Free Republic

Jan. 11, 2005 22:08 Putin's claims strain Israeli-Russian relations By JPOST.COM STAFF Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim that Israeli officials aided Ukrainian opposition candidate Viktor Yuschenko on the campaign trail has led to a serious break in Russian-Israeli relations, Channel 2 TV reported Tuesday evening. Putin further accused Israel of financing Yuschenko in the presidential race against Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the candidate he preferred. The Russian president claimed that the Israeli government could have prevented the financial sponsorship of Yuschenko. Putin's close associates additionally charged Israel of supporting the Russian opposition. Israel denies the charges, the Channel 2...

unday December 12, 2004The Observer Viktor Yuschenko survived an alleged attempt to poison him by dissolving dioxins in his soup. Dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals. It is a general term used to describe hundreds of chemicals which are highly persistent in the environment. They are formed as a by-product of industrial processes involving chlorine, such as waste incineration or paper bleaching. But they also occur naturally in soil fungus and in grasshoppers. The most highly toxic is TCDD (tetrachlorodibenzodioxin). One sign of exposure to the substance is chloracne, an unpleasant skin complaint. They are so dangerous because they...