Reasons to Be Concerned About Russia
A few weeks ago on the radio program I asked our guest Ralph Peters,author of “Never Quit The Fight,” if we should be concerned with Russia given Putin’s fairly recent consolidation of power and nationalization of large sectors of the Russian economy. Ralph was not as concerned as I thoght he may be. Nevertheless, Gary Kasparov, contributing editor at The Wall Street Journal, and chairman of the United Civil Front of Russia and co-chairman of the All-Russia Civil Congress had this to say in today’s WSJ (subs req)
The Putin administration is selling off the future of Russia by the barrel. Even before an inevitable fall in energy prices bankrupts us, the epidemic levels of corruption and cronyism in our government will take their toll. A recent report from Audit Chamber Chairman Sergei Stepashin admitted there was a “loophole” that allowed Russia’s richest man, Roman Abramovich, to extract $500 million a year via the Chukotka region of which he is Mr. Putin’s appointed governor.
Kasparov then helps answer my question as to whether or not we should be concerned about Putin and Russia:
This should lead us to wonder if they really have the West’s best interests at heart when it comes to global stability. Mr. Putin has had six years to make good on his assurances to the West to help bargain with the various hostile regimes he is so close to. He promised to help with North Korea and now they have missiles capable of reaching the U.S. coast. After endless negotiations with Russia, Iran is more belligerent than ever and is hurriedly enriching uranium. The Russian foreign minister was supposedly brokering with Hezbollah and Hamas and now we have a full-scale war.
Kasparov then points out that:
A few days after the hostilities broke out, the Putin administration released its list of national and international terrorist groups — the first time the list has been made public. Strikingly, both Hamas and Hezbollah are missing. Combined with the timing of its publication, can this be seen as anything but a sign of support for the group that ignited the current conflict? Mr. Putin has demonstrated that he, too, lacks a belief in the sanctity of human life — yet he is welcomed by the West as a partner.
I hope that in Secretary Rice’s travels and meetings with Mr. Putin that she borrow an old Reagan maxim: “Trust but verify.”
Politics, War On Terror | Gregg | 
July 31, 2006 7:06 pm
Was there ever a time since 1919 when we haven’t been concerned with Russia? Not really sure if anything has changed here. They are a world power, they don’t owe the US anything and don’t really care about making sure the US interests around the world are met.
I think your point is valid. Although I do not believe that they are actively going out of their way to make our lives difficult. They just do what is best for them. So the US better be aware of that and watch what they do closely. But in the end, I have more faith in being able to work with them in the future than with some other western nations.
Optimist. Good points. The only thing I would say is that b/c they control so many natural resources (i.e. oil and natural gas) and have been at least indirectly complicit in not acknowledging that Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations that they have the capability of being a serious destabilizer in the region/world and can make our job fighting Jihadism that much more difficult.
Like Bush said: You are either with us or with the terrorists. Any nation state that supports terrorist activities by funding them and providing sanctuary is in my mind a country that is against us. The United States needs to know I believe that Russia is firmly behind us in waging the war on Global Jihadism.
Gregg
Excellent points. I do believe Russia’s own battles with terrorists (as serious as our own) put them on the anti-terrorist side when push comes to shove. I would say that their not putting those two on the list was purely political right now and had nothing to do with what they really feel. At least I really hope so.
If you want to know whether we should be concerned about Russia, I suggest you check out my blog
link
whose purpose is to document, on a daily basis, al the reasons we have to be concerned about the rise of the Neo-Soviet Union in Russia.
The fact that Russia could freely elect a proud KGB spy only a decade after the KGB\’s policies brought Russia to its knees speaks volumes. The fact that Russians could blithely allow that spy to crush the TV networks, absolish the election of governors and revive the Soviet national anthem, written to glorify Stalin, speaks libraries.
Truly, those who cannot remember history are doomed to repeat it.
La Russophobe,
Thanks for the heads up on your blog. I appreciate it. Great info. This confirms a great deal of what I have been reading lately.
This issue is a lot more serious than people think.
Gregg
Russia is our enemy, no doubt about it. Russia’s experience with “terrorism” is not in the same context as 9-11 or Bali or Madrid or London: theirs was of their own making, they decided to take Chechnya back, to start another brutal assault, notice that when Chechnya was “free”, the “terrorist” activities certainly did not take place, although the Chechyans did support their allies who were also attempting to succeed from Russia. How easily it was forgotten that the terrorist leader in Chechnya, was a Russian soldier, one who fought for Russia against Georgian succession - sent to Chechnya by Russia (then apparently swapping sides).
Russia sees the West as her enemy, and will do everything to undermine the West (even when it is to Russia’s disadvantage) including supporting terrorist groups.
I truely believe the greatest threat to the Western World does not come from terrorists, but comes from states such as Russia and it’s cronies. It is only a matter of time before the Gulags are brimming with political prisoners again…. A few years ago the west would have been more bold in it’s dealings with Russia but unfortunately Russia’s weakness caused us to ignore their Potemkin democracy.