Moscow forces U.S. to close down its aid mission in Russia

[panchul.livejournal.com]

First, the news:

http://news.yahoo.com/moscow-forces-u-close-down-aid-mission-russia-000447314.html

Moscow forces U.S. to close down its aid mission in Russia
By Arshad Mohammed | Reuters – 6 hrs ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia has forced the United States to close its aid mission in Moscow, the U.S. government said on Tuesday, in a blow to U.S. efforts to improve ties and a step that may aid the Kremlin's crackdown on pro-democracy groups.
Russia gave the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) until October 1 to cease operations after two decades and more than $2.6 billion spent to combat disease, protect the environment, strengthen civil society and modernize the economy.


In announcing the decision to close down the USAID operation in Russia, the State Department suggested the Russian government - which is earning high levels of oil revenues - felt that it should no longer be the recipient of such foreign aid.
Analysts also suggested a political motive: reducing foreign support for Russian groups that promote democracy and the rule of law but that are viewed with deep suspicion by the Kremlin.
Vladimir Putin, who served eight years as president until 2008 and then four years as prime minister, took office in May for a third presidential term after winning nearly two thirds of the vote in an election international monitors say was skewed in his favor.
In a sign of his reluctance to brook dissent, Putin has pushed through new laws to raise fines for protesters, stiffen punishments for defamation and put new controls on foreign-funded campaign groups.
"Russian authorities have made clear for the better part of a decade that they see Russia as a great power and a provider of assistance, not a recipient," said Matthew Rojansky of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"Add to that tension over the pre- and post-election protests, which the Kremlin alleges were orchestrated by U.S.-funded NGOs (non-governmental organizations), plus the deep disagreement over U.S. democracy-promotion activities in the Middle East, and you can see why Russia may have taken this decision now," he added.
While U.S. President Barack Obama came into office seeking a "reset" in relations with Russia that bore some fruit, including a 2010 arms-control treaty, the two nations disagree on issues from the violence in Syria and Iran's nuclear program to U.S. plans to build a missile defense shield and the Arab Spring.
In announcing the decision, the State Department said USAID will continue to promote democracy and civil society despite no longer having an office in Russia. A U.S. government official said that the decision to close down the office would affect 13 U.S. diplomats and 60 local Russian employees.
"The United States recently received the Russian government's decision to end USAID activities in the Russian Federation," department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a written statement.
"While USAID's physical presence in Russia will come to an end, we remain committed to supporting democracy, human rights, and the development of a more robust civil society in Russia and look forward to continuing our cooperation with Russian non-governmental organizations," Nuland added.
Russian groups most affected include GOLOS, which monitors the conduct of elections, and Memorial, a human rights watchdog.
'FINGER IN THE EYE' FOR OBAMA ADMINISTRATION?
"The Russian government's decision to end all USAID activities in the country is an insult to the United States and a finger in the eye of the Obama Administration," Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, said in a statement.
"There should be no confusion as to why this decision was made: an increasingly autocratic government in Russia wants to limit the ability of its own citizens to freely and willingly work with American partners on the promotion of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Russia," he added.
A senior Obama administration official voiced regret at the Russian decision.
"We lament the fact that we will not be able to do the work that we have been doing," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding that the U.S. government would look for ways to support its policies activities in Russia.
USAID has a 2012 budget in Russia almost $50 million, more than half of which is spent on human rights and democracy work. About 40 percent of the overall funding goes directly to Russian organizations.
(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Additonal reporting by Timothy Heritage in Moscow; Editing by Peter Cooney, Philip Barbara and Lisa Shumaker)

My reaction: I went to the Facebook of US Ambassador in Russia and left the following comment:

https://www.facebook.com/amb.mcfaul?ref=ts

Yuri Panchul: Mr.McFaul, I am not a fan of Putin, but I do believe this situation is a State Department's fault. The basic problem is: the State Department supported a lot of organizations in Russia that acted as a sort of a pseudo-pro-American religious sect, alienating the wast majority of people. If an outsider does not 100% match their various beliefs (from Infallibility of the decisions of the American Government to the Greatness of American iPhone), such "non-believer" is considered by many Russian 'pravozashitniki' to be a potential KGB agent or something filthy, not worthy of normal conversation. This attitude sucks and it has nothing to do with a real freedom of conscience. And this is State Department's fault. You let clueless, confused and self-righteous people to present the image of the United States political culture in Russia by putting your credibility behind them. If you concentrate purely on non-political cultural exchanges and provide maximum support for the American businesses doing business in Russia - you can achieve much more than socializing with pravozashitniki who are trying to fight the battle of 1970s in XXI Century. When you come back to Palo Alto, I can meet with you in the cafeteria of the Stanford Bookstore and explain how to win the Russian people.

[Poll #1866997]

UPD: I think I need to elaborate on the nature of some self-appointed Russian opposition - I did it in comments:

http://talk-politics.livejournal.com/1555075.html?thread=125220995#t125220995

Let's separate the issues.
One issue is that Putin is an old Soviet KGB agent. This sucks, I agree.
Another issue is that people who position themselves as Putin's opposition are sometimes simply lunatics. For example US-supported Kasparov was a supporter of a so-called "Fomenko's theory" - the theory that the traditional history is a conspiracy and that the Egyptian pyramids were built during Renaissance (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Chronology_(Fomenko) )

Comments

[pofigistiks.livejournal.com]

Go to hell with such assistance.
"USAID" sponsored destructive forces in Russia. And is engaged in subversive activities.

[chron-job.livejournal.com]

Interesting. What are those?

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

I'm fine letting Russia rot from internal corruption.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

What does condi rice think?

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

She thinks Shostakovich is the bomb.

[rjf-snyker.livejournal.com]

Where point "Из-за бугра гадите?"

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

Know what I detest?

I detest people who use polls as a comic/smear device in LJ posts. At least offer one realistic choice for an explanation in your polls.

How about: "I'm fine with this because each country has the autonomy to end aid programs when it is no longer needed."

Another good one is: "beats using the tax money to buy bullets or drones."

[panchul.livejournal.com]

I am sorry, unfortunately LJ does not allow to edit the poll once it is published.
Otherwise I would use your suggestions.
LJ-polls are not statistically-correct anyway.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I prefer something like, "This is a travesty. I will have to find a new China white connection."

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Two things. It's not necessary to copy-paste the whole article and present it as your post. Let alone with no link to the article itself.

And two, you've provided no personal input. You're given 3 hours to do so (http://talk-politics.livejournal.com/261191.html).

[panchul.livejournal.com]

No problem. I will do it in 10 minutes.

[panchul.livejournal.com]

Done

[reaktivny-puz.livejournal.com]

Ok, but I don't see what do You personally think of it.

[panchul.livejournal.com]

I just added my opinion to the post

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

You may've mistaken this place for a news-dump bin, but it isn't.

Is there anything you actually want discussed?

[panchul.livejournal.com]

I just added my opinion to the post

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

You're not new to this forum. Do you seriously believe your post would survive in its present version?

[panchul.livejournal.com]

I just added my opinion to the post

(frozen) (no subject)

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

*headdesk* You should talk to a therapist about your narcissism.

[panchul.livejournal.com]

Why? Are you referring to my last statement? So what is your problem? That dude, McFaul spent his whole life writing books how to improve the relationship with Russians - and he is still not a particular superstar in Russia. Why do you object my attempt to explain to him something about the reality?

[usekh.livejournal.com]

So what is the going rate for blogging for the Kremlin nowadays? do you get paid per piece or is it a salary situation?

[rjf-snyker.livejournal.com]

Suspect, that your indignation caused by the absence of arguments

[fierceleaf.livejournal.com]

I think that this aid wasn't helpful from the very beginning.

If opposition leader reveals that he receives US grants it will put an end on his/her career as an electable politician. People in Russia don't share extreme anti-american attitudes, like some Arabs, but people are very skeptical about the purity of USDep's intentions given the mess in the Middle East and all kinds of "Color Revolutions" and "Arab Springs".

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

I wonder why Russian speakers never use the word "the" when speaking English.

[marina-herriott.livejournal.com]

All Panchul’s comments which I met are evidence that he hates America. For example, his first comment to the first post of McFaul – here (http://m-mcfaul.livejournal.com/564.html?thread=308#t308).
About Montana (http://m-mcfaul.livejournal.com/4816.html?thread=3944400#t3944400).

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

So what. I've been called America-hater too. Doesn't matter that disapproving many (most?) of a country's foreign policies does not equate "hating" said country, but then again, who cares what nuance is and how it works?

What we're discussing here is an event and the OP's respective reaction to it - so why bring up their perceived hatred for something, I mean what's the relevance here?

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

Could you use a lj-cut (http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=75)?

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Let's be frank here: Russia under Putin is not a democracy nor anything like one, nor does it really have all that much in the way of sympathy for the USA now any more than it has had in the past. That the USAID mission is closed down reflects Putin's need to justify authoritarian policies more than it does USA anything.

[lyuden.livejournal.com]

>Russia under Putin is not a democracy nor anything like one

I voted for Putin, and more than a half of population too (It's strange but people care much more about social policy and stability than freedom). Even opposition do not dispute presidential election results much (40+ % they claim don't change anything, really and I don't believe them), only election in parliament. We have issues but it isn't near anything like that hell I am reading in newspapers.

> Does it really have all that much in the way of sympathy for the USA now any more than it has had in the past.

Wow. It's little too rough.
Cuba still has nukes near your shores?
Doesn't USA has military base on Russian territory and flight corridor over Siberia.
Doesn't Russia ferry USA astronauts to ISS ?

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

We can't let anything get in the way of the indefinite reign of Czar Putin!

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Heeey, suddenly we've got so many new Russian friends! :)

[panchul.livejournal.com]

Yep! I do think Russian folks should get more involved in English-speaking political forums.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

It may seem kind of strange that an organization that is notorious for criminal activity pretends to promote "the rule of law." Even pirates consider themselves legitimate enforcers of rules and regulations within their own petty fiefdoms.

[panchul.livejournal.com]

*** It may seem kind of strange that an organization that is notorious for criminal activity pretends to promote "the rule of law." ***

Can you elaborate on that? Some examples of the criminal activity associated with USAID?

[zebra24.livejournal.com]

What can I tell you as an informal Russian opposition... :)

1st it's shouldn't be a Government to decide who can help to Russian people.

2nd Thank you, USA people, for that help anyway. You got a number of supporters and freedom minds raised due to projects like this.
I hope at some point Russia (at least some Russians) will pay with gratitude for that.
Sometime it is very important to get helped and get a notion of charity from foreign entity.

3rd Sorry you are so under informed about how your govt wasting the your money, $2.6B is just tiny piece of it. Those aren't worst spendings anyway.

4th BTW Kasparov's main expertise area neither history nor archeology but mainly chess.
Even though he isn't supporter of Fomenko's theory but just "found some of his conclusions and questions interesting".
This is so called duty of reasonable doubt about official history.