An Arrest in Politkovskaya Murder Case
This arrest obliterates all doubt, as if there ever could have been any, about whether the Moscow Kremlin, and Vladimir Putin himself, was involved in Politkovskaya’s killing. Days after she was shot down outside her apartment building, Putin openly stated that her writings had caused “damage to Russia” and then weirdly contradicted himself by calling her “insignificant.” But “insignificant” people are not assassinated in a conspiracy led by a leading figure in the Moscow security establishment after being trailed and monitored by on-duty cops.
Throughout her career, Politkovskaya pointed her pen directly at Putin, personally. She was more blunt and fearless in doing so than Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and that is why Politkovskaya was killed and Khodorkovsky was only imprisoned. Those who know Putin, a proud career KGB spy, find nothing at all surprising in the notion that he would order her execution. In fact, Putin’s entire career in the Kremlin is littered with similar instances of liquidated critics.
What is surprising, though, is that the Russian justice system has finally been allowed to begin unearthing the roots of this conspiracy. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Russia’s stock market has just lost 20% of its value and the number of Russians saying they would like Putin back in the presidency has dropped below 50%. Maybe Putin begins to seem vulnerable, and maybe there are those inside the Kremlin who would like to see him replaced.
Or maybe it is just that there are still a few men and women working in Russian law enforcement who draw the line when asked to look the other way at the brutal murder of wife and mother who had done nothing more than speak truth to power. Whatever the reason, the foundations of the Russian government have been rocked to their core, and an entirely new element has been added to the upcoming presidential elections. Russia’s future is in turmoil, and that is not a bad thing, because the “stability” of a KGB president for life meant certain doom for Russia.
There is one other, far darker, possibility, namely that this investigation is as blessed by Putin as Politkovskaya’s killing itself. Perhaps Putin feels he needs to scapegoat a high-ranking person in order to blunt Western criticism of his human rights record because political pressure is rapidly increasing in the wake of the murder of Kremlin critic Sergei Magnitsky. Maybe Putin even has a particular fall guy in mind, an enemy he cannot dislodge by other means.
This possibility carries so much darkness because Putin might be that evil — anyone who knows him shouldn’t be surprised by that. What’s really ominous is that Putin might think he could get away with such a gambit, something he could only believe if he takes the leaders of the West, Barack Obama in particular, for totally craven idiots.
What’s really ominous is that Putin just might be right.
It’s difficult to be other than completely cynical about this. Arkady Shevchenko, the fearless Moscow detective doing his job despite political pressure, is a creation of fiction. There was no such animal in soviet times, and there is none now.
It is fanciful to think that in making this arrest, the authorities have bravely and independently fingered a participant in a security service conspiracy. Absolute rubbish. The judiciary in Russia and the prosecuting authorities are no more free of the executive in 2011 than they were in Soviet times. If he is genuinely part of such a conspiracy, the arrest would never have been allowed to happen.
So this person is some sort of fall guy, or a puppet. If he is just a puppet, he will be acquitted, and the authorities will look like they have done something. Or he may be persona non grata for some reason, and a convenient fall guy.
Either explanation, and a range of others, are more likely than the supposition that some dutiful and fearless investigators have fingered a participant in a security service plot.
I agree.
Ms Zigfeld,
Demonization of Putin is a lot like the demonization of Obama it may get the the faithful all fired up and ready to rush into a Holy War but it doesn’t do much for preparing oneself for the reality of what one is about to fight, or what one is supposedly analyzing.
The alternative scenario at the end of your piece is at least getting closer to a more thoughtful analysis, but even then you descend into the ‘Horror” at the heart of Putin’s Russia by trying to make us all shiver at just how evil Putin is.
You are right in identifying this development in the Anna P. case as significant, but as you know ‘big moments’ in Russia are often an excuse to then sit back and go off the the dacha for a break to do nothing.
The good observation of Ms.Zigfeld about the Pavlyuchenkov`s independence of Kadyrov. Russians, even intelligentsia and human rights defendents often blame this Chechen puppet of all the evils of Russian occupation.
An independent puppet?
To Doug Brown,
One cannot demonize Putin. He made his way in KGB, the Soviet analogue of the German Gestapo. Both organizations had no moral brakes. He would do anything he considers profitable. Absolutely everything. His only loyalty possibly lies in his organization (KGB-FSB). Possibly. I’ve lived in USSR, but thanks God never worked/cooperated in/with KGB (people say 25% did!).
To Lefroy: I tend to agree with you.
Organizations don’t have moral brakes, people do. I have no illusions about Putin. I’m quite familiar with Chekist history and the Chekist Myth. Nevertheless, Putin has been a competent and accomplished Russian leader and his foreign policy led by a very competent foreign minister puts much of the West foreign services to shame.
To doug brown, in case you haven’t noticed; russia’s desintegration started, thanks to Polish Solidarity, in the early 80ties and NEVER stopped. Gradually, all non-russian nations/ethnic groups that want to leave russia will be set free; e.g., chinese siberia, finnish karelia, german konigsburg, all northern caucasus So putin or liliputin or whoever is going to run russia is immaterial – russia is going to join the other ex-empires. As we cannot compare barbaric russia with the Roman Empire, the best comparison would be with the mongol empire – tell me, tell me where is mongolia now??? In the meantime we should sit and enjoy russia’s humiliation on a daily basis – so called russsian army already 50% muslim and central asian; eating the DOG FOOD, the russian planes dropping off the russia’s skies e.g., 3 planes a day…the bulava rockets, kursk, bulgaria; the list is really endless. Thanks russia for cheap thrill…
Demonizing an ethnic group is also effective in stirring up some individuals, but usually falls short of what constitutes good history. Please continue in your lowercase diatribe against Russia and Russians, it might not be good history but it provides a wonderful insight into you, lowercase victoriausa.
When you get tired venting, take a look into the September WSJ magagzine on The Bolshoi Resurrection, cheap thrill indeed.
I generally liked G. W. Bush but one thing I could never understand was his fondness for the KGB thug he called “Puty” Putin, and all that scrap about “looking into his soul.” Bush had to have been briefed on Putin before their meeting, and known about his record.
Historians say that Russophylia can be explained by the great Russians space as the Europe`s continuation, that equalize the small Europe with the great Asia. The idea of the Russians as the non Europeans are an alien to the European spirit.They search the innumerouse explanations of this strangeness of Russians,Doug!
Ben,
Historians say, and have said a lot of things about Russia, but honestly I’m not quite sure what you are saying. Could you clarify please? I don’t find the Russians strange, individual Russians sure, but as a cultural entity I think Russia has a great history, tragic sure, but it’s tough to find a civilization or culture that doesn’t. If you could clarify a little for me, I would appreciate it. Thank you.
If you think this investigation is total sham, think twice. Sure, nobody touched putin for last 10 years but there is now clearly war of clans in kremlin. It’s relatively quite yet but the result is not clear…