Politics — GuardiansPress

Anti-Putin Protest Makes A Splash

February 5, 2012 by admin ·

Tens of thousands of Muscovites endured icy temperatures of around minus 20 degrees to attend a protest march against Vladimir Putin yesterday.

A month before the Russian Prime Minister stands for re-election as president to the Kremlin, the first major rally since the New Year showed that the anti-government protests which began after parliamentary elections in early December are not just going to go away.

After the march yesterday, a number of opposition leaders addressed the crowds from the stage. One ripped up a portrait of Mr Putin to loud cheers, while others demanded new, free elections. “Russia without Putin,” the crowd chanted repeatedly. The organisers claimed 120,000 people had attended. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Foreign Policy, Government, Politics ·

US Warns Iran Over Blocking Oil Strait: Report

January 13, 2012 by admin ·

The United States has used a secret channel to warn Iran’s leaders against closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz, saying that doing so would provoke a US response, the New York Times reported.

Iran has threatened to close the narrow and strategic waterway — a chokepoint for one fifth of the world’s traded oil — in the event of a military strike or the severe tightening of international sanctions.

The New York Times, citing unnamed US officials, said late Thursday that the White House has communicated to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that closing the strait would be a “red line” and provoke a response. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Foreign Policy, Politics ·

Anti-Putin Protests Draw Tens Of Thousands

December 26, 2011 by admin ·

Tens of thousands of Russians jammed a Moscow avenue Saturday to demand free elections and an end to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s 12-year rule, in the largest show of public outrage since the protests 20 years ago that brought down the Soviet Union. Gone was the political apathy of recent years as many shouted “We are the Power!”

The demonstration, bigger and better organized than a similar one two weeks ago, and smaller rallies across the country encouraged opposition leaders hoping to sustain a protest movement ignited by a fraud-tainted parliamentary election on Dec. 4.

The enthusiasm also cheered Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader who closed down the Soviet Union on Dec. 25, 1991. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Foreign Policy, People, Politics ·

New Government Approved In Tunisia

December 25, 2011 by admin ·

Tunisia’s constituent assembly approves country’s new government after first elections since January revolution.

The creation of a new government heralds a new era in Tunisian history [Reuters]

Tunisia’s constituent assembly has overwhelmingly approved the country’s new government, two months after the first free elections since its January revolution.

The creation of a new government on Friday is a major milestone for Tunisia following the popular revolt against Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, who had been in power for 23 years that began in December 2010. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Government, Politics ·

What Does Russia Really Think About Vladimir Putin?

December 18, 2011 by admin ·

He was a mousy-haired, somewhat balding bureaucrat with a sinister but uninspiring KGB past, a reticence in public that made him appear slightly uncomfortable in his own skin, and an immediately forgettable face.

The fifth man in quick succession to be shoehorned into the job by an ageing, drunk president with a single-figure approval rating, there seemed every reason to dismiss Russia’s newly appointed prime minister as another stop-gap measure. But the grey blur that Russians saw being interviewed for the first time on television in August 1999, most of them for the first time, would become one of the most important statesmen in their country’s history. His demeanour would transition from awkward catatonia to the man who always has a wisecrack ready; from a greyish technocrat to a charismatic superman. It’s a truism of modern politics that “you either have it or you don’t”. Vladimir Putin is the man who somehow managed to grow into it. [Read more...]

Filed Under: People, Politics ·

The All-Out Hypocrisy Of The Arab League And The West

November 26, 2011 by admin ·

After the Arab League hypocritically suspended the membership of Syria amid the mounting pressures of NATO and the United States, the resurgence of violence in Egypt and the increasing use of excessive force in Bahrain and Yemen and the unrelenting massacre of innocent civilians by the barbaric regime of Al Khalifa and Ali Abdullah Saleh once again attracted the attention of conscientious observers in the international community.

According to official figures released by the “Bahrain Center for Human Rights” website, so far 44 Bahraini citizens were killed at the hands of the mercenaries of the Al Khalifa regime. The Bahraini martyrs include the 6-year-old Mohammed Farhan, 14-year-old Ali Jawad Alshaikh and 15-year-old Sayed Ahmad Saeed Shams. The Bahraini organization has reported that many of these martyrs were killed while in custody. The Center has also published documents indicating that more than 1,500 Bahrainis including about 100 women were incarcerated since the eruption of turmoil in the Persian Gulf country on February 14, 2011 and that more that 90 journalists have faced threats to their life. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Foreign Policy, Politics ·

The Roads To War And Economic Collapse

November 24, 2011 by admin ·

The day before the Thanksgiving holiday brought three extraordinary news items. One was the report on the Republican presidential campaign debate. One was the Russian President’s statement about his country’s response to Washington’s missile bases surrounding his country. And one was the failure of a German government bond auction.

As the presstitute media will not inform us of what any of this means, let me try.

With the exception of Ron Paul, the only candidate in either party qualified to be the president of the US, the rest of the Republican candidates are even worst than Obama, a president who had the country behind him but sold out the American people to the special interests. [Read more...]