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Intelligence Predicts Hussein`s Reaction to Attack U.S. and British intelligence analysts are closely monitoring Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, watching as he appears publicly to embrace U.N. inspections while wooing Europeans and seeking to rally fellow Arabs in the face of the American military buildup. 27/12/2002, By Walter Pincus, Washington Post Staff Writer Dictatorship Has No Future Today we publish an interview with one of the ZUBR coordinators Vladimir. The material saw light in the newspaper “ZUBR”, which is currently being disseminated by the movement’s activists throughout the country. ZUBR, 22/11/2002 Eastern Europe Arms Saddam Yugoslavia is the hub for east European arms smugglers and military experts who have been supplying Saddam Hussein with crucial equipment and know-how to help him frustrate a US air campaign against Iraq. Senior western officials and regional analysts say that Serbia is the centre of the illicit trade which involves at least seven countries in the Balkans and former Soviet eastern Europe. The trade has been going on for some time, and has even increased since the toppling of Slobodan Milosevic, a Saddam ally, in 2000. An investigation by the International Crisis Group thinktank into the arms-for-Iraq scam concludes that Jugoimport, the Belgrade-based Yugoslav state arms export agency accused by the US last month, also brokered arms to Iraq from Bosnia, Ukraine, Russia, and "possibly Macedonia and Belarus". 25/11/2002, Ian Traynor in Zagreb and Nicholas Wood in Belgrade, The Guardian Soap Bubbles of Official Statistics Among the figures, which are monthly published by the Ministry of statistics, there appear some optimistic data. However, the general situation in the society is quite upsetting: in stores babushkas are peering hard into the meat rows in search for sausages and soups, homeless are digging deep in the trash cans, hoping to find glass bottles, villagers tell in the trains that somebody stole last night vegetables from their winter reserves. 25/11/2002, Konstantin Skuratovich, “Belorusskiye Novosti” Europeans Step Up Pressure Against Belarus After the EU decision to deny entry visas to Alexander Lukashenko and his officials, the CoE also mounted pressure on the official Minsk. Rapporteur for Belarus of the PACE Wolfgang Behrendt announced in the end of last week the commission’s trip to the East European country in order to clarify the destiny of the missing opposition members. Upon the decision of the Council of Europe the commission will have to set off for Belarus in the near future. 26/11/2002, Karl-Otto Zatler, “Berliner Zeitung” Belarus tightens religious curbs A Draconian new law has `clamped down on everything` MINSK, Belarus: In the last four months, Tatyana and Sergei Akadanovy have been arrested twice, sent to jail for 10 days and fined more than $1,000, an unimaginable sum in impoverished Belarus. 26/11/2002, By Michael Wines (The New York Times) First Year: Without Changes One year passed since the moment the Belarusian leadership officially stated its intention to liberalize the Belarusian economy. In particular, in order to draw the investments the government planned to simplify the companies’ registration order, curtail the number of business activities subjected to licensing and so forth. Regrettably, they didn’t back it with real action: business professionals complain of the absence of reforms. 03/12/2002, Elena Denisenko, “Vecherny Minsk” Old Buddies – Putin and Lukashenko Lukashenko again wants to merge with Moscow, for the West still overlooks him. He wasn’t granted a visa in order to visit the NATO’s summit in Prague. 14 EU member-states and USA proclaimed him “persona-non-grata”. Europe’s last dictator Alexander Lukashenko gets into a greater isolation. So it is quite logical that he again turns to his old partner in the East. Yesterday Lukashenko met in Moscow with the Russian president Vladimir Putin. 28/11/2002, Klaudia fon Zaltsen, “Der Tagesspiegel”, Germany The Ambassador Who Doesn’t Return Former Belarusian ambassador in Japan Petr Kravchenko disappeared on Saturday. There immediately spread rumors that they saw him near the entrance to the US embassy in Japan and that he had the embassy funds and stamp with him. In Minsk he was hastily proclaimed an ambassador in exile. However, yesterday Mr.Kravchenko turned up in the Japanese Foreign Ministry and called everything a “political provocation”, saying that he doesn’t travel home “for medical reasons”. And walked away. 03/12/2002, Vasily Golovnin, Tokyo, Natalya Grib, Minsk, “Kommersant” Lukashenko’s Avalanche Ahead of the Catholic Christmas a few dozen thousand immigrants will try to illegally cross the Belarusian-Polish border. Belarusian frontier guards, law-enforcers and troops were ordered to stop patrolling the border with Poland. Illegal plan to transport refugees was concocted by KGB, reports the most popular and authoritative Polish weekly “Wprost” in an article “Lukashenko’s Avalanche”. Died Unborn That’s how we can discuss the draft Belarusian budget-2003. Moreover, from the very beginning it envisages the budget deficit, for it is still unclear how this deficit can be liquidated. The budget is once again referred to as being “socially oriented”. However, they canceled privileges to certain categories of people, though providing new privileges for the pro-governmental organizations. No doubt, the budget’s consideration turns more into a farce: deputies will anyway find themselves unable to insert any nominal changes into it, even if they want to. 12/12/2002, Serjouk Vozhikau, Radio Ratsya To Be Or Not To Be Over the past years our country turned into a madhouse. The chief psychiatrist claims that life became easier and better, while the patients are looking more depressed than ever and gradually die out. In cities they erect Ice Palaces, where nobody skates and close down numerous oncology departments, despite numerous patients, who are crammed there. The nation’s servants are driving luxurious Mercedes, while the people are storming the overcrowded buses during the rush hours. Schools introduce the new ten-grade system, which drives everyone crazy, but the Ministry of education doesn’t confess that they wasted money in vain. No matter where you look – everywhere is void fuss, imitations, deceits, traditional cheatings and nation’s impoverishment. The country is engulfed in chaos, madness and dumbness. 18/12/2002, Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter`97 human rights coordinator Do Belarusians Want Merger? On Monday the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Rabochy” Viktor Ivashkevich headed to the Baranovichi special confinement center, where he will stay for the next two years. He was sentenced for alleged libeling and defaming the president. 17/12/2002, Viktor Agaev, Deutche Welle Kent Hill: Economic Problems of Belarus to Become Ever More Acute What are the possibilities of the exterior support of the Belarus’ economic development during the transformation period? This issue was raised at the Saturday international conference by the officials from the Ministry of trade and foreign guests alike. Regretfully, one can only state that their positions remain opposite. In an exclusive interview to “BDG” the head of the European and Eurasian bureau of the US Agency for international development (USAID) professor Kent Hill answered a range of intriguing questions. 16/12/2002, Sergei Goncharenko, BDG Aaron Rouds: Regime Hijacked Belarus From Route to Democracy Executive director of the International Helsinki Federation for human rights Aaron Rouds has recently become a frequent visitor to our country. Skillful orator with acute analytical perception of problems, which arise before human rights advocates, he turned into one of the most influential representatives of the transnational civil society, which is getting born these days. 19/12/2002, Sergei Krivoshein, BDG Leh Valensa: I Lost Myself For Democracy’s Sake Can Belarus ever hope to get invited into the European Union? How did opposition come to power in the communist Poland and why the former nomenclature occupies top seats in today’s Polish government? What kind of a politician is Alexander Lukashenko? These and other questions were posed in an interview to Radio Svaboda to the former leader of the legendary “Solidarity”, laureate of the Nobel prize for peace and the first democratically elected president of Poland Leh Valensa. Belarus Gives Up Neutrality? Radiolocation station of the Russian space troops started functioning near the town of Baranovichi. The former country’s Defense Minister Pavel Kozlovsky claims that the station will make it tough for Belarus to be viewed as a neutral country. The leader of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party “Narodnaya Gromada” Nikolai Statkevich states the necessity to receive from Russia a great monetary compensation for locating such a military object on the territory of Belarus. 26/12/2002, Radio Svaboda Belarus to Impose Strict Curbs on Religion Belarus moved today toward imposing harsh new restrictions on religious activity by minority faiths, adopting what human rights activists called the most suffocating religion law in Europe. 04/10/2002, «The Washington Post» «NEUE ZUERCHER ZEITUNG»: Restoration of Belarus’ CoE Membership Unrealistic Belarus is a country, which infringes on the CoE standards and its membership in that structure will be put off for an unlimited period of time, reads the article of the Strasbourg correspondent of the Swiss periodical «Neue Zuercher Zeitung». Lukashenko Will Never Tolerate Democratic Transformations Says Vatslav Stankevich Within the framework of the September PACE session in Strasbourg they passed a few crucial decisions on our country: Europe once again denied recognition to the parliament, Russian deputy Sergei Kovalev was appointed the head of the sub-commission for disappeared politicians, member of Lithuanian Sejm Vatslav Stankevich was granted status of a permanent rapporteur on Belarus of the CoE Committee for human rights. From this moment on the PACE policy towards our country will largely depend on Stankevich, whose interview to the “Belorusskaya Gazeta” you may find below. “Belorusskaya Gazeta”, 08/10/2002 MANHUNT: WHO’S NEXT? Independent politicians, journalists and artists are getting beaten up all the time. Who needs to provoke fear and paralyzing environment in their midst? Or may be these are just accidental occurrences, which happen to a special category of people? Why are the “hooligans” of today so politicized? Or may be they purposefully beat those, who are opposed to the regime? How about we answer all these questions ourselves, after analyzing the following facts… 30/10/2002, “SN+” The Former Soviet Republics are Accused of Supplying Weapons to Rogue States in Defiance of United Nation or US Embargoes Donetsk, eastern Ukraine: US and British arms experts are combing the once-secret Topaz military electronics factory, trying to establish how many advanced Kolchuga radar systems it has produced. Company executives say four: three for Ethiopia and one for domestic use. But the US suspects there could be at least four more - and that they could have gone to Iraq. 21/10/2002, Financial Times “Gasprom” Curtails Gas Supplies to Belarus “Gasprom” officially notified Belarus about the necessity to reduce on November 1 gas consumption by 50% due to the termination of planned gas supplies to the country. Belarusian FM, which intervened into the conflict, already called this decision “an exertion of economic pressure on Belarus”. It also reminded that Russia had failed to “compensate annual losses of the Belarusian budget, provoked by the payment of indirect taxes in bilateral trade”. 04/11/2002, Kommersant Belarus-Iraq Special Relations In light of the international fuss around Iraq, Belarus’ position on the matter seems quite weird. Official Minsk’s declarations, alongside with the reaction to them of the official Baghdad, literally demand this: “Pay attention to us, guys, we also have an opinion of our own”. Belarusian PR actions bear no result whatsoever. Position of a small East European country, which is Belarus, isn’t taken into account by the world’s top leaders. Their vision of Alexander Lukashenko only changes for the worse owing to the incoming news. 22/10/2002, “Voice of America” Democracy Must Be Defended Yesterday afternoon, on November 5, 2002, while I was waiting in line to cast my ballot in our gubernatorial elections in New York State, in Minsk, Anatoly Lebedko, chair of the United Civic Party, a democratic party in Belarus, a once democratically-elected member of a forcibly disbanded legitimate parliament, was detained by unidentified plainclothes agents immediately after leaving the U.S. Embassy in Minsk. These thugs unceremoniously pushed him into a car, drove him around, and then took him to the KGB office for interrogation. Lebedko had gone to the U.S. Embassy to discuss an invitation to speak at a a conference on Belarus in Washington, DC scheduled for 14 November, sponsored by the New Atlantic Initiative, a program of the American Enterprise Institute. By Catherine A. Fitzpatrick, ILHR Executive Director 11/11/2002 Rogue Merchants NATO is soon to offer membership to seven more countries in Central and Eastern Europe, and the European Union to 10, and yet the continent continues to pose security challenges to the United States. This has been underscored by revelations that three European countries still outside the Western clubs -- Yugoslavia, Ukraine and Belarus -- have been supplying weapons and military training to Iraq, in violation of a U.N. embargo. Though the full extent of the shipments has not been disclosed, Belarus is accused of training Iraqis in the operation of air defense missiles, while a Yugoslav arms company acknowledged reconditioning engines for Iraq`s fighter jets and may have been helping Baghdad develop cruise missiles. Most disturbing is the evidence that Ukraine, a country that has announced its aspiration to join NATO and is the fourth-largest U.S. aid recipient, may have accepted $100 million in cash from Saddam Hussein in exchange for four sophisticated radar systems that could help Iraq shoot down American aircraft. The Bush administration has already condemned and isolated Belarus`s dictator, Alexander Lukashenko; but that still leaves it with the difficult challenge of managing relationships with Yugoslav and Ukrainian governments that are worthy neither of trust nor of rogue-state treatment. 11/11/2002, Washington Post Russians Threaten Lukashenko With Coup D’etat Russian newspaper “Nezavisimaya Gazeta”, which is close to Vladimir Putin’s Administration, published today an article under the heading “The Union of Three is Possible, Though Unnecessary. Scandals with Belarus, Friendship with Ukraine As Follow-Ups of Kremlin’s New Policy”. The newspaper confirms that Russia and Belarus broke up now and for all. This is no occasion, but the result of the deliberate policy of the Russian leadership. In Russia rumors are spreading that Minsk may face not even political crisis but rather state coup. “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” quotes Russian parliamentarians and officials as saying that: “One can’t talk of the democratic mechanism of changing power in Belarus – Lukashenko made it unambiguously clear that regardless of the country’s constitution, he will run for the third term of presidency. And so, the coup scenario can be classical: special services, top officials and some MPs will overthrow Lukashenko and appoint new elections date. One cannot doubt that Russia, Europe and USA will uphold the conspirators,” – reads the Russian periodical. Lukashenko, Officials to Turn Personas-Non-Grata The European Union may prohibit entering the EU countries to Alexander Lukashenko and a range of the Belarusian state figures. The issue will be raised at the Council of Ministers of the EU countries, due to take place today in Brussels. According to the EFE agency, they have already drawn a list, which includes, apart from the Belarusian Ministers and their deputies, the heads of the presidential Administration, state TV and some other officials. «Deutsche Welle», 19/11/2002 Belarus, Ukraine Gov’ts Implicated in Kolomiyts’ Suicide? “Gazeta.ru” was told in the Ukrainian Interior Ministry that the Belarusian authorities have already buried the director of the “Ukrainian News” Mikhail Kolomiyts. Yesterday his tomb was opened up, so that the relatives could identify him after an exhumation. The Belarusian Interior Ministry stated that it could well be a body of a different person. No matter who it is, he committed a suicide himself, which will hardly safeguard the authorities of both Ukraine and Belarus from opposition criticism. 20/11/2002, Andrei Zhvirblis, Gazeta.ru “Axis of Evil: Belarus – Missing Link” Last Thursday Washington-based Institute of American entrepreneurship hosted a conference under slogans “Human Rights Catastrophe in Belarus”, “Belarus – a Pariah Country”, “Belarus after the Fall of Lukashenko”. The issues, raised for consideration there, were discussed by the US and EU politicians, scholars, as well as the Belarusian journalists and leading members of opposition. 20/11/2002, Inna Dubinskaya, “Voice of America” I Believe Over a year passed since last year’s presidential elections. A lot happened in the country and our movement since then, but in all our talks with the friends we always come down to this question: what should we do next? 21/11/2002, This publication opens the series of materials from the newspaper ZUBR Moscow, Minsk Armies Get Along Well Moscow hosted a meeting of the Commission of the “union state’s” Parliamentary Assembly for security, defense and criminality fighting. The sides discussed the activities of the regional grouping of forces of both armies. The “union state’s” budget earmarked for the purpose 63,5mln Russian rubles. 21/11/2002, Ilya Arkhipov, BBC Time to Answer They continually promise us things since the moment of our birth: that we will have happy future, thanks to secretary general Brezhnev and the communist party; that by the year 2002 every family will have a separate flat; that the current generation will live in a communist paradise. Aren’t you sick and tired of it, folks? There was perestroika, then the USSR collapse and now it seems as though they kept on cheating us since our very birth. Now it is the 21st century but we never received anything they promised. Fifteen year into the past we should have realized that they simply fooled us. 21/11/2002, ZUBR VALERIYA NOVODVORSKAYA: LEARN TO FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE The lingering period of weird integration between Russia and Belarus ended up in Putin’s scandalous annexation proposal. Alexander Lukashenko recovered from shock only a few hours later, when he returned from Moscow and felt solid ground under his feet. In no time the man proclaimed himself a true Belarusian patriot, who stands for the independence of his country. Some analysts claim that the years of his presidency, sacrificed at the altar to the union state, were wasted in vain. “BDG” correspondent turned for commentary on the present situation to the leader of the Russian “Democratic Union” Valeriya NOVODVORSKAYA. BDG, 29/08/2002 Belarus Chief Responds to Critics With Crackdown President Alexander Lukashenko has embarked on a new crackdown against democracy activists and independent journalists, with his agents systematically harassing, arresting, firing or beating up people even remotely connected with the opposition in last year's presidential campaign. By Susan B. Glasser, Washington Post, 27/09/2002 Elder Brother’s Kiss From time to tome among the brotherly Slav nations there occur things, which are commonplace for any other fraternity. In Moscow Russian national Vladimir Putin shook hands with Belarusian Alexander Lukashenko and left a symbolic brotherly kiss on his cheek. However, such gentleness between the presidents is more of a lethal political kiss. The snag is, Putin’s unification plan envisages the incorporation of a 10mln strong Belarus. Yohannes Fosvinkel, “Die Zeit”, (Germany), 3/09/2002 Old Challengers Reanimated Scandal row between Minsk and Moscow over integration perspectives intensified the activism of some of the Belarusian politicians, who left the scene for a long vacation following yester year’s presidential elections. Moscow hints that it counts not only on Alexander Lukashenko, while the former agricultural trade unionist Alexander Yaroshuk and co-chairman of the Russian-Belarusian foundation “Social-economic partnership”, former head of the presidential administration and vice-premier Leonid Sinitsin are re-appearing in public. Both men are, by the way, losers of the recent presidential ballot. “Belorusskiye Novosti”, 13/09/2002 Are They Following Scenario? Just like most of you I find great pleasure in the hysteria of the Belarusian leadership over Vladimir Putin’s last initiative. It’s a fun to watch the reaction of mass media, which seem to have swapped roles. Every evening I switch on my TV set and make myself comfortable in the armchair, so that no inconvenience could distract me from seeing the infuriated faces, which are cursing Russia and the union state in particular. Irina Khalip, BDG, 2/09/2002 Ultimatum by Post On Wednesday deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Valery Loschinin passed over to the Belarusian side Vladimir Putin’s message on the Russian-Belarusian integration, namely the ways, after which the “union state” could develop. The fact that oral discussions now transformed into diplomatic correspondence proves that Kremlin is ready to pressure Lukashenko into giving a clear answer. Izvestia, 5/09/2002 Komsomol-2: Attack of Clones On September 6 there took place a unification congress in Minsk between the two state youth unions. Upon the high order the two organizations with similar abbreviations BPYU and BYU are merging into one with a name harder to pronounce – BRSM, which is another term for the old Soviet komsomol (communist youth union). Àlyaksandr Klaskousky, naviny.by, 6/09/2002 Lukashenko Wills to Head Union State? Alexander Lukashenko is an eloquent orator. He communicates with TV audience in a simple and comprehensible way. Sometimes his grammar isn’t perfect, but he always speaks emotionally. In other words, he never funks before TV cameras. On Monday he delivered another of his famous speeches in NTV air. “Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi”, 12/09/2002 BELARUS ASSIST IRAQ IN PROCURING NUKES The US weekly “The Observer” published on September 22 an article, entitled “Dossier to show Iraqi nuclear arms race” about Saddam Hussein’ secret arms deals network. The authors of the article implicate Belarusian top officials of assisting Iraq in achieving its goal on the way to getting nuclear weapon. Read below the full text of the article: 23/09/2002 People Go Missing Everywhere Says Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Lukashenko, an authoritarian ruler of Belarus, is fearless. He openly proclaims himself the “most perfect from the moral point of view world leader”, claiming that he never stole anything in his life and is a convinced believer. However, he acts more like a prosecutor towards those, who doubt his honesty, newspaper “Narodnaya Volya” being no exception. He accuses them of thefts and threatens with judicial persecution, in retaliation for the reporter’s question about the secret “presidential fund”. Manfred Quiring, “Die Welt”, Germany, 20/09/2002 Unfinished Business in Europe President Bush has made a strong commitment to a distinct tradition in international diplomacy by stating repeatedly that the United States has a strategic interest in regime change in Iraq. If Iraq changes from dictatorship to democracy, so the argument goes, then Iraq will follow a friendlier foreign policy toward the United States. By Michael McFaul, "The Washington Post", 24/09/2002 EUROPE: Stagnation and Intimidation Undermine Belarus In three years of working for one of the most critical newspapers in Belarus, Alexander Silich had never had the chance to put a question to Alexander Lukashenko, the country's authoritarian president. Last week, he asked his first. It may prove to be his last. By Andrew Jack Financial Times; Sep 26, 2002 "Zhirinovsky" of Belarus Readying to Sell Economy There’s a remarkable politician in Belarus: chairman of the Liberal-Democratic party Sergei Gaidukevich. He is a vivid personality in many senses, whose tempo and stubbornness the real Zhirinovsky could envy. The man twice ran for the presidency, but both times to no avail. Nonetheless, he, just as other opposition leaders, has little weight on the political scale. Gaidukevich doesn’t mix with other politicians and never joins any opposition unions and coalitions. More than that, he even hints at his ideological closeness to Lukashenko. He never changes his mind but through the years has been sticking to one and the same political route. He keeps up active contacts with Russian liberal democrats and personally Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Moreover, he is a friend to the European Liberal National and pays regular visits to Iraq, rendezvousing with Saddam Hussein and his close encirclement. But nobody could foresee that Gaidukevich would be given access to the “holy of holies” of the Belarusian economy. www.flb.ru, 27/09/2002 Michael McFaul: USA Must Pay Attention to Eastern Europe Famous expert in politics, professor of the Stanford University Michael McFaul published his article in the “Washington Post”, calling on Bush’s Administration to pay close attention to the events, unfolding in the Eastern Europe – region, which presents strategic interest for the States. “Washington’s focus of attention is now turned to the problem of overthrowing the Iraqi government,” – writes the author: “At the same time Bush rests upon the historic precedent: end of the Cold War. The change of the Soviet regime has cardinally strengthened the US security. Given Saddam now possessed the Soviet military arsenal, America would be in great danger. For three decades we’ve been living tracking thoroughly all Kremlin’s moods. Russia’s democratization and the developing market orientation rid us of the necessity to do it again. Analogous situation can be expected from the replacement of regime in Baghdad. However, one cannot expect that the East European democracies will develop in a natural way. Thinking so would be a serious mistake.” “Voice of America”, 25/09/2002 Growing Repression in Belarus Wolfgang Behrendt (SPD), the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's Rapporteur on Belarus, is fiercely critical of the way in which President Alexander Lukashenko and his regime are stamping on freedom of the press. The leader of the German delegation to the Strasbourg Assembly is indignant at the prison sentences passed on journalists and the banning of independent papers. He wants Assembly to send a special committee to Minsk, to investigate the fate of several missing politicians - something the Council of Europe has never done before. He complains that, recently, political repression in Belarus has actually worsened. www.coe.int, 1/10/2002 Rating’s Falling. On Sociologists’ Heads In the ancient Persia they used to behead the messengers who brought in bad news. Since then things became somewhat more civilized. Sociologists, who voice negative statistics about the authorities, may only be deprived of a possibility to do professional business. Latest NISEPI poll produced unsatisfactory results for the Belarusian authorities. Two main figures are circulating around the state press. First, Lukashenko’s rating fell to 27% (in April – 30,9%, last October – 46%). Secondly, only 15,5% Belarusians are ready to vote for Lukashenko’s prolongation of term. Alexander KLASKOVSKY, “Belorusskiye Novosti”, 27/09/2002 Lukashenka Intimidates Pitin Alyaksandr Lukashenka in his speech at the yesterday sitting of the Security Council has made sensational statements concerning the changes in the attitude of Minsk towards the NATO. “Everything must be open and decent, and our relations with the NATO as well” – said the president. According to him, “the real situation today is that despite of the earlier agreements about non-expansion of the blocs the NATO continues expansion. Belarus cannot but take into account the new reality,” – Lukashenka underlined. Belarusian leader called to “correct its position and adjust it to the new situation”. However Minsk does not want to “lose face”. “It seems like Russia and Ukraine started running to the NATO, but it does not mean that we should run after them. At this point time-serving cannot be tolerated, otherwise we can lose face”. “Vremia Novostej”, 11 July 2002 Christopher Smith: “Act On Democratization In Belarus” Will Be Passed Arms trade by the Belarusian authorities, aggravation of the situation with human rights in Belarus are among the basic themes discussed in Berlin, where the summer PA OSCE session finished this week. American Congressman Christopher Smith answers the questions of Radio Svaboda about the situation with human rights in Belarus, fight with terrorism, and political prospects of the Belarusian authorities. Volha Karatkevich, Radio Svaboda, 15 July 2002 Lukashenka Turns the Screws On Alyaxandar Lukashenka rules his country as dictator and brazenly turns the screws on opposition, which is already suppressed. Since in 2001 in a result of falsified elections he took the presidential position for another five years, he smashes up oppositional structures on a regular basis. By Thomas Roser, «Frankfurter Rundschau», 22 July 2002 Nationalization Discussed Again It is better to make compatibility test on concrete examples. Is it possible in Russia for the authorities to nationalize a joint-stock company for not fulfilled indices determined by state? But it is possible in Belarus. The state machine here stretches its tentacles in all directions, with undue familiarity interfering with the internal affairs of private enterprises. Racket has an official status: requisitions from businessmen for sowing campaign, harvesting campaign and other acts of God have become a norm. Appetites of people’s servants constantly grow. They are not content with regular allocations, they want to seize everything. “Novyie Izvestiya”, 22 July 2002 Russian Assets in Belarus Under Threat of Expropriation The Belarusian president, utterly offended by Vladimir Putin’s recent statements on the possible amalgamation principles, set his mind to escalate the conflict. Vladimir Putin pointed “Lukashenko’s Belarus at its real place” and Lukashenko retaliated him back. However, the methods, picked by the Belarusian side, seem but a primitive blackmail. “Nezavisimaya Gazeta”, 30 July 2002 Shall We Quarrel with UN? Belarus seems to have set her mind to quarrel with one of a few influential international organizations, with which it used to preserve friendly relations – United Nations. “BDG” reports that the UN Commission for human rights embarked on the study of cases when the Republic of Belarus infringed on the international commitments it had bound itself with. The problem is the following: two young death row inmates were executed although their cases had been a matter of consideration among the international experts. “BDG”, 1 August 2002 Putin Seeks Ways to Persuade Lukashenko On Friday Vladimir Putin rendezvoused with the “Gasprom’s” president Aleksei Miller. Apart from Russian domestic affairs they also discussed problems in the relations with Belarus. Confrontation in the gas sphere between the two countries is not so clear as in the petroleum one, but problems also occur there and tensions are escalating there and running high as well. Izvestia, 6/08/2002 “Doctor” Prescribed Liberalism “BDG” correspondent poses his questions to the president of the Liberal group of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly Matias Ershi. Liberal group is the third biggest and, undoubtedly, one of the most influential PACE political groups. Up until recently liberals were the ones who dictated their will in the Assembly – their representative Lord Rassel-Johnston was elected PACE president. At the moment, the group’s member heads the Political Committee, on which the destiny of the September report on Belarus largely depends. This year Mr.Ershi became president of the Liberal PACE group. The man is a 48-year old politician, former state secretary and the Minister of foreign affairs of Hungary. He replaced at the post Kristina Oyuland, present-day Foreign Minister of Estonia, whose position towards Belarus had always been straight, harsh and unambiguous: such regime has no room in Europe. Her successor seemingly doesn’t intend to change the course. "BDG", 8/08/2002 Belarus ' Complaints Belarus ' authoritarian government denounced a U.S. human rights report as politically motivated, but the U.S. Embassy in Belarus said the government's complaint only proves the charges in the document. Washington Times, 12/08/2002 ARMS MANIPULATIONS Today many argue about who profits most from the “union” of Russia and Belarus. One thing is clear though: the future of the Belarusian defense industry directly depends on her integration with Russia. Starting from 1996 Belarus was high on the list of world’s ten greatest exporters of ammunition and weaponry worldwide. Meantime, the country itself doesn’t produce any arms. Whose arms is it selling, to whom and is their business legal? The answer to the first question is easy: the weapons belong to Russia. With whom – also clear. But the legality is the most difficult question of the three. Natalya HMELIK, “Top secret” (Sovershenno Secretno), 13/08/2002 Nobody Holds Lukashenko in Moscow Today Moscow will be visited by the president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. Kremlin claims that his visit will be a working one. This once again proves that Moscow takes her time in unification with Belarus, doing it gradually and solely on her own conditions. This will be Lukashenko’s first visit since their relations with Putin cooled off in June this year. The two leaders were supposed to meet earlier, but, say the Russian Administration officials, “first, Vladimir Putin was too busy, then Alexander Lukashenko couldn’t come because of harvesting.” Kommersant, 14/08/2002 Inside Russia - Dealing With the Neighbours President Vladimir Putin "treats society, like a psychiatrist", says Alexander Oslon, a Russian opinion pollster, explaining the Russian leader's enduring popularity. Mr Putin is soothing Russia's fears, and lifting it out of its chronic depression, thinks Mr Olson. If so, I only hope Mr Putin can keep some consulting hours free for his neighbouring presidents, several of whom also sometimes seem in need of a psychiatrist's attentions. In the case of Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus , Mr Putin may already have scored some success in arresting what had previously seemed a hopeless case of megalomania. "Financial Times", 20/09/2002 Belarusians Change Their Mind Yesterday the Central district court of Minsk sentenced three activists of the youth resistance movement ZUBR to arrest. One protester received five days of jail, while two others – ten for organizing a picket at the Russian embassy in Belarus. In response, the young men staged another anti-Russian action, at which they burnt down Vladimir Putin’s portraits. Belarusian authorities now also join in the anti-Russian agitation. Kommersant, 22/08/2002 Belarus Struck by Putin’s Plan We haven’t witnessed similar unanimity in the Belarusian nation for ages. Lukashenko’s last visit to Moscow and Putin’s scenarios of engulfing Belarus were commented upon in Minsk by all: both the government and opposition gave a negative evaluation to the Russian unification plan. "Voice of America", 26/08/2002 LUKASHENKO SLOW TO WELCOME NEW RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR Apparently, the Russian ambassador in Belarus is experiencing difficulties similar to the ones, faced in the past by his American colleague. For almost 10 days Alexander Blokhin has been waiting to be given an audience with Alexander Lukashenko, which is an unprecedented occasion in the relations with the Russian ally. Roman Yakovlevsky, Radio Ratsya, 28/08/2002 Complete Dependency Although the political relations between Russia and Belarus cooled off recently, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry still expects to be given by the Russian government a third portion of the state loan worth $40mln. "Belorusskiy Rynok", 27/08/2002 RUSSIA-BELARUS UNION NO MORE? On June 13 Lukashenko probably received the strongest blow in all of his political career. The far-reaching plans of a leader of the neighboring Belarus suffered severe defeat. “Komsomolskaya Pravda” Lukashenko Discontent Over Unification Model After Putin It took Lukashenko a couple of days to respond to Vladimir Putin’s statements on unification, voiced by the Russian president on June 13. The delay in answer was natural: Putin categorically denied Belarusian integration model, proposing to the sovereign state to consent to the complete takeover by another country. In other words, Russians want Belarus to turn into another of their autonomous areas. Seemingly, Lukashenko, who’s fully dependent on Moscow economically, must elaborate some new, flexible policy, which would allow him not to lose ground. Vitaly Portnikov, “Grani.Ru” «Frankfurter Allgemeine»: Lukashenko Disturbs Putin The German periodical «Frankfurter Allgemeine» writes that up until present the Kremlin was supportive of the Belarusian leadership, which made Washington call into question genuineness of Russia’s democratic aspirations. Putin’s recent criticism of Alexander Lukashenko’s unification policy was an unprecedented step so far. Having finally articulated her position towards the Russia-Belarus integration, Moscow finally put an end to Lukashenko’s illusions. Public Scandal Between Russia, Belarus Underway Belarus will never become 90th constituent of the Russian Federation. The union of the two states must be based upon an equal foundation. On Tuesday, five days later, Alexander Lukashenko responded to Vladimir Putin’s accusations of his policy in the union’s formation. “Russia is a democratic country, where every individual, the president included, has the right, just like ourselves, to speak his mind”. “Izvestia” Tourist Bureaus Told to Donate Means to Construct Palace of Tennis The authorities are disseminating special requests among the tourist firms, recommending them to donate funds for the construction of the Palace of Tennis. “Tourism and Recreation” Russian Ruble Separates Itself from Belarusian Sensational detail of Minsk talks between Lukashenko and Putin has finally been revealed: Russian president proposed to insert amendments into the “union” treaty on the cancellation of single currency in Russia and Belarus. It wasn’t the Russian president who made this thing public, but rather the Belarusian Foreign Minister. This is quite understandable: Belarusians can’t survive without Russian rubles. “Gazeta.ru” Belarusian Dictator Left in Solitude Says “The Guardian” “Lukashenko is left by himself in the cold,” – under such heading the British newspaper “The Guardian” published an article about the conflict between the Belarusian leader and Moscow. Here come a few typical quotations from the Jan Treinor’s article: “anachronistic authoritarianism”, “Europe’s sole dictator”, “nostalgia for Soviet superstate”, “megalomaniac” etc. Moscow, Minsk Turn Into Opponents Last week’s sudden and undisguised escalation of tensions in relations between Moscow and Minsk was perceived by many as sensation, though it is not such in reality. Two years ago it became clear that the friendship of the two states and oaths of allegiance were accompanied by tendencies which can well turn both sides into zealous opponents, if not irreconcilable foes. One should rather marvel at the fact that both state restrained themselves, not allowing any scandals to shatter their relations. “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” DAILY TELEGRAPH: END OF LUKASHENKO’S ERA Europe’s most authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko got into an even greater isolation after his dramatic dispute with his most powerful ally, president of Russia Vladimir Putin. Daily Telegraph writes that the tensions between the two leaders escalated into an open conflict during the deliberations on Lukashenko’s favorite subject – merger between the two states into one. Boris Eltsin, during whose rule they raised the issue for the first time 6 years ago, rendezvoused with Lukashenko yesterday in Minsk, but his mediation had been originally meaningless. Lukashenko Imprisons Journalists for Slander Grodno court finished legal proceedings on the case of the journalists, who published a verse about Alexander Lukashenko. The jury sentenced “Pagonya” editor Markevich to 2,5 and journalist Mozheiko – to 2 years of hard labor. Next in line for imprisonment are the journalists, who have written that Lukashenko is a lunatic and psychiatrists, who diagnosed him as such. This group of people can be punished more severely. “Gazeta.Ru” Alexander the great embarrassment The news on Russian state television on Wednesday morning included a weekly segment called "Moscow and Minsk", 15 minutes of propaganda for the 'Russia-Belarus Union' that is supposed to be taking shape following the signing of a largely meaningless treaty between the two countries six years ago. I agonised for the poor presenter, and for the writers struggling with her script. Their job was difficult enough at the best of times, finding peasants and politicians to fill the airwaves with mindless pap about a supposed future union that few people in Russia thought would ever happen and nobody much cared about anyway. But now it has become downright impossible, because even the two countries' leaders have stopped believing in the union. By Robert Cottrell «The Financial Times» Milosevic’s Fall Followed His Unification Attempt with Russia Latest developments around the ambiguous process of integration between Russia and Belarus give grounds to believe that the whole issue came down to one thing – preservation of personal power by the president Lukashenko. This aspect was always present in the context of a “common state” ideology, but now it seems even more poignant than ever. “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” Putin Regrets Minsk Game Vladimir Putin is doing everything right in the eyes of the West. Recently he publicly criticized for the first time the Belarusian president, who’s been playacting as dictator in the neighboring country and, despite Washington and Europe’s protests, persecutes opposition, annihilates free press and feels disgust towards the diplomats from the OSCE mission in Minsk. "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" MR. PUTIN AND THE DICTATOR WITH MOST of his neighbors preoccupied with the war on terrorism or crises in the Middle East and South Asia, Europe's last dictator was enjoying a quiet year until recently. Alexander Lukashenko, who rules the 10 million people of Belarus, was free to continue propping up his regime with the kind of police-state tactics associated with the former Soviet Union, of which Belarus was a part. Last month, for example, two journalists were sentenced to two or more years of unpaid public labor for "libeling the president"; they were bold enough to refer in print to the abduction and disappearance of several prominent opponents of Mr. Lukashenko. Parliament meanwhile rubber-stamped a new law severely restricting religious organizations, including most Protestant faiths. The Washington Post, Editorials, July 8, 2002 Kalashnikov As Contract’s Guaranty Businessmen who do business in hot spots of the world need backing of the state. Not always a financial one, but definitely an informational one. After all, the situation in the countries where they work changes with the velocity of light, and absence of the contacts with the new authorities can lead to loss of business. This question is urgent rather for companies who just enter the market, and not for huge corporations that have been working in instable regions for a long time. Businessmen expect two things: the state should provide information (including one from the intelligence) and lobby their interests. “Delovaya Khronika”, 10 July 2002 Lukashenka In Circle Of Enemies Ukrainian President’s decree about the country’s readiness to enter NATO stunned his Belarusian foil. First Russia, and then Ukraine. Belarus is left in solitude. Alyaksandr Lukashenka confessed that the foreign policy of the country should be changed in some way. Gazeta.ru, 11 July 2002 Anti-Terrorist Coalition Takes Interest in Belarus? Recently deputy head of the department for information of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Andrei Savinykh, answering the question why there followed no FM’s reaction to the articles in the US press about Belarus’ arms deals, said that there’s absolutely no point in their responding to such allegations. All of them, the official said, are concocted by journalistic circles in Vilnius. The FM representative even described the scheme of materials’ appearance: first, they are reportedly sent to the German telegraph agency DPA, after which, with a reference to DPA, they appear in the Belarusian press. Observer from the Polish weekly “Wprost” Yan Churilovich agreed to comment to the “Belorusskaya Gazeta” on these FM’s declarations. Democracy is our best security An intolerant, corrupt regime that helped found, finance and diplomatically defend the Taliban is - remarkably - still considered "friendly" to America. The Saudi Arabian dictatorship, whose only real allegiance is to keeping power, can never be a reliable ally of the United States. The Bush administration should keep this track record in mind as America manages a broad tactical coalition that includes other rotten authoritarian regimes like those in Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Egypt and China. For such dictatorships are not only unreliable partners, but breed the very terrorists we must now defeat. Promotion of American interests, including removing the causes of terrorism, will demand the fostering of democratic governance worldwide. The Washington Times January 11, 2002 Mark Palmer, Eric A. Witte and Kurt Bassuener Widespread Suppression of Human Rights in Belarusm At the moment there exist 48 states in the world, which aren’t free. According to the conclusions drawn by the international human rights watchdog Freedom House, Belarus must be counted on of them. It’s the only non-free country in the whole of Europe. Member of the Charter’97 organizing committee Ludmila Gryaznova prepared Chronicles of human rights violations in Belarus in 2001. The material is published on 23 pages and contains numerous cases of tortures and ill-treatment of citizens, recorded by the Belarusian human rights defenders. The authorities unleashed repressions against heads of companies: they opened 210 criminal proceedings, incarcerated 720 state and private entrepreneurs. The chronicles also describe the restriction of the freedom of faith, right for free and fair elections, pressure on trade unions and lack of free trial. Today Ludmila Gryaznova is answering “BDG” questions. Belarus Shipped Arms to Chechen Guerillas and Taliban Belarus, Ukraine and Pridnestrovye region of Russia supplied ammunition to the Chechen militants and Taliban terrorist movement, although officially they declared their support to Russia in her fight against separatists and Islamic fundamentalists. This was written in a popular, influential magazine Jane's Intelligence Digest, published by the British Jane's Information Group. It is noted that “Belarus, one of the most disguised and irresponsible weapon exporters, had secretly supplied arms to the Chechen guerillas via Turkey and Georgia.” Referring to the data of the US and Israeli secret services, Jane's Intelligence Digest reports that “Belarus became the greatest supplier of deadly military machinery to the Islamic world. For instance, in the first half year of 2001 Belarus exported to the Arab, Palestinian and Albanian extremists $500mln worth weapons.” Europe and “Last of Soviet Mohicans” In his recent article, former head of the OSCE Advisory-Monitoring Group describes the saddening political and human right situation in Belarus. Following comes an extract from the publication: Hans-Georg Wieck Tagesspiegel US VS. THEM: NEW NAMES FOR THE ENEMIES LIST? In the war on terror, President George W. Bush repeated last week, other nations are “with us or against us.” But not everybody is heeding the warning. Belarus and Iran appear to have moved further into the “against” column. «Newsweek» BELARUS GOVERNMENT INTENSIFIES TACTICS AGAINST PRESS (Washington, DC--February 20, 2002) The government of Belarus is intensifying its campaign against the independent media that provided a platform for opposition candidates during last September's presidential election, according to four journalists who spoke at a recent briefing at RFE/RL's Washington office. Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Head of Mission Waiting Eberhard Haiken’s first reaction to the Foreign Ministry’s call with a proposal to head the OSCE mission in Belarus was a sincere surprise. But it didn’t take Haiken much time to consent with the offer. “That was a strong impetus to do something else, a real challenge,” – said a 66-year old diplomat. The diplomat is using the word “challenge” as far as the head of the OSCE mission in Minsk is currently in the frontline of events. His predecessor at the post Hans-Georg Wieck has numerously realized that it was truly so. For instance, the president of Belarus, using autocratic methods of governance, many times rebuked Wieck over the power abuse in preparing local observers at the elections. Lukashenka went as far as to accuse the OSCE representative of alleged training armed guerillas to overthrow the regime. Wieck had more that once been threatened with banishment. However, the perspective of joyless and time-consuming disputes with an obstinate Alyaxandar Lukashenka, nostalgic over the Soviet times, does not frighten Haiken. Die Tageszeitung Landing: Contract For Iraqi Officers’ Training Can Cost Too Much For Belarus Yesterday in the afternoon in the airport Minsk-2 an airplane landed, performing a charter flight Baghdad-Minsk. A group of officers of the Iraqi Army was at the board. They have come for a long time. At least, it is planned that for two years they are to study at the Military Academy of the Republic of Belarus. According to our sources, presently the similar contract with the leadership of Libya is being worked out. “BDG”, October 5, 2001 Vladimir Putin's long, hard haul Relations between Russia and the West have rarely been better. But what does it mean in practice? And can it last? “But there is still a long way to go. Take Belarus, about the last truly autocratic regime left in Europe, and Russia's closest Slavic ally. The country's western neighbours speak out regularly on Belarus's rigged elections, harassment of journalists and members of the opposition, and other chicanery. But Russia is silent. Despite Mr Putin's visible distaste for Alexander Lukashenka, his mercurial and eccentric Belarussian counterpart, Russia endorsed the rigged elections that returned him to office last year,” – wrote the British “The Economist” ahead of the Vladimir Putin’s meeting with the US president George Bush. Read below the full text of the article. "The Economist" “ECONOMIST”: Lukashenko In Danger From Nomenclature, Democratic Opposition Establishing control over the nomenclature and driving opposition out of the political process are the main factors, which define the power of any authoritarian regime, claim the experts of the analytical department of the British magazine “Economist”. “Just as during his first term in office, Lukashenko will keep dominating the political arena, resting on the security services and police, in order to simultaneously stifle the democratic opposition and leading bureaucratic figures,” – writes the magazine. Putin Upholds Anti-Democratic, Anti-Western Regimes in Europe The announcement of two important security agreements between Russia and the West and the summit meeting between President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin have triggered a round of euphoric rhetoric. It is widely proclaimed that Mr. Putin is leading Russia to "join the West"; the Bush administration's ambassador to Moscow, Sandy Vershbow, last week spoke of the United States and Russia "increasingly becoming allies in the full sense of the term." Certainly the new agreements, on reductions of nuclear weapons and cooperation between Russia and NATO, are welcome, even if both offer more in political symbolism than in substance. So is Mr. Putin's willingness to cooperate with the war on terrorism. But before the lovefest in St. Petersburg gets fully underway, it's worth pointing out that, in both foreign and domestic policy, Mr. Putin's state continues to differ dramatically from the democracies that are genuine U.S. allies. «The Washington Post» PRICE CHANGES IN AFTERMATH OF ELECTIONS Population’s incomes over the first quarter went 20-30% up, while the GDP (all that we produced) – 4%. Needless to say that the Ministry of statistics takes into account the accrued rather than paid wages, which are two big differences in our country. Director of the national association “Alternative-21” Leonid Zlotnikov explains why Belarus has more money but lives worse. “Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi” Anti-Corruption Campaign Picks Up Speed Series of arrests resumed in Belarus after the May holidays. The authorities continue their crack down on the directorate of the Belarusian companies. Back in last fall Alexander Lukashenko threatened to incarcerate 15 leading directors. By the New Year the plan has been fulfilled but in half, after which they halted it. And now they resumed their manhunt both among the officials and heads of companies. “Voice of America” Before Cutting Wool from Sheep Let It Grow First Seemingly, some of the Minsk legislators misinterpret an eternal market law – “marketing is trade’s propellant”. It was determined to test this truth in Minsk conditions. So, under the ruling of the Minsk city council of deputies, from July 1, 2002 they plan to introduce an additional 5% fare for the services of marketing promoters. “Vecherny Minsk” “Die Presse”: Belarusian Regime Is Doomed to Self-Isolation Observers from the Austrian “Die Presse” write that the conflict between the Belarusian leadership and the OSCE is picking up speed. Having expelled from the country the OSCE observers, Minsk is intentionally liquidating the links with the rest of Europe and dooms itself to isolation: “Tense relations between Minsk and OSCE are but a litmus for the relations between Belarus and the West. The greater number of European politicians express their indignation by the activities of the Belarusian authorities. This means that Europe may soon run out of patience.” Europe's Armory For Terrorism The country in Europe that deserves the most attention for its support of terrorist groups and rogue states continues to receive the least. That is the lawless and undemocratic country of Belarus, under the rule of Alexander Lukashenko. By Mark Lenzi, “Washington Post” Thursday, January 3, 2002; Page A17
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