Article

2008-09-15 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

(PTI) A top Russian general was among the 88 passengers killed after the Boeing-737 crashed today in the Urals city of Perm. Chechnya war veteran, Colonel-General Gennady Troshev, decorated with the title of Hero of ~~the Soviet Union~~ Russia and the Order of ~~Lenin~~ Golden Star was among the victims of the crash.

He was on the Chechen militant hitlist. However, investigators have ruled out indications of a terrorist attack at this stage, RIA Novosti said.

He was on the Chechen militant hitlist. However, investigators have ruled out indications of a terrorist attack at this stage, RIA Novosti said.

A team of investigators has been sent from Moscow to the scene of the disaster. According to Aeroflot airlines there were 83 passengers and 5 crew in the ill-fated plane leased from a Dublin-based company in May 2008.

The Boeing 737-500 built in 1992 was earlier in service with Air China and was said to be in perfect shape.

Twenty one foreign nationals were also on board the crashed airliner. Five people were lucky enough to miss this ill fated flight. They had left for Perm by train, Vesti channel said.

Aeroflot pledged in a statement to pay bereaved families up to USD 80,000 in compensation per victim. Meanwhile, the Governor Perm region has declared a day of mourning tomorrow. President Dmitry Medvedev, who turns 43 today, was immediately informed of the crash by Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Posted by Fred 2008-09-15 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11126 views ] Top

#1 When Khrushchev was deposed by the Soviet military, who used trickery to rig the politburo vote, Brezhnev had to promise them the Moon and the stars for their critical support over the other candidate.

He was amazingly bitter about this. So he spent his entire time in office planning, and when he knew that he was going to die, he arranged the most vicious purge of military leaders since Stalin.

From most radical to least radical, Admirals and Generals were dying like they had the mummy's curse. Their entire naval staff was taken out in a single aircraft crash at sea, something like seven commanding Admirals and their deputies at once.

This was followed with car crashes, heart attacks, suicides, slip and fall accidents, etc., that wiped out about 40 of their top military leaders. By the time Brezhnev died, his chosen successor Andropov, a KGB man, had zero military obligation or control.

And the KGB, and its successor, the FSB, have dominated politics in Russia ever since. This became even more pronounced with the huge RIF of the Soviet military with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Posted by Anonymoose 2008-09-15 00:35|| 2008-09-15 00:35|| Front Page Top

#2 Of course it was Krushchev who had the military behind him when he got rid of Beria.

Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2008-09-15 11:56|| 2008-09-15 11:56|| Front Page Top

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