UPDATED: Russia Today Host Denounces Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Refuses Trip To Crimea

Martin: Honest but still employed
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March 4, 2014 - News service Russia Today (RT) is funded by the Russian government. Some call RT the Kremlin's overseas propaganda channel. So it must have been somewhat uncomfortable for them when Abby Martin, popular host of "Breaking The Set," wrapped up her show Monday night with a monolog criticizing Russia's invasion of Crimea in the Ukraine. Martin is an American who works at RT's studios in New York City.

How did RT react to Martin's brave honesty? In typical Russian fashion, they said they would send Martin off to Crimea to get a "better understanding" of situation on the ground. 

Liz Wahl: Honestly Quit

UPDATE:  One of Abby Martin's colleagues, Liz Wahl, was paying close attention to Tuesday's Martin-RT spat. Wahl, a news anchor and producer in RT's Washington, D.C. bureau, quickly expressed her moral support for Martin on Twitter:

My girl @AbbyMartin: Russia Today Host Abby Martin Goes Spectacularly Off-Message In #Ukraine Broadcast http://t.co/n8A2LPIFX4

Wahl was thinking carefully about her own next move.

On Wednesday, she shocked viewers by quitting live on air, saying that she could no longer work for a network "that whitewashes the actions of Putin. I'm proud to be an American and believe in disseminating the truth, and that is why, after this newscast, I am resigning." More, with video of Wahl's resignation.

Watch the full March 4 episode of Breaking The Set

At the end of her Tuesday show, Martin said, "What Russia did is wrong. "I admittedly don't know as much as I should about Ukraine's history or the cultural dynamics of the region but what I do know is that military intervention is never the answer and I will not sit here and apologize or defend military aggression."

She finished with this: "All we can do now is hope for a peaceful outcome for a terrible situation and prevent another full blown cold war between multiple super powers. Until then I'll keep telling the truth as I see it. Have a good night everyone, I'll see you back here to break the set tomorrow."

What Martin said about her lack of knowledge about Ukraine came back to bite her. Russia Today's official statement, released on Tuesday afternoon, said "RT doesn’t beat its journalists into submission, and they are free to express their own opinions, not just in private but on the air. This is the case with Abby’s commentary on the Ukraine. We respect her views, and the views of all our journalists, presenters and program hosts, and there will be absolutely no reprimands made against Ms. Martin."

Martin's public defiance: Facebook, Tuesday afternoon

The punchline: "In her comment Ms. Martin also noted that she does not possess a deep knowledge of reality of the situation in Crimea," said RT. "As such we’ll be sending her to Crimea to give her an opportunity to make up her own mind from the epicentre of the story."

No reprimands, RT said -- other than ripping her out of the comfort of New York and whisking her off to a war zone. Would RT put Abby Martin up in decent hotel in Crimea? It would be awful to think of her, a sophisticated New York gal, bunking in Russian barracks with a bunch of drunken, smelly Cossack cabbage eaters.  But she's not going to Crimea.

Abby Martin has made her refusal public on both Facebook and Twitter.  Abby Martin has the best furrowed-brow look of righteous indignation in all of news broadcasting. She is courageous and outspoken, and not afraid to use these qualities for resisting RT editors or their Kremlin overlords. Today she seems more powerful than Pussy Riot in concert.

Hi @Josiensor, thanks for your article. But I am not going to Crimea despite the statement RT has made. Please update accordingly.
— Abby Martin (@AbbyMartin) March 4, 2014

"The footage has since gone viral," reports The Independent (UK), "with some surmising that Martin's moment of defiance could be met with some severe punishment by her employers. However, sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed that she was reading from the auto-cue and, therefore, presumably had permission from producers of the show to express her beliefs." Really?

Reading from the auto-cue? Josie Ensor at The Telegraph (UK) disagrees, calling Martin's remarks "unscripted." Whatever, who cares? Scripted or not, they were her words. Martin said that "the coverage I have seen of Ukraine has been truly disappointing from all sides of the media spectrum and rife with disinformation." It is, therefore, ironic that Ensor called Martin's calm and rational commentary a "tirade," which is defined as "a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation." Martin's calm commentary lasted a mere 75 seconds. Ensor's exaggerated characterization of Martin's comment, then, is actually disinformation and at least a little bit disappointing. 

@AbbyMartin @Josiensor Good call on not going to Crimea. I'd hate to see the next headline on RT, "Abby Martin killed by Ukranian fascists".
— Johan (@JohanIsHere) March 4, 2014

Also See:
Russian TV Host Who Slammed Moscow Says She Won't Go To Crimea NPR
Outspoken Russia Today Anchor Declines to Be Sent to Crimea ABC
Liz Wahl, unemployed, says quitting RT not 'a self-promotional stunt' Politico
Russian news website hacked, word "Russian" replaced with "Nazi" ITProPortal
Abby Martin Blasts Rachel Maddow for 9/11 Comments - YouTube

Cossack Security Goons Attack Pussy Riot Members And Journalists in Sochi

Pussy Riot members retweeted this image from @GogolsWives,
captioned, "Putin will teach you to love the motherland"

February 19, 2014 - Members of the anti-Putin shock rock band Pussy Riot were brutalized in an unprovoked attack by security men at the Sochi Olympics.

Shocking video (below) shows band members Nadezhda and Maria being attacked by uniformed men described as "Cossack militia." The men used "batons, pepper spray and whips, as the young women attempted to perform a song near the seaport in the Olympic host city, Sochi," reports Russia Today (RT). The disturbing incident has caused international outrage. The goons, numbering at least ten, also attacked several journalists at the event.

Could Flesh-Eating Drug 'Krokodil' Become Popular in US?

Image credit: fritscdejong on Flickr, via io9.com

October 21, 2013 - Krokodil is a deadly, nightmarish synthetic heroine. It may be just hitting the United States after becoming popular in Russia about three years ago. The effects of Krokodil are hellish: Gangrene, rotting flesh, green scaly skin, and death are just some symptoms of use.

"While methamphetamine and heroin are guaranteed to give you a slow, painful death, if you want to speed up the process, take this drug," said DEA supervisory agent Sue Thomas, as quoted by Deseret News on October 6. "If you just want to speed up and horrify the death process a little more, take this drug. It will rot you from the inside out, leaving you with gaping wounds that will leave bones exposed, horrible abscesses and it's a horrific death," she said. The same Deseret News article noted that "Recently, two cases of people using Krokodil were confirmed in Arizona. Thomas said that's concerning to Utah DEA agents." (My emphasis added.)

Even so, writer Adam Taylor says that Krokodil will not sweep America. He said so in an October 21 article in Business Insider, titled "Why Russia's Flesh-Eating Drug 'Krokodil' Won't Sweep Through America." Taylor even seems to doubt that Krokodil is in the U.S., referring to "alleged U.S. cases." Note, however, that DEA's agent Thomas acknowledged the presence of Krokodil in two confirmed cases in Arizona. Note also that on October 9 Business Insider ran an article by Michael Kelley titled "Russia's Terrifying Form Of 'Homemade Heroin' Seems To Be Spreading Across The US."

"The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has released a statement for the public to be aware of Krokodil, a drug allegedly from Russia," reported International Business Times on October 14. "Jack Riley, special agent-in-charge of DEA Chicago Field Division, said the agency was 'very concerned' about the news of patients being treated at Presence St Joseph Medical Center."

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor seems to be at odds with reality, the media and the DEA in saying that Krokodil cannot become popular ("sweep") in America. In fact, he's at odds with himself. Taylor based his October 21 argument largely on the fact that codeine, a key ingredient of Krokodil "is easy to obtain in Russia" but "In America, it isn't."

Taylor contradicts himself: On September 26, Business Insider published his article titled "Russia's Horrifying Flesh-Eating Drug 'Krokodil' Reportedly Spreads Into The United States." In that piece, Taylor wrote that "the U.S. now had its first two recorded cases of the use of Desomorphine, also known as 'krokodil.' The drug is made using readily available codeine...." (Emphasis added.)

VIDEO: Russian Rocket Crashes Seconds After Takeoff

Russian Proton-M Rocket Crash, 2 July 2013

July 2, 2013 - "An unmanned Russian space rocket has crashed to earth just seconds after launch," reports Russia Today (RT). The rocket launched at 6.38 am (0238 GMT) and "was carrying three satellites meant for Russia's Glonass global navigation system."

Russian Rocket Crash Videos: In the first video below, RT gives a report in English. The second video below is in Russian but shows the entire launch-to-crash more fully. The third video shows another viewpoint as a busload of photographers scramble when they realize that they might be in danger from the falling rocket.

The launch took place at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhastan. The rocket had more than 600 tons of highly toxic fuel. The crash happened only 10 to 15 seconds after liftoff. "It was the second unsuccessful launch of a Proton-M carrier rocket with the DM-03 booster in the past three years," says The Moscow Times. A report this morning at RT's website says that "Immediately after takeoff, the rocket swerved to one side, tried to correct itself, but instead veered in the opposite direction. It then flew horizontally and started to come apart with its engines in full thrust. Making a huge arch in the air, the rocket plummeted back to earth and exploded on impact close to another launch pad used for Proton commercial launches.

There are "fears of a possible toxic fuel leak" just now, but RT reports that "no such leak has been confirmed." No casualties or damage to the nearby town of Baikonur were reported. However, an AFP report at Hurriyet Daily News says that "A Roskosmos spokesman could not immediately say whether people living near the crash site were being evacuated."  Story continues below videos:







"Russia lost three Glonass satellites in December 2010 when a Proton-M veered off course and crashed in the Pacific Ocean," reports The Moscow Times today. "The rocket was also equipped with a DM-3 booster, designed and manufactured by the Energia space corporation. A state investigation commission later concluded that Energia experts miscalculated how much fuel was needed for the DM-3 rocket booster. As a result, the amount of oxidant exceeded the norm by 1-1.5 tons and excessive weight prevented the Proton-M rocket from putting the satellites into their calculated orbit."

Watch The Sukhoi Su-35 "UFO" Fighter Jet Dance On Air

Sukhoi Su-35 (Photo: Reuters/Pascal Rossigno)

June 21, 2013 - Russia's Sukhoi Su-35 has such incredible maneuverability and grace that it has been nicknamed the "UFO." (Watch Below)

The Su-35 version of the Sukhoi is even more maneuverable than its predecessors, "New engines enable Su-35 to perform all kinds of stunts," reports Russia Today, "including Pugachev's Cobra, the Frolov Chakra, the Dead Leaf, and the unprecedented Pancake, which is an horizontal 360-degree made turn without losing speed." The Sukhoi is designed for tight, close air support.

A report at Military.com says that the Sukhoi Su-35 "is a Russian heavy class, long-range, multi-role one-seat fighter. Developed from the original Su-27 air superiority fighter, it was originally designated Su-27M and later named Su-35. Due to the similar features and components it contains, the Su-35 is considered a close cousin of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, a modernized Su-30 variant for India."

The video here shows a "UFO" at the 50th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport near Paris. The air show runs from June 17-23. The show was the first time that a Sukhoi showed off its advanced maneuverability on foreign soil, says Engineering.com. More below video...



The Su-35, says Engineering.com, "is meant to match the speed and maneuverability of the United States’ 5th generation fighter, the F-22 Raptor" (made by Lockheed-Martin). The Su-35's amazing maneuverability is due largely to its ability to change the direction of its engine thrust. "Known as thrust vectoring, this engine technology gives the Su-35 greater control over its angular velocity and altitude." For total geek info about the Su-35, visit Milavia.com. Continuted below video...



The Su-35 is "not a fifth-generation plane like the F-35, with all the attendant problems," reports Business Insider. "It is a 4++ generation plane with all the tried and true basics overlaid with cutting edge avionics and navigation equipment. It's hard to tell which is the better jet, but one of them has no problem flying and that's an issue the F-35 can't seem to shake."

Sukhoi Su-35 (Photo: Reuters/Pascal Rossigno)

Lockheed-Martin's F-35 has had a long and bitter struggle to get approval. It has been criticized as being extremely expensive, and still suffers from a number of technical problems. Even so, reports BreakingDefense.com, "the Marines need the F-35 badly because it would replace their F/A-18s, EA-6Bs and AV-8Bs, all of which are at or over their expected service life." And there is no other viable choice at this time.

Sukhoi is Russia’s major aircraft holding company, employing more than 26,000 people. All of the stock of the Sukhoi Aviation Holding Company (JSC) belongs to the United Aircraft Corporation (JSC), says the Sukhoi website. "The Company is Russia's major manufacturer of export aircraft, placed 3rd in the world in terms of the numbers of modern fighters produced."

UPDATE: Russia Issues, Then Cancels, Tsunami Warning After 8.2 Quake in Sea of Okhotsk

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May 24, 2013 - Whew! That tsunami warning was canceled -- 10 minutes after Russia issued it. "Russian emergency authorities lifted a tsunami warning on Friday several minutes after they announced one, following an earthquake in the Sea of Okhotsk off Russia's eastern coast," reports Terra.com.

"Russian authorities have lifted a tsunami warning," reports Russia Today, "for the Sakhalin region and Kuril Islands following a strong 8.2-magnitude earthquake that rattled the Sea of Okhotsk. The aftershocks were felt as far away as Moscow, over 9,000 kilometers away."

This was a very powerful quake, felt far and wide. "Many parts of China were also affected by the quake. People from different provinces said they felt the quake, among them Heilongjiang, Gansu, Hubei, Chongqing, Jiangsu and Sichuan. No damage was reported from China," according to Earthquake Report. "In Moscow at least two office buildings were evacuated due to the quake. Several hundred people had to leave their workplace for some time. There are no damages reported, but some people in Moscow said they experienced an aftershock." Earthquake Report also noted that "a reader from Finland told us that this quake was felt there," and that "this quake was also felt in St. Petersburg on Baltic Sea."

To put that in perspective, it would be as though an earthquake struck in northern Alaska and was so strong that it was felt strongly in Miami Beach.

The time of the quake was approximately 02:00 AM ET (New York time). Location: 251 miles (404 km) WNW of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia; 1476 miles (2376 km) NNE of TOKYO, Japan. More details about this earthquake at USGS.

An earlier report: "Russian authorities have issued a tsunami warning for the country's eastern coastline after a magnitude-8.2 earthquake struck in the Sea of Okhotsk. There have been no initial reports of damage or injury from the quake, which hit about 2,375 kilometres north-east of Tokyo." - ABC News Australia

ALASKA, HAWAII WERE NOT THREATENED:
Hawaii was in no danger, reported Maui Now, which also said that "[the earthquake] follows two large earthquakes reported earlier today near Tonga -- one at 7:19 a.m. HST that measured 7.4 in magnitude and located 174 miles SW of Vaini, Tonga; and another at 11:08 a.m. HST that measured 6.5 in magnitude and located 30 miles NNW of Nuku`alofa, Tonga." Alaska was also in the clear, according to tsunami.gov.

Pyotr Verzilov, Pussy Riot's Man On The Outside

August 22, 2012 - If you have not heard of the all-women Russian punk rock band called "Pussy Riot" by now, you're probably living in a cave. The 10-woman group has been performing political street theater for some time now, but three were recently sentenced to two years in prison.  

On February 21, 2012 five of the Pussy Rioters performed song (a "punk prayer") in Moscow's Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Christ Savior. They asked the Virgin Mary to "drive away Putin."

Pyotr Verzilov: Photo source Opinionblog.ru

Two members of Pussy Riot — Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23 (also known as also known as Nadya Tolokno) and Maria Alekhina, 24 — were arrested on March 3 and charged with "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred."

It was no accident that Pussy Riot chose the eve of Russia's March 4th presidential election for their "punk prayer" performance. Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, was arrested on March 15. The three women were ultimately found guilty and sentenced to two years each on August 17. Two of the women who performed at the Orthodox Cathedral are still at large.

There is much more to Pussy Riot, of course, than that one performance and prison sentence. When formed, the "feminist collective" membership was to be kept secret. That's been blown, of course, and the Russian authorities are currently trying to hunt down the other women of Pussy Riot. They will have a difficult time, however. Even if they catch and imprison all of the seven at-large women, they will still have this guy to contend with: Pyotr Verzilov. He is married to Pussy Riot's Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who is now in a Russian prison.

Pyotr, like his wife, has been very active in the anti-Putin pro-democracy movement in Russia.

In this video, Pyotr Verzilov spoke to the Oslo Freedom Forum, which took place on May 7, 8 and 9, 2012. 

Pyotr, fluent in English and very articulate, spoke to an audience about "several provocative and politically-charged artistic performances by the Voina Group and the feminist punk collective Pussy Riot."

"On March 3, 2012, Verzilov’s wife Tolokonnikova and the other members of Pussy Riot were arrested by police and accused of performing the protest song, called “Virgin Mary, redeem us of Putin," in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina remain in custody, charged with “aggravated hooliganism," a crime punishable by up to seven years in prison. A judge of Moscow’s Tagansky Court refused a request to release the trio on bail, and extended custody until June 24, 2012. Amnesty International declared Verzilov’s wife and Alyokhina prisoners of conscience and called for their immediate and unconditional release."  ~ Oslo Freedom Forum website

Related:

• Pyotr Verzilov: Pussy Riot’s Bearded Face RiaNovosti
• Putin's Religious War Against Pussy Riot The New Yorker 
• Who Is Pussy Riot? About.com 
• A Timeline Of The Russian Punk Band Pussy Riot's Arrest And Trial Gothamist
• Why Pussy Riot is the greatest threat Vladimir Putin has faced Slate.com
• Russia's Pussy Riot Guilty Verdict Unmasks Putin's Dictatorship Forbes

U.S., Russia and Norway Plan Joint Naval Drills

May 27, 2012 - Norway and Russian recently completed a big joint training exercise called "POMOR-2012." It ended on May 17.

The U.S. will join both nations in a three-way exercise in August in what is called "Northern Eagle 2012."  Naval officers from Norway and Russia recently with their U.S. counterparts in  Murmansk, Russia (map) to make preparations for Northern Eagle 2012.

Russian destroyer "Admiral Chabanenko"
Udaloy II class destroyer (newest Russian destroyer class)
Photo: Trude Pettersen

"The exercise will start from Bodø in Northern Norway on August 18," according to Barents Observer. "The Russian side will participate in the exercises with the same vessel as in POMOR-2012, the destroyer 'Admiral Chabanenko'....The exercises will also include use of Russian Su-33 jet fighters and Ka-27 helicopters, American Sea Hawk helicopters and Norwegian F-16 jet fighters and Orion surveillance planes, the Russian Defense Ministry’s web site reads."

Northern Eagle 2012 also include a U.S. Arleigh Burke class Aegis destroyer, reports AvioNews. Aegis destroyers are "the most balanced surface warships ever built, with the weapons, electronics, helicopter support facilities, and propulsion, auxiliary and survivability systems," says GlobalSecurity.org.

They "are equipped with the MK-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS), GlobalSecurity says, "which fires a combination of up to 96 Standard surface-to-air, Tomahawk surface-to-surface missiles and VLA antisubmarine missiles; and AN/SQQ-89 Undersea Warfare System, with a bow-mounted AN/SQS-53C sonar system."

The Norwegian Navy will play a Nordkapp frigate in the naval games, "as well as hosting naval aircraft and helicopters from the three navies." The Admiral Chabanenko returned at  Russia's Northern Fleet (NF) main base at Severomorsk (map) on May 23.

Is the U.S. Giving Away Several Alaskan Islands to Russia?

February 20, 2012 - Under any other President, this would seem unbelievable. Under the current psychocratic regime, however, it seems to be just another way to bring America to its knees.

"It appears Congress had nothing to do with this 7-island giveaway with tens of thousands of square miles of oil-rich seabeds. The Department of the Interior says these islands are a source of BILLIONS of barrels of oil. Our president and the State Department can just give away American sovereign land – Alaskan land," says Maggie's Notebook on February 18. Maggies gives an excellent report, and notes that this issue pre-dates the Obama Administration.

"The longer story is that this covert mission began under G.W.H. Bush," says Maggie, "but the thing to remember is that no he, nor any president following made the giveaway reality."

It would seem that the Obama Administration has every intention to make it reality.

The islands to be given away, says Joe Miller, include Wrangel, Bennett, Jeannette and Henrietta. Miller was the unsuccessful 2010 Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Alaska. Miller "broke this story" in a post that was published on February 16 on World Net Daily's website, and reposted about at Gateway Pundit. Included in the deal, says Millier, would be billions of barrels of oil.

Here is an excerpt from Miller's post at WND (emphasis added):

Part of Obama’s apparent war against U.S. energy independence includes a foreign-aid program that directly threatens my state’s sovereign territory. Obama’s State Department is giving away seven strategic, resource-laden Alaskan islands to the Russians. Yes, to the Putin regime in the Kremlin.

The seven endangered islands in the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea include one the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. The Russians are also to get the tens of thousands of square miles of oil-rich seabeds surrounding the islands. The Department of Interior estimates billions of barrels of oil are at stake.

The State Department has undertaken the giveaway in the guise of a maritime boundary agreement between Alaska and Siberia. Astoundingly, our federal government itself drew the line to put these seven Alaskan islands on the Russian side. But as an executive agreement, it could be reversed with the stroke of a pen by President Obama or Secretary Clinton.

The agreement was negotiated in total secrecy. The state of Alaska was not allowed to participate in the negotiations, nor was the public given any opportunity for comment. This is despite the fact the Alaska Legislature has passed resolutions of opposition – but the State Department doesn’t seem to care.

A quick review: The State Department supervised this giveaway. The head of the Department of State is Hillary Clinton. It is inconceivable that this deal was made without Obama's knowledge and consent. Furthermore, this is not a new issue. The idea of giving these islands to Russia dates back to the days when Russia was still the Soviet Union.

At the end of the World Net Daily piece, there is an "Author’s addendum" that notes that both the Bush and Clinton administrations failed to act to resolve the question of ownership of these islands.

"A maritime agreement negotiated by the U.S. State Department," says the addendum, "set the Russian boundary on the other side of the disputed islands, but no treaty has ratified this action. Consequently, it is within the president’s power to stop this giveaway. The Alaska delegation’s failure to put pressure on the administration is inexplicable. State Department Watch, an organization that assisted with this article, has confronted each administration and is currently confronting the Obama administration — and has been met by silence."

Indeed, World Net Daily has previously covered the issue of giving away Alaskan lands to Russia, as has NewsMax.

Related articles

• Obama State Dept. Giving U.S. Territory to Russia -- in exchange for nothing (bokertov.typepad.com)
• The Destruction of a Nation (loopyloo305.com)
• Obama's giveaway: Oil-rich islands to Russia (genomega1.wordpress.com)
• The Us Is Giving Away 7 Strategic Islands to Russia (disclose.tv)

Russians Celebrate Birthday of Mass Murderer Stalin

Imagine, if you will, Germans celebrating Adolf Hitler's birthday by placing thousands of flowers on his grave. Of course, there is no grave for Hitler, and such a display of affection for such a monster would be considered as extremely offensive. Yet, today, in Russia, thousands gathered to celebrate the birthday of a dictator who was far more murderous, and reigned much longer, than Hitler. That would be Josef Stalin, of course. The Edmonton Journal carried this story by AFP today: Russian Communists placed 4,000 red carnations on Stalin's grave beside Kremlin walls Tuesday to celebrate what would have been the Soviet dictator's 131st birthday. Communist supporters raised 80,000 rubles (about $2,600) in a fundraising drive with the slogan "Two carnations for Comrade Stalin," organizer Igor Sergeyev told the Interfax news agency. Carrying a red flag and led by Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, they piled the flowers beside a bust of Stalin that stands on his grave and round its neck. Imagine "Two carnations for Der Fuerher." The AFP story continued... Zyuganov on Tuesday called for the "re-Stalinization" of Russian society in an open letter to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who has frankly criticized the rights abuses of the Soviet era. The leader warned against a draft law, proposed by the presidential council for the development of civil society and human rights, which would ban the glorification of Stalinism. Full article at edmontonjournal.com... "Stalin ruled for almost 30 years," notes Radio New Zealand. "He led Russia to the status of a great power and defeated Germany in World War II. He died in 1953. Stalin was voted Russia's third most popular historical figure in a 2008 nationwide poll." What Radio New Zealand fails to point out, however, is that Russian - then the USSR - became a great power by means of brutal repression of its own people and the sometimes bloody oppression of the eastern half of Europe after WWII. While Russia was certainly an important ally in the fight against Hitler's Germany, Russia alone did not defeat Germany. Stalin was quite happy to maintain the Non-Agression Pact of 1939 with Hitler before he realized. RELATED: Russia Admits Stalin Ordered 1940 Massacre of Poles Wall Street Journal Josef Stalin statue removed from hometown in Georgia The Telegraph UK Film 'The Soviet Story' Reveals The Horror of Communism YouTube The Age of Totalitarianism: Stalin and Hitler HistoryGuide.org Famine and Genocide in Soviet Georgia faminegenocide.com

Putin Asks "Why Was Assange Hidden In Jail?"

It's not like me to agree with Vladimir Putin, nor am I a fan of Julian Assange of Wikileaks. But even Putin can ask a reasonable set of questions now and then, which he did this week. MOSCOW - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday led growing support from some world leaders for the beleaguered WikiLeaks founder, describing his detention in Britain as 'undemocratic'. Mr Putin railed against the detention of the 39-year-old Julian Assange, the Australian founder of the website which has been releasing thousands of secret US diplomatic cables as well as Pentagon communiques. 'Why was Mr Assange hidden in jail? Is that democracy? As we say in the village: the pot is calling the kettle black,' Mr Putin said. 'I want to send the ball back to our American colleagues,' Mr Putin added. Full article at The Straits Times... As for "calling the kettle black," perhaps the black kettle is calling the black kettle black. I know, that's a bit confusing. But then, so is Russian politics. Putin may have a point on the Assange issue, but he's no friend of democracy himself. Just ask Mikhail Gorbachev, who has noted the fragile nature of Russia's political tundra previously, but issued a more ominous advisory this week. "Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has warned that Russia's undemocratic political landscape is threatening its stability," reports The Associated Press. "Gorbachev said in an article published Friday in Novaya Gazeta newspaper that the lack of political competition, flawed elections, shrinking media freedom and rampant corruption have slowed down Russia's development." AP quotes Gorbachev as saying, "If we fail to overcome undemocratic trends, all our achievements of the previous years will come under threat." RELATED: Putin Slams West for Wikileaks' Assange Arrest ABC World News Gorbachev on WikiLeaks: Fire Diplomats‎ NewsMax.com Alex Jones on Coast to Coast Radio: Assange is just a scapegoat Examiner.com Wikileaks Founder: Bigger Bombshells On The Way PrisonPlanet.com

Film 'The Soviet Story' Reveals The Horror of Communism

Once upon a time, the socialists in Europe were united. Hitler and Stalin, both socialists, were friendly toward each other. Before Hitler began his campaign of genocide, Stalin starved seven million people to death in Ukraine in the winter of 1932-33. During that genocide, Stalin exported confiscated Ukrainian wheat to Nazi Germany. Six years after the Ukraine horror, Hitler and Stalin signed a nonaggression treaty. NOTE: We now have this video permanently embedded beneath our bookstore below.

Eventually, the eastern socialists and the western socialists of Europe split into two major camps: The Red camp and the Brown camp. The Reds were in Russia, under the hammer and sickle. The Browns were in Germany, under the swastika. Heresy? No, it's history ignored. "The Soviet Story" is a powerful film that everybody needs to watch. Released in 2008, it deserves more attention.

This is history that has been virtually purged from public school systems because it is "politically incorrect." It's disturbing, it's frightening, it is stark reality. The next time you see some ignorant fool wearing a Che Guevara tee-shirt, remember this film. The next time you hear somebody sing the praises of communism, remember this film. Watch the entire 86-minute movie uniterrupted at http://www.archive.org/details/TheSovietStory. Hat tip to Moonbattery

Is Obama a KGB Mole? No Really, Is He?

Move over birthers. Here's something even bigger to chew on: Allegations that Barack Obama is a KGB mole. This ought to shock a lot of people but, frankly, I've suspected this for a couple of years now. Then again, I still suspect that Gorbachev was a CIA mole and that the United States is still a democracy. Crazy world, eh? In an interview with Physicist Thomas Fife and Geopolitical Analyst, Jeff Nyquist (jrnyquist.com), it is alleged that the KGB infiltration into American politics goes back many years and it is DEEPER than you all think. 

Video of Triangle UFO in Russia

What was it? We don't know, and that's why they call these things "unidentified" flying objects. It was flying. It is still unidentified. More from Phantoms and Monsters: At least one witness managed to film the UFO with a camera phone. The UFO appeared to be triangular in shape with three glowing blue lights arranged at sixty degree angles. The craft appeared out of nowhere and floated above the city before vanishing into the night sky. The two unnamed witnesses interviewed in this clip are certain that what they saw and recorded was not of earthly origin. Full Post, with Video.... Was the object from another planet, another dimension, another reality? Or was it simply an unknown craft from right here on Earth? Dunno. You decide. Hat tip: Strange & Unknown Conservative Caps, Shirt and more! Leave a Comment - Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Visit us on Twitter!

Obama's Smart Grid Will Weaken US Electric Grid Security

Have foreign spies hacked into the US electrical grid? Could they disable large portions of it, or even all of it, if they wanted to? Seems likely according to recent reports, and the Obama Administration will only make it worse with the proposed "Smart Grid." "China has denied a report issued yesterday stating that it had penetrated the U.S. electrical grid," according to the International Business Times. IBT also reported this (emphasis added): The report issued by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday [April 8] said Chinese, Russian and other cyber spies had intruded into the electrical grid, leaving behind software programs which could cause damage to the network if activated. This story has a huge "Duh" factor built into it. Just as nobody should have been surprised by the events of September 11, 2001, there should be no surprise that our poorly guarded electrical grid could have been (probably has been) compromised by hostile interests. A professor at Indiana University feels the same way. Fred H. Cate, director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research and distinguished professor at the Maurer School of Law (Indiana University), said foreign entities have been attempting to tap into such networks for years, and succeeded on multiple occasions: "The most surprising aspect of recent disclosures about cyberspies having penetrated the U.S. electrical grid is how much the disclosure seems to have surprised policymakers and the press," Cate said. "We have known for years both that foreign governments were attacking the U.S. cyberinfrastructure and that those attacks extended to power and other utilities." (Source) China's government has been busy issuing denials since WSJ ran the story: "The intrusion doesn't exist at all,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu at a press conference Wednesday, according to China’s state media Xinhua. "We hope that the concerned media will prudently deal with some groundless remarks, especially those concerning accusations against China." China, you may recall, is governed by a bunch of sadistic, sociopathic liars who habitually disable YouTube, Google and other sources of freely flowing information. They still hold Tibet and consider the Dalai Lama to be a top enemy of the state. Although China is a major trading partner of ours, they are sworn to destroy the United States. China's denial rings hollow, as does the Russian denial reported by the April 8 Wall Street Journal article: Russian and Chinese officials have denied any wrongdoing. "These are pure speculations," said Yevgeniy Khorishko, a spokesman at the Russian Embassy. "Russia has nothing to do with the cyberattacks on the U.S. infrastructure, or on any infrastructure in any other country in the world." You may recall that Russia is governed by a bunch of sadistic, sociopathic liars who habitually disable sources of freely flowing information and imprison opposition leaders. They would still hold eastern Europe as slave states if they were able to. Although Russia is a major trading partner of ours, they would love to destroy us. So what is our highly inefficient federal government doing about this? Virtually nothing, really. Barack Obama has already has "committed billions of dollars to grid-related projects, including research, development and assessment. The mission is to create efficiencies to lower costs, create savings and allow for better adoption of alternative energy sources." That's according to a report by Thomas Kostigen at Marketwatch.com. But, as Kostigen points out, Obama's "Smart Grid" does not address security issues (emphasis added): Joshua Pennell is chief executive of IOActive, a security services and software assurance firm in Seattle. In a presentation to the Department of Homeland Security, Pennell says the Smart Grid has "inherent security flaws" and could further expose the country to attacks on our critical power infrastructure. His firm conducted industry research and claims that a smart grid could "expose utility companies to possible fraud, extortion attempts, lawsuits or widespread system interruption." In other words, Obama's "Smart Grid" is downright stupid. It will not only not solve current and inherent security problems, it could actually create more. Kostigen continues: Indeed, The Wall Street Journal reported this week that cyber spies already have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could help disrupt the system. The paper alleges these spies operate from Russia and China. It quotes one U.S. official as saying, "If we go to war with them, they will try to turn them on." Then again, if they do turn it on in a pre-emptive move, we would not be able to go to war with them. The bastards could walk right in. Environmentalists would welcome the invaders with chopsticks and open arms. RELATED: China denies hacking America's electrical grid Oncor says its grid is well protected from hackers IU law professor: Power breach troubling, not unexpected Before Grid Hack Reports, NERC Advises Industry on Cyber Assets Chicago News Bench RSS Feed CommieBama Hats and More

Revolution in Georgia?

Today's massive protests in Georgia are getting major media coverage, but few are reporting that this seems to be the beginning of a revolution in the small European nation. (Tea Party protesters take note!) BBC reports today: Thousands of Georgians have gathered outside parliament saying they will not disperse until the president resigns. Protesters, numbering up to 60,000, blamed President Mikhail Saakashvili for defeat against Russia in August's war and said he had stifled democracy. BBC quotes Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili as saying, "There is no chance of a revolution in Georgia." However, a bulletin from Stratfor Global Intelligence says quite the opposite: This is not the first set of rallies against Saakashvili, who has had a rocky presidency since taking power in the pro-Western “Rose Revolution” of 2003. Anti-government protests have been held constantly over the past six years. But the upcoming rally is different: This is the first time all 17 opposition parties have consolidated enough to organize a mass movement in the country. Furthermore, many members of the government are joining the cause, and foreign powers — namely Russia — are known to be encouraging plans to oust Saakashvili.... If the movement does inspire such a large turnout, it would be equivalent to the number of protesters that hit the streets at the height of the Rose Revolution, which toppled the previous government and brought Saakashvili into power in the first place. Full Article at www.stratfor.com... RELATED: Georgia: Unrest and the Secessionist Regions - Strafor (with free subscription) Georgia's president under pressure to resign - The Associated Press Georgians ask Saakashvili to resign - United Press International Georgians Rally Outside Parliament, Demand President Mikhail - TransWorldNews Georgians call for President to quit 09/04 20:03 CET - euronews Georgia: Oppositon Gives Saakashvili Ultimatum to Resign - EurasiaNet Chicago News Bench RSS Feed CommieBama Hats and More

Russia's Cold War Heats Up

BREAKING: Ukraine and Russia have (again) come to an agreement over natural gas, which Russia cut of last week. Millions in Europe are without heat as a result. What Russia giveth, Russia taketh away. Then giveth, then taketh, then giveth. Natural gas, used by millions to heat their homes and businesses, was shut off last Wednesday by Russia in a political dispute with Ukraine. The innocent still suffer as a result. Now, late word that an agreement was been reached has been deflated by even later word that Moscow is being stubborn. The tennis-style volleying in all of this has been dizzying. Oh, but wait - the dizziness get worse. LATE BREAKING NEWS is that Ukraine "has agreed to sign a new version of an accord to authorize monitoring of natural gas flows, paving the way to resume Russian gas shipments through the country to the rest of Europe, a European Union official said. Oy. Let's hope this agreement holds." (Source: Bloomberg.com) Meanwhile, 12 European nations continue to shiver, and there is more danger than mere frostbite. Fears are raised now that Slovakia, one of the 12 nations denied gas by Russia, will reactivate an old Soviet-style nuclear generator that has a history of safety problems. Twelve countries continued to receive no Russian gas as a result of Moscow’s claims that Ukraine was stealing supplies being piped across its land to other parts of Europe. Russia stopped deliveries of gas to Ukraine on New Year’s Day after a row over unpaid bills and new payment rates, and turned off all supplies through Ukraine last Wednesday. (Source: TimesOnline.co.uk) There are no winners in this political dispute, which is endangering lives, ruining businesses, and undoubtedly causing deaths. Not only might the Slovaks fire up that rickety old nuke plant, old fashioned smog is now a problem in parts of Europe. Desperate for heat and cooking fuel, people are burning coal, wood, paper, anything to substitute for the gas denied them by Russia. In the gas war between Russia and Ukraine, both sides are licking their wounds after 10 days of fighting. Although it appears the pumping of gas will resume and the impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands shivering and worried in the freezing winter in southern Europe should quickly pass, the damage done politically and economically to both warring parties will resist any quick fix. (Source: Guardian.co.uk) This is why the United States needs to drill more and produce more domestically. RELATED: Budapest traffic restrictions to counter pollution from gas crisis Report: Serbs protest Russian gas shortage Oil hovers above $40 as investors eye US earnings Why Russia Stokes Mideast Mayhem Subscribe to Chicago News Bench

Why We Need More Oil Production

Russia is holding Ukraine hostage to energy blackmail. All of Europe is ultimately threatened by this, and the US has lessons to learn from this. Russia cut off all gas via Ukraine to Europe last week. The EU, which gets a fifth of all its gas supplies via that route, has found itself playing arbiter in a bitter power-play between two ex-Soviet states still acting out a separation. (Reuters) "Energy independence" is something every American can agree on, but just how we achieve it provides a point of disagreement. One camp wants to expand our domestic oil drilling and/or build new nuclear power plants, while the other major camp prefers to abandon petroleum and focus on "alternative" energy sources such as wind, solar, and so on. What the latter camp just doesn't seem to understand is this: It will take decades to bring wind, solar and other alternative sources to a point where they can efficiently replace so-called fossil fuels. With our own off-shore oil available sooner, complimented by shale oil from our friend Canada, we have the opportunity to increase our own petroleum availability and thereby reduce our dependence on unstable, unfriendly nations such as Saudi Arabia and the rest of OPEC. There is nothing short of war that would prevent OPEC from blackmailing the US, in the way Russia is now blackmailing Ukraine, if they wanted to. While we probably cannot become completely independent of other nations for oil in the near future, we can at least reduce the damage that a blackmail action would cause. And, yes, conservation and wiser use of resources is something we should include in the whole equation. To try to replace fossil fuels with alternatives too quickly would be counterproductive. Think of it this way: When the very first trains were being built, the materials for the trains and the factories that made them were transported by horses and wagons. Suppose that there had been an anti-horse movement back then. Suppose that those in that movement said, "Look, we must abandon horses as a source of power because they crap everywhere, causing a stink and increasing the possibility of disease being spread. Furthermore, the horses eat grains that could be used for human consumption." Had such a movement been successful, how would the heavy materials been transported to build the trains? How would be have successfully replaced horse-drawn wagons with the next phase of transportation? We face a similar question today: How can we build solar panels, wind turbines, electric cars and other alternative energy devices if we stop using petroleum as a power source? Not only that, but a lot of the components of those devices are made of plastic and other petroleum products. Petroleum powers the vehicles that haul the parts to make the factories that make those devices. The factories are powered by petroleum. The devices are then transported to market by petroleum powered vehicles. To completely abandon petroleum too soon would be, if you'll pardon my expression, putting the cart before the horse. Ironically, we must increase our domestic drilling for petroleum and production of petroleum products in the short term in order to successfully take us to the next phase. History repeats itself metaphorically. Fossil fuels, whether coal, natural gas or petroleum, are what will make it possible for us to one day abandon those resources as primary sources of energy. Let us make maximum use of it now, while we still have it, to evolve to a higher state of energy production and usage. Subscribe to Chicago News Bench

Nuclear Iran: IAEA Charges "Total Disrespect"

History repeats itself. Just as Iraq once blocked UN inspectors, Iran continues to do the same. The Interational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is now condemning Iran for its complete refusal to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities. Question: If Iran has nothing to hide, why are working so hard to hide it? The situation has become so frustrating that even Russia is calling on Iran to come clean. Meanwhile, Iran's client Syria is using similar tactics of denial. All of this, naturally, has Israel very, very worried. Iran is showing "utter disrespect" for the U.N. nuclear watchdog by ignoring unanswered questions about its atomic programme, European powers said on Thursday....Iran's denial of an IAEA request to check design details at a research reactor under construction and its failure to provide preliminary design data for a nuclear power plant planned at Darkhovin were of particular concern, he said. Full Story from Reuters... MORE: News Center : In Focus : IAEA and Iran IAEA Broadens Probe of Syria Plans To Build Up Its Nuclear Program IAEA, ending meeting, presses Syria to cooperate Syria Accused of Iranian Tactics to Hide Covert Nuclear Activity

Islamists Say They Killed Russian Mayor

As the Mumbai ordeal winds down, we are reminded - yet again - that the radical Islamists are playing on a worldwide battlefield. "Islamists claim responsibility for murder of S.Russian mayor." MOSCOW, November 27 (RIA Novosti) - An Islamist group has claimed responsibility for the murder of the mayor of Vladikavkaz in south Russia, a website believed to have links to Chechen militants said Thursday."Vitaly Karayev, this enemy of Allah, was eliminated near his home when he was on his way to the city hall," the Kataib al-Khoul group said in a statement posted on the kavkazcenter site. FULL STORY at RIA Novosti... (Hat tip to my friends at Muslims Against Sharia) RELATED: Militants Say They Shot Mayor - The Moscow Times- Vladikavkaz Mayor Vitaly Karayev was struck in the heart by a single bullet... The heart of Vladikavkaz mayor hit by a displaced-centre bullet -ITAR-TASS, Russia