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Vaclav Havel: Russia is ruled by KGB spies and mobsters
DPA ^ | 19 Mar 2008

Posted on 03/19/2008 9:03:12 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe

Prague - Russia in the era of outgoing President Vladimir Putin is a new-style dictatorship ruled by KGB spies and mobsters, former Czech president Vaclav Havel said in a Wednesday interview with Lidove Noviny daily. "The era of president Putin brought a new type of dictatorship, dangerous in its inconspicuous fashion," said the Soviet-era dissident playwright turned Czech Republic's long-time post-communist president.

The Putin rule has been a combination of "the worse from both communism and capitalism," Havel said. "A grouping, simply said, of KGBs and mafiosi has ascended to power."

He said that Russia seems to have a difficulty to grasp that once lost territories are no longer under her control and now acts as if not knowing "where it begins and where it ends."

"Why are Russians so opposed to that radar dome in Brdy?" Havel said referring to a controversial US plan to place a radar site for its missile defence system in the Brdy military zone in the central Czech Republic.

"Of course they do not mind the dome. But they mind that it should be here, thus in a space whose security should be decided by them," he said.

The United States is in talks with the Czech Republic and Poland on placing missile-shield facilities on their soil, a plan that has infuriated Russia which sees the US system as a threat. Washington has so far failed to ease Moscow's concerns.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: coldwar2; havel; putin; russia; sovietunion; ussr; vaclavhavel

1 posted on 03/19/2008 9:03:13 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Tailgunner Joe
Good for Havel.
2 posted on 03/19/2008 9:04:27 AM PDT by wideawake (Why is it that those who call themselves Constitutionalists know the least about the Constitution?)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

I liked what McCain said about Putin. “When I look into his eyes, I see the KGB”.


3 posted on 03/19/2008 9:04:57 AM PDT by Perdogg (Reagan would have never said "She's my girl")
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Another reason to admire the great Vaclav. I hope this gives Putin heartburn when he read’s these remarks.


4 posted on 03/19/2008 9:06:06 AM PDT by romanesq
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To: Perdogg

Yeah I still don’t know what the hell Bush was talking about.
I like the McCain remark. I agree with him.


5 posted on 03/19/2008 9:06:47 AM PDT by romanesq
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To: Tailgunner Joe
Vaclav Havel: Russia is ruled by KGB spies and mobsters

This is news?

6 posted on 03/19/2008 9:07:10 AM PDT by PeterFinn (I am not voting for McCain. No way, no how.)
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To: romanesq

IIRC, Bush said something along the line of looking into Putins eyes and trusting him??? Someone refresh my memory please....


7 posted on 03/19/2008 9:15:40 AM PDT by copaliscrossing (If stupidity were barrels of oil, we should start drilling the liberals heads right now!!!)
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To: copaliscrossing

Jorge probably thought Vlad was a fellow frat boy.


8 posted on 03/19/2008 9:48:44 AM PDT by 43north (I hope we are around long enough to become a layer in the rocks of the future.)
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To: 43north

Bush was quite the schmoozer during his first campaign and first year in office. He was schmoozing Putin and I seem to remember that he was a \\\”uniter, not a divider\\\” and was going to \\\”reach across the isle\\\” to the RATs to get things done. Well, all he did was piss off the Conservatives and get his hand bitten off by the RATs. That is why I just laugh when Obamalamadingdong gives us the same uniter/divider rhetoric and his supporters are falling for it hook, line, and sinker.


9 posted on 03/19/2008 10:00:29 AM PDT by copaliscrossing (If stupidity were barrels of oil, we should start drilling the liberals heads right now!!!)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Russia in the era of outgoing President Vladimir Putin is a new-style dictatorship ruled by KGB spies and mobsters, former Czech president Vaclav Havel said in a Wednesday interview with Lidove Noviny daily. ==

Oh God Putin will be very dissapointed by Havel remark?:)) Russian proveb says: “Dogs bark but the train keep going”.


10 posted on 03/19/2008 10:12:39 AM PDT by RusIvan (ABM can be used to fend off the weakered by first strike reciprocal answer.)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Bump.


11 posted on 03/19/2008 2:19:36 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1886546/posts?page=4972#4972 45 Item Communist Manifesto)
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