Cyprus-Forum.com

[supporttheunderdog]

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A bill to ban Americans from adopting Russian children won preliminary parliamentary approval on Wednesday in a retaliatory gesture for a U.S. law punishing alleged Russian human rights violators.

Despite criticism of the measure by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, pro-Kremlin lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill, and another that would bar Russian non-profit groups which receive funds from the United States.

Only four of 450 deputies in the lower house, the State Duma, opposed the proposals. The bill, expected to pass its final reading on Friday, still needs President Vladimir Putin's signature to become law.

The proposals were added to a bill which would bar entry to Americans who violate the rights of Russians abroad and freeze their assets, mirroring the so-called U.S. Magnitsky Act.

The tit-for-tat feud began when the U.S. Congress approved the trade bill that orders the United States to deny visas to Russian human rights violators. It was drawn up because of concern over the death in a Russian prison of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009. It

Putin backed the original Duma bill but had signaled he wants to limit the spat with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration. The Kremlin says Obama will visit Russia early next year.

KREMLIN WORRIES ABOUT IMPACT

The Kremlin, worried about long-term damage to relations with Washington, distanced itself from the adoption measure on Wednesday, raising doubts about whether Putin will sign off on it.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the lawmakers' initiative as "tough and emotional" and the Kremlin's position as more "restrained".

Nationalist politicians have long viewed foreign adoptions of Russian children as an embarrassment that implies Russia cannot care for its own, but critics of the bill say children should not fall victim to political maneuvering.

Police said they detained 30 protesters for holding an unauthorized demonstration outside the Duma.

Some two dozen protesters stood in the freezing cold heckling deputies as they entered the building. One activist held up before-and-after pictures of a Russian child looking bruised, then happy with his new American parents.

"It deprives children of the possibility to grow up in families of loving parents," protester Natalya Tsymbalova said shortly before she was detained.

"To deprive children of this possibility is mean."

FOREIGN ADOPTIONS

Russia is the third most popular country for U.S. foreign adoptions after China and Ethiopia, according to the U.S. State Department. Last year, 962 orphans were adopted by Americans.

It is a statistic bemoaned by Russian politicians. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Russians should not be adopted abroad - although he did not say whether he supported the bill.

"Foreign adoptions is a sign of ... our indifference," Medvedev said in televised comments on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Lavrov said a complete ban on U.S. adoptions would be wrong and Education Minister Dmitry Livanov criticized the idea on his Twitter micro blog.

Any ban on U.S. adoptions would go back on new rules agreed in July.

NGOS FIGHT FOR LIFE

The Duma also passed a bill that bans foreign-sponsored political non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from working in Russia without registering as foreign agents and to ban people with double citizenships from leading those organizations.

NGOs, however, fight to continue their work in Russia.

"They may take away our registration, seize our office - don't know to whose advantage. But we can continue the work as an unregistered organization," Lyudmila Alexeyeva, head of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), was quoted as saying by Interfax.

UP YOURS PUTIN!

(This story has been corrected in paragraph 3 to say four, not 15, deputies opposed bill)

(Additional reporting by Nastassia Astrasheuskaya and Maria Tsvetkova, Whiting by Alissa de Carbonnel and Nastassia Astrasheuskaya; Editing by Michael Roddy)
.

http://news.yahoo.com/ban-americans-ado ... lv=3?_sr=1

The orphanages are in fact so full because so many children are abandoned, and the losers in this are the Children up for possible adoption, where few Russians adopt, then only young and healthy babies, where as the Americans are adopting in a wider spectrum of ages and health.

[yialousa1971]

Russia to hold major naval drills off Syria coast



A Russian warship (file photo)



Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:17PM GMT

Russia says it is planning to hold a series of major naval drills off the Syrian coast in the Mediterranean as the US and its allies plan to deploy missiles on Syria’s border.


Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that vessels from the country’s Black Sea and Baltic fleets will take part in the exercises, which are set to be held in the eastern Mediterranean.


According to the ministry, the drill will involve anti-submarine, anti-ship and air defense operations. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had earlier said that the naval exercises would be "the biggest in the history of the country."

"A tactical group of Black Sea Fleet warships led by the Moskva cruiser will stage a naval exercise in the eastern Mediterranean," the Ministry said without giving an exact date for the exercises.

Russia has a naval base at Syria's port of Tartus. In August 2012, three Russian warships performed maritime exercises in the Mediterranean.

The upcoming drill comes against a backdrop of tensions between Moscow and the West over Syria. While Russia has repeatedly warned against any military intervention in Syria, Western states have threatened to intervene if necessary.

Russia and the West are also at loggerheads over the deployment of NATO's Patriot missiles along Turkey's border with Syria.

Meanwhile, top US and Russian officials have held talks with the UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi at the UN headquarters in Geneva over the crisis in Syria.

They made no comment as they arrived for the closed-door talks.

HM/HMV/SS

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/01/11 ... ria-coast/

[Svetlana]

While President Assad and his family are living off shore on a Russian warship.

[kurupetos]

While President Assad and his family are living off shore on a Russian warship.

Good luck.

[bigOz]

Hamas is a democratically elected suicide bomb for the Palestinian people.

it's like voting ELAM to liberate Cyprus.

Nothing wrong with that. It's the people's choice that matters.

And the people's choice in Cyprus was... 4,350 votes out of possible what? half a million maybe? Most of the voters are probably the mainland Greek settlers who were allowed in during 1960's and 1970's. Now sit down and behave!

[bigOz]

The latest news is, Russia will be testing its missiles during 10 day of exercises in/around SOUTH CYPRUS waters! NOT anywhere in the area controlled by Turkey between it's coastline and the TRNC waters - which also includes most of the sea outside Syrian waters in the East

Meanwhile the tourist traffic and trade between Turkey and Russia is reaching new peaks! People of Turkey and Russia have no animosity against each other, so let the politicians play their "huffing and puffing" games. There is not a chance in a million that Russian ships will fire a single missile against a joint operation by the Western and Turkish forces to stop the civilian murders currently going on. In fact the latest statement by Erdoğan indicates (to my horror) that he is likely to move the Turkish army in across the border very soon, to end the war. Clearly they are not worried about any Russian presence in the area.

In a speech at Gaziantep (not far from Syrian border) yesterday, Erdoğan in an indirect message to US stated "If some feel they they are justified to intervene in Iraq from tens of thousands of kilometers away, then we who have 910 km border with Syria cannot be spectators to current events and must and will take any action deemed necessary."

I feel the patriots were not against any other nation but as a defence shield against the chemical missiles that can be used by Iraq in response to any Turkish military intervention. Funny he has made this statement only 2-3 days before the actual deployment of the patriots along the border. If I am not mistaken, the world might witness Turkish forces moving in by the end of the month - which I am totally against, on the basis that even if they are successful in ending the war, many Turks will get killed for nothing!

[kurupetos]

Hamas is a democratically elected suicide bomb for the Palestinian people.

it's like voting ELAM to liberate Cyprus.

Nothing wrong with that. It's the people's choice that matters.

And the people's choice in Cyprus was... 4,350 votes out of possible what? half a million maybe? Most of the voters are probably the mainland Greek settlers who were allowed in during 1960's and 1970's. Now sit down and behave!

I will sit you down and behave.

[yialousa1971]

NATO launches radar in Turkey to target Russia, Iran and Syria
Sergei Balmasov ~ 18.01.2012

Turkey has recently launched the early warning radar station - a part of NATO's missile system, which the USA has been building near Russia's borders. The radar station will be controlled from Germany. The station is located in the town of Malatya, which 500 kilometers to the south-east from Ankara and some 700 kilometers from the border with Iran. Turkish and US servicemen will serve at the object.

Turkey agreed to deploy the radar station on its territory in September 2011. Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan stated back then that the deployment of the radar in Turkey would be an important step for the whole region.

The data from the station will be transferred to command posts in the United States and to the ships equipped with AEGIS systems (sea-based missile defense systems). NATO officials stated that the radar station was deployed in Turkey in connection with the growing threat for Iran to use small and medium range missiles in the Middle East.

Several local politicians stood up against the deployments of the elements of NATO's missile defense system in Turkey. They believe that the West would thus get Turkey involved in a possible conflict with Teheran.

Needless to say that Iran was strongly against the deployment of the missile defense system in Turkey. Iranian officials claimed that such a move could only exacerbate tension in the region. Turkish officials responded with saying that the deployment of the missile defense system elements was not aimed against any other country.

The deployment of the radar station raised concerns among other countries of the region indeed. The distance from the station to Syria, for example, is a bit more than 200 kilometers. Syrian President Bashar Assad pays a lot of attention to his missile potential. His generals are certain that hundreds of Syrian short-range missiles would guarantee no aggression against Syria. Syrian officials earlier stated that their country would shower Turkey and Israel with missiles in case of aggression.

Moreover, many Syrian analysts say that the deployment of the radar station in Turkey proves the preservation of the military alliance between Ankara and Tel Aviv. Israel will also be receiving the data from the Turkish radar.

Russia was not thrilled with the news either. NATO invited Russia to take part in the project, but the talks came to a standstill. Russia also tried to obtain legal guarantees saying that the system would not be aimed against her, but the US refused to do it.

NATO's Secretary General Rasmussen set out a hope that the adequate political agreement with Moscow could be achieved before the Russia-NATO summit, which is to take place in Chicago in the spring of the current year. However, chances for that are slim, because Russia will only be able to play the role of a silent observer. NATO can only offer Russia to sit and watch its strength growing.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (read article) stated in November 2011 that Russia would take a complex of measures in response to the deployment of the missile defense system in Europe. However, Konstantin Sivkov, the first vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, told Pravda.Ru that Russia had practically nothing to respond to the threat from NATO.

"As for Iskander systems, they can be used against the objects of missile defense in Poland. Iskanders would have to be deployed either in Russia's Kaliningrad region or in Belarus. However, it will be impossible to hit the targets in Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. The radius of Iskander complexes is 280 kilometers. In addition, the Americans believe that they will be able to neutralize this virtual threat with the help of ATACMS missile complexes.

"Russia will not be able to use nuclear weapons in this situation. We have our aviation, but I seriously doubt that the Russian combat aviation will be able to win a battle just because of the enemy's considerable superiority in the air.

"We can use cruise missiles. However, Russia does not have enough vessels to patrol NATO's coasts. There are also strategic aircraft that can launch cruise missiles and remain invulnerable to the enemy. However, the Russian arsenal of cruise missiles is not enough either. Our missiles can not be compared to the Tomahawks that can strike targets at distances of up to 2,500 kilometers," the expert said.

Sergei Balmasov
http://english.pravda.ru/world/asia/18- ... _radar-0/#

[yialousa1971]

Andrei Lugovoi: “I am sick and tired of British court’s prejudice”


Grigory Milenin
Mar 12, 2013 22:46 Moscow Time




Photo: RIA Novosti



The former KGB officer and now a member of the Russian parliament Andrei Lugovoy said he would no longer participate in the legal proceedings on the case of Alexander Litvinenko’s death. According to him, the British court’s decision to consider the case behind the closed doors deprived him of his right for fair court proceedings and his further participation in the process made no sense.


In the course of the entire legal proceeding the British side has been holding an openly expressed anti-Russian position presenting Moscow’s revenge as the main version of the murder. The fact that the court is sticking to this strategy without any direct proof of his guilt as well as the decision to classify the materials of the case turns the proceeding into a low comedy Andrei Lugovoy said.

"I think that the British government is putting an unprecedented pressure on the court and on the coroner when the Foreign Secretary is demanding to classify part of the documents. On February 27, the coroner took the decision which was imposed by the British Foreign Office. This was the decision that that the court’s sessions will be held behind the closed doors. That is why I think that we won’t be on an equal footing".

But even this tough decision won’t produce the result Brits want to achieve, veteran of Russian intelligence service Lev Korolkov says. According to him, in the future the British authorities will try to cover up the case.

"They have only indirect evidence. Lugovoi was one of Litvinenko’s contacts, they worked together and later Lugovoy headed the security of Berezovsky. They are connected to each other via their boss, no more than that. Lugovoy did not have any personal motive to kill Litvinenko. Brits will continue to stick to anti-Russian position but the case will be softened. Having only indirect proof even a prejudiced court cannot bring a verdict. This case will be covered up".

Andrey Lugovoy is convinced that the demand of the British Justice to classify the materials of the case is aimed at making the investigators’ task easier.

"Whether I take part in the coroner’s investigation or not, they will study the circumstances and facts of Litvinenko’s death anyway. But the lack of the documents which are classified and lack of my position and my evidence will definitely influence the objectiveness of the investigation".

As Lev Korolkov noted despite the ongoing proceeding the case of Litvinenko’s death has already joined the list of unsolved crimes. Its further consideration will be carried out mechanically until the British court finds a good excuse to put it into cold storage.


http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_03_12/Andre ... prejudice/

[yialousa1971]

Bailout at depositors’ expense: Troika agrees to $13bn Cyprus loan

Published time: March 16, 2013 08:57
Edited time: March 16, 2013 19:00

EU ministers and the IMF have hammered out a bailout agreement with Cyprus, EU officials said. The pact includes a one-time tax of 9.9 percent on Cypriot bank deposits that exceed 100,000 euros, as well as a tax of 6.75 percent on smaller deposits.

After 10 hours of talks on Saturday, representatives from the eurozone, the IMF and the European Central Bank agreed to a $13-billion (10 billion euros) bailout package for Cyprus to save the country from bankruptcy.

Cyprus has been struggling to repay its debt following its exposure to the recent Greek financial crisis.

The main source of contention in the months-long negotiations was whether to make depositors pay a levy on their holdings in Cypriot banks. Cyprus is concerned that the plan to offset the cost of the bailout will prompt a massive withdrawal among bank clients, who have grown accustomed to generous conditions on their savings on the island.

Speaking after the meeting, Cypriot Finance Minister Michalis Sarris expressed reservations over the bailout, saying: "I wish I was not the minister to do this." However, "Much more money could have been lost in a bankruptcy of the banking system or indeed of the country," he added.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde said the bailout package for Cyprus is "sustainable for the Cyprus economy." Nicosia is now working to ensure that the new conditions on bank depositors do not trigger capital flight from the country.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the Euro Group, declined to rule out that a similar tax scheme was being planned for depositors in other countries besides Cyprus, but he emphasized that such a plan was not being considered at the present time, the New York Times reported.

Cypriots are already angry as they face the result of the EU’s agreement on a bailout that will affect everyone with accounts.

"I earned this money, and now it is taken to cover for some mistakes that are not my fault," AFP quotes a man, who wanted to withdraw whatever cash he could in a bid to reduce the amount he will have to pay.

The levy will apply to everyone from pensioners to Russian oligarchs and tens of thousands of expats living on the holiday island.

"I have already lost my job, and now I'm being taxed on the little I get from social insurance, which is not enough to support a family. I am surprised that people are not demonstrating as in Greece," said another man.

Meanwhile, analysts are speculating that Russia, which represents a sizable number of depositors in Cypriot banks, could provide further assistance in the bailout by possibly easing conditions on a 2.5-billion-euro loan that Moscow made to Nicosia in 2011. The loan was granted for three years, at a below-market rate of 4.5 percent. The Cypriot finance minister is reportedly scheduled to travel to Moscow on Monday for meetings.


Russian citizens are believed to have around 18.3 billion US dollars in their deposits in Cyprus. The levy could cost them two up to two billion.


The latest bailout for a eurozone nation, which requires that Cypriot bank depositors take some losses, has been described by one Russian investor, who declined to be named, as “austerity measures for the wealthy.”

“This seems to be a way of spreading the pain,” he added.

Cyprus requested the bailout in June of last year, but negotiations broke down when former president Demetris Christofias, a Communist, criticized the austerity measures and privatization demands that were conditions of the deal.

However, talks resumed following the Cypriot presidential elections last month, which saw Nicos Anastasiades of the right-wing Democratic Rally party defeat Christofias.

Other aspects of the Cyprus bailout may require public austerity measures similar to those recently imposed on Greece, increased corporate tax rates and the privatization of state-owned industries.

“It’s a huge shock to the Cypriot economy in terms of the purchasing power of the people. And one of the immediate consequences of this measure will be that recession, which is already quite severe in Cyprus, will become much worse in the coming months,” Editor in chief of Trends Magazine, Johan van Overtveldt, told RT.
http://rt.com/business/cyprus-eu-bailou ... ussia-358/