Blogging the democratic revolution
The Kyiv Post is reporting that one of Yushchenko’s main reforms needs to be of the post-KGB security agency, the SBU. (AP) – One of the toughest tasks facing Viktor Yushchenko as Ukraine’s new president likely will be overhauling the State Security Service, the KGB successor agency alleged to have been involved in an array…
Eurasianet has another article called Nipping orange roses in the bud — post-Soviet elites against revolution. This comes as no surprise, because they are understandably running scared. But by making drastic decisions, however, they are creating an unsustainable environment for their own rule. You know how they say, “Keep your friends close, but keep your…
Well, it looks like those protests going on in Donetsk are coming to an end after the Supreme Court declared Yushchenko the winner. Today the superintendent of the camp, Ivan Batytskyj, said: ???????We are moving off. We received an order???????. According to his words, during the day the tents are to be removed. It was…
The Belmont Club has an excellent thusfar three-part piece called “The Lost Elections.” Here is part one, part 2, and part 3. The title sounds negative, but they are very positive pieces. Check’em out.
Ukrainian politician Stepan Gavrish made a bet with another politician for a train car of cognac. The bet was over whether the people would vote in favor of change and reform this election round, and Stepan apparently won. I’m not sure how authentic this website is, because this guy was Yanukovich’s representative to the Central…
I was emailed by abdymok this morning with an article of his that clears up the article written by the New York Times about how the Ukraine secret police stopped the government from attacking the protesters. Stanislav Reutsky doesn????????t write spy novels for a living. But to hear the story of the 15-year veteran journalist????????s…
Siberian Light has a rather impressive news roundup for this week in Russia. I count thirty items, ranging from domestic, business, foriegn relations, the CIS, and a little something extra that includes call girls and Putin all in the same sentence.
According to the Financial Times, the UN will not oversee elections in Iraq. The UN says it cannot observe the January 30 poll because it played a role in setting up the elections, and no other international organisation has stepped in to offer assistance. The absence of international monitoring could undermine confidence in the results…
This really doesn’t come as a surprise anymore. WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Vice President Dick Cheney said on Thursday that Iran was at the top of the administration’s list of world trouble spots and expressed concern that Israel “might well decide to act first” to eliminate any nuclear threat from Tehran. Israel might act first? I’d…
Well, John Hawkins at Right Wing News is doing a list of his Top 40, so I thought I’d throw my hat in. Except I’ll do 20, because 40 is simply too much, and my favorites tend to already be on the blogroll. In any case though, I ranked these based on the fervor at…
Read the entire post. Bookmarked.
I just ran across the most bizarre article asking that very question. And while I have been given the impression that Tymoshenko is a very ambitious woman, perhaps a tad much, this piece lacks so much substance, is written with so much bias, and contains no verifiable quotes that I wouldn’t put it on a…
The Drudge Report is reporting (hence the name) that British newspapers are seizing on mocking President Bush’s promise to fight tyranny. The TELEGRAPH slapped: “DEFIANT BUSH DOESN’T MENTION THE WAR, President George W Bush began his second term in unapologetic style yesterday, pledging to maintain his muscular foreign policy and spread freedom “to the darkest…
The Argus has a huge roundup of news from all over Central Asia.
Here’s a roundup from the Ukrainian blogosphere, some reactions to the very good news! Scott Clark from Foreign Notes talks about the terrible behavior of Yanukovich’s lawyers. Members of the Supreme are purported to have been infuriated at the arguments made by Yanukovych’s attorneys. Apparently, the arguments were more heat and heated than logical or…
Hossein Derakhshan from “Editor: Myself,” and a guy I respect very much, has posted his concerns over if Bush is referring to invading Iran in his inauguration speech. But, as an Iranian, I have to say who doesn’t like peace and freedom? But what Bush has brought Iraq is not — and will probably not…
David McDuff from A Step At A Time has found a huge synopsium on the situation in Chechnya.
The other day, Condoleeza Rice told the Senate Foreign Relations Commitee about her concerns with Russia… “(The Russian government) is quite constructive in many areas … but that doesn’t excuse what is happening inside Russia, where the concentration of power in the Kremlin to the detriment of other institutions is a real problem,” she told…
Here is some interesting commentary I came across via Right Wing News. Senator John Kyl is calling on action against Syria and Iran because of their heedless attempts to reinforce terrorism around Israel and Palestine. Some have called on President Bush to “seize the moment,” and quickly broker some kind of a deal. But a…
I was at the school today, and regretfully missed President Bush’s 2nd inauguration speech, but it was everything that I predicted. If you haven’t already, read my longer-than-normal post called The new war for the new term, in which I predicted that America’s new struggle would be ending tyranny. WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush sought…
Ali from Free Iraqi made a post over a week ago with his thoughts on if Islam is compatible with democracy; or any religion for that matter. To begin with I must say I have a problem with the question itself and to clarify this problem in short, I’ll instead ask this question: Is Christianity…
Veronica Khkhlova from Neeka’s Backlog has posted an incredibly detailed post describing why the N.Y. Times article about the Orange Revolution and the secret police was probably a big fake. She posts the recent interview with Mykola Melnychenko as well as many historical accounts of the events surrounding his flee to the U.S. What I…
Scott Clark has posted an article dealing with the challenge of the Tatar separatist movement from Ukraine. He also comments and relates some personal experience with the area.
John at Crossroads Arabia posted an interesting article in which Mecca’s top clericgave a sermon denouncing Muslim militants as being “lured by the devil.” That is a good sign.
Daniel Storobin from Global Politician is pondering the possiblity of a U.S. invasion of Iran and Syria. Now let’s pick it apart, because I only agree with him to a point, at which point some things stop being considered. Some reports also suggested that Iraq was chosen as the second step in the War on…