Another mysterious death linked to the Russian government...

[Spook]

I've said it many times over the past year or two and stand by it today, "Russia and Iran are going to form an unholy alliance and that will be the next MAJOR war whether the US is involved or not."

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...i055336S94.DTL

Russia Journalist Worked on Weapons Story
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

(03-06) 07:45 PST MOSCOW, Russia (AP) --


A journalist who fell to his death from a fifth-story window had received threats while gathering material for a report claiming Russia planned to provide sophisticated weapons to Syria and Iran, his newspaper said Tuesday.


Prosecutors have opened an inquest into the death of Ivan Safronov, a military affairs writer for the daily Kommersant who died Friday in what some media said could have been murder.


Kommersant reported that Safronov told his editors he would write a story about Russian plans to sell weapons to Iran and Syria via Belarus, but they said he had not yet submitted the article.


Kommersant said Safronov recently told colleagues that he had been warned he would face a criminal investigation on charges of revealing state secrets if he reported allegations that Russia had struck a deal to supply highly advanced Iskander missiles to Syria. If confirmed, such a contract would upset the balance of forces in the Mideast and likely anger Israel and the United States.


Safronov did not say where the warning came from, according to Kommersant, but he had repeatedly been questioned in the past by the Federal Security Service or FSB, which suspected him of divulging state secrets in his reports. The FSB is the main successor agency to the KGB.


"Ivan Safronov said he was not going to write about it for a while because he was warned that it would create a huge international scandal and the FSB would launch a criminal case on charges of breaching state secrets," it said.


Russia's arms sales to such nations as Iran and Syria have been an irritant in its relations with the United States and have drawn criticism from Israel.


Ignoring U.S. and Israeli criticism, Russia has delivered 29 Tor-M1 mobile surface-to-air missile systems to Iran under a $700 million contract. Russian news reports have said repeatedly the Iranians were pushing Russia to sell much more potent, long-range S-300 air defense missile systems.


Kommersant reported that, before his trip to an international arms fair last month in the United Arab Emirates, Safronov said he would try to confirm indications that Russia planned to sell S-300 missiles to Iran and Su-30 fighter jets to Syria via Belarus. Safronov later called his editors from Abu Dhabi and said he had received the necessary confirmation from Russian officials who attended the exhibit, Kommersant reported.


Upon his return from the trip, it said, Safronov told colleagues that he also had learned about Russian plans to provide Syria with Iskander missiles, MiG-29 fighter jets and Pantsyr-S1 air defense systems.


The Iskander, a sophisticated surface-to-surface missile with a range of 175 miles, would give Syria the capability to strike targets in Israel with high precision. Israel has complained about past sales of anti-tank missiles to Syria, saying that some landed in the hands of the militant group Hezbollah.


A spokeswoman for the Rosoboronexport state arms trading monopoly refused to comment on Kommersant's report on the alleged weapons deals.


Russia has been plagued by attacks on reporters who seek to expose official corruption and other abuses. The problem was highlighted by the October killing of Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative reporter and a harsh critic of human rights abuses in Chechnya.


A report Tuesday from the Brussels-based International News Safety Institute listed Iraq, Russia and Colombia as the deadliest countries for journalists and their support staff. There were 138 deaths in Iraq over the past decade, 88 in Russia and 72 in Colombia, the report said.

[Gator_Mclusky]

I have to agree. Russia plays the role of wanting to be part of the international community but I se Russia loving to create more problems and stretch us even thinner. Its the only way they can become the Super power they want to be once again.

[Spook]

Originally Posted by Gator_Mclusky

I have to agree. Russia plays the role of wanting to be part of the international community but I se Russia loving to create more problems and stretch us even thinner. Its the only way they can become the Super power they want to be once again.

It appears as their way of stretching our CIA and other espionage agencies thin and making us bankroll things that we should just leave to CNN. Leak the right information or the right kind of carrot in front of a rabbit and they will dig as deep as an espionage agency if need be to get that perfect story. If not, they will get enough information to relay to their editors just before they are dropped out of a 5 story window.

[Spook]

Oh, and BTW, in many parts of the world news crews have up to the minute ears to the ground and connections that our own intelligence agencies cannot get in the west. It doesn't matter if they'd prefer to keep their sources private, but they often times can report enough information to fill in the blanks for what we already suspect to move further and redirect resources. The CIA station chiefs or their staff, the assistant CIA director, and the director himself along with multitudes of others in high ranking parts of government keep several TV's around for the latest breaking stories, and it is for a good reason....our agents can't be every where at once.

[Ironmako]

Gog and Magog will form the alliance you speak of.

[Spook]

Originally Posted by Ironmako

Gog and Magog will form the alliance you speak of.

Yes, pretty much it. The scripture talks a bit more deeply implying Russia, Persia (Iran), Cush (southern most parts of Egypt...probably Sudan, et. al.), certain areas of Europe, etc.. However, there is no mention of Saudi Arabia, Egypt itself, nor Iraq as we know it becoming involved. I think Gog and Magog is implying a country and the country's leader by title. Meshua, a grandchild or great grandchild of Noah supposedly settled people in Turkey, but eventually created an area that is known as Moscow while his brother Tubal ended up creating or settling Tubolsk I think. I think, but not sure, that the word Rosh means Prince (a title rather than Russia). I think Meshua and Tubal refer to Russia and Siberia from what I've read.

Hardline Russia never died....it just went into hibernation for a time.

[hanuri]

Nobody knows what goes on minds of the leaders of Russia. as far as gov related killings go they are no big deal there . People will react of course , but no one of leaders or such. Takes huge guts to write against the governement of Russia.
As for selling weapons Russia is on the top of list along w US , Great Britain , France and few others I don´t remember . these people don´t care who´s killing who as long they will need weapons! and that they always do. See movie
http://www.lordofwarthemovie.com/ about selling weapons. Based on real stor y . An eye opener I´d say .

[Ironmako]

Originally Posted by Spook

Hardline Russia never died....it just went into hibernation for a time.

The Great Bear sleeps in his cave... until the end of his winter.

When he wakes he will be hungry.

[omerta]

russia has been instigating problems all over the world before and after the cold war to divert attention away from thereselves but every one knows they arent exactly on the up and up people just arent real concerned with them right know cause they still cant afford toilet paper but im sure we still have are eyes on them and have not forgotten almost every american soldier shot in the last 20 years was shot with a ak47

[Spook]

Originally Posted by omerta

russia has been instigating problems all over the world before and after the cold war to divert attention away from thereselves but every one knows they arent exactly on the up and up people just arent real concerned with them right know cause they still cant afford toilet paper but im sure we still have are eyes on them and have not forgotten almost every american soldier shot in the last 20 years was shot with a ak47

Their staple has always been cold beet soup before the fall of the Kremlin, after the fall of the Kremlin, and today as well. They are a nuckin futty bunch (in their government) with aspirations of world domination, but when people below the governmental levels live as they do, eventually they will rise against the machine just as Lenin did against Nicolai Romanov. It is difficult to be in such a limbo as that....and remain strong. You either remain strong at home, or you branch out monetarily or militarily and be strong elsewhere. Once they are weak in their own homeland, people should rise up against their shitty machine. I doubt it will happen since they have a great monopoly on how to keep their own people in check by communications.