Windows to Russia

In a peculiar aside, Putin also mentioned a 2008 demonstration in which jailed Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and husband Pyotr Verzilov had public sex alongside several other couples in a museum to protest former President Dmitry Medvedev’s inauguration.

“You know some fans of group sex say it’s better than one-on-one because, like in any team, you don’t need to hit the ball all the time,” Putin said…

Putin talks about Pussy Riot and their long time escapades…

Windows to Russia…

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed his most controversial policies in a whirlwind interview with the RT television news network on Thursday, defending what his critics say is his crackdown on dissent, repeating the Kremlin’s warnings against foreign intervention in Syria, and engaging foreign rivals over contested issues.

In his first full-length interview since his inauguration in May, Putin appeared to fit the carefully-crafted image of a cool and confident leader with an answer for everything as he settles further into his third term as president amid global and domestic criticism.

From denying involvement in the case against members of the punk group Pussy Riot, who were jailed for two years last month over their raucous “punk prayer” in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral last February, to rebuffing criticism from abroad over the Kremlin’s foreign policy, the president commented on nearly every issue that has landed Russia in international headlines in recent months.

‘Clampdown’ Means Order

He justified what critics have said is a clampdown on dissent as a necessary move to maintain order in Russia and praised what he says are democratic reforms he introduced in the wake of mass protests against his rule.

“We should clarify what we’re talking about,” he said. “If we understand [the term ‘clampdown’] as a simple requirement that everyone, including the opposition, complies with Russian law, then this requirement will be consistently enforced.”

Putin also invoked the mass riots that erupted in the U.K. last August, apparently comparing them to the anti-Kremlin opposition movement that emerged after last December’s parliamentary elections.

“A lot of people were injured and lot of property damaged. Is it better to let things deteriorate to that state and then spend a year tracking down people and locking them up?” he said. “I think it’s best not to let things go this far.”

The former KGB officer added that he played no part in the two-year sentences for the Pussy Riot members and denied commenting on the severity of their punishment or the methods of the court, which had been accused of rushing through the case.

Instead, he reaffirmed Pussy Riot critics’ allegations that the group’s performance offended many Russians, and even offered a peculiar criticism of a 2008 demonstration in which jailed Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and husband Pyotr Verzilov had public sex alongside several other couples in a museum to protest former President Dmitry Medvedev’s inauguration.

“Some fans of group sex say it’s better than one-on-one because, like in any team sport, you can slack off,” he said.

Defending Reforms

By way of defense, Putin trumpeted as successful moves which, at best, have raised suspicions about the Kremlin’s intentions and, at worst, have further consolidated criticism of his regime from several fronts.

He pointed to the return earlier this year of gubernatorial elections, which had been canceled in 2004, as well as his role in several bills introduced after his inauguration that he says have opened up the political playing field.

“These specific steps will pave the way for a more democratic Russia, and it’s true both for its people and its state,” he said.

An election law passed earlier this year was aimed at easing the party registration process and was widely seen as the Kremlin’s concession to the street protests. Critics, however, have said the law is designed to effectively splinter the opposition into a multitude of uncompetitive parties.

The president also drew heavy criticism over a recent law which requires NGOs receiving funding from abroad to be registered as “foreign agents,” as well as another critics have alleged is aimed at restricting the Internet.

The State Duma, he added, is considering a new system by which public initiatives would be submitted through the Web and moved to parliament as draft bills if they receive 100,000 votes or more.

We seek to make our society more advanced and more democratic and we intend to be consistent in following this path,” he said.

Foes Abroad

Putin denied any political motivations behind the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a finance lawyer who died in pre-trial detention in 2009 while investigating alleged official tax fraud.

“What I want to emphasize is that there is absolutely no political context to this case,” he said. “It is a tragedy, but it only has to do with crime and legal procedure, not politics – not more than that.”

Putin added that the visa blacklist drafted by U.S. lawmakers and allegedly introduced by the U.K., which denies entry to Russian officials suspected of human rights abuses, is politically motivated.

“There are people who need an enemy, they are looking for an opponent to fight against,” he said. “Do you know how many people die while in prison in those countries which have condemned Russia?

When questioned about Julian Assange, the controversial founder of WikiLeaks currently holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London as he fights extradition to Sweden over sex charges, the president used the opportunity to criticize Britain for harboring a number of high-profile Kremlin critics, such as vehement Putin critic Boris Berezovsky and former Chechen separatist Akhmed Zakayev.

“Britain happens to be harboring certain individuals who have blood on their hands,” Putin said, before accusing London of a “double standard” over Assange.

Syrian Deadlock

On Syria, an issue which has long remained a thorny issue in U.S.-Russian relations, Putin warned that perceived Western support for anti-regime fighters could backfire.

“Today some want to use militants from Al Qaeda or some other organizations with equally radical views to accomplish their goals in Syria,” he said. “This policy is very short-sighted and is fraught with dire consequences.”

He compared alleged Western funding of radical Islamic militants to help topple Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad’s regime with U.S. support for Afghan rebels after the Soviet Union’s 1979 invasion of its Central Asia neighbor.

In his trademark combative tone, Putin also railed against Western criticism over Russia’s failure to back UN sanctions against Assad and offered little hope Moscow would change its stance in the future.

“How come Russia is the only one who’s expected to revise its stance? Don’t you think our counterparts in negotiations ought to revise theirs as well?” he said. “Because if we look back at the events in the past few years, we’ll see that quite a few of our counterparts’ initiatives have not played out the way they were intended to.”

Cold War Rivalry

In remarks aimed at the United States, however, Putin appeared open to continued talks with Washington over the hotly contested U.S. missile defense shield to be built in Europe – but that President Barack Obama is hampered by a slew of conservatives.

“My feeling is that he is a sincere man and that he sincerely wants to implement positive change. But can he do it – will they let him do it?” Putin said. “There is… the military lobby, and the Department of State, which is quite conservative.”

Washington has repeatedly said the shield is aimed at preventing an attack from the Middle East, but Moscow stands by its suspicion that it could be used against Russia.

Yet Putin also expressed concerns about U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who on the campaign trail has taken a markedly aggressive tone against Russia and Obama’s “reset” policy, should he be elected in November.

“When we talk about the missile defense system, our American partners keep telling us, ‘This is not directed against you,’” he said. “But what happens if Mr. Romney, who believes us to be America’s number one foe, is elected as president of the United States?”

Windows to Russia…

I have always marveled at the abilities that spiders have to weave a web and never a web the same. Webs are unique to that spider and it is special to me also. So when I found a web that a spider had been busy all night with and the morning dew coated it. I just had to try to get a picture…

While walking in the big village, I came across a government building, obviously built during the Soviet era…

So I snapped a picture of Lenin and Marx on the front of the building. The images are mosaic and they are being well cared for…

I always get a strange feeling when I see things like this on buildings n Russia. My past conditioning’s are still underlined inside my system and my curiosity about the Soviet Union comes to the surface when I take pictures of things from the past…

Take it how you want and deny all you want, but this is rural Russia! Just as the picture below is very very rural Russia. WWII is not forgotten in Russia…

Every little village that I come across has some reference to WWII! Most of these monuments are well kept for and the people are proud of their monuments!

Just a little tidbit of Russia in photos today. The real Russia…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

The past week has been interesting. The Russian news is debating should Russia turn to the East and make the East its real home or should Russia keep trying to work with the lying deceiving West….

It has even gotten to the point that Lavrov has had to express that Russia works with both sides and wants a balance between the two…

Well good or bad, here is my thoughts on this…

Balance: Won’t happen! The West does not like competitors and like a jealous friend, life is hell when you try to befriend others… (Apply this thinking to anything from war to the American dollar…)

West: Truth, justice, trust and loyalty have become a lost words in the West…

East: Truth, justice, trust and loyalty still have meaning and bearing…

Russia: Russia is a country that looks at America and wants what that idea is, that America is suspose to be. Russians believe in America better than any American believes in America, anymore. That rose colored glasses approach is ending in Russia though. Hence we have such a mess on whether Russia should follow East or West…

My thoughts to the Kremlin and Washington DC: Russia is at a cusp and America with her undermining, has pushed the Russian mentality from pro American (West) to pro Eastern.  There is just so many times that America can stir the pot, before the veggies turn to mush…

East is the direction that Russia is headed and America has only herself to blame, as Russians love America with a passion and dream that Russia will be like the dreams they have of America…

It is sad that America has turned those dreams into nightmares all over the world…

Posted by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

I always smile when I read about an American, whether on a forum, blog, in the news or just plain spouting at the mouth. Says that, “They (world) hates us for our freedoms!”

For some reason Americans have gotten in their minds that the world, especially the Mid East, hates us because we (America) is so free and wonderful, that well they simply hate us…

So as I read another article about how the world hates America for her freedoms. I realize that it is just propaganda to satiate, simple minds within the borders of America…

Yes the world at times hates us, but it has nothing to do with freedoms and liberty…

It has to do with the fact we stick our nose into the business of other countries and we force other countries to bend to our wishes. We steal resources and we steal other countries freedoms and liberties. We destroy other countries for our own benefit…

All the while we use this smoke screen of war as a cover up to strip the same from our own people. So while we dance with the stars and live out the reality shows. Our freedoms and liberties are being flushed down the great toilet, called the USA government, everyday…

To be honest, as I sit here writing this article in Russia! It is you (me) the Americans who should be. “Hating the rest of the world for their freedoms and liberties…”

Hey a thought came to me…

Maybe that is why we are at war with the world all the time. Maybe we hate the worlds freedoms and liberties…

Just a thought…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

One of my favorite things to do in the village trips is to go to the big market that takes over the the Big Village (Sarai) nearby…

So Sveta and I got up early on Sunday and made a trip into the big village…

It was like Xmas for me. I got socks, jeans and other things. I try to restock clothes items at the village market. It is the best place to buy clothes…

Most of the items at the village market is from Belarus and Russian made factories. I find a good splattering of items made in Turkey also. Very little Chinese made items. Russians in the rural areas are very anti-Chinese made and I think that I found one table of Chinese made things…

Since it is back to school time, they also had huge tables of school supplies and such…

Oh the picture above has a bunch of shoes in it on the left side, those are from Belarus. Belarus seems to have a strong foot hold in Russia selling shoes. They make good shoes and we are happy with the quality…

So after about three hours of Big Village shopping we went back to our tiny little village nested by the river…

Kyle and Sveta
Windows to Russia…

Despite the West’s deliberate inattention to and willful disregard for Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Tehran, there is no denying the fact that the summit has occasioned extreme chagrin in Washington and Israel and that dialog among civilizations in achieving global peace is still a powerful feasibility.

Just a day prior to the inauguration of the NAM summit, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his typical cynicism and slammed the attendance of high-profile representatives from more than 120 countries at the summit, saying it was “a stain on humanity.” The cause of Netanyahu’s desperate anger is, however, quite perceptible.

The 16th NAM Summit which was officially wrapped up in Tehran on Friday concluded a resolution including over 700 clauses. The final resolution which was read out by Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad expressed support for Iran’s nuclear energy program, rejected the US unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic, and called for greater efforts to champion the Palestinian cause and stop racial discrimination across the world.

The NAM summit addressed a number of thorny issues which the West misrepresents such as Iran’s nuclear energy program or underrates such as the Palestinian issue and the unauthorized US drone attacks which have so far claimed the lives of many civilians in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen.

As an opportunity for the attendees to voice their grievances which have already gripped their nations by the neck, Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar expressed her country’s concern over the illegal drone attacks in Pakistan and urged Washington to immediately put an end to their killing machine in Pakistan.

“You see Pakistan’s position is clear today and has been clear in the past. Our position is that this is something which is counter-productive. It is unlawful. It is illegal, and therefore they must cease. This is what the parliament of Pakistan has clearly said,” Rabbani Khar said on Wednesday.

However, central to the summit was a pithy speech delivered by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in which he clearly reiterated the official stance of the Islamic Republic on some key issues including nuclear weapons and clarified that Iran has never sought to produce nuclear weapons, will never tread on such a horrendous path and that the pursuance, use and production of such weapons is an unforgivable sin. His deep analysis of Washington’s paradoxical policy deserves due attention. Pointing to “a bitter irony of our era”, Ayatollah Khamenei reinforced the fact that the US government “possesses the largest and deadliest stockpiles of nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction and the only country guilty of its use, is today eager to carry the banner of opposition to nuclear proliferation” and that the same regime has armed the usurping Zionist regime with nuclear weapons and created a major threat for this sensitive region.”

In fact, Washington and Tel Aviv are playing in the hands of the devil in their efforts to divide nations and colonize their countries by creating ‘global enemies’ and ruthlessly mobilizing others against them.

In this regard, the NAM Summit can play a vital role in diverting the destructive role of the US government and other bullying powers in pushing ahead with their globalist agendas to a constructive role under the aegis of the NAM members. In countering the effects of a summit of such substantial significance, western media blacked out on truth and refrained from reporting the facts which in one way or another showed their hidden agenda. The media blackout in the West concerning the Summit in Tehran is well tantamount to the blackout of truth and faith, a morbid sign which clearly indicates why global efforts in achieving peace and harmony are eventually pushed into the abyss of failure. In order to shatter the stranglehold of media mafia, head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Ezzatollah Zarghami has suggested the Non-Aligned Movement set up an alternative media bloc. Such an initiative is indeed commendable and is to be considered an efficacious means to counterbalance the media blind bias.

With full conviction, one can sadly say that there are sabotaging hands at work to thwart efforts in striving for global peace in the light of a united leadership. What actually should top the NAM summit in future is to formulate an effective approach in resolving global crisis and struggle to attain an international consensus to reduce Washington’s political influence and self-acclaimed dictatorial leadership. It is time the US stopped playing the guru, and thinking and making decisions for other countries. As a first step, the NAM member states should make efforts to liberate the UN Security Council from its servile captivity to the US and its allies.

A new world order is taking shape. In this new world order, imperialism starts to vanish and the idea of mounting military expeditions under the banner of combating terrorism or dictating western democracy soon evaporates. This idea may be a far cry from the reality but it is not an impossibility. It can be turned into a reality thanks to the power issuing from the collective efforts of all nations. This is exactly what the US-led West fears most and what the world needs most: a united nations will to fly in the face of the wrong and second the right.

Dr. Ismail Salami is an Iranian journalist, political analyst and chief editor of Press TV website. His articles have been published on line in numerous publications.

Windows to Russia…