In Russia, Novaya Gazeta reports that police and security officials are taking advantage of the “terrorist threat” for their own personal gain. Under cover of “ a State of Emergency” they have intensified their civillian searches. They might not find any semtex, but they never miss a ruble or dollar stuffed wallet, some nice jewellery or impressive watch. This antiterror action is surely unlikely to prove fruitful, and severly impedes the amelioration of relations between the police and the general public. Closer to the top – an elaborate “grooming” process is underway, as heads of large corporations are taken to one side, herded into police custody and interrogated.

The past weeks have seen swoops on big business unheard of in previous years. When he came to Power Putin promised three things: 1) That he would create A dictatorship of Law 2) That he would break the grip of the oligarchs on Russian social, political and economic life and 3) That the Chechens would be “annihilated on their privies”. Not a patch on Blairs rhetoric, but is this electoral threesome really coming to pass? He has centralized control over the regions, and certainly these days court cases are two a penny in Moscow, you’re almost not a real Oligarch until you have been dragged through the courts by the Authorities. Chechnya remains in the process of annihilation. “A twitching corpse in a wedding dress” is how one Russian Human Rights Activist described the recent referenda and elections held there. A coalition

In Moscow the reality of the Chechen War is hitting home There have been over 3 explosions in Moscow in the past week and explosives / devices have been found in several other locations, including a dangerous chemicals factory. While the infamous apartment bombings got him into power, if the recent terrorist attacks are anything to go by the selfsame problem will be his undoing.