds. From the perspective of the Afghan government and coalition forces, Kandahar is very much hostile territory.
This attack against Saraposa prison was well-planned and executed with a great deal of precision. The location of the attack, Kandahar, allowed the Taliban to play on their home field and provided advantages they have lacked when conducting operations in places such as Kabul. Even though not all of the residents in the Kandahar area support the Taliban, most fear them and do not believe that coalition forces can protect them from Taliban retribution. Therefore, even people who are not strong Taliban supporters would be grudgingly willing to assist them rather than risk reprisals.
This base of contacts and ideological supporters in Kandahar made it easy for the Taliban to conduct surveillance on sites such as the Sarposa prison, and is also very helpful in the logistical aspects of planning and executing attacks there. Smuggling the Taliban assault team into the city, along with their weapons and a large VBIED, was undoubtedly accomplished with the aid of these sympathizers, as was the escape of the released prisoners.
In the end, this home-field advantage allowed the Taliban to launch their attack without detection and gain the crucial element of tactical surprise. It also allowed them to get all of their elements into the fight at the right time, something they were unable to accomplish in the April 27 attack in Kabul.
Another factor leading to the success of the Sarposa attack was the nature of the facility itself and the guards in charge of its integrity. The prison was very old and its mud brick and rock-and-mortar construction was not designed to withstand a serious military attack. Even with some of the recent upgrades to its guard towers, the facility was incapable of withstanding the explosion of an 1,800 kilogram VBIED in close proximity to its front gate. In fact, few facilities in the United States could withstand such an attack, but U.S. facilities typically have concentric rings of security that must be breached in order to get to the main gate. The Sarposa prison is located right on the street and did not have much room to provide standoff space or for such concentric rings.
There are reports that the attack on the prison was coordinated with the prisoners on the inside via a cell phone. This is not beyond the realm of possibility, as the smuggling of cell phones into prisons is a problem faced by authorities in many countries, including the United States.
While the guards at Sarposa prison had reportedly received guidance from Canadian corrections officials, they had neither the training nor the weaponry to withstand the type of assault the Taliban launched against them. Prison guards are not trained or equipped to serve as combat troops. We have not seen reliable reports on the number of guards who fled, survived or perhaps called in sick the night of the attack. The commander of the prison reportedly has been placed in custody and is under investigation, though Afghan officials assert that this move is merely standard procedure. In any such case, the possibility of collusion on the part of the guards must be considered.
The vulnerability of the Sarposa facility and the limitations of the guards defending it is further highlighted when compared with a similarly executed but unsuccessful attack. On March 3, the Taliban launched an attack against a compound housing a better-prepared force of NATO and Afghan troops in Khost. In the March incident, the VBIED was engaged before it could get close to the gate. While two NATO soldiers were killed in the assault, the remaining troops were able to repel the attackers before they could overrun the complex.
Although Sarposa is the largest prison in southern Afghanistan, due its relative lack of security, most high-value Taliban prisoners are kept at Afghanistan’s main prison, Pol-e-Charkhi in Kabul, or at the U.S. detention facility at Bagram. However, even those facilities are not in the best condition, as evidenced by the escape of the Bagram four and violent jihadist-fomented riots and escapes at Pol-e-Charkhi.
The United States has long recognized the vulnerability of Afghan prisons, including its own facility at Bagram. It has reportedly paid more than $20 million to add a high-security wing at the Pol-e-Charkhi facility.
Last month, Afghan lawmakers strenuously objected when a Pentagon spokesman announced a plan to replace the deteriorating facility at Bagram, which currently holds some 630 al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners, with a new facility capable of holding 1,100 prisoners. At the time, Afghans called the plan an illegal affront to the country’s sovereignty. It will be interesting to see if the tone of the debate changes after the destruction of Sarposa.
www.stratfor.com



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HOMELAND INSECURITY

WorldNetDaily ExclusiveU.S. military fights drug war on Mexican borderJoint Task Force North assists federal law enforcement
Posted: June 19, 200811:15 pm Eastern
By Jerome R. Corsi
WorldNetDaily
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters deployed via C-5 from Fort Carson to Fort Bliss to conduct aviation reconnaissance operations
The U.S. military today plays a little-recognized role fighting the drug war in support of federal law enforcement agencies along the border with Mexico.
Joint Task Force North, or JTF North, is a U.S. joint service military command organized under U.S. Northern Command, or USNORTHCOM, based at Biggs Army Airfield in Fort Bliss, Texas.
"Our mission is to employ military capabilities to support law enforcement agencies and synchronization in the Northern Command's area of responsibility," Brig. Gen. Anthony R. Ierardi, commander of JTN North, told WND. "The purpose of all that is to deter and prevent what we describe as transnational threats to the homeland."
Initially named Joint Task Force-6, the command was established by Gen. Colin Powell, then commanding general of the U.S. Army's Forces command, Nov. 13, 1989, in response to President George H.W. Bush's declaration of the "War on Drugs."
JTF-6 was renamed JTF North in a ceremony Sept. 28, 2004, and its mission was expanded beyond the drug war to include providing homeland security support to the nation's federal law enforcement agencies.
Ierardi explained his boss is Air Force Gen.Victor Renuart, commander of USNORTHCOM."
"We are a subordinate command, so we work for Northern Command in providing the support that is requested by federal law enforcement in an appropriate way to deter and prevent threats to the homeland," Ierardi said.
A major focus of JTF North traces back to the unit's original purpose, to bring military support to federal law enforcement agencies fighting the drug war along the border with Mexico.
"Our principal customer is the U.S. Border Patrol," Ierardi affirmed. "Our missions are for the most part along our southern border with Mexico, but also include missions along our northern border. We employ various military capabilities from the time the federal agency requests the support through the conclusion of the mission."
FLIR equipped OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters were used to conduct nighttime aviation reconnaissance operations and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter support (in background) was provided by the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, based at Fort Riley, Kan.
JTF North has no operational military units assigned permanently to the command.
In a typical mission, a federal law enforcement agency requests military support along the border. If the request is deemed appropriate and within its authority, JTF North will then call upon military units, including Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines, as needed, to volunteer to participate in the mission.
Many of the military participating units see the JTF North mission as an opportunity to train in advance of a scheduled assignment to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Ierardi explained: "So, for example, if an Army aviation unit is in a cycle where they are preparing for deployment to Iraq, or Afghanistan, or anywhere for that matter, their commanders might deem that volunteering for a mission at JTF North might be good training, because of the opportunity to operate in a relevant environment that would replicate what they will face in the Middle East."
Ierardi pointed to the Border Patrol as an example.
"An Army aviation unit participating in a Border Patrol mission organized by JTF North might see an increase in their night surveillance capabilities as a result of the experience," he said. "And so it's a neat way to match the need of the law enforcement agency with the extant capabilities that the military services can provide."
Ierardi said it's equally important to spell out what JTF North does not do.
Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 24, based in Huntsville, Ala., constructed low water crossings, fences and roads along the Arizona-Mexico border
"We don't arrest, apprehend or detain any persons that would be involved in potentially illegal activities," he said. "We are not involved in searches and seizures. We don't direct the operations of law enforcement agencies – again, we are in support."
He also emphasized JTF North does not "collect or retain any information about U.S. persons, in accordance with very strict guidance that we have for intelligence oversight."
Ierardi stressed JTF North operates within the restraints of the Posse Comitatus Act, 18 USC 1385, a Reconstruction Era law that restricts the use of U.S. military services to enforce civilian laws, except where expressly authorized by Congress or the Constitution.
The JTF North website lists the following capabilities as "operational support" the unit is prepared to offer federal law enforcement agencies: aviation transportation, including both insertion and extraction of personnel; aviation reconnaissance; air and maritime surveillance radar; unmanned aircraft systems; ground surveillance radar; listening post and observation post surveillance; ground sensor operations; and ground transportation.
In addition to operational support, JTF North is ready to provide intelligence and engineering support. It also offers general support, which includes mobile training teams in a wide range of areas from basic marksmanship training, to counter-drug field tactical police operations, to integrated mission planning and even tunnel detection.
Several illustrative missions are featured on the JTF North website.
In February, March and April 2007, JTF North provided Seabee engineering support from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 24, based in Huntsville, Ala., assigned to construct low-water crossings, fences and roads along the Arizona-Mexico border.
In the same time period, a second JTF North mission, Operation Night Owl, involved the 1st Squadron, 6th Air Cavalry Regiment supporting the U.S. Border Patrol in the El Paso Sector by deploying OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters via C-5 transport aircraft from Fort Carson to Fort Bliss to conduct aviation reconnaissance operations.
Operation Night Owl also coordinated the involvement of UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter support provided by the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, based at Fort Riley, Kan.
"Our mission is to coordinate and employ Department of Defense support to federal law enforcement," Ierardi said. "One of the sub-roles under USNORTHCOM's mission is for support to civil authorities. We employ capabilities that seek to enhance law enforcement activities to interdict the threats, and we work with federal law enforcement investigative agencies to share information that would be appropriate to share."
Federal law enforcement agencies seeking JTF North support must first provide written requests for support.
"We will collaborate with the partners that we support and they will provide us with written requests for support that allow them to increase capability in a particular area for a particular duration of time," Ierardi said.
"The Department of Defense has rules for how we operate," he explained. "In terms of all of the military that may participate in a particular support mission, Joint Task Force North has tactical control of military forces that might be employed in this mission. So, it's my responsibility to ensure the safe and effective deployment of the units, while providing the commanders of that organization the opportunity to increase their readiness."
Ierardi said that at the same time, JTF North "manages the interface with the federal law enforcement agencies to ensure those agencies are being employed correctly."
"Our DNA, if you will, and the predominant gene that we carry today, is a counter-drug headquarters," he stressed, referring back to the original reason the unit was created in 1989. "After 9/11 and the creation of Northern Command, it really made sense to take JTF-6, which was the preceding organizational name, and reorient the command to operate within the entire USNORTHCOM area of operational responsibility, not just along the southern border. Today, we also have the responsibility to monitor all transnational threats, including terrorists' opportunities."
Ierardi said the resources and the funding for JTF North's operations still have a counter-drug emphasis.
"So, when we receive a request for support from law enforcement," he said, "the first thing we have to determine is that there is a nexus to a counter-drug, or to international narcotics trafficking, and that it comes from an authorized federal law enforcement official to ask for that support, and that there is a distinct gain by a Department of Defense military component for providing that support."
Last Tuesday, U.S. Army Col. Sean B. MacFarland assumed command of JTF North, replacing Brig. Gen. Ierardi, who has been reassigned to Afghanistan, where he will assist in the training and equipping of Afghan military and national security units.
http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.printable&pageId=67495




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Venezuela: The United States Turns the Screws
Stratfor Today » June 19, 2008 2236 GMT
EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
Summary
The U.S. Treasury Department on June 17 accused a Venezuelan diplomat and head of the Caracas-based Shia Islamic Center of giving Hezbollah financial support. The United States, which is targeting other Venezuelan nationals suspected of involvement with Hezbollah, is working to increase the pressure on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is already weakening under the weight of domestic problems.
Analysis
The U.S. Treasury Department on June 17 accused Ghazi Nasr al-Din, a Venezuelan diplomat and president of a Caracas-based Shia Islamic center, of giving financial assistance to Hezbollah. The United States has also targeted Fawzi Kanan and two Venezuelan-based travel agencies that he allegedly owns or controls. Although the United States has made accusations of involvement with Hezbollah before, in taking the step to target Venezuelan nationals, the United States is ramping up pressure on already-weakened Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
The most recent set of accusations against Chavez’s government were released by U.S.-based Venezuelan reporter Patricia Poleo in a report that gave detailed accounts of Hezbollah, al Qaeda and other Arab movements in Venezuela. The report alleged that Venezuela is hosting at least five camps in various parts of the country where Venezuelan and Lebanese Hezbollah members learn to use munitions, and that those members plan to use Venezuela as a launching point for attacks on the United States. The report is suspiciously detailed in its descriptions of alleged terrorist training activities in Venezuela’s jungles. The information would have been very hard to come by without the aid of a sophisticated intelligence agency.
Washington has long been concerned about security threats originating in Venezuela. A well-known transit point for illegal drugs and arms, Venezuela also poses a serious risk to U.S. security because of its lax visa regulations and rampant corruption. Furthermore, Venezuela has been the most significant port of entry for illegal immigrants from the Eastern Hemisphere since before Chavez took control of the country.
Although Stratfor has no direct evidence that Hezbollah is operating in Venezuela, it would not be much of a surprise. In fact, Venezuela’s close relationship with Iran makes it almost inevitable. Most of Venezuela’s “joint” programs with Iran — such as a recently announced joint bank — make little sense because, depending on the project, Venezuela and Iran lack the cash, technology and/or organic market to launch them. Both countries are exporters of oil, with very little other economic strength, so trading between the two is largely superfluous. But helping Iran by supporting Hezbollah only requires some land in the jungle and lax security with passports — two things Venezuela has in spades.
What Venezuela would get out of such a partnership is not entirely clear. A core part of Chavez’s domestic security strategy has been to develop local militias that he can call on to support him in case the Venezuelan military turns against him. But harboring terrorist training camps in one’s backyard is like painting a big bullseye on one’s country and inviting the U.S. Air Force to take their best shot. But it is possible Iran is worth the risk, whether it is able to offer money or political favors in return.
Whether or not it is true that Venezuela is helping Hezbollah, the possibility for such cooperation has existed for several years. But the timing of this asset seizure poses some interesting possibilities, as it coincides with some dramatic shifts in Chavez’s behavior. These shifts include an apparent decision to deny public support to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and a move to revise a key intelligence law that would have strengthened his authoritarian control over Venezuela.
Chavez’s support of the FARC has been unpopular in Venezuela; in an April poll by Venezuelan polling firm Datanalisis, more than 70 percent of Venezuelans expressed disapproval of the FARC. This fact no doubt played a large part in his decision to reverse support for the group. With support for a second terrorist organization coming to light, Chavez’s credibility will only suffer more.
At the same time, Chavez is experiencing serious challenges on other fronts.
Inflation in Venezuela is skyrocketing, in part because of monetary inflation partially driven by massive government spending. Coupled with rising global food prices, the inflation has made life measurably harder for Venezuelans (especially poor Venezuelans), and dissatisfaction with Chavez’s policies is increasing.
Furthermore, Chavez’s social programs that service his support base rely on funding from Venezuelan state-owned energy company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) — and things are not looking so good for PDVSA. Burdened with the financial responsibilities of the entire state, the company is at risk of not being able to maintain its oil production, much less increase it to meet rising fiscal needs. And all this is with oil at $130 per barrel; any price drop and Chavez immediately will have to choose who not to give subsidies to.
Demands on PDVSA will not slacken soon, either. With local elections approaching, Chavez is under pressure to bring his party — the United Socialist Party of Venezuela — under his control. Designed to unite all leftist parties in Venezuela under one banner, the party is not as united as Chavez would like it to be. The upcoming November elections have exposed deep disagreements among party members and have provoked Chavez to go so far as to kick prominent figures out of the party. The elections will test his ability to hold the country together, and Chavez will need all the help he can get from his costly social programs to secure public support.
The bottom line is that Chavez is vulnerable like never before. With food prices soaring, local elections approaching and criticism of his policies mounting, the implication that Chavez’s government is aiding a second terrorist organization is well-timed to take advantage of his already-declining popularity.
The kind of moves the United States is making to undermine Chavez’s popular support are well in line with Stratfor’s projection that outside forces — including the United States — are supporting the unity of the Venezuelan opposition. What remains to be seen is where exactly the break point is for Chavez’s supporters, and whether or not the military will support Chavez in the face of a concerted attempt by the opposition to throw a revolution.
www.stratfor.com

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TRANSITIONS ONLINE: The Military: School for Sadists

by Galina Stolyarova19 June 2008
When recruits complain of physical and sexual abuse in the armed forces, guess who gets scrutinized. ST. PETERSBURG The letters come in by the dozens, desperate pleas from young men say they have been raped, tortured, or enslaved. Some by now have taken their own lives.It was the contents of one letter in particular, sent to the St. Petersburg pressure group Soldiers' Mothers, that ignited a scandal last year over forced prostitution in the military. The matter is now officially closed, having been settled at great cost to the whistleblowing group. But the letters keep coming."Those who did not have money and failed to give it to the senior recruits on demand were sent to sell themselves on the street at the Catherine Garden,” wrote one recently demobilized recruit from the signal force of the Russian Interior Ministry corps, headquartered opposite the world-famous Hermitage Museum in the heart of St. Petersburg. “They could either use one of the lists of clients that were always available from the older recruits, or try and pick someone up using their own devices.”The garden surrounding the monument of Catherine the Great overlooking Nevsky Prospekt is a notorious cruising area for those who seek the services of male prostitutes.
Full report via this active link: The Military: School for Sadists
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Vladimir Putin hailed as virile vampire
By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow
Last Updated: 1:43AM BST 20/06/2008


EPA
Vladimir Putin has enhanced his image as Russia's leading sex symbol after a commemorative magazine wholly dedicated to his virility and reputation as a "vampire" rapidly sold out in the kiosks of Moscow.
Feeding on an almost cult-like obsession among the Russian people for their inscrutable prime minister, the celebrity gossip magazine Secrets of the Stars released a special edition eulogising the ex-KGB officer.
The cover, carrying a picture of Mr Putin looking unnaturally youthful accompanied by the headline "My heart is on my sleeve", alone seemed sufficiently tantalising to appeal to most patriotic Russians.
Add to that a free poster of the topless prime minister fishing and sub-headlines promising revelations of his wild youth including a visit to a stripclub in Hamburg, romances with women and a guide on "how to become Putin", and the magazine looked set to break circulation records for a single issue.
Most intriguingly of all, the cover promised a story about Mr Putin's wife titled: "Ludmila Putin: My husband is a Vampire".
The issue, which has flown off news stands, is a further demonstration of how Mr Putin, prime minister for less than a month, has eclipsed Dmitry Medvedev, his successor as president.
"We have created a monument to Putin for the common people," the magazine's chief editor, Roman Popov, said. "We wanted to show him as a pragmatic man who likes a good joke and who is strong and beautiful." Earlier in the year, the magazine easily broke its circulation record when it released an issue with a bare-chested Mr Putin on its cover that sold over 400,000 copies.
This time the magazine has outdone itself, carrying numerous photos of the prime minister in heroic poses, kayaking, swimming with dolphins and arm wrestling, under the headline: "Sometimes He's Just So Cool".
"There's not a single woman who would not dream of embracing and kissing Vladimir Vladimirovich and hearing his declaration of love," the article opined.
A great deal of attention was given to Ludmila Putin, his wife who won praise for her ability to "cook, clean and knit".
Quoting a German friend, Mrs Putin reportedly praised the prime minister as a model husband because he did not beat her, but also noted that he was an unemotional "vampire" who "sucked all the juices" out of her.
Alongside the magazine's many photographs, articles charted the noble course of Mr Putin's life.
Under one, headlined "I severed its head with one blow", the magazine approvingly reported how Mr Putin killed rats and once beheaded a duck with an axe as a boy. Showing his merciful side the young Vladimir also rescued three kittens from being drowned.
Another story entitled "I like all Russian women" looked at his love life. Among his admirers was Vera, who was attracted to Mr Putin's "charisma and charm" and whom Mr Putin liked in return for "her ability to do house chores well".
The magazine even carried a photograph of Alina Kabayeva, the 25-year-old rhythmic gymnast with whom Mr Putin has denied having an affair. The dubious reports of the relationship appear to have enhanced Mr Putin's popularity.
While some of its content may have seemed risque, the magazine actually revealed nothing that the Kremlin had not approved as information for the public domain.
Ordinary Russians do not seem to mind, however, with many readers lapping up the minutiae of Mr Putin's life detailed in the magazine.
"I like to read about what Putin wears," said Galina, a Moscow businesswoman reading a copy of the magazine on a park bench.
"I like to know that he enjoys eating fried cabbage and ham. It somehow makes me feel closer to him."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/2158556/Vladimir-Putin-hailed-as-virile-vampire.html
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Three More Charged In Journalist's KillingRussia Doesn't Divulge Alleged Roles
By Peter FinnWashington Post Foreign ServiceThursday, June 19, 2008; A14



Politkovskaya was a critic of the Kremlin before
being silenced. (Itar Tass - AP)
MOSCOW, June 18 -- Three men were charged Wednesday with involvement in the October 2006 killing of investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya, but investigators said nothing about who ordered the assassination or why. A man formally identified by authorities last month as the shooter remains at large, as does the unknown person who organized the murder.
Politkovskaya, a critic of the Kremlin known for crusading reports on human rights abuses in Chechnya, was shot in the lobby of her apartment building in central Moscow as she was returning home with groceries. Police immediately described it as a contract killing. The murder weapon was dropped beside the body.
The killing chilled public opinion in the West, where Politkovskaya, 48, was lauded for her work. But it made little impression in Russia, drawing some derisive comments from then-President Vladimir Putin about the lack of impact the journalist had with her work in her home country.
Officials suggested that the killing was ordered by an exiled enemy of the Kremlin -- long-standing code for Boris Berezovsky, the London-based tycoon. Berezovsky denied any involvement, and Politkovskaya's colleagues said the person behind the killing was almost certainly in Russia.
Prosecutors charged Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, a former police officer, and two brothers from Chechnya, Dzhabrail Makhmudov and Ibragim Makhmudov, with involvement in the crime but gave no details as to their alleged roles. The men have been in custody since their arrest last August.
A fourth man, Pavel Ryaguzov, an officer in the domestic security agency FSB, was charged with extortion and abuse of office. Prosecutors said the charges against Ryaguzov relate to a "separate crime," but officials previously said that he provided Politkovskaya's address to the killers.
Investigators said in May that they believe Politkovskaya was shot by Rustam Makhmudov, the eldest of the Makhmudov brothers. He had been identified in news reports as early as March. Makhmudov remains at large and prosecutors said their investigation of him continues.
Eleven people were initially detained in connection with the killing, but all but those charged Wednesday have been released. A fourth Makhmudov brother was released last month but ordered not to leave Russia.
The editor of Novaya Gazeta, the newspaper where Politkovskaya worked, welcomed Wednesday's announcement but said the probe is far from complete. "The case has not been solved. . . . This announcement does not satisfy the newsroom or members of Anna Politkovskaya's family," said Dmitry Muratov, according to the online Gazeta daily. "We insist that this case is followed through."
Muratov also said Wednesday that leaks during the investigation had allowed Rustam Makhmudov to evade capture.
Since 2000, 14 journalists have been murdered in Russia because of their work, making the country the third deadliest in the world for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. There has been only one conviction in those cases and none of a person accused of ordering a killing, according to the New York-based advocacy group.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061801542_pf.html
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U.S. Mulls Lithuania as Option on Missile Shield
Poland’s chances of hosting the United States’ ballistic missile shield faded further this week with signs Washington may be looking to Lithuania as a possible alternative after months of stalemates in talks with Poland on the project.
“Lithuania has invited the United States to build an anti-missile shield on its territory,” Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, Poland’s chief negotiator in the deal, told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.
According to Interfax, U.S. Acting Under Secretary for Arms Control and Security John Rood travelled to Lithuania in May, saying that if Poland decides not to host parts of the U.S. missile shield on its soil then the U.S. will respect its decision. However, he did not comment on a possible alternative for the missile base.
U.S. officials initially denied the links with Vilnius but have already made clear that they are also looking at the Czech Republic as an alternative for the planned systems. The project would see the deployment of 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar site in the Czech Republic.
Russia has opposed the project from the start, prompting concerns in Warsaw that it cannot accept the project without substantial compensation from the U.S. because of the damage it would inflict on its relations with the Kremlin.
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US Denies Talking to Lithuania on Hosting Missile Defense Site
By Al Pessin Pentagon17 June 2008
U.S. officials say there are no talks with Lithuania about hosting a missile defense site, even though talks with Poland's new government have been moving more slowly than the United States would like. But the Pentagon spokesman says time is running out on the Bush administration and officials might be forced to move to what he calls "a backup option." VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.The Pentagon and State Department spokesmen are disputing a statement attributed to Poland's chief negotiator (Witold Waszczykowski) by the Reuters News Service. The report says the United States has opened a parallel set of talks with Lithuania in case the effort to negotiate the placement of missile interceptors in Poland fails. But State Department Spokesman Tom Casey says recent meetings in Lithuania were only "general conversations" about the missile defense system and that the United States "expects and hopes" negotiations with Poland will succeed. He described agreement as "very close."
Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell, 11 Jun 08Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell put it this way."I think they want an agreement, but it's a question of what price," said Geoff Morrell. "And that's what a negotiation is all about, and that's what we're in the midst of right now."U.S. officials say that price includes a significant upgrade of Poland's air defense system using the latest American military technology, which U.S. officials have been reluctant to provide.Morrell says Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with his Polish counterpart in Brussels last week and came away convinced that Poland does want an agreement. But Morrell also raised the possibility the United States could look elsewhere if the talks fail."We are hopeful that we can soon reach a deal with the Poles, but we have always said that there are other options available to us," he said. "There are several other European nations that could host the interceptors, and Lithuania is one of them. That said, we have not entered into negotiations with any other country, and hope that that does not become necessary."But the Pentagon press secretary says "time is of the essence," in part because the Bush Administration will leave office in January."We want to get a deal done," said Morrell. "We believe it is imperative, given the security threat that we believe is looming for Europe based upon the Iranian missile threat, that we move on this as soon as possible. And that is why we continue to aggressively pursue talks with the Poles. But that is also why we do not close the door on perhaps having to pursue a backup option."Morrell would not say how long the administration will let the talks with Poland continue. He says the United States will not pursue other options as long as the Poland talks are going well, which he says they are.Morrell also says U.S. officials expect to finalize an agreement for another missile defense site in the Czech Republic next month. The United States wants to put a sophisticated radar installation in the Czech Republic, and link it to interceptor missile launch sites in Poland, or at an alternative site if necessary. ==================================================================
The USA is Looking for a Spare Rocket Airfield in Lithuania
// in case it doesn’t manage to deploy its AMD system in Poland
A possible deployment of the American anti-missile defense system in Lithuania, rather than in Poland, caused quite a scandal yesterday. The reason for it is Polish Deputy Foreign Minister’s sensational statement that Washington, fearing a failure in its AMD negotiations with Warsaw, has launched talks with Vilnius. The Lithuanian party denied the fact of conducting talks with Washington. However, according to diplomatic sources, the USA has started probing for an opportunity of deploying its AMD systems in Lithuania – consultations have already been held.
The scandal was created by Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Vitold Vashchikovsky’s statement published by Reuters (the official is the chief negotiator in the AMD talks). “I can prove that the USA is conducting negotiations with Lithuania. As early as May the Lithuanian side proper took the initiative, and Warsaw is aware of it,” Mr Vashchikovsky told Reuters Warsaw correspondent Gabriela Bachinska. The high-ranking Polish diplomat explained that the USA regards Lithuania a “spare variant” in case the stalled negotiations about the deployment of the U.S. base for ten anti-missiles in the north-east of Poland bring no results. It need be said that Warsaw requires that Washington give $20 bln to Poland as a compensation for the deployment of the AMD elements on the territory of the country. The money is due to be spent on modernizing the Polish AMD system. But the demand aroused irritation of the American party.Yesterday Vilnius tried to disavow the statement of the Polish diplomat. “Lithuania is not conducting negotiations about the deployment of AMD elements on its territory,” Lithuanian Foreign Office spokesperson Violetta Gayzhauskayte stated. At the same time she underscored that Lithuania “shows much interest” in the U.S. AMD project in Europe at its current stage, and it “consults with its allies and partners about the matter.”Lithuania’s Defense Minister Yuozas Olekas commented on the statement of the Polish official. He said that Vilnius believes in the success of the “Polish project,” which will be “a significant shield for the USA, Europe and Lithuania.” At the same time Mr Olekas made a confession, “If Lithuania receives such a proposal (about AMD deployment – Kommersant), we’ll consider all variants discussing its benefits and challenges.” In its turn, the British Financial Times published another statement of Lithuania’s Ambassador to the USA Andrews Bruzga, according to which, Vilnius hasn’t launched official talks with Washington, but “has discussed with the American party a number of questions concerning security and AMD in particular.”However, the uncertain denial of the Lithuanian party hasn’t settled the matter. Yesterday Vitold Vashchikovsky even reiterated his statement adding that the U.S. parallel talks with Lithuania may be “an instrument of exerting pressure” on the intractable Poland. The sensational confession of the Polish high-ranking diplomat, which was reported by the world’s mass media, aroused much speculation in Warsaw and Vilnius as well as a number of world capitals.For example, U.S. State Department Spokesman Tom Casey’s commentary is evidence of the fact that the present discussion is more of terminological character. According to Mr Casey, waiting for the U.S.-Polish negotiations to get accomplished, Washington and Vilnius have been discussing “the basics of the AMD issue.” At the same time the U.S. State Department representative doesn’t rule it out that in case of a failure in the Polish direction the USA will have to use “a spare variant.”It need be said that Lithuania perfectly suits for becoming a place like that. Lithuania inherited many military bases from the USSR, which have been abandoned. Among them, there is an anti-aircraft defense system at the town of Platelyay in the north-west of the country. It has an underground control center and four shafts 27 meters each for launching thermonuclear-tipped missiles, and another base in Shateykyay, which has eight launchers. After repair works, these bases, together with a number of others, can be exploited.The echo of the scandal reached Moscow, too. “The very fact that Lithuania, as Polish and American sources confirm, is regarded an alternative to Poland, can’t help arousing Russia’s concerns,” Chairman of the Duma International Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev stated yesterday. “Seems like they want to cross the line marking challenges for our security, and they want our natural concerns to appear aggressive policy towards our neighbors,” Mr Kosachev concluded.
Kommersant
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Eastern Europe sees bluff in reports the US is eyeing Lithuania for missile defense base
(Associated Press WorldStream Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) WARSAW, Poland_As talks on building an American missile defense site in Poland have bogged down over Polish demands for massive military aid, word emerged this week that Washington is eyeing Lithuania as an alternative site.

But observers in Eastern Europe are skeptical that Washington would consider Lithuania seriously, suggesting it's a stratagem to ratchet up pressure so President George W. Bush gets a deal before he leaves office in January."I think it's just a political game," said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the magazine Russia in Global Affairs. "I think it's an attempt to show Poland that if they continue to resist, then the contract could go other places." The Bush administration would face a huge hurdle persuading the Democratic-controlled Congress to approve funding for a site in Lithuania. In the waning months of his presidency, it's unlikely Bush has the time or political capital to start from scratch on missile defense.Russian opposition to Washington's plans also makes Lithuania an unrealistic choice, analysts say. Not only is Lithuania geographically closer to Moscow, but unlike Poland and the Czech Republic, it was once part of the Soviet Union.To Russians, it "will be perceived as even more provocative than Poland or the Czech Republic," Lukyanov said.Washington wants to set up two missile defense bases in Eastern Europe _ a site with 10 interceptors in Poland and a linked radar installation in the Czech Republic. His administration says the system is meant to protect the U.S. and Europe from possible Iranian attacks.Russia, however, is furious at the idea of U.S. military installations so close to its borders, in a region it controlled during the Cold War. It sees them as initial steps in a longer-term plan that would undermine its own security.Already, Moscow has threatened to target prospective missile defense sites with nuclear missiles.In a sign of Russia's concern over the Lithuania reports, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that Moscow has asked Washington about its intentions in the Baltic country."We so far haven't received any information," he told reporters.Washington opened formal negotiations in early 2007 with Prague and Warsaw and is close to a deal with the Czechs _ though a question mark hangs over whether the Czech parliament will approve the plan.But talks with Poland aren't going as smoothly as when they began under former Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who was staunchly pro-American and deeply suspicious of Russia.Last fall, Kaczynski was replaced by Donald Tusk, whose government has waged a much stronger fight to get massive military aid in return for allowing the Americans to set up the facility at Redzikowo, a sprawling former Soviet-era base in northern Poland.Defense Minister Bogdan Klich said last month that, if the U.S. is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in allies like Egypt and Pakistan, it shouldn't be cheap with Poland."Poland is becoming as important for the U.S. in this region as Pakistan in Central Asia or Egypt in the Middle East. We expect to be equally treated," Klich. He said he envisions aid in the tens of millions of dollars. "It's not a specially excessive amount," he said.U.S. officials are clearly getting exasperated. The U.S. now gives Poland $27 million per year in military funding, the highest to any European ally, and Bush earlier this year offered to add on $20 million more per year. But that still hasn't swayed the Poles.Grzegorz Holdanowicz, a prominent defense analyst in Warsaw, said he believes "the Lithuanian proposal is for sure a kind of tactical discussion ... It's a signal to Poland that if we do not reduce our expectations, we may lose everything."___Associated Press writer Desmond Butler contributed reporting from Washington.

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Moscow ‘anxiety’ over US-Lithuania talks
By Neil Buckley in Moscow and Daniel Dombey in Washington
Published: June 18 2008 22:28 Last updated: June 18 2008 22:28
A senior Russian lawmaker warned on Wednesday that discussions between the US and Lithuania over co-operating on Washington’s missile defence system “could not but provoke anxiety” in Moscow.
Konstantin Kosachev, head of the international committee of Russia’s lower house of parliament, said the development confirmed Russia’s fears about the creation of a Baltic “grey zone”, in which the US could deploy “serious” weapons close to its borders – in countries formerly part of the Soviet Union.
Such concerns were part of the reason Russia last year suspended implementation of the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, one of the cornerstones of the post-cold war security architecture, he said.
Mr Kosachev told Interfax news agency that Russia had previously been assured that there were no plans to site even conventional weapons covered by the CFE treaty in the Baltics, let alone advanced missile defence equipment.
“It seems that, through such little steps, people are trying to cross the ‘red line’ beyond which problems begin for the security of our country,” he said.
Washington has long insisted that European bases for the missile defence system are intended to counteract a threat from Iran and would have no impact on Russia’s strategic nuclear development.
The US is currently in negotiations with Poland over siting 10 missile interceptors on Polish soil and has almost wrapped up similar discussions with the Czech Republic about placing a missile defence radar system in that country.
But US officials are dismayed that the negotiations with Poland have not yet concluded, despite their earlier expectations, amid concern found in Polish public opinion that hosting the sites could antagonise Russia, as well as what Washington sees as unrealistic demands by the Polish government for greater military assistance.
As a result, officials say the US is increasingly looking at other options for hosting the interceptor base – particularly Lithuania.
However, Poland remains the focus of Washington’s attention, not least because the Bush administration wants to start construction on the interceptor base this year, a step which would make it harder for the next administration to reverse policy on missile defence.
Russia’s foreign ministry played down the news of contacts between the US and Lithuania, saying it had “no information confirming” it. Novosti, a state-controlled Russian news agency, also highlighted denials by the US and Lithuania that they were “formally” discussing deploying elements of the missile defence system in the Baltic state.
The US has previously made similar denials about formal negotiations with the UK over hosting missile interceptors, but it was later revealed that informal discussions had taken place.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
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Canadian killed in stunt plane crash in Lithuania
Last Updated: Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:07 AM ET Comments2Recommend9
CBC News
A Canadian was killed after a two-seat stunt plane crashed in Lithuania late Tuesday.
Verne Heiderich, 72, died when the single engine turboprop plane crashed near an airstrip in northern Lithuania. The pilot, Spanish citizen Pedro Telleri, suffered a serious back injury.
Airfield owner Aurimas Bezaras said the Russian-made Su-29 plane had been flying dangerously low while performing circular patterns.
The 47-year-old Spanish pilot was training for an international acrobatic flying tournament.
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Lithuania split by the atom
Jun 19th 2008 From Economist.com
Energy security in the Baltics is getting worse
Get article background
IT was a mistake to start with, compounded by procrastination. The consequences for the security of one of Europe’s most vulnerable corners are potentially appalling.
As part of the deal to join the European Union, Lithuania agreed to close its perfectly serviceable nuclear-power station at Ignalina. No engineering or safety case for this was ever made: the requirement was a political one, sprouting from a neurotic strand of greenery in western Europe.
Lithuanians can feel cross about that. But they should be furious with politicians of all stripes, who have failed to plan for the now imminent deadline of 2009. After that, Lithuania will be 90% dependent on fossil fuel, with around half of its supplies coming from Russia. Unscrambling the agreement on Ignalina would require the consent of every EU member, at a time when their patience has been taxed by Lithuania’s brave but unpopular veto on new talks with Russia.
AFP
March to shutdown at Ignalina
Lithuanian officials are looking for wiggle-room—for example, starting to close the power station in 2009, but not actually taking it off-stream. Few would bet much on that bearing fruit. The populist parties that are hoping to take power in this autumn's elections have a simpler message: they will simply ignore the requirement to close Ignalina. That would mean an almighty bust-up with Brussels.
The only bright side is that Lithuanian politicians will finally face the consequences of their actions, or lack of them. The sensible thing would have been to start several years ago building a new nuclear plant on the same site, to replace Ignalina. But the countries involved in the plan (Lithuania and the other two Baltic states, with the belated addition of Poland) still cannot agree how big it should be, or on shareholding structure. That exasperates those who urgently want the Baltic “energy islands” hooked up into the rest of Europe. But nobody seems able to bang heads together with sufficient force.
Other vital projects such as power links to Sweden and Poland are also woefully behind schedule. Lithuania still squanders energy; a programme to improve home insulation is pitifully inadequate.
Matters are even worse because Venezuela has stopped supplies of orimulsion, a bitumen-based fuel that formed an important part of Lithuania's energy imports. Whether that is due to Hugo Chavez's friendship with Vladimir Putin is a matter of dark speculation in Vilnius.
The immediate danger for Lithuania is that Russia will drive a hard bargain for the extra gas, most likely by demanding a bigger stake in Lithuania’s energy industry. In the long run, Russia says it will build a new nuclear power station in Kaliningrad, the exclave of territory it holds between Lithuania and Poland.
The truly galling prospect is that this gets built and hooks up to the European energy network, while the Lithuanians and their EU allies continue dithering about a replacement for Ignalina. That would be yet another victory for Russia's push into Europe, and yet another humiliating defeat for those who try to oppose it.
As so often in European security, hopes for a rescue rest on America. Lithuania is not only offering to host America's missile-defence base if the Poles decide they don't want it. It is also hoping that an American company will build the new nuclear reactor.
Perhaps—but these things don't happen overnight and Russia is hardly likely to find extra gas to heat a country set on hosting a missile base that it sees as a direct threat. It looks like 2009 will be a year of hot diplomacy and cold radiators in Lithuania.
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Lithuania, Belarus establish state borders



19/06/2008 10:22 VILNIUS, June 19 (RIA Novosti) - Foreign ministries of Lithuania and Belarus have exchanged notes confirming the demarcation of borders between the two countries, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
The demarcation process was launched in 1996. In 2007 the two countries signed a final protocol and other documents, which were later approved by the two countries' governments.
The Belarusian-Lithuanian border is 679 km (421 miles) long, of which 380 km (236 miles) runs across land and 299 km (186 miles) across water.
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New bill ‘discriminates’ against single parents
May 28, 2008Adam Mullett

No father means no benefits, if the new bill becomes lawVILNIUS - Legislation drafted by conservative politicians is set to discriminate against single parents if it becomes law, family rights campaigners claimed. Conservatives have drafted a parliamentary bill which legally defines the family as a man and woman legally married in the traditional sense. This would disregard other family types – such as single parents, unmarried or divorced parents or legal guardians caring for children.

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Inflation Worse in Ukraine and Latvia
Russia’s inflation rate was high compared to most of Europe in the first five months of the year. It was higher only in Ukraine and Latvia. According to Rosstat, the Federal State Statistics Service, Ukraine has the highest rate. Price growth on the consumer market has reached 14.6 percent there. It was 7.7 percent in Russia, and 8.5 percent in Latvia, which was the worst in the European Union.
Germany and Norway had the lowest inflation in that period, at 1 percent. The most significant rises in prices in May over the previous month were 1.5 percent in Turkey (6.4% for the year) and 1.2-1.3 percent in Slovenia, Belarus and Ukraine (3.2%, 6.6% and 14.6%, respectively since the beginning of the year). Rosstat based its material on those published by Eurostat and the data of national statistics services taken from the Internet in keeping with IMF standards.