1. Russian press unveils letter to Medvedev from dismissed Moscow mayor - Ria Novosti "You need a different Moscow mayor, who can be your own. Luzhkov is independent and inconvenient," the letter, which is believed to be authentic, says.
"It is necessary to start preparing for the big elections early and appoint another [mayor]. That is clear," Luzhkov continues, presumably alluding to the 2012 presidential elections in which Medvedev is expected to face off against his long-time mentor Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has hinted he is going to make a bid to return to the presidency.
11:33 29/09/2010 © RIA Novosti. Mikhail Fomichev
While the Luzhkov saga was picking up a hit on internal political stage, the RT channel attracted a sensationalized attention to its newsfeed by quoting Daniel Estulin in his claims that the US was busy building bases in Afghanistan, essentially pointed against Russia.
There is no evidence presented by Mr. Estulin, whose famous coverage of the highly secretive Bilderberg Group has brought him fame amongst anti-globalists. While he has factual evidence to back his Bilderberg Group analyses, the evidence on US' Afghan bases being aimed at Russia is scarce, to say the least (or rather addressed to sources that cannot be named). A famed conspirologist, Mr. Estulin nevertheless lacks in logical explanations as to why would the US go ahead with such a project if this August the US has given a green light to the arms delivery of weapons by Russia to Afghanistan. And if we are to draw any theories in this case, we could get a far more fascinating picture far from conspiracy. During the weather crises, Russian wheat growth has been greatly compromised to an extent that the usual delivery of wheat to countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America cannot be performed by Russia solely.
Russia plans to keep its wheat reserves for the internal market, whereas the US promptly suggested to cover for Russia at necessary wheat quota levels. Hence, while Russia allowed partial access of the US to its wheat market, the US reimbursed the gesture by giving Russia a partial access to Afghanistan. This has been going on by a measure of fact, backed by the pack of bilateral agreements signed between the US-Russia presidents' summit. Yes, there have been accusations from home to home leaders but the fact remains the two are currently more on a cooperation mode than confrontation. All in all, the style of RT reporting calls for a great fiction suspense for than news channel reporting.
2. “US is building secret bases in Afghanistan for war against Russia” – journalist - RT -
Investigative journalist Daniel Estulin, who has made it his mission to uncover the secrets of the Bilderberg Group, has shared some of his revelations with RT.
The Bilderberg Group is one of the most secretive and exclusive clubs that attracts some of the world's most powerful people.
Its meetings are invitation only and take place under tight security, away from the prying eyes of the public and the press.
Critics of the organization, including Estulin, claim they are deciding international policy in a way that is far removed from democracy.
“In Russia you have democracy so it is much easier to infiltrate certain organizations as in the 1990s in an operation called Barbarossa-2. They used the NGOs, the American Aid, the International Monetary Fund, the George Soros Organization to try and actually infiltrate and destroy Russian society from within. Today, the US government is building 13 secret bases in Afghanistan for the forward push to an eventual war against Russia,” Estulin told RT.
Watch the video report at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPLAOtf6t_4
To prove our case further, here's another fresh-from-the-oven news on a rare collaboration effort between the two "foes".
3. Russia bans Iran missile delivery - Al Jazeera - "Citing UN sanctions, Russia has cancelled a planned sale of advanced missiles to Iran. Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, has issued a decree prohibiting the delivery of S-300 air defence missile systems and other weapons to Iran.
Reuters news agency reports that the presidential decree, issued on Wednesday, brings trade rules for Russia and its companies into line with the sanctions, pleasing the United States and other Western nations that are deeply worried about Iran's military capability.
"What's interesting about this order is that it not only bans the sale of surface-to-air S-300 missiles, it also bans other weapons system," Alexander Nekrassov, former adviser to the Kremlin, told Al Jazeera.
He added that the decree also bans senior Iranian officials "who are somehow linked to the nuclear programme" from visiting Russia."
Iran could use surface-to-air missiles to protect its nuclear facilities [AFP]
A big dipomatic achievement indeed, yet partial in nature for Russia still reserves the right to sell similar missiles to Syria - "Iran announced a deal to acquire S-300s from Russia in 2007, and Russia has used it as a lever in its diplomacy with Tehran and the West.
Russia's ties with Israel and the United States have been warming and the Kremlin has expressed growing irritation with Tehran's defiance of efforts to rein in its nuclear programme. Yet Russia angered Israel and caused US concern by saying last week that it would go ahead with a $300 million sale of Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria.
And now, back home again to get further clues on the soap opera evolving due to Luzhkov's sacking. Only available in Russian, the following piece of news reports that due to soon-to-be-formalized charges of corruption, the Vice-Mayor of Moscow Alexander Ryabinin has resigned or rather been pushed to resign (*note: a similar chance of "dignified exit" was provided to Luzhkov, too, yet he'd ignored). Following the dramatic developments of the Luzhkov affair and the clear sign that the Kremlin won't back down on its tournée of corruption cracking (as promised by both Putin and Medvedev administrations), we should expect more of similar resignations... and not just in Moscow.
4. Подследственный вице-мэр Москвы подал в отставку - Lenta.ru - Александр Рябинин возглавлял Контрольный комитет Москвы (Москонтроль). Первое уголовное дело в отношении него было возбуждено в марте. Вскоре оно было закрыто, но в мае было заведено новое. Формально 29 сентября в отставку было отправлено все правительство Москвы. Об этом сообщал «Интерфакс» со ссылкой на источник в близком окружении Ресина. При этом нынешнее правительство продолжает осуществлять свои полномочия до формирования нового состава кабинета, а все члены правительства получили к своим должностям приставку «исполняющий обязанности».
© Rambler
Александр Рябинин. Кадр телеканала «Россия 24»
... And a last one. In an effort to bring and end to conspiracies over the death of Polish president Lech Kaczynski in tragic airplane accident when TU-154 crashed killing the president, his wife and 94 people on board, today the Polish side has announced that it admits in bearing "the bigger share" in the catastrophe. As the Polish National Security Committee is about to issue a final announcement on the accident, the experts have publicized certain cautions to be taken to avoid further accidents, including timely upgrade of Presidential airplane, investment in several airplanes and a passage of law whereby the President and the Prime-Minister of the country as well as the Leaders of the two Houses of the Polish Parliament will be precluded from flying in the same airliner.
5. Польша взяла на себя вину за гибель Качиньского - Utro.ru - "По словам чиновника, причиной падения Ту-154 могли стать более десятка различных факторов. Среди них глава комиссии выделил недочеты в обучении пилотов, недостаточную подготовку воздушного судна к полету и нежелание экипажа следовать установленным правилам. «Попытка пилотов приземлиться в условиях густого тумана была абсолютно иррациональна», — цитируют Клиха польские СМИ.
Image by RIA News
О вине польского правительства в трагедии Ту-154 говорил ранее и экс-кандидат в президенты Польши Ярослав Качиньский. По его мнению, трагедия произошла вследствие того, что правительство решило сэкономить и отказалось закупить для президента новый самолет.
