NEWS,18.07.2012

Bulgaria Bus Blast: 7 Dead, 25 Wounded As Explosion Hits Bus Carrying Young Israeli Tourists

 

Israel's Foreign Minister says the deadly bus explosion in Bulgaria that has killed at least six people was caused by a bomb placed on the vehicle.Avigdor Lieberman says he was briefed by his Bulgarian counterpart Wednesday evening. He said seven people died, but Bulgarian authorities have placed the death toll at six.At least 32 people were wounded in the blast, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called "an Iranian terror attack."A bus carrying Israeli youth exploded Wednesday in a Bulgarian resort, killing at least six people and wounding 32, officials said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "an Iranian terror attack" and promised a tough response.The explosion took place in the Black Sea city of Burgas, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of the capital, Sofia. TV images showed smoke billowing from the scene – a parking lot at the local airport where the Israeli tourists had apparently just landed. Several buses and cars were on fire near the shell of the exploded vehicle.It was not yet certain what caused the blast in the eastern European nation – whether it was the result of a suicide bomber or a device remotely detonated – and no group immediately claimed responsibility.But Israelis often have been targeted in attacks outside their country, and Wednesday's bombing coincided with the 18th anniversary of the bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina that killed 85 people.Israel suspects Iran of being behind several of those assaults. The two nations have long been in dispute over the nature of Iran's nuclear program. Israel has warned it will use military force to curb Iran's program if it must because it believes Tehran wants atomic weapons – a charge Iranian officials deny.The Israeli premier noted that Wednesday's attack followed similar attacks or attempted attacks in India, Georgia, Thailand and Kenya and Cyprus in recent months. He said that once again, "all signs point to Iran," though he did not offer any evidence to back up the claim."This is an Iranian terror attack that is spreading across the world," Netanyahu said. "Israel will react strongly to Iran's terror."The White House, which has preferred to pursue sanctions and diplomatic pressure against Iran in the nuclear dispute, also strongly condemned the attack. Press Secretary Jay Carney said President Barack Obama's "thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and injured."Tehran did not immediately issue any comment.Bulgaria, a country of 7.3 million bordering Greece and Turkey, is a popular tourist destination for Israelis. In recent years, Burgas has become popular as an inexpensive haven for groups of Israeli teenagers taking trips after finishing high school and before their military service.Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Rosenzweig said a flight from Tel Aviv had landed at 4:45 p.m. and that the blast took place about 40 minutes later. The tourists were apparently boarding the buses to go to their hotels.Witness Gal Malka told Israel's Channel 2 TV that she saw someone board the bus just before it exploded. Malka, who was lightly wounded, said the bus was full of Israeli teenagers. "We were at the entrance of the bus and in a few seconds we heard a huge boom," she said. Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov told Bulgarian national TV from Burgas that a person died in the hospital, bringing the death toll to four. Prior to that announcement, a doctor at the Burgas city hospital told Bulgarian radio that there were 27 people hurt – and at least three had severe injuries. He was not identified.The Burgas airport was closed and traffic redirected. In Sofia, meanwhile, Mayor Yordanka Fandakova ordered a stronger police presence at all public places linked to the Jewish community. There are some 5,000 Jews in Bulgaria and most live in the capital.Iran, which insists its nuclear program is peaceful, has in the past accused Israel of being behind deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists.Israel has not admitted a role in those strikes, but it and others have accused Iran of alleged reprisal missions, including a February bombing in New Delhi that wounded an Israeli diplomat's wife and the discovery of a cache of explosives in Bangkok that Thai officials claim was linked to a plot to target Israeli diplomats. Iran has denied involvement.In Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, security officials in March announced the arrest of 22 suspects allegedly hired by Iran for terrorist attacks against the U.S. and Israeli embassies and other Western-linked sites.Wednesday's attack also coincided with the 18th anniversary of the bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people. An Argentinian magistrate has concluded Iran was behind that attack.Israeli officials also have long feared that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrilla group would try to attack Israelis abroad. Hezbollah has accused Israel of assassinating a top leader in Damascus in 2008 and vowed to avenge the killing. Israel has never admitted involvement in the mysterious explosion.Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Israel's Channel 2 TV said there was no advance intelligence on an attack in Bulgaria.But counterterrorism expert Boaz Ganor said Iran and Hezbollah were the most likely culprits. He told  that all the indications pointed toward them. He also cited the arrest of a Hezbollah operative in Cyprus in recent days who was suspected of preparing a similar attack."This is probably a parallel operation and likely not the last in a series," he said. "All this looks like Hezbollah, Iran or a combination of the two."

 

Cuba's new stiff taxes on imported goods

Cuba has announced the imposition of stiff new import taxes that could substantially affect private entrepreneurs trying to get new businesses off the ground and many others who rely on informal shipments of merchandise from overseas.Starting in September, Cubans who come in and out of the country more than once a year will have to pay the equivalent of $4.50 a pound or more for imports, a fortune in a country where salaries average the equivalent of about $20 a month. Non-Cuban residents of the island, as well as Cuban Americans visiting relatives, would have to pay the new rates even if they only make one trip to the island.About a quarter of a million Cubans have started new businesses under free-market reforms instituted by President Raul Castroat the end of 2010. Many have opened cafes, repair shops, clothing stalls and outdoor stands that rely on products brought in from abroad.Cubans with permission to travel often fund their trips by acting as mules, coming back with bags stuffed with clothes, electronic goods, diapers and other things that are hard to find on the island. Until now, they would pay only about 25 cents per pound in import duties, with set fees for big-ticket items like televisions and microwave ovens. Food imports were free until earlier this year, when the government began charging duties.The new fees were posted quietly on the website of the government's Official Gazette and are dated July 2.Some details of the new law were confusing, given that the decree was published in dense legalese and appeared to contradict itself, and that no government officials were available to make sense of it. At times the decree refers to taxes being imposed based on weight, and at times on the value of merchandise.Either way, it was clear to private business owners that they would be paying much more, and they were not happy about it."It's a disaster," said Luis Carlos Espinosa, a 42-year-old who has set up a small stand in central Havana selling jeans, colorful blouses and children's clothing, and who had heard rumors of the new taxes but had not yet seen the published law. "It hurts us in every way. Where are we going to get the merchandise? There is no wholesale market here."Castro has ushered in dramatic changes like the legalization of a real estate and used car market, the granting of licenses for 181 types of private sector jobs, micro-loans for small business owners, the loosening of rules limiting independent restaurants, and a program to turn fallow government land over to small time farmers.But the momentum has undoubtedly waned this year, with no major reforms announced since December. Two promised high-profile changes, the creation of mid-size cooperative businesses and the elimination of travel restrictions that keep most Cubans from leaving the island, have yet to materialize, despite repeated assurances they are in the works.The reforms are part of a five-year plan to shed a million state workers and turn more than 40 percent of the economy over to the private sector, compared to about 15 percent today.

EU says Romania's gov't undermines rule of law

 

The European Union sharply criticized Romania's government on Wednesday, saying it has undermined the rule of law and independence of the judiciary as it tried to remove the president.President Traian Basescu was impeached by Parliament last month on grounds he overstepped his authority by meddling in government business and the judicial system. Critics accuse Prime Minister Victor Ponta of orchestrating the move as part of a power grab, and the political turmoil has dented Romania's credibility, with the United States and the EU expressing doubts about the left-leaning government's respect for the independence of the judiciary.A referendum will be held on July 29 to determine whether Basescu should be removed from office.The EU said in a report Wednesday that recent steps by the government raise concerns about its respect of fundamental democratic principles and it urged Bucharest to take urgent action to demonstrate its commitment.EU officials have been particularly concerned about the speed of the impeachment process and that the government tried to pass emergency decrees to change the referendum law to make it easier to remove Basescu.The EU allowed Romania and Bulgaria to join the bloc in 2007 despite delays in reforming their judicial systems and combating corruption and organized crime. Since then, it has been issuing regular annual reports on their progress.Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, said "exceptional events" in Romania had been a source of major concern."Politicians must not try to intimidate judges ahead of decisions or attack judges after decisions they don't like," Barroso told reporters Wednesday. He said an additional report would be prepared on Romania before the end of 2012."In this report we will look whether our concerns have been addressed," Barroso said.Romania's interim President Crin Antonescu said in a televised address later Wednesday that the government "categorically agreed" with the principles of "an independent justice system, respect for the constitution, laws and constitutional court."He said that he had some reservations about the report, but did not specify. "Romania is not isolated" he said. It will become "more and more European, and more connected to European standards."The EU has no provision to expel members, yet continued negative reports could contribute to a cutting of EU funds. The EU could also sanction Romania by refusing to give it passport-free travel within the EU anytime soon.

NEWS,15.04.2012.

Kim Jong Un's makes first public speech

 

Pyongyang - North Korea's new leader addressed his nation and the world for the first time on Sunday, vowing to place top priority on his impoverished nation's military, which promptly unveiled a new long-range missile.The speech was the culmination of two weeks of celebrations marking the centenary of the birth of his grandfather, national founder Kim Il Sung - festivities that were marred by a failed launch on Friday of a rocket that generated international condemnation and cost North Korea a food aid-for-nuclear-freeze deal with Washington.Kim Jong Un's speech took North Koreans gathered at Kim Il Sung Square and around televisions across the country by surprise. His father, late leader Kim Jong Il, addressed the public only once in his lifetime.Appearing calm and measured as he read the 20-minute speech, Kim Jong Un covered a wide range of topics, from foreign policy to the economy. His speech, and a military parade that followed, capped the carefully choreographed festivities commemorating Kim Il Sung's birthday.It was the best look yet the outside world has had of the young Kim, who is believed to be in his late 20s.Punctuating Kim's message that the North will continue to pour funds into its military, the parade culminated with the unveiling of a new long-range missile, though it's not clear how powerful or significant the addition to the North Korean arsenal it is. Some analysts suggested it might have been a dummy designed to dupe outside observers.Although the rocket launch on Friday was a huge, costly embarrassment for the new leadership, Kim's address was seen by analysts as an expression of confidence by the young leader and meant to show that he is firmly in control."Superiority in military technology is no longer monopolised by imperialists, and the era of enemies using atomic bombs to threaten and blackmail us is forever over," Kim said.His message suggested no significant changes in national policy - the "Military First" strategy has long been at the centre of North Korea's decision-making process.But there was strong symbolism in the images of the new leader addressing the country on state TV and then watching - and often laughing and gesturing in relaxed conversation with senior officials - as the cream of his nation's 1.2 million-strong military marched by.Outside analysts have raised worries about how Kim, who has been seen but not publicly heard since taking over after his father's December death, would govern a country that has a nuclear weapons programme and has previously threatened Seoul and Washington with war.At the celebration of Kim Il Sung, he appeared to clear his first hurdle.The speech was a good "first impression for his people and for the world," said Hajime Izumi, a North Korea expert at Japan's Shizuoka University. "He demonstrated that he can speak in public fairly well, and at this stage that in itself - more than what he actually said - is important. I think we might be seeing him speak in public more often, and show a different style than his father."Kim said he will strengthen North Korea's defences by placing the country's "first, second and third" priorities on military might. But he said he is open to working with foreign countries that do not have hostile policies toward his nation, and said he would strive to reunify Korea.He also stressed the importance of national unity, calling his country "Kim Il Sung's Korea" rather than North Korea."That suggests to me that they want to let the country, and the world, know that this is a 'new' country," said Han S Park, a University of Georgia professor who works frequently with top US and North Korean officials, after watching the events in Pyongyang.Despite his youth, Kim has been groomed since his teens to step into this role, Park said, citing conversations with North Koreans with knowledge of the leader's personal history.Cha Myong Hui, a journalist with the government-run Minju Joson newspaper, said she was struck by how much he resembles his father and grandfather."I can tell you every person in my country cried when they heard his voice," she said.The young leader said he will aggressively pursue economic growth to improve people's daily lives. North Korea has suffered decades of economic hardship following a famine in the mid-1990s and the loss of aid from the Soviet Union. Kim Jong Un's formal three-year succession has coincided with a push to improve the economy by employing modern technology.Kim made no direct mention of the rocket failure. But North Korea's state media made an extraordinary announcement hours after the launch, saying that the attempt to send a satellite into space had flopped. It still claims past launches succeeded, which international experts deny.Concerns remain high that North Korea may now feel itself under pressure to make up for the botched rocket launch with a nuclear test - as it did in 2006 and 2009.The finale in Sunday's military parade added to the worries over North Korea's military. But analysts in Japan and South Korea said further examination is needed to determine whether it's a new intercontinental ballistic missile that North Korea reportedly has been building.Narushige Michishita, a North Korea military expert at Japan's National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, said the missile appeared to be new, but strongly resembled the rocket used on Friday and also the long-range Taepodong-2, which North Korea first launched, unsuccessfully, in 2006.He said it probably has three stages but did not appear to be big enough to have the 15 000km range needed to effectively attack the United States, which would be the goal of an ICBM for the North."I don't think this is a serious ICBM," Michishita said. "Putting it on display has a psychological impact, and that would have been greater if Friday's launch had worked. But North Korea has a very bad record with long-range missiles. It think this is more a propaganda ploy than a military advance."

Ex-dictator admits 'disappearances'

 

Buenos Aires - Former Argentine dictator Jorge Videla admitted for the first time in a new book that "7 000 or 8 000 people" disappeared under his regime between 1976 and 1981.Caferino Reato, author of the book called Final Disposition, says Videla admitted the disappearances during 20 hours of interviews in the federal military prison where he is held."Let's say there were 7 000 or 8 000 people who had to die to win the war against subversion," the book quotes Videla as saying.Sentenced to life in prison for crimes against humanity, the former dictator, 86, also admitted he decided on "the disappearance of the bodies to avoid provoking protests inside and outside the country," according to the book by Reato, who is a journalist and political scientist."Each disappearance must certainly be understood as a way to hide, to conceal a death," Videla is quoted as saying in excerpts published on the website of publisher Random House Mondadori.Videla was the first president of the last Argentine dictatorship, which ran from 1976 to 1983.He said insurgents compelled him to take action that ended in their disappearances and deaths."There was no other alternative," Videla said. Military leaders "were in agreement that it was the price that must be paid to win the war against subversion and we needed that it not be obvious so society would not realise it. It was necessary to eliminate a large group of people who could not be brought to justice nor shot either," he said.The author drew the name of the book, Final Disposition, from a comment made by Videla."Final Disposition" was the phrase used. They are two very military words and they mean to take something out of service that is useless. When, for example, you're talking about a piece of clothing that you no longer use or is no good because it's worn out, it goes to final disposition."The former general said that two months before the 24 March 24 1976 coup, military leaders began drawing up lists of people they thought should be arrested immediately after the overthrow of Isabel Peron, who was president from 1974 to 1976."There are no lists with the fate of the disappeared," Videla said. "There might be partial lists, but they're messy."He added that "from a strictly military point of view, we did not need the coup. It was a mistake."Humanitarian organisations estimate that about 30 000 people disappeared during the dictatorship, most of them in about 600 clandestine detention centres.The Argentine government continues to prosecute some of the accused human rights violators of the military dictatorship. There were 84 new convictions in 2011 and 843 more trials are pending.

NEWS,18.02.2012.

Iran deploys warships to the Mediterranean

 

Iran's Navy Commander Admiral Habibollah Sayari

Iranian warships entered the Mediterranean Sea after crossing the Suez Canal on Saturday to show Tehran's "might" to regional countries, the navy commander said, amid simmering tensions with Israel."The strategic navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has passed through the Suez Canal for the second time since the (1979) Islamic Revolution," Admiral Habibollah Sayari said in remarks quoted by the official IRNA news agency.He did not say how many vessels had crossed the canal, or what missions they were planning to carry out in the Mediterranean, but said the flotilla had previously docked in the Saudi port city of Jeddah.Two Iranian ships, the destroyer Shahid Qandi and supply vessel Kharg, had docked in the Red Sea port on February 4, according to Iranian media.Sayari said the naval deployment to the Mediterranean would show "the might" of the Islamic republic to regional countries, and also convey Tehran's "message of peace and friendship.” The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, fuelled by the longstanding dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme and rising speculation that Israel might launch pre-emptive strikes against Iranian facilities. Israeli officials are also accusing Tehran of orchestrating anti-Israeli bombings in India and Georgia as well as blasts in Thailand. Iran denies the allegations. The first Iranian presence in the Mediterranean in February 2011 provoked strong reactions from Israel and the United States, with the Jewish state putting its navy on alert. During the 2011 deployment, two Iranian vessels, a destroyer and a supply ship, sailed past the coast of Israel and docked at the Syrian port of Latakia before returning to Iran via the Red Sea.Israeli leaders denounced the move as a "provocation" and a "powerplay."Iran's navy has been boosting its presence in international waters in the past two years, deploying vessels to the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden on missions to protect Iranian ships from Somali pirates. And Iran sent submarines to the Red Sea last June to "collect data," its first such mission in distant waters, while its naval commanders say they plan on deploying ships close to US territorial waters in the future. Iranian naval forces are composed of small units, including speedboats equipped with missiles, which operate in the Gulf and are under the command of the Revolutionary Guards. The navy, using small frigates, destroyers, and three Russian-made Kilo class submarines, oversees high seas missions in the Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden. It now permanently has at least two vessels in those areas to escort merchant ships, and has been involved in more than 100 confrontations with armed pirates, according to the navy commander in December.

NEWS,13.02.2012.

Diplomats targeted, Israel blames Iran

A member of the Israel embassy was targeted in India.

Israel accused arch-enemies Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of being behind twin bomb attacks that targeted embassy staff in India and Georgia today, wounding four people. Tehran denied involvement in the incidents, which amplified tensions between two countries already at loggerheads over Iran's nuclear programme. Hezbollah made no comment. Police in the Indian capital New Delhi said a bomb wrecked a car carrying an embassy official as she was going to pick up her children from school. The woman needed surgery to remove shrapnel but her life was not in danger, officials said. Her driver and two passers-by suffered lesser injuries. Israeli officials said an attempt to bomb an embassy car in the Georgian capital Tbilisi failed. The device was defused. Israel had put its foreign missions on high alert ahead of the fourth anniversary this past Monday of the assassination in Syria of the military mastermind of Hezbollah, Imad Moughniyeh - an attack widely assumed to be the work of Israeli agents. Israel is believed to be also locked in a wider covert war with Iran, whose nuclear programme has been beset by apparent sabotage, including the unclaimed killings of several Iranian nuclear scientists, most recently in January. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed both Iran and Hezbollah, accusing them of responsibility for a string of recent attempted attacks in countries as far apart as Thailand and Azerbaijan.” Iran and its proxy Hezbollah are behind each of these attacks," said Netanyahu, who dismisses Iran denials that it is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. "We will continue to take strong and systematic, yet patient, action against the international terrorism that originates in Iran.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast rejected Netanyahu's accusation, calling it "psychological warfare against Iran”.” We condemn any terrorist action and the world knows that Iran is the biggest victim of terrorism," Mehmanparast was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. The New Delhi blast took place some 500 metres from the official residence of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.B.K. Gupta, the New Delhi police commissioner, said a witness had seen a motorcyclist stick a device to the back of the car, which had diplomatic registration plates.” The eyewitness ... says it (was) some kind of magnetic device. As soon as the motorcycle moved away a good distance from the car, the car blew up and it caught fire," said Gupta. The Iranian scientist killed in Tehran last month died in a similar such attack by a motorcycle bomber who attached a device to his car. No one has claimed responsibility for that, although Iran was quick to accuse agents of Israel and its US ally. Thailand said last month its police had arrested a Lebanese man linked to Hezbollah and he later led them to a warehouse stocked with bomb-making materials. Also last month, authorities in Azerbaijan arrested two people suspected of plotting to attack Israel's ambassador and a local rabbi.

NEWS 21.01.2012

Britain admits 'fake rock' plot to spy on Russians

Tony Blair's former aide Jonathan Powell says UK was behind plot to spy on Russians with device hidden in fake plastic rock Britain was behind a plot to spy on Russians with a device hidden in a fake plastic rock, a former key UK government official has admitted. Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff to prime minister Tony Blair, admitted in a BBC documentary that allegations made by the Russians in 2006 - dismissed at the time - were in fact true.” The spy rock was embarrassing," he said in the BBC2 documentary series, Putin, Russia and the West. "They had us bang to rights. Clearly they had known about it for some time and had been saving it up for a political purpose.” A diplomatic row was sparked six years ago after Russian state television broadcast a film claiming British agents had hidden a sophisticated transmitter inside a fake rock left on a Moscow street. It accused embassy officials of allegedly downloading classified data from the transmitter using palm-top computers. The TV report showed a video of a man slowing his pace and glancing down at the rock before walking quickly away; another man was shown kicking the rock, while another walked by and picked it up. The Russian security service, the FSB, broadcast X-rays of a hollowed-out rock filled with circuitry and accused four British men and one Russian of using it to download information. The FSB alleged that British security services were making secret payments to pro-democracy and human rights groups.

Soon after the incident, then President Vladimir Putin forced the closure of many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) after introducing a law restricting them from receiving funding from foreign governments.” We have seen attempts by the secret services to make use of NGOs. NGOs have been financed through secret service channels. No one can deny that this money stinks," said Putin. "This law has been adopted to stop foreign powers interfering in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation.” Britain’s ambassador in Moscow at the time, Tony Brenton, denied the government had been involved in covert activities.” All of our activities with the NGOs were completely above board," he said. "They were on our website, the sums of money, the projects. All of that was completely public.” The revelation comes at a sensitive time, with Putin renewing attacks on human rights and opposition activists as hostility to his premiership grows. He has repeatedly accused the west, namely the US, of using activists to plot to bring regime change to Russia."Putin, as a former spy and KGB agent, is trying to discredit us with the only methods he knows," said Lev Ponomaryov, a prominent human rights activist. "For any thinking person this rock meant nothing – it was simply a provocation, a cheap trick used by a former KGB agent."At the time Blair attempted to play down the allegations, and the Foreign Office denied any irregular relations with Russian NGOs. When asked about the incident, Blair smiled as he told journalists: "I think the less said about that, the better."

'Fake rock' Russian spy plot: anti-Putin activists left between rock and hard place

Russian leader Vladimir Putin previously exploited spy caper to discredit non-governmental organisations

An image broadcast by Russian state-run Rossiya TV in January 2006 shows an x-ray image of the rock, with transmitter. It was the moment that British spycraft became the laughing stock of Russia. The decision by MI6 to place a fake rock rigged with a hidden transmitter to communicate with agents in Moscow was more Johnny English than James Bond, with Russian state-run television airing a programme dissecting the rock with x-rays and showing grainy footage of British diplomats giving it a gentle kick when it seemed to be out of order.
Thursday's admission by Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff to the then prime minister, Tony Blair, that the rock was indeed the work of British intelligence might seem like a small footnote in history to a forgotten scandal. But inside Russia there was a bigger game at play."The spy rock was embarrassing … they had us bang to rights," Powell told BBC2 in its new documentary series Putin, Russia and the West. The Kremlin had known about the rock "for some time, and had been saving it up for a political purpose", he added.That political purpose emerged two days after the scandal came to light when Vladimir Putin, then president, said: "It has now become clear to many why Russia passed a law regulating NGO activities."Less than two weeks earlier Putin had quietly signed a new law tightening state control over non-governmental organisations, including clauses that gave the government power to shut them down and force greater monitoring of foreign funding. The new regulations followed pro-democracy revolutions in neighbouring Georgia and Ukraine, which Russia argued were orchestrated by the west via foreign-funded NGOs.The new law, Putin explained, was "designed to block foreign governments from interfering in the internal politics of the Russian Federation". Critics said it was the latest step in Putin's growing authoritarianism, a further crackdown on Russia's struggling civil society. International organisations loudly condemned the law. That’s when the rock dropped into the narrative. According to the Kremlin, a British diplomat used communications technology in the fake rock to send and receive information and had dealings with Russian NGOs; ergo, went the Kremlin's argument, the west was funding NGOs to cause the downfall of the Putin regime. A justification for Putin's new law had been found. Since the law was implemented thousands of NGOs have been harassed, denied registration or shut down, according to Human Rights Watch. The climate of suspicion has only intensified, particularly in the past month as Putin battles a growing movement against his rule as he seeks to return to the presidency in March.In the lead-up to Russia's parliamentary election on 4 December, Putin said again outside powers were seeking to use NGOs to subvert the country. Within days of his remarks an all-out campaign had been launched against Golos, an independent election-monitoring group that receives foreign funding – bureaucratic investigations, a smear campaign in the press, the hacking of employees' email accounts. When tens of thousands of Russians began taking to the streets in the wake of the vote – spurred on by widespread allegations of fraud of the type Golos was designed to monitor – Putin promptly accused them of being agents of the west. That’s what for some Russians makes the timing of Powell's revelation so precarious. "I would not be surprised if Putin and his team actually used it again to assert their old platitudes discrediting leading human rights activists," said Tanya Lokshina, of Human Rights Watch Russia.