Article

2005-03-01 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Putin sets up youth brigade to tighten grip

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Posted by ed 2005-03-01 13:01|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Futile. This is a sure sign that Putin's losing his grip, not tightening it. This Russian analyst has it exactly right:

Andrei Pointkowsky, director of the Centre for Strategic Studies, said: "Putin is behind this. Scared by the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the Kremlin is trying to form a Putin Jugend to suppress future opposition. Putin has had a catastrophic loss of authority. People are finally beginning to realise that the emperor has no clothes."

We can expect Putin's administration, more like regime, to fall before the end of his term. He'll either be pushed out by his FSB handlers or brought down by mass protests. The trigger will be a sharp fall in oil prices that provokes an economic crisis as in late 1997-1998.

Posted by thibaud (aka lex) 2005-03-01 2:23:04 PM|| 2005-03-01 2:23:04 PM|| Front Page Top

Putin, who now understands that you get sympathy by appearing with children and animals, held a meeting with Germany's Schroeder, and was accompanied by a friend...

Posted by BigEd 2005-03-01 4:10:35 PM|| 2005-03-01 4:10:35 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 I was wrong. Somebody was in disguise!

Posted by BigEd 2005-03-01 4:12:20 PM|| 2005-03-01 4:12:20 PM|| Front Page Top

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