On Oct. 7, intrepid Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, 48, mother of two children, was assassinated in her home in Moscow.
The international community doesn't seem to care much. At http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5416238.stm, you can read the too short and cold (to my opinion) BBC obituary. Bulgarian media covered her life and death in more detail. Below, I'm translating from the Netinfo page http://netinfo.bg/?tid=40&oid=946991. The photo is also from there; it was originally published by her newspaper "Novaya gazeta".
"Anna Politkovskaya, called "The victims' voice", is known worldwide mainly for her uncompromising publications about the war in Chechnya and North Caucasia and her criticism of President Vladimir Putin's policies... She received many death threats... Her colleagues from "Novaya gazeta" wrote that it was absolutely impossible for her to be intimidated or bribed into silence... Since 1999, she has visited many times war zones and refugee camps in Dagestan, Ingushetia and Chechnya. She wrote the documentary book Journey to Hell: A Chechen Diary... Her fiercely critical book isn't accessible to the Russian readers... She told the British Independent newspaper that on Sept. 1, 2004 she contacted Chechen rebels and persuaded thom to allow Aslan Mashadov... to go to Beslan and convince the terrorists to free the children they had taken as hostages. Then she went to Beslan to secure a pass for Mashadov... But during the flight she had a cup of tea and so was poisoned..."
Putin and his gang prefered to let all hostages die rather than allow any opposition figure help them and so get some credit. Anna Politkovskaya, on the contrary, could never accept the murder of innocents. Neither the innocent hostages nor the innocent Chechens. Such a person in Russia apparently is not entitled to a natural death.
5 comments:
Thanks, Maya. They have been covering this on US News but not in much depth.
Non-Blogging,
This should finally open the hypocritcal Western political and business leaders' eyes to the grim reality of contemporary Russia
I have no idea how other western countries view Russia these days, but the US no longer views Russia as a friend or an ally. Some 5 or 6 years ago, maybe. But a lot has happened since then. Distant neutrality, at best, would be a better characterization. And, as such, the US has very little to say about anything happening in Russia. We can only out pressure on people who care what our policy and our public opinion is. The Russians don't.
Thank you for the comments.
I'll be glad if the US administration stops regarding Russia as an ally or even a power to be taken into account and treats it as what it is - a rogue failed state. Indeed, it has a nuclear arsenal, but as we see what countries become nuclear these days, it is clear this should no longer be a reason for respect.
I doubt that other Western countries will follow the lead - the Europeans are too dependent on the Russian oil.
I am sorry for the great culture that still brings up great people like Politkovskaya, but I cannot imagine Russia becoming a normal country.
Non-Blogging, I am saddened but not much surprised by the ugly nonsense written by the Chechen rebels. I remember a chilling interview with Shamil Basaev in which he said the war was in fact good for the Chechens. He said that the Chechen children, being constantly and mercilessly attacked, have no opportunity to think about movies, rock'n'roll and pretty clothes as would be if they were living in peace. Instead, they were growing with the true (read: Islamist) values to become perfect fighters.
So there seems to be some unholy alliance between the Russian perpetrators of the genocide and the Chechen extremists. If the Russians had some understanding of democracy or at least common sense, they would have let the Chechens, with their alien culture, to secede many years ago. Then Chechnya possibly could become a decent contry like Bosnia. Now, even if it is released immediately, it is more likely to resemble Gaza. And the Russians are to blame for this.
Allah yer7amhe :(
May God bless her soul! To save the innocent is to love amid war and carnage.
Let's hope it was not all in vain.
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