Putin's KGB Style Returns to the Kremlin

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 5, 2012
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            While the United States and China battle for supremacy at the London Olympics, 59-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin gears up for his encore performance in control of the Kremlin.  All during the term of 45-year-old former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev [2008-2012], Putin, who took over from the late reform-minded Boris Yeltsin, served before as Russian president [2000-2008], reversing many of former President Mikhail Gorbachev and Yeltsin’s Democratic reforms.  When Putin first took office in 2000, he began persecuting Russia’s Oligarchs, who, under Yeltsin, privatized Russia’s national industries.  Putin confiscated all their wealth and drove the Oligarchs into hiding.  Three years into Putin’s first term, he arrested, charged and incarcerated in Siberia Russia’s richest man, 49-year-old Mikhail Khodorkovsky, for daring to run against him in the 2004 election.

            When Putin declared victory in Russia’s last presidential election March 4, 2012, violent protests erupted in Moscow’s streets.  Protesters saw the return of old KGB tactics, maintaining totalitarian control over Russian politics.  Protesters again erupted on Moscow streets May 6, the day before Putin was sworn in for his third four-year term as Russian president.  Police cracked down on protesters, signaling Putin’s return to power.  Known as a fighter pilot and martial arts expert, Putin has a love-hate relationship with the Russian public.  While he mirrors the same monolithic Soviet-style, his appeal has grown thin during Russia’s reforms.  “The government has switched to a repressive mode,” said Masha Lipman, an analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Center.  “Punishment for a few, I think, is aimed at intimidating others,” said Lipman commenting on Putin’s return to power.

             On the fifth day of competition in London, Putin isn’t happy with Russia lagging behind South Korea with only two gold and 11 other medals.  Putin remembers his KGB days proudly, when the former Soviet Union competed with the U.S. for the most medals and world supremacy.  With China’s newfound status as a global superpower, Russia has become a footnote in history.  GOP presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney still believes Russia is the U.S.’s No. 1 adversary.  Since Sept. 11, former President George W. Bush developed a close relationship with Putin and fingered Islamic terrorists, principally Osama bin Laden’s and al-Qaeda terror network as the biggest threat to U.S. national security.  With Bin Laden’s death May 1, 2011, and President Barack Obama’s relentless Pentagon Predator Drone Program, al-Qaeda’s becoming less menacing and relevant.

            Bush and Putin, who faced growing attacks from Islamic Chechen terrorists, redoubled efforts to go after terrorists.  Putin’s return to power may prove Romney right, especially when you consider Russia’s growing clout on the U.N. Security Council.  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton found out the hard way what happens when you mess with Putin’s friends.  Supporting a coup in Syria, the U.S. has pushed Putin to give Syria as much support as needed to repel a U.S.-backed revolt that began March 15, 2011.  Putin recalls the days well when the U.S. backed Bin Laden’s Arab guerrillas against Russian forces in Afghanistan.  Vladimir also remembers former President Jimmy Carter canceling U.S. involvement in the 1980 Moscow Olympics to protest Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.  Russian seeks any ally, including Iran, that opposes an adventurous U.S. foreign policy.

            Putin’s return to power makes pro-Western politicians and academics cringe, knowing his antipathies.  “I am not saying anything against people, who use such symbols.  But it hurts my feelings to see people using foreign-developed technologies,” Putting told a youth forum July 31, commenting obliquely about  suppressing protests over his rule.  “Putin’s way of governing hasn’t changed.  But only now he is facing challenges he didn’t face before and he wants to remove the challenge,” said Lippman, commenting Vladimir’s crackdown.  When Russian ally Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stole a fraudulent election June 14, 2009, riots erupted across Iran.  It didn’t take long for Ahamadinejad to suppress the violence, eventually snuffing out the anti-Ahmadinejad protest movement.  Putin now pulls the same stunt suppressing protests to his rule around Moscow.

            Putin’s crackdown goes to the heart of the Russian protest movement.  Facing 10 years in prison, Putin charged pro-reform, anti-corruption blogger Alexi Navaltny with embezzlement, the same charges dismissed last year.  He’s harassed Moscow TV personality Ksenia Sobchak and forced her off the air.  Sobchak, a socialite, whose father was Putin’s mentor when he was major of St. Petersburg, has no recourse.  Putin also charged the Moscow rock group Pussy Riot with hooliganism for playing protest songs at Moscow’s largest cathedral.  Their song asked for “divine intervention” to stop Putin from resuming office.  “I am taking it as the start of a repressive authoritarian campaign which aims to hamper the public’s political activity and build a sense of fear among political activities,” told band member Ekaterina Samutchsevich the Moscow Court, signaling Putin’s third term has officially begun.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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