Posted on 05/12/2005 12:07:17 PM PDT by Alexander Nevsky
REMEMBERING RUSSIAGATE
Never Have So Few Stolen So Much From So Many
Now that President Bush has returned from his tour of the former Soviet states, those Americans who still remember how our last president used to deal with Russian affairs are breathing a sigh of relief that grownups have once more taken charge of our foreign policy.
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Paraphrasing Winston Churchill, we might say of the Russiagate scandal that never before have so few stolen so much from so many in so short a time.
Soros and the Oligarchs
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Between 1992 and 1996, fully 57 percent of Russia's state-owned firms were sold for a mere $3-$5 billion, according to political scientist Peter Reddaway, a leading expert on the post-Soviet system and co-author of The Tragedy of Russia's Reforms: Market Bolshevism Against Democracy.
Some of that property ended up in Mr. Soros' personal investment portfolio, as he later admitted in Congressional testimony. Much more ended up in the hands of corrupt Russian oligarchs, many with roots in organized crime.
Russiagate: "One of the greatest social robberies in human history"
By 1999, the Clintons' media allies could no longer conceal the fact that tens of billions of dollars in illicit funds were being laundered out of Russia with the assistance of pliant Western banks such as the Bank of New York.
Following a preliminary investigation, House Banking Committee chairman Jim Leach (R-Iowa) declared on September 1, 1999 that he was "very confident" that at least $100 billion had been laundered out of Russia, an unknown portion of which may have been diverted from the International Monetary Fund and from other foreign aid lenders — which is to say, from the pockets of U.S. taxpayers.
Congressman Leach declared the scandal to be "one of the greatest social robberies in human history." Nevertheless, it was swept under the carpet.
Washington Post: "The Russian debacle may haunt us for generations."
Washington Post reporter David Ignatius gave the scandal its name. In an August 25, 1999 article titled, "Who Robbed Russia?", Ignatius wrote:
"That issue — what the heck, let's call it `Russiagate' — has come into sharper focus this month, thanks to some powerful reporting that has highlighted the lawlessness of modern Russia and the acquiescence of the Clinton administration in the process of decline and decay there. …Let us hope that George W. Bush can begin the long process of repair, and restore to U.S.-Russian relations the spirit of trust, respect and high aspiration which ought to have driven them for the last thirteen years.
[B]y allowing the oligarchs — in the name of the free market — to grab Russia's resources and siphon anything of value into their own offshore bank accounts, the United States poisoned Russia's transition from communism. In the minds of ordinary Russians… capitalism became equated with theft. …
What makes the Russian case so sad is that the Clinton administration may have squandered one of the most precious assets imaginable — which is the idealism and goodwill of the Russian people as they emerged from 70 years of Communist rule. The Russia debacle may haunt us for generations."
After the loss of 9 billion in US aid to Russia, we had an interesting story here in LA. The biggest foreign buyers of Beverly Hills home were - Russians.
Follwoing that we had comments about not worring about about the 9 Billion because, so much came back to americans due to their selling those expensive houses.
Amazing.
Yeah. Imagine what'll happen if Hitlery Clinton gets her claws on the Oval Office seat.
Squandering was Clinton's specialty. .....and his legacy.
U.S. taxpayer billion$ ending up in private (foreign) hands is par for the course.
Thanks for posting about how $oreA$$ plundered Russia.
Makes one wonder how much he has plundered from America with the help of his well funded rats and his so called Hedge funds.
"Soros and the Oligarchs"
"Under the close supervision of Clinton-appointed U.S. advisors — among whom leftwing billionaire George Soros wielded tremendous influence — a handful of Russian oligarchs hijacked the Russian privatization program, acquiring the crown jewels of the Soviet economy in rigged "auctions," at firesale prices.
Between 1992 and 1996, fully 57 percent of Russia's state-owned firms were sold for a mere $3-$5 billion, according to political scientist Peter Reddaway, a leading expert on the post-Soviet system and co-author of The Tragedy of Russia's Reforms: Market Bolshevism Against Democracy.
Some of that property ended up in Mr. Soros' personal investment portfolio, as he later admitted in Congressional testimony. Much more ended up in the hands of corrupt Russian oligarchs, many with roots in organized crime.
Russiagate: "One of the greatest social robberies in human history"
By 1999, the Clintons' media allies could no longer conceal the fact that tens of billions of dollars in illicit funds were being laundered out of Russia with the assistance of pliant Western banks such as the Bank of New York.
Following a preliminary investigation, House Banking Committee chairman Jim Leach (R-Iowa) declared on September 1, 1999 that he was "very confident" that at least $100 billion had been laundered out of Russia, an unknown portion of which may have been diverted from the International Monetary Fund and from other foreign aid lenders — which is to say, from the pockets of U.S. taxpayers."
Valin when Soros rapes and plunders a nation. It is done in the open while those in power look the other way. Soros does not use conspiracies. He uses his money and power to rape and plunder the wealth innocents like those in Russia.
"Soros and the Oligarchs"
Under the close supervision of Clinton-appointed U.S. advisors — among whom leftwing billionaire George Soros wielded tremendous influence — a handful of Russian oligarchs hijacked the Russian privatization program, acquiring the crown jewels of the Soviet economy in rigged "auctions," at firesale prices.
Between 1992 and 1996, fully 57 percent of Russia's state-owned firms were sold for a mere $3-$5 billion, according to political scientist Peter Reddaway, a leading expert on the post-Soviet system and co-author of The Tragedy of Russia's Reforms: Market Bolshevism Against Democracy.
Some of that property ended up in Mr. Soros' personal investment portfolio, as he later admitted in Congressional testimony. Much more ended up in the hands of corrupt Russian oligarchs, many with roots in organized crime.
Russiagate: "One of the greatest social robberies in human history"
By 1999, the Clintons' media allies could no longer conceal the fact that tens of billions of dollars in illicit funds were being laundered out of Russia with the assistance of pliant Western banks such as the Bank of New York.
Following a preliminary investigation, House Banking Committee chairman Jim Leach (R-Iowa) declared on September 1, 1999 that he was "very confident" that at least $100 billion had been laundered out of Russia, an unknown portion of which may have been diverted from the International Monetary Fund and from other foreign aid lenders — which is to say, from the pockets of U.S. taxpayers
Breathtaking! Like the Oil for Food fiasco!!!
You've given me an education today. Thank you.
The left wing elite never do anything that is good for the normal people.
They are the uber facists of today's world.
It is amazing what the super rich elite fascists of the left have done to the world since WWII.
Of course their maggot puppets, the MSM and left wing politcians never point out the massive damage done by these robber baron elite left wing fascists.
How Clinton Manipulated Yeltsin
Sensational disclosures by a former US cabinet officialYeltsin once offered to hold a summit with Clinton on a submarine. Twice, during telephone calls with the American president, Yeltsin hung up the phone in anger. During another conversation, the receiver fell from Clinton's hands and loudly struck the floor, but Yeltsin did not even notice. During one of his last rendezvous with the American president, Yeltsin could not remember last name of Premier Putin.
These are but a few of the scandalous facts from the sensational memoirs of former first assistant US secretary of state Strobe Talbot. His book in America goes by the book Russia Hand, but only stayed on the shelves for a few days.
For a greater part of the last decade, Strobe Talbot was privy to the most valuable secrets of the relationship between Moscow and Washington, but he first touched on the mysteries of the Kremlin many years before. In 1970, the young Oxford student was a translator for the memoirs of our former leader Nikita Khrushchev, which had been illegally smuggled to west. Around that same time, something happened which seriously effected Talbot's life. His neighbor in the dormitory was a new student, an unknown fellow from Arkansas by the name of Bill Clinton. After becoming president, Clinton tried to recruit professional journalist Talbot to his team. The president's university chum, however, refused to serve as ambassador to Moscow. Talbot stated that it would be a hardship for his teenage children, but he agreed to head a special cabinet department on the CIS, and within a few months became first assistant secretary of state. Talbot stayed at this key post for more than seven years, and during this time his main object of attention was Moscow.
YELTSIN'S BINGES
Just like any high-ranking American official, Talbot was required to show the manuscript of his memoirs to his former employer. It has been said, that the censors worked untiringly over the book, and all of the spiciest parts were taken out, but what remains is more than enough. The idiosyncrasies of our former president have been no secret to anyone for quite some time, but, until now, no western government official has publically confirmed them. Strobe Talbot was the first to break this taboo. Reading his memoirs is shameful, painful, and unpleasant, but at the same time necessary, since the number two man in the US state department tells in detail how dearly "Yeltsin's strangeness" cost Russia.After his inauguration, Clinton was informed of the Russian leader's extravagant conduct. During his first telephone converstation with the American president, Yeltsin was drunk. As Talbot writes, the Moscow chief's conversation was extremely slurred, and he was in absolutely no condition to understand what Clinton was trying to say. The situation was merely amusing for the future "friend of Bill." If only Clinton knew what lay ahead.
During the first Yeltsin-Clinton summit in Vancouver, in April of 1993, our president gave his American friends the complete show. Clinton had the poor judgement to invite his partner on a boat cruise around the island of Vancouver. Here is what went on: "Just as soon as the boat left the dock, Yeltsin downed three scotchs. Earlier that night, at supper, he drank three glasses of wine and didn't eat a thing... his conversation became more and more jumbled ('Bill, we're not rivals, we're friends')... he became more agitated with every minute as his assistants tried to chase away waiters carrying drinks which the president kept ordering."
An even more interesting image awaited the Yankees during Yeltin's flight to Washingon in September of 1994. Talbot was sent to meet the Russian president at the airport. "According to protocol, I was supposed to ride in one limousine with Yeltsin, escorting him to the residence of honored guests at Blair House, while my wife was to accompany Naina Yeltsin in a different vehicle. But Russian ambassador Yuliy Vorontson told me on the tarmac: 'The president is tired from the flight and prefers to ride with Mrs. Yeltsin'." Despite attempts by his bodyguards and Naina Iosifovna, the president barely made it down the boarding ramp. Worse than this was yet to come. Talbot continues: "That evening, at Blair, House Yeltsin was dead drunk and wandered about in his underwear. Later he came downstairs and tried to come on to a female secret service agent... Later still he came downstairs, demanding 'Pizza! Pizza!' Finally his bodyguards grabbed him firmly by the elbows and carried him upstairs to bed."
After his first rendezvous with Yeltsin, Clinton noted with melancholy: "Well, at least he's not an aggressive drunk." Very quickly, the US leader understood that his remark was in error. During talks, Boris Nikolaevich ridiculed his ministers, but this was soon not sufficient. During his trip to the US in October of 1995, Yeltsin had already decided to fire Foreign Minister Kozyrev, and once he got to New York, he wanted to help his 'friend Bill' do the same with his secretary of state. "Yeltsin noticed Warren Christopher and Madeline Albright at the same time that a waiter brought them champagne. He grabbed one of the champagne glasses from the tray. Christopher is supposed to have said 'Mr. President, there are fingerprints on that glass', Yeltsin then demanded his own glass, emptied it in a swallow, and turned to Christopher. 'Haven't seen you in awhile', Yeltsin said. 'You and Kozyrev are both losers! Absolute losers'."
It was not enough for Yeltsin just to ridicule the American officials. At times even Clinton was a target of his jibes. In October of 1998, the two leaders were speaking on the telephone during a series of negotiations. "Yeltsin repeated several times the Russian word nel'zya (forbidden). Clinton tried to answer twice, but Yeltsin interrupted him, saying okeh-okeh. When Clinton tried to speak the third time, Yeltsin simply hung up."
THE PRICE OF ECCENTRICITY
The patience which Clinton showed Yeltsin often astonished the American leader's assistants. Strobe Talbot writes that, during one episode, he was even ashamed of his boss. At a joint press conference, the Russian leader started to rudely berate the journalists, but Clinton could not find a better exit from the situation than to support his friend. The Yankees were more than compensated for all the insults they endured from Yeltsin - behind closed doors, where the real decisions were made, Clinton almost always succeeded in manipulating the Russian president.Close to the beginning of his book, Talbot gives a rather murderous assessment of Yeltsin's conduct at the Russian-American summits. "At the plenary meetings, where there were a large number of witnesses from both sides of the table, Yeltsin played the part of a decisive, even mighty leader, who knew what he wanted and insisted on getting it. During the closed door meetings, however, he became more docile and receptive to the Clinton's wiles. Later, at the press conferences, Yeltsin made a big fuss to hide what he'd given away in these secret meetings." As far as matters pertaining to the concrete details of treaties, it's clear that Talbot is going to easy on Yeltsin.
April of 1993, the Clinton-Yeltsin meetings in Vancouver. In front of the delegation, Yeltsin proposes one initiative after another, all of them offers from Moscow which Washington had already refused during other conferences, but lightly camouflaged and set out as something completely new. 'Let's decide this right now, Bill! You are a man of business, I see! Seize the moment!' Yeltsin repeated, but the Americans would not budge. Boris Nikolaevich humorously complained to Clinton: 'Bill, your bureaucrats are trying to prevent us from making decisions that only presidents can make!' Clinton took this to mean that Yeltsin was not serious. Result: not a single Yeltsin initiative was even considered. The Russian leader, however, was happy nonetheless - to the observers it seemed that it was he, and not Clinton, who dominated the meetings.
September of 1994, at a one-on-one meeting in Washington. The official Russian position was that the expansion of NATO towards the east was completely out of the question, but Clinton laid his hand on Yeltsin's shoulder and exhaled a lengthy speech, full of banalties about 'our friendship' and such. Boris Nikolaevich broke down on the spot. In answer to the warnings about the gradual expansion of the North Atlantic alliance our president declared: 'I understand, thank you for informing me.' Moscow will now cry for years about the 'absolutely unacceptable' expansion of NATO, but Washington will not pay attention to any of our threats and warnings. They already knew what the Russian president actually meant.
October of 1995, at a high-level summit in Hyde Park. Clinton talks Yeltsin into not departing from an earlier agreement on limiting conventional weapons in Europe, which our military was then demanding. The story about how the American president succeeded is similar to a cinema comedy. First Clinton tried his luck at dinner, during which Boris Nikolaevich drank three glasses of California wine. According to Talbot: "The last time he had success, was with a drunk Yeltsin, so he decided to give it a try." And Clinton did, but the Russian president was too drunk to be bothered with business.
After dinner, Clinton got lucky. On a pretext, Yeltsin's foreign political assistant, Dmitriy Ryurikov, was sent out of the room, and for several minutes clever Bill takes Yeltin on his arm and talks him into agreeing to absolutely everything: 'Boris, look at me! It's not important what that fellow over there is saying. This is only between me and you... We should do this right away. Don't you agree?' After returning to the room, Ryurikov was preparing the Russian responce when his jaw dropped open - his president had already agreed to the American proposal.
START TO NOWHERE?
Clinton only found out about the changing of the Kremlin guard a few days before Putin's nomination to the post of premier. The information was transmitted to him by Israeli Premier Ekhud Barak. There are not many details of cooperation between Clinton and Putin in the pages of Talbot's book. During the period of the Putin presidency, Clinton was already a 'lame duck'. Until the end of his term, he was already virtually powerless, and so, wasting time in talks with 'friend Bill' did not interest Putin much. It does not matter, however, what Talbot writes about Vladimir Vladimirovich is still very informative. Every once in awhile a Russian leader succeeds in looking after the interests of his country.Clinton always manipulated Yeltsin with the help of one trick or another. In principal agreeing to everything, he expressed many pretty and correct words, promising the most tender of friendships, but, at the same time, he insisted on his position without compromise. In the relationship between Clinton and Putin, this same tactic was used against the American president. As Talbot observes: "Russian foreign affairs has gone on to a new phase - less pliant, but not less bellicose. When Yeltsin said 'nyet' he meant 'let's talk'. With Putin it's the other way around. Instead of beating his fist against the press podium, he says: 'you have an interesting point of view' or 'we acknowledge your critique'. Behind closed doors, on the other hand, Putin rarely gives ground."
Unfortunately, we are unable to end this material on an upbeat note. Writing about the relationship between Washington and Moscow during the Bush era, Talbot acknowledges that does not understand the developments. Why did Moscow completely acquiesce to Bush's stance on the ABM treaty? "The Russian leader, like his predecessor, gave in to the USA!" declares the former assistant secretary of state. According the author of Russia Hand, Moscow should have fought harder for its interests.
And, he funds the Move-On group and the Open Society group which is as crooked as it gets.
Maybe THIS is why te Russians do not trust NGO groups paid for by that thief, George Soros... you know groups like Human Rights Watch, Move-On and last but not least... the Open Society group.. you know the group which funds all those so-called "velvet revolutions".
Ping to another sordid tale of Soros deceit and skulldugdery.
Ping to another sordid tale of Soros deceit and skullduggery.
The Soviet Union was always a criminal oligarchy, and so it was little surprise to me when the old ruling class morphed into Godfathers. Privatization of any industry is always fraught with corruption on the part of the former proprietors, and Russia did it on a national scale. This is, strictly speaking, plunder, not capitalism, and the Soviet nomenklatura were master plunderers since Lenin. All communists are; without plunder there would be no communism.
The scale of this is breathtaking. And it could have been worse - I envisioned regional warlords armed with nuclear leftovers and possessed of such industry as survived the fall, most of that being armaments-related because those got the lion's share of the money during the years when everything else faded into decay. These were pretty much destined to fall into the hands of one thug or another in the absence of a total revolution against the ruling class the like of which hadn't been seen in that country since 1917. That didn't happen for good reasons as well as sordid Clintonian ones. One wonders, however, how much of the swag has ended up or will end up in Hillary's campaign chest. It isn't mere speculation - they already did it with money from the Chinese Red Army.
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