The U.S. administration is implementing the position announced in early October by U.S. Trade Envoy Robert Zellik. He promised Washington will take a more active stance regarding Russia's entry into the WTO. According to deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship, Anatoliy Aksakov, the U.S.'s full support of Russia is not possible without first removing a major trade obstacle, namely the Jackson-Vanick amendment introduced in 1974. The rationale behind the amendment was to prevent the USSR from obtaining Western technology. It was only logical to assume that all trade barriers would be lifted after the Soviet Union collapsed and the Communist threat was removed, marking the true end of the Cold War.
However, the U.S. administration has continuously postponed the critical decision. Prior to the Putin-Bush summit set for mid-November, the U.S. president asked Congress to drop the amendment. Bush's proposal in fact was a reciprocal move after the Kremlin announced it would close down its two military bass in Cam Ranh, Vietnam, and Lourdes, Cuba. For the U.S. to discard the old amendment would symbolize the absolution of old insults. Russia may receive more benefits. In particular, if the amendment is dropped, Russia will have the chance to upgrade military production technology and to help the newly established financial intelligence agency hunt for outrageous tax evaders.
HUNTING FOR SECURITY STRUCTURES
Rumor has it that certain security structures of the country are to be reformed. In particular, this concerns the Federal tax Police Service.
The staff of the tax police is to be decreased by a quarter; moreover, the department is to be joined to the Finance Ministry in the form of department for tax security, but it will be subjected directly to the president.
According to the rumor, the tax police will have to not only catch tax-evaders, but to also secretly watch officials of the Finance Ministry, the Ministry for Economic Development, and the Tax and Duties Ministry.
On the other hand, the tax police will lose their military status, with all the following consequences. The same rumor has that the employees of almost all security structures will lose their military status, including the Interior Ministry, the Federal Security Service, the Emergency Ministry, the Customs, and the Foreign Intelligence Service.
This means that people working there will lose some part of their privileges and proceeds, though as a result, their salaries are to be increased. At the same time, it is well known that the inflation rate can swallow any wage increase very quickly.
It is an open secret that the security services are the most powerful group supporting the president. However, after such a reform Putin is likely to automatically lose a considerable and weighty part of his supporters.
According to expert appraisals, the authors of the project are not representatives of security or any other special services.
Rossiyskiye Vesti, November 22-27, 2001, p. 3