[nascarnation]

How many of the pro-Putin posters on FR are actually Trolls paid by Putin's Russian government?

Not me, but if they sent checks I'd cash them!

[familyop]

nascarnation wrote:
"VLADIMIR PUTIN PRESIDENT 2016...AT LEAST THIS ONE WILL STAND UP TO ISLAMIC EXTREMIST SAVAGES!"

Some facts about Russia and some of its interesting official military allies (not including other obvious members of the new enemy axis).

Collective Security Treaty Organization
Wikipedia

Member states[edit]

Current members
Armenia (2002)
Belarus (2002)
Kazakhstan (2002)
Kyrgyzstan (2002)
Russia (2002)
Tajikistan (2002)

Observers
Afghanistan (2013)
Serbia (2013)

Possible candidates
Iran

Former members
Azerbaijan (joined 1994, withdrew 1999)
Georgia (joined 1994, withdrew 1999)
Uzbekistan (joined 1994, withdrew 2012)

Russia has military friends in its Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO: members listed below).

All of the following excerpts are from the CIA World Factbook (as accessed on 4MAY14).

Russia
Religions:

Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 est.) note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy of over seven decades of Soviet rule

Kazakhstan
Religions:

Muslim 70.2%, Christian 26.2% (Russian Orthodox 23.9%, other Christian 2.3%), Buddhist 0.1%, other 0.2%, atheist 2.8%, unspecified 0.5% (2009 Census)

Kyrgyzstan
Religions:

Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

Tajikistan
Religions:

Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)

Belarus
Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
Religions:

Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Armenia
Religions:

Armenian Apostolic 92.6%, Evangelical 1%, other 2.4%, none 1.1%, unspecified 2.9% (2011 est.)