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Monday, November 5, 2007 Volume 11 Number 205
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Russia
PUTIN SLAMS THOSE WHO WANT 'TO SPLIT RUSSIA'President Vladimir Putin told military cadets on November 4 in Moscow "there are those who would like to build a unipolar world, who would themselves like to rule all of humanity," Russian media and kremlin.ru reported. Speaking on National Unity Day, which commemorates the 17th-century defense of Russia from the forces of Poland-Lithuania, Putin did not mention the United States by name but included several swipes at Washington in his address. Alluding to a comment attributed to former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to the effect that Russia has too much natural wealth for one country, Putin said that "some people are constantly insisting on the necessity of dividing up our country and are trying to spread this theory.... They themselves have no wish to share their own riches, and we should take that into account" (see "RFE/RL Newsline," October 19, 2007). He also noted that "some minor countries, under pressure from larger ones, are having a hard time figuring out how to defend their own interests. Russia has played and will continue to play a positive, stabilizing role in the world." A new Levada Center poll of adult Russians indicates that only about 25 percent of adults can correctly say why they have November 5 off work, Reuters reported. An additional 48 percent have no idea whatsoever, while the remaining respondents confuse the holiday with the National Day of Reconciliation or Halloween (see "RFE/RL Newsline," October 31, 2007). The holiday was first observed in 2005 as a replacement for the Soviet Union's October Revolution Day. PM GERMAN AIRLINE RESISTS PRESSURE TO MOVE ASIAN HUB TO SIBERIA The "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" on November 3 and 5 quoted Germany's Transportation Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) as having said on November 2 that the Russian authorities have restored Siberian overflight rights for Lufthansa Cargo, which is Lufthansa's freight subsidiary, and that Berlin is now discussing with Moscow how to move Lufthansa Cargo's Asian hub from Astana to Krasnoyarsk (see "RFE/RL Newsline," October 31 and November 1 and 2, 2007). But over the weekend, Lufthansa officials repeatedly rejected any idea of moving to Krasnoyarsk. They stressed that Russia must observe its agreements "as is customary especially among countries that belong to the Group of Eight" (G8) industrialized countries, and added that they do not understand why Russia recently banned overflights. The Frankfurter daily reported on November 5 that Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) has meanwhile taken charge of the German side of the negotiations. The daily added that unspecified informed circles in Berlin point out that the outcome depends to a great extent on whether "Lufthansa is prepared to pay a political price under certain circumstances." Several legislators from Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union-Christian Social Union (CDU-CSU) called on the SPD to send a clear signal to Russia that Germany will not be bullied. The opposition Free Democrats (FDP) want parliament to discuss the imbroglio, which has become a domestic as well as a foreign-policy issue. Lufthansa officials said repeatedly that they have a valid, open-ended contract with Astana, where the airline has already invested much money in infrastructure. The officials also noted that it would take at least two years to develop Krasnoyarsk as a hub, partly because its airport cannot currently operate in bad weather. Spokesmen for the airline also suggested that it has had many "dubious experiences with Russian [airport] officials." The Frankfurt daily wrote on November 3 that Lufthansa's troubles might have begun when it recently announced plans to move its Moscow operations as of 2008 from the state-run Sheremetevo airport to the privately owned Domodedovo. Transportation Minister Igor Levitin heads Sheremetevo's oversight body. The Frankfurt paper noted on November 5 that the cut-rate airline Germanwings is under pressure from Russian officials to move its Moscow operations from Vnukovo Airport to Sheremetevo and to raise its fares to the level of Aeroflot's. PM GERMANY CALLS ON RUSSIA NOT TO SUSPEND CFE TREATY German Foreign Minister Steinmeier appealed to Russia on November 4 not to make good on its threat to "suspend" participation in the 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty on December 12, dpa reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," September 13, 17, and 24, and October 29, 2007). Speaking on the eve of an informal conference of CFE signatory states in Paris, he called on all parties to "participate in developing a solution," and noted that Washington has offered "helpful" proposals aimed at resolving the dispute. Steinmeier nonetheless said that "if we want to establish the essential features of a solution over the next few weeks, everyone will have to show a willingness to compromise." PM PUTIN GIVES POSTHUMOUS AWARD TO ATOMIC SPY President Putin has posthumously awarded George Koval, who died in 2006 aged 94, the Gold Star medal and the title Hero of Russia for his role in obtaining U.S. atomic secrets for the Soviet Union in the 1940s, kremlin.ru and "Komsomolskaya pravda" reported on November 2 and 3 respectively (see "RFE/RL Newsline," October 29, 2007). Putin said that Koval operated under the code name Delmar and was the only Soviet spy with direct access to installations that produced plutonium, enriched uranium, and polonium. Putin noted that Koval's work enabled the Soviet Union to catch up with the United States in nuclear weapons technology. The medal will be displayed in Moscow's museum of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). During his lifetime, Koval insisted that his name and activities be kept secret. PM UNITY DAY RALLIES HELD IN MOSCOW, ELSEWHERE National Unity Day was marked in Russia on November 4 with numerous rallies and marches in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities, RFE/RL's Russian Service and other Russian media reported. In Moscow, the largest demonstration -- up to 10,000 people -- was held by the pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi, while nationalist political groups held smaller marches. The liberal Yabloko party held a small rally against extremism. The Union of Rightist Forces (SPS) was denied permission to hold a demonstration in Moscow against what the party describes as a growing cult of personality developing around President Putin. Nationalist groups attracted some 500 demonstrators in St. Petersburg, Interfax reported. RC SPS ACCUSES UNIFIED RUSSIA OF DIRTY TRICKS The SPS on November 2 alleged that the pro-Kremlin Unified Russia party is waging a dirty-tricks campaign of placing paid articles in the press, gazeta.ru reported the same day. SPS leader Nikita Belykh said that, according to his party's research, up to $500,000 was paid in the month of October alone for articles and television spots discrediting the party. He said that some of the articles allege that the party is paying for its Duma election campaign through electricity price increases, since Unified Energy Systems CEO Anatoly Chubais is associated with the party. Belykh said only Unified Russia has the resources to wage such a campaign, adding that SPS has been targeted because it is the only party actively running against the so-called Putin's Plan, Unified Russia's vague campaign platform. Belykh told journalists SPS has ordered campaign billboards with the slogan, "Putin's Plan Is The Road To The Past." Among the media outlets allegedly involved in the campaign are "Moskovsky komsomolets," "Komsomolskaya pravda," and Rossia state television. Spokespeople from all three companies denied the allegations. RC PETERSBURG TELEVISION CHANNEL GIVEN GREEN LIGHT FOR NATIONAL EXPANSION President Putin has signed a decree granting national status to the Petersburg television channel (Channel Five), newsru.com reported on November 4. The decree gives the channel the right to expand nationally, potentially to reach a par with Channel One and Rossia. Channel Five is owned primarily by Bank Rossia co-owner Yury Kovalchuk, who has long-standing and close ties to Putin from Putin's days in the mayor's office in St. Petersburg. RC MORE REGIONAL MEETINGS CALL FOR A THIRD TERM FOR PUTIN Regional meetings in support of a third term for President Putin continued over November 3-4, gazeta.ru reported on November 5 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," October 29 and November 2, 2007). On November 3, about 1,000 people gathered at North Ossetia State University in Vladikavkaz. However, many of the students at the demonstration told the website that they had been summoned there by university officials and had no idea that a political event was planned. Representatives of the republican government and the Unified Russia party were present at the meeting, but denied that they had organized it. Meanwhile, an initiative group in Vladikavkaz, the capital of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, issued a statement on November 3 announcing the establishment of a new public organization named "For Putin!" kavkaz-uzel.ru reported. The founders expressed support for President Putin's policies aimed at strengthening Russian statehood and security, raising living standards, and "defending Russia's interests at the international level." They called for broad public support for Putin, but it is not clear whether they also advocated amending the Russian Constitution to enable him to serve a third consecutive term. In Vladivostok the same day about 200 people gathered at a local drama theater to support Putin under slogans such as "Putin, you started something, now finish it!" and "We will not allow another Time of Troubles," referring to the period between 1598 and 1613 when Russia was engulfed in lawlessness and foreign occupation. The meeting in Vladivostok lasted just 13 minutes, gazeta.ru reported. One organizer who was not identified told the website the meeting was called to a close "because everything was perfectly clear." RC CHECHEN PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN SEEKS CLARIFICATION FROM RESISTANCE COMMANDER Zhaloudi Saralyapov, chairman of the Chechen Republic Ichkeria (ChRI) parliament elected under President Aslan Maskhadov in 1997, has formally requested from the current ChRI president and resistance commander, Doku Umarov, clarification of his recent proclamation of a North Caucasus emirate of which Umarov has declared himself amir. Saralyapov's request, reported on November 5 on chechenews.com, notes that the ChRI constitution does not make provision for the post of amir. He further appeals to Chechens not to take sides in the dispute triggered by Umarov's proclamation, which he confirmed last week in a video e-mailed to RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service (see "RFE/RL Newsline," October 30 and 31, 2007). It is not clear whether Saralyapov was acting on an appeal dated the same day and signed by a dozen ChRI diplomatic representatives in Europe and three respected field commanders. That appeal argued that Umarov's proclamation is an attempt to abolish Chechen statehood and stressed Saralyapov's moral duty to intervene, assuring him they will support any "sensible legal steps" he undertakes. LF NINE HUNTERS KILLED IN KABARDINO-BALKARIA Police in Kabardino-Balkaria found the bodies of nine hunters from Nalchik and outlying villages near the village of Lechinkay, northwest of the capital, at midday local time on November 4, kavkaz-uzel.ru reported the following day. All nine had their hands tied and had been shot in the back of the head. Their abandoned car was found nearby. The commander of the Kabardino-Balkar section of the North Caucasus resistance has not claimed responsibility for the killings, the website kavkaz-center.com reported on November 5. LF ATTACK ON RELIGIOUS LEADER AVERTED IN DAGHESTAN Police in Daghestan last week apprehended eight members of a "terrorist group" that allegedly planned to assassinate unofficial religious leader Sheikh Said-Afandi Chirkeisky and the head of the republic's criminal expertise center, Nabi Akhadov, kavkaz-uzel.ru and regnum.ru reported on November 2. Chirkeisky, an Avar, is reputed to have up to 300,000 murids (disciples) (see "RFE/RL Caucasus Report," August 13, 2001). LF SLAVS IN ADYGEYA PROTEST OFFICIAL NEGLECT Some 100 members of the Union of Slavs of Adygeya congregated on November 4 in Maikop on the occasion of Russia's National Unity Day, kavkaz-uzel.ru reported. They carried banners proclaiming "Russians will not capitulate" and calling among other things for the release of political prisoners. Vladimir Karatayev, a leading member of the union, argued that the Russian Constitution should guarantee the right of ethnic Russians to self-determination within the Russian Federation. Russians account for almost two-thirds of Adygeya's population of 445,000. The union supported the ultimately unsuccessful campaign in 2005-06 to subsume Adygeya into the surrounding Krasnodar Krai (see "RFE/RL Caucasus Report," January 7 and April 22, 2005 and March 10 and April 13, 2006, and "RFE/RL Newsline," April 12 and 18, May 3, and December 11, 2006). LF
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