There comes a time in most bloggers' lives that they become too ill/apathetic/lazy to actually write something fresh. My particular excuse is that I had a terrible night's sleep, and because I'm so high maintenance I wouldn't be able to come up with anything suitably advanced for your delectation. Here, then, is something depressing I wrote ages ago about what was then current affairs:
10/02/11
After the London suicide bombings on the 7th of July, 2005, it took over five years for the British to begin an inquest to work out who, if anyone, was at fault. President Medvedev of Russia has decided not to wait that long. Less than 24 hours after the apparent suicide bombing of Domodedovo, Moscow’s chief airport, and Medvedev had already worked out who is to blame. He hasn’t yet said that it’s separatists from the Northern Caucasus as is suspected. No, it is the fault of the manager of the airport.
No matter that the Russian state news is saying that the government had a week’s warning that a terrorist attack was imminent on a Russian airport. No matter that the all pervasive all knowing FSB, the KGB’s spiritual successor whose job it is to prevent this sort of thing happening failed to prevent this sort of thing from happening. It is the fault of the airport management, whose job is to make sure their airport runs smoothly, and whose remit does not include halting fundamentalist plots.
Medvedev seems to be desperate for scapegoats that aren’t controlled directly by the government. Perhaps he is mindful of the way Putin was heavily criticized for how he dealt with terrorist incidents under his reign. When a Moscow theatre of roughly 850 was taken hostage by around 50 gunmen, the Russians reacted by pumping it full of noxious gas before storming it, in an attempt to subdue the gunmen. Most of the 129 hostages that died did so from the gas, of which the government still refuses to divulge the type. Then came the Beslan massacre, where terrorists took over 1,100 hostages, 700 of which were children. Local people raised placards saying "Putin! There are at least 800 hostages," whereas the Russian government had decided that the precise figure of 354 would worry the populace less, and constantly insisted on it being the case. The locals also said they wouldn't allow any storming or "poisoning of their children", referring to the Moscow theatre. Putin ignored them. Helicopter gunships, tanks, flame throwers and rocket propelled grenades were used. 334 hostages died this time. With this heavy handedness by the Russian authorities, it is little wonder that there is a population shortage in Russia.
It is also little wonder that Medvedev wishes to direct attention away from the FSB. There were a spate of bombings in 1999 in Russian cities in which nearly 300 died, said by the Russians to be the work of Chechen separatists, but unusually, the Chechens didn’t take responsibility. Alexander Litvinenko, a former FSB operative alleged that the government arranged the bombings to bolster up and coming Prime Minister Putin’s presidential bid, as he was for starting another war with the Chechnyans. Putin also used to be head of the FSB. Litvinenko was poisoned afterwards with a radioactive element, polonium-210. The Russian government denied any involvement, but it may as well have been Putin himself spearing Litvinenko in the heart with a flagpole flying the hammer and sickle. When the FSB were identified as having set up one of the bombs which was defused, they cheerfully explained that it was a training exercise. In any event, the bombings stopped after that, and Russian troops were within Chechnya within 8 days.
Sadly, it does not seem as though these will be the last bombings in Russia, due to her complex internal affairs. It is a tragedy that 35 died due to the bombing of Domodedovo, particularly because it was in the international arrivals hall, the first time that Russia's insurgents targeted foreigners proper. Medvedev is conveniently assuming that if terrorists can launch an attack in a very large and busy airport, then the security in that airport is at fault. The necessary measures to safeguard large airports against such events would have world travel grinding to a halt. Bear in mind, the explosion happened in the arrivals hall close to the entrance, and not an area where the general public aren't allowed. However, perhaps I am being cynical, and that Medvedev actually believes in his state of anger and grief the airport manager is to blame. That would be more forgivable. Anything else is an insult to the memory of the 35 dead, and indeed the memory of Russians.
Today's Tune
No comments:
Post a Comment