IS/IS/L emulates Hamas??????

January 16, 2009

The Hamas “dead baby” strategy - (click here) to cause as many civilian casualties as possible by firing its deadly rockets from schools and densely populated areas - is producing understandable outrage around the world. What is not understandable is why the outrage is directed against Israel, which is a victim of this strategy, rather than against Hamas, which is its perpetrator. Hamas knew exactly what it was doing when it fired more than 6,000 rockets at Israeli kindergartens, elementary schools and playgrounds from behind its own children. It was playing Russian roulette with the lives of Israeli children in order to provoke a defensive response from Israel....

According to Alan Dershowitz, the Islamic State follows the methods of Hamas. They target children's schools and neighborhoods and kills them.

That is an exaggeration. The two groups have nothing to do with each other. The Islamic State has a very different methodology within Syria than Hamas does with Israel.

As a matter of fact the "dead baby" strategy is no longer possible since Israel is now protected by the most sophisticated interceptors in the world. If anything is true, it is Israel that is now emulating the "dead baby" strategy. 

The last attack into Palestine took the lives of many innocent children. Below is only five out of twenty-give under the age of 18.

The Gaza Ministry of Health has estimated that 1,951 people died and 10,193 have been injured since Israel launched its offensive on Gaza on July 8. 

August 13, 2014

5. Ahmed Musa Khalf Habib, 16, male 
16. Mohamed Ibrahim Fayeq Al Masri, 14, male 
20. Dina Mahdi Mohamed Hamd, 16, female 
23. Mohamed Iyad Salem Arif, 13, male 
25. Mohamed Fajr Mustafa Jamal Malka, 2, male (click here)

There was one unidentified, but, all the Israeli dead were either 18 or older. There were 66 Israeli lives snuffed out during that conflict.

It's Sunday Night

"Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum (click here)

Call you up in the middle of the night
like a firefly without a light
you were there like a blowtorch burning
i was a key that could use a little turning
so tired that i couldn't even sleep
so many secrets i couldn't keep
promised myself i wouldn't weep
one more promise i couldn't keep

it seems no one can help me now
i'm in too deep
there's no way out
this time i have really lead myself astray

runaway train, never goin' back
wrong way on a one-way track
seems like i should be getting somewhere
somehow i'm neither here nor there

can you help me remember how to smile?
make it somehow all seem worthwhile
how on earth did i get so jaded?
life's mysteries seem so faded
i can go where noone else can go
i know what no one else knows
here i am just drownin' in the rain
with a ticket for a runaway train

and everything seems cut and dry
day and night
earth and sky
somehow i just don't believe it

runaway train, never goin' back
wrong way on a one-way track
seems like i should be getting somewhere
somehow i'm neither here nor there

bought a ticket for a runaway train
like a madman laughing at the rain
little out of touch, little insane
it's just easier than dealing with the pain

runaway train, never goin' back
wrong way on a one-way track
seems like i should be getting somewhere
somehow i'm neither here nor there

runaway train, never comin' back
runaway train, tearin' up the track
runaway train, burnin' in my veins
i run away but it always seems the same

Hannah Graham could be anywhere. I-64 runs right by Charlottesville.

She is too smart a young lady to be trapped into being kidnapped. Somebody probably drugged her without her knowing it. Or. A large enough man could have simply grabbed her. 

What were Hannah's interests. What would a friend say to her to offer her a ride to wherever she wants to go? In other words if a perfect stranger walked up to her and began a conversation what would that conversation be like?

"Hey, I noticed you were alone in the mall, are you okay? Can I drive you somewhere?" Then what would cause her to relinquish trust in the person that was about to kidnap her? What are her special places, interests or hangouts? What could a perfect stranger have said to her to allow him/her to get that close?

Morgan’s skeletonized body was found at Anchorage Farm, Albemarle County on 1/26/10. The person(s) responsible remain at large, presumably still in the Charlottesville area. 

I am assuming authorities already checked the Anchorage Farm and it's radius in Albemarle County by now. The Lexington Police believe they may have seen Morgan's murderer within the past four days.

I am assuming the FBI has been asked about this already.

It's settled.

September 21, 2014
By Jim Michaels

Afghanistan's (click here) two presidential contenders signed an unprecedented power-sharing agreement on Sunday, ending a drawn-out political standoff and setting the stage for a U.S. troop commitment past this year.

"I am very happy today that both of my brothers, Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, in an Afghan agreement for the benefit of this country, for the progress and development of this country, that they agreed on the structure affirming the new government of Afghanistan," President Hamid Karzai, in power since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that ousted the Taliban, said after the signing.

The agreement names Ghani Ahmadzai, who is believed to have received the most votes, as president. His challenger, Abdullah, a former foreign minister, has been named chief executive....

...Under the agreement, the president would be responsible for setting strategic policy and the chief executive would be in charge of implementation,... 

The balance sounds right.

Mike Morrell has pieced together the very next threat to civilization and it is set on destroying Wall Street. Any Objections?

This entire "I know who is going to down buildings with planes before even the President of the United States knows," is wearing thin. There are more groups of so called terrorists in Syria than Carter has little liver pills and quite frankly I don't believe Syria's military exists anymore. If they do then they are more stupid than the American people when it comes to war. There is no sense to being part of Assad's army. There are options that are less dangerous.

September 18, 2014

The battlefield in Syria's civil war (click here) is carved up among several large groups ostensibly trying to oust President Bashar Assad, but spending a great deal of time instead fighting each other for territorial gains.

That focus on their immediate surroundings has thus far, according to most U.S. officials, helped to mitigate the threat posed by groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to the U.S. homeland.

There has been significant and mounting concern that Western recruits drawn into the war -- who have proven all but impossible to monitor on Syrian soil -- could use their passports to sneak back into the U.S. or Europe and stage attacks.

Now, however, a previously unheard of subgroup within the complicated jihadist web that is the Syrian opposition is lending new urgency to that concern by combining the threat of Western imports with the threat of advanced bomb-making....

"Good Night, Moon"

The waning crescent

4.4% lit/full

27.5 days old

Now, this is not fairy dust, it is pure star duct.

September 18, 2014
By Amina Kahn
Sometimes (click here) big surprises come wrapped in tiny galactic packages. That’s the strange find from a team of astronomers who discovered an enormous supermassive black hole in a very unlikely place: at the center of an ultracompact dwarf galaxy.

If I were Putin I'd be doing the same thing.

I'd be pulling in all the welcome mats, protecting the borders and calling in all the favors from friends. 

But, I am not him. I am an American who thought he would be the man for Russia's new century. If his friends are sincerely his friends, they would be advising him to end this silly back and forth over Ukraine and simply honor the treaties and allow the economies to balance.

Russia has been too much of a friend to The West in fighting the same enemies and coming to the rescue when it was needed. It signed treaties to save this planet and tried it's best to keep it's people from succumbing to terrible disasters. An entire species of wildcat owes it's thanks to the people who decided saving it fit into the plan for the nation's future and that of it's children.

Ukraine is not worth this. It is not worth isolationism to protect an old culture. The old culture is not going anywhere. It will stand the test of any new generation or any new economic development. Ukraine is not turning against Russia, it is opening the door to new opportunity. 

No one is attempting to dismantle the strides that Russia has gained. It is happening due to objection of the return of the old regime that sees confrontation and war as a reasonable outcome.


Old friends sometimes have differences and it takes longer to heal, but, it should never destroy what has sustained, but, for the reasons it has sustained. 

I wish Russia well with it's new economic alliance. The rest of the world will be waiting to be a part of open and fair trade when Russia is ready for it's leap of faith.

Vladimir Putin and the Russian Duma may be the smartest country on the planet.

September 16, 2014

By Calum MacLeod

BEIJING – You might be millionaires, (click here) but please spend wisely. In recent months, as the IPO of Chinese Internet giant Alibaba loomed into view, founder Jack Ma kept warning his employees. "We've worked so hard, but not for the sake of turning into a bunch of uncouth new rich," he wrote in a late July e-mail.

With Friday's eye-popping, record-breaking $167 billion listing in New York, China's nouveau riche just swelled some more as more than 5,000 current and former Alibaba employees were selling their shares in this IPO. And they won't lack for places to splurge their new-found wealth....

This is an economy killer. There are water cannons for sale and something called "Quality hot sale herbal incense bags with tear gas" that sells for 2 to 5 cents US.

This is Wall Street's dream come true, a discount online store where anyone can buy anything. It is ultimate control of merchandise to those with money and if this is the way the world is going to purchase anything it won't last for long.The world, I mean. Every other merchandiser will be out of business for the inability to attract customers.

For 5% of the order amount Alibaba will provide an escrow service. The monies pad will be held (collecting interest in their bank, of course) and then released when the buyer confirms delivery. 

An unverified member can sell up to 50 separate products for no cost. (click here) Good-bye E-bay.

Besides selling your products on Alibaba.com, (click here) you are suggested to use our sourcing platform “AliSourcePro” to post buying requests and source easier online. After your buying request is approved, you could receive up to 10 quotes from accredited suppliers.

This thing is a nightmare and probably breaks every USA trade law on the books. I'll never purchase anything from this service. I am appreciative of my local economy.

The protests in Albuquerque continue, while police insensitivity to the community is celebrated.

September 17, 2014
By Julie Turkewitz

...Ted Beaver (click here), 42, a staff sergeant at the Oklahoma City Police Department, called the competition “the grand hurrah,” a camaraderie-building event he looks forward to every year.

But protesters have been agitating for weeks about the six-day tournament, sponsored by the National Rifle Association. Although it has taken place in Albuquerque annually since 2006, this year’s circumstances are unusual: The Albuquerque Police Department was reprimanded in April by the Justice Department over a spate of fatal shootings, many of which were declared to be unconstitutional uses of deadly force. And several local officers are participating in the National Police Shooting Championships, which will end Thursday with trophies and prizes....

The celebration of brutal tactics against unarmed citizens is inappropriate. The games should have been moved from Albuquerque to Fairfax, Virginia, the headquarters of the NRA.

Obviously the training police officers have been getting since 2006 has created a militarized domestic force that is very dangerous to every citizen of the USA. 

Any prize for this six day police event should go to a trust fund to present to the families of those murdered by police.

Turkey received preference by preventing war.

September 20, 2014
By Dorian Jones

...Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (click here) announced in a written statement that 49 Turkish hostages held by Islamic State had been released through the efforts of Turkey’s intelligence agency.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry says all the hostages are in good condition.

The hostages are Turkish diplomats and their families, including women and young children, who were taken in June when Islamic State militants overran Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, and seized the Turkish consulate.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who cut short a visit to Azerbaijan, said the release was the result of a protracted process.

Davutoglu said after days and weeks of intense work, Turkish officials returned their citizens to Turkey early in the morning. He said he was honored to share the happy news after the developments, which made up for weeks of sleepless nights and worry....

Congratulations to American Airlines Gate and Ticket Agents.

September 18, 2014

(Reuters) - Passenger service agents at American Airlines backed union representation for the first time in their history on Tuesday, with about 86 percent of members voting in favor of collective bargaining, the union said.

The vote affects about 14,500 agents who work at both American and US Airways. The workers will be represented jointly by the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represented agents at US Airways for more than a decade prior to its merger with American last year to create the world's largest airline by passenger traffic.

The CWA said 9,640 agents voted in favor of the union while another 1,547 opposed it....

At a time in the country when Wall Street and government seeks to undercut employees, I strongly believe this is the venue for most workers.

I saw an ad about a substitute teacher complaining that her hours were cut back since the Affordable Care Act took effect and therefore candidates backing that measure should not be in office.

What?

When employers, be they private sector or public, are respected for the benefits they deserve it is progress to a better and more thriving America. 

Wall Street has realized that undercutting employees is profitable. Why hire a full time teacher when substitutes are cheaper and don't demand benefits? Forcing Wall Street and ruthless government to look at their practices will bring about change. If a substitute teacher wants full time and guaranteed employment they need to apply for a full time position and not undermine the status of full time teachers.

The USA is more and more a part time employment society because it benefits Wall Street profits. Electing people willing to stand up for the Middle Class and pass minimum wage laws as well as requiring open forums, without interference from government, for unions to organize and bring about better pay, benefits and working conditions is what America has always been about.

Part time employment is suppose to serve those seeking only part time work. Part time employment is not suppose to destroy the economic fabric of the USA which brings families security. Families have no security anymore. It is wrong.

In order to achieve a living wage with benefits citizens have to unionize and put the balance back in America. It will return tax base revenues as well as provide a stable economy. Unionization is best for the USA and when it achieves status abroad it levels the playing field in international trade.

The USA has created a monster.

I think Mr. Goodell is sincere. This is a new benchmark.

September 19, 1014
By Mark Maske
...Facing criticism (click here) extending from corporate sponsors to the White House, Goodell said the league’s response in the wake of recent legal troubles involving players Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy had been inadequate and that it will work with its players’ union and outside experts to implement improved protocols....

Progress has already been made, everyone involved that protested the lenient conduct policies of the NFL should be congratulated. I didn't see where he set a date for completion of the review and release to the public of the new standard for conduct. It isn't as though there aren't women within the league. They should be a focus of respect as well. I look forward to the outcome of the new standards.

The AUMF never authorized military power by the USA anywhere in the world, except, where al Qaeda was on the tongues of people.

It's target was al Qaeda. The Executive Branch's military abused the document to allow it's autonomous power from the people of the USA.

...Although its delegation of power (click here) to the President was sweeping, the AUMF in fact reflected a compromise between Congress and the Bush 
Administration, which had sought an even broader and more open-ended 
grant of authority. Even as fires continued to burn at Ground Zero, Congress 
pushed back, only authorizing military force against those who could be tied to the groups directly responsible for the September 11 attacks....

As long as a military target could be affiliated with al Qaeda in any distant relationship the US military didn't need Congress approval for starting wars. This document and the Bush agenda included an invasion into Iraq because Saddam Hussein was affiliated with al Qaeda CAUSED the Iraq invasion. In reality without this blanket excuse to invade a country the Iraq War would not have happened. 

Where the NSA listens and the words al Qaeda are spoken there is a threat.

Without the death of Osama bin Laden, the hunt for al Qaeda influence could have gone anywhere.

Bush lies and people die.

IS/IS/L is the new al Qaeda as it was considered the former al Qaeda in Iraq. IS/IS/L is a problem for the region. Whether a sovereign Iraq survives it's 8 year occupation is irrelevant to the outcome of stability and the survival of the people. 

It is best for France to lead in this troubled area of the world, not the USA. The USA's military has deadly permission and it will increase radicalism rather than diminish it, hence, recruitment.

The crisis in Syria is definitely a regional problem.

The Arab Spring was the impetus to sectarian power struggles throughout Northern Africa and the Middle East. 

The region has to stop the hatred of any religious minorities in the region. The region is Sunni in it's majority. It is the region that has to change it's policies and people to accept difference. The regional Sunni majority does not have to wave a white flag in surrender, but, it has to bring about acceptance of different populations. 

All the allies of the USA in the region have always accepted diversity as a strength to their countries, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt. The challenge is to bring the other countries on board to end the deadly trend of a very powerful Sunni group that has the ability to threaten any country and possibly the entire region.

The Arab Spring opened the door to all groups to become members of a democratic process. That was the goal of it's leaders. But, what actually manifested was the rise of sectarian violence.

The best example of these sectarian divides is Libya as it struggles still today to being about stability.

June 14, 2012  

Tribal clashes in western and southern Libya have left at least 15 people dead over the past 48 hours as old grievances between Libyan tribes and cities resurface in the absence of strong leadership in post-revolution Libya.

Dozens of Libyans held a protest on Wednesday in the eastern city of Benghazi, expressing dismay at the security situation and demanding to dissolve the militia groups and integrate them into the army, according to the Libyan news agency, LANA.

They raised banners reading, "Yes to security and safety, no to weapons and chaos", LANA said....

Tribal conflicts (click here)

Also in Zintan, militia members have been engaged in gun battles with a rival tribe called el-Mashisha.

That tribe did not join the uprising, and Zintan fighters accuse them of maintaining loyalty to Gaddafi.

Zintan is the home of the rebels who were the first to sweep into the capital of Tripoli in August, dealing the decisive blow to Gaddafi's regime,

The July elections are supposed to be a milestone on the path to democratic rule after the overthrow last year of Gaddafi's rule of four decades.

However, chaos and tribal conflicts have badly marred the transition.

"Everyone should stand united behind building a state of institutions, law and justice," Abdul-Jalil, the transitional ruler, said on Tuesday, "to overcome this agony and reach our dream and the dream of all Libyans: free and fair elections which will be a real beginning in the history of Libya."

Abdul-Jalil's appeal is seen as another example of weakness that has plagued the country's leadership since it declared the liberation of Libya in October after toppling Gaddafi.

In the past The West has indirectly supported dictators in economic trades and the interest of Wall Street and in return the dictators provided stability. 

The USA has always touted it's democracy as the ultimate arrangement of government. Oddly, today the USA's democracy is in the worst condition it has ever been. Even today, the US Congress has called a vacation for two months with so many problems still unsettled. The USA democracy no longer is conducted to solve the country's problems, but, is simply used as a power brokering strategy to multi-national companies like Koch. It is highly questionable as to the democratic standing of the USA so much as it's plutocratic standing.

That said, countries like Libya, oppressed the people and disconnected from them as wealth and creature comforts took over leadership. The former dictators of the Middle East enjoyed being the 1% of their countries and the condition of the people was horrible. A return to the good ole days will not solve the strife for people such as those in tribes in Libya.

If there is an example of success in the Middle East it is Saudi Arabia followed by Jordan and Turkey. 

Muslim (click here) (official; citizens are 85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shia), other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) (2012 est.) 

The Kingdom does not provide for genocide of any religious difference. Not only that, but, the current King when Prince Abdullah met with President Assad as a show of diversity and acceptance.

The instability across North Africa and from Lebanon eastward in the Middle East is due to the oppression of the masses. It is legitimate for these people to seek relief from their former government. The problem is the deep seated fear of a return of the oppression that continues the chaos. 

Where the Middle East has been successful is where there are ruling families that have alliances with The West and open their borders to global trade. This is the common denominator of successful leadership to date in the Middle East. 

The USA has to begin to assess each Middle Eastern and North African country autonomously and not only the intelligence provided by Israel. The region has to solve these problems and soon. IS/IS/L is a danger to them and they are Sunni moderates. There is much wrong here. I think Secretary Kerry has been successful to bring about an understanding to every nation and every ethnicity and every faith there exists a common enemy.

Those countries allied with The West have an appreciation for diverse cultures by osmosis. It has nothing to do with terms of agreements. Diversity is peace. 

If the USA is stating the Syria people do not want Assad in power it should know they are taking a sectarian position with Syria.

Major ethnic groups: (click here) Arabs (90%), Kurds (9%), Armenians, Circassians, Turkomans.

Religions: Sunni Muslims (74%), Alawis (12%), Christians (10%), Druze (3%), and small numbers of other Muslim sects, Jews, and Yazidis.

400,000 Palestinian refugees

The Kurds, many of whom speak Kurdish, make up 9% of the population and live mostly in the northeast corner of Syria, though sizable Kurdish communities live in most major Syrian cities as well. Armenian and Turkic are spoken among the small Armenian and Turkoman populations. 

Assad is a religious minority in Syria. One of the reasons Hezbollah and other Shi'ite groups have been involved with Syria is due to the fact they are the minorities. Assad always had power because of the minority extremist groups throughout Syria and Lebanon.

What is of concern is the elimination of minorities in Syria due to the new threat of radical Sunni militias. The most extreme of these militias is IS/IS/L. The methodology will eliminate any minority in Syria.

When the USA states Assad does not have the backing of the Syrian people they are also fueling anti-Shea motives by Sunni militia. 

When dealing with decent in the Middle East it is extremely complicated and it is that nuance the USA never gets right. The USA has always considered itself as a "Melting Pot" and boasts diversity. The people of the USA does not realize how that is rather unique in the real world. The people of the USA and it's government believes the entire world should reflect the USA's uniqueness and exclusivity. That is very naive and under assessed.

The Middle East is a powder keg on even the best of days because of the lack of acceptance of diversity.

The Assad regime has, (click here) until now, refused to allow United Nations humanitarian assistance to flow through border crossings it does not control, something members of this Security Council address with this resolution.

Today, aid workers are kidnapped by IS/IS/L and brutally killed. It may be the only way to safely provide humanitarian aid is by helicopter. The idea helicopters would be successful without being downed is naive. So, the safest statement is that Syria is facing famine and death of citizens due to it's chaos and anarchy.

The USA has to be very careful as does NATO when the political rhetoric is backing Sunni forces in Syria. The reason there is a civil war is because Assad is Shi'ite. When the USA backs rebels of any vernacular in Syria it has to also protect the people within Syria that are Shi'ite. Their status will be tentative if they are not included in concern by The West.

Those that want to build a nuclear power plant are accusing the Green Party of unpatriotic demands for alternative energy sources.

Niinistö: Finland giving Russians leverage (click here)

On Wednesday Niinistö told the Financial Times that building a new nuclear reactor with Rosatom, the contractor selected to deliver the Fennovoima plant, would increase Finland’s energy dependency on Russia. Rosatom currently owns some 34 percent of the plant.

“There is a sense of Finlandisation here. We are giving the Russians the very leverage they are looking for with the west and the EU. This puts us into a very vulnerable position . . . Bluntly speaking, it is totally bewildering that the rest of the government thinks this is OK,” he added.

On Yle’s A-Studio discussion programme Wednesday evening, veteran politicians Mauri Pekkarinen of the Centre Party, Pertti Salolainen of the National Coalition and the Social Democrats’ Jouni Backman unanimously roasted Niinistö for the comments, calling them “less than patriotic”.

Minister Vapaavuori also weighed in Thursday, condemning the Green chair’s statements as ”low” and  “below the belt”.

“It’s very confusing to talk about Finlandisation and these kinds of things when we consider that for example that I myself have long been a staunch supporter of NATO membership,” Vapaavuori added....

September 9, 2014
...The head of the Green league, (click here) who walked his party out of government on Thursday in opposition to a proposed new nuclear reactor, told Yle’s breakfast show that his party should have left cabinet in 2010, when an agreement-in-principle was reached over the construction of a plant in Pyhäjoki, western Finland....

Now, Putin is leading the Russian people down the path of war. I'm worried this is more than simply preparedness.

Russia has been creating a war threat from The West for at least the past year. There is the Russian Speaking People thing, the registration dual citizens and now there is the idea Russia is under threat for attack. I worry about Russia's potential for being stupid about war, but, I worry more about the people of Russia and the potential for human rights violations.

September 19, 2014

...The measure (click here) is aimed at strengthening the Russian segment of the World Wide Web (Runet).  A special internet administration could be put in place to be able to cut off Russia from the global network in order to avert any breaches in its work in the event of an “unfriendly attack”.

That is not about being permanently cut off , the providers say, but how the equipment could be aligned, so that it could be rapidly shut down in the event of an emergency situation..

Such emergency situations would include any military activities against the country or any serious mass protests within the country, says one of the newspaper’s sources. He gave Egypt as an example, which cut off the internet and cellular phone communication during its mass disturbances in 2011.

The second issue to be discussed is the policy of shifting responsibility for the administration of domains to the state from its current administrator, which is currently a public organization: “The Coordination Center for TLD RU, RF (top national domains)”.

The purpose of this move is to protect the Russian Internet from being forcibly isolated by the US, in the event that Washington wants to cut Russia from the IP-address system.

Presidential press-secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the meeting of the Security Council is scheduled for Monday, September 22. However he did not specify what issues are set to be discussed, as part of the agenda of similar meetings has, as a rule, been closed to the public....

If any group of Russians have the potential to carry dual citizens it would be the oligarchs.

March 31, 2014

Lawmakers (click here) have prepared two bills that forbid senior state officials having dual citizenship and make it a criminal offence to conceal one.

State Duma deputy Aleksey Kazakov of the Fair Russia caucus submitted the bill banning foreign citizenship for “all officials whose position allows making decisions considering Russia’s sovereignty and national security”, their spouses and underage children. They would also be banned from possessing permanent residence permits in foreign countries or any documents allowing permanent residence.

On the same day MP Sergey Ivanov of the nationalist party LDPR submitted a bill which makes any Russian criminally responsible for concealing their foreign citizenship.

When presenting his draft Ivanov said that the constitutional right to obtain foreign citizenship without rejecting the Russian one will remain. Life will become more difficult only for those Russians who face certain restrictions concerning foreign citizenship – mainly those who work in secret spheres but also those who run for various political posts....

Some of the people most capable of running for office in Russia, is the wealthy. Not that, but, when language such as "work in secret spheres" is introduced to the Russian paranoia about the larger world, it provides a platform to arrest anyone that can be labeled with such interests. There is every reason to believe Russia politics will become danger in the near future.

...Another move was the law that obliged all non-government organizations that received foreign sponsorship and were engaged in political projects to register as foreign agents....