Russia

By Clarity Staff Reporter • January 4th, 2009

  Israel is facing mounting pressure from many in regards to its incursion into the Gaza. Jordan, Fatah, Turkey and Egypt have all upped the level of rhetoric and outrage at the ground attacks and the increasing number of civilians wounded or killed. But Israel faces a more heady cocktail of diplomatic intervention and posturing [...]

  We have been tracking this story in the Russian State media for a while, but now it appears the story has gone mainstream. Hopefully, the US population will enjoy good times in 2009, as a leading Russian academic and the trainer of future Russian diplomats, predicts civil war and the disintegration of the US by [...]

We have reported recently on the increasing legal and social restrictions that are occurring in a Putin Russia. It seems as those there may well be a cause. The economic crisis is beginning to bite in Russia, and it carries the seeds for major social unrest in a country that was previously riding high [...]

  The Israeli government’s focus seems to be firmly centered on the potential for domestic violence emanating from Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and the worrisome nuclear programs in Iran. While Israel may be focusing on the close to home issues, there is a much more dangerous threat to Israel’s security, and that threat is [...]

We have been following the latest developments in Russia as Putin appears to be returning the country to a dynasty under his control, and subject to his agenda. He has made several amendments to the constitution that seem to be indicative of his broader objectives. He broadened the legal definition of “treason’, and   did away with juries in [...]

Report by Antoun Issa - Daily Clarity Contributor

The Russians have decided to further agitate Israel and the US by supplying one of the most defenseless countries in the world, Lebanon, with a small air force.
Russia will donate Lebanon ten MiG-29s, which is scheduled to be delivered before August 2009 to coincide with the Lebanese [...]

  In yet another step to reduce the rights of Russians to express their opinions without it being a crime, Putin has drafted a new bill which  changes the definition of  ‘treason’ under Russian law. The new definition is so wide it amounts to silencing any voices of dissent  to his policies. This follows on from the act [...]

   The Russian foreign policies towards the Middle East are something akin to a multiple personality disorder. They are on one hand the preachers of peace and reconciliation in the region, while they simultaneously shovel as much advanced weaponry and nuclear technology there as they can. The dualism is to a degree understandable. Russia is [...]

  NATO has been struggling with the logistics of resupply in Afghanistan. its supply route from Pakistan through the Khyber Pass has shown itself vulnerable to attack. Several shipments have been ambushed by Taliban fighters resulting in the loss of vital supplies, including weaponry, ammunition and light armored vehicles. In addition storage depots in Pakistan [...]

In a move that has human rights organizations on high alert, the Russian Parliament passed a Putin-supported bill to do away with juries in crimes involving ‘terrorism, hostage-taking, armed insurrection, sabotage and civil disturbances.’ If this bill passes through the Russian senate, as it is expected to do, this resurrects the legal system first introduced [...]

  The world applauded when 111 nations came together and signed a treaty to prohibit the use of cluster bombs. However, it is the countries that didn’t sign that is the real story. These countries include a who’s who of the major cluster bomb producers, users and stockpilers of these awful weapons of war, that [...]

  President Bush seems to like to portray himself as he strong man of international relations, but he is being seriously upstaged by Russia at the moment. The Russian Navy undertook naval exercises with the Venezuelan fleet, throwing sand in the face of President Bush who sees Venezuela under Chavez as a rogue state. Putin, [...]

If you are not a believer in the beauty of military missile technology, today could be a good day to avoid the news. Firstly, there was more grandstanding from Iran where state media reported the successful launch of a new generation of missile, the Kavosh 2. The world is already concerned about Iran’s alleged [...]

Past actions tend to have a way of catching up with you. In a case of poetic justice today, the US got served notice that its past intelligence errors in relation to Iraq’s supposed weapons of mass destruction, call its current credibility into question. The head inspector of the International Atomic Energy Agency bluntly [...]

  Libya’s leader, Colonel Gaddafi, is currently visiting Moscow to finalize energy and arms deals. This is the first visit by Gaddafi to a post-soviet era Russia. This visit follows on from a Putin trip to Libya in April. Sources are saying that part of the arrangements under discussion include a new Russian Naval base in [...]