Nina Khrushcheva on Putin, Medvedev, and the Russian State

Very interesting interview!

Bombing provides rationale for harsher approach

The New York Times today reports another terrible example of violence in Russia. The bomb blast, which killed at least 20 people, occurred in Nazran, the capital of Ingushetia. The article portrays the bombing as another attack on the administration of Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, the president of the republic. Yevkurov's approach has contrasted sharply with the policies of Ramzan Kadyrov, president of neighboring Chechnya. Kadyrov has become notorious for the human rights abuses that have occurred during his administration.

The writer of the NYT article appears to assume that the blast was a crime of insurgents. Perhaps it was. But I have a deep distrust of Russian security forces. I am still not convinced that the FSB was not connected to the series of blasts in 1999. The bombings preceded the first election of President Putin, who was able to use the violence as a rationale for an increasingly autocratic and repressive regime.

So - this latest bombing in Ingushetia is already being used as a reason for increased repression there. Very convenient.

Shameful scene at funeral shows who holds power in Russia

While Russian President Dmitri Medvedev expressed indignation about the murder of Natalya Estemirova, his outrage has a hollow ring. Actually, I would like to think that he is a decent man, but he does not really control the government. The reins of power - to the extent that they function - are still in the hands of Vladmir Putin.

If there was any doubt about this, the scene yesterday in Grozny should have been sufficient evidence about the real dynamics of the situation. Police broke up the funeral procession for Estemirova - because the mourners did not have a permit! The police, I'm sure, were just following orders from their superiors in the government. It is not in the interest of the thugs running Chechnya to grant a respectful burial ceremony for the murdered human rights activist. After all, while Chechen President Ramzan A. Kadyrov may not have ordered the killing, it certainly could not happen unless the killers knew that they would be shielded by him. And Kadyrov cannot hold his position without the support of Putin.

As the old Russian proverb states: A fish rots from the head. And Putin is still the head of the Russian government, no matter the results of last year's sham election.