Vladimir Makarov/Newspaper Excerpts

Newspaper Excerpts
During the introduction of No Russian, several newspaper pages concerning Makarov, from “The World Today” and others, are flashed on the screen. Some paragraphs or whole articles are just repeated on other newspapers.

Nuclear Grade Weapons? Makarov Fears Grow Across Europe
Activities in Eastern Europe alert security services in west

Arms shipment seized is directly linked to the Russian

Last night, diplomats from across the European Union (EU) expressed concern about growing instability in the Russian Foundation. The challenge posed to the government of President Kroputkin by Terrorist Leader Makarov has led to NATO troops being placed upon a high state of alert.

The campaign of terror waged by Makarov and his private militia has ratcheted up in recent weeks with wave after wave of bombing against strategic targets within Russia, initial attacks by Makarov have been away from the capital, Moscow, but as they happen in and around the political and administrative hub of the Russian Federation, some political and defense analysis in the U.S. and Europe are warning that this has the potential to develop into a full blown civil war with serious geo-polictical implications. A meeting of the E.U. Council of Foreign Ministers has been called for next week at which the destabilization of the Russian Federation and the threat that Makarov poses will be top of the agenda.

Reports yesterday put the toll of victims at around four hundred from bomb attacks on key installations in and around Moscow. In one incident a Russian Army munitions depot was raided by heavily armed men wearing army fatigues, heightening fears further that Makarov may now be in possession of biological or chemical weapons. Makarov’s men were seen on the roof as a succession of light trucks rolled up with impunity to spirit the haul. Away to an unknown destination, U.S. security satellites were said to be monitoring the progression of the convoy after it left the depot, although some sources were indicating last night that contact has been lost in the hills lying south of the Russian capital. Russian defense officials would not comment on whether any biological or chemical weapons had been taken in the raid. Defense analysts across the globe will be concurred at this latest development, given Makarov’s association with Zakhaev, responsible for the detonation of a nuclear bomb in the Persian Gulf two years ago. There is also a worry that the weapons, conventional or otherwise, find their way into the hands of Islamic militants fighting the coalition forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan forces in the Swat Valley in that country’s north west frontier.

Atrocities: Latest spate of attacks called into question

Makarov has been dismissed in some quarters as no more than a “sophisticated hard man”, but his latest spate of attacks has called this into attention. As one European Defense solace put it last night, “We have underestimated this man and what is driving him, we can no longer see him as a criminal and must now take him as seriously as we take Al Queda in Afghanistan and Iraq.”, with a career in the Russian Military ended abruptly due to accusations of atrocities committed in Chechiwa, there is as much myth and folklore about Makarov as there is hard fact. What is known that, after a spell in with Quaro’s Airborne Division of the Vozolishino Desantnive Voliska, Von Russia’s Airborne Army, Makarov had tours of duty in Spetsnaz, the elite Russian Special Forces in Chechiwa, it is believed that a company under the command of Makarov were involved in some of the most brutal zachistka “cleansing” raids, affecting the entire town districts and villages suspected of harbouring rebel fighters, and according to a 1997 amnesty international report, the murder of political opponents of the Moscow sponsored income, an army enquiry into these allegations was dropped after Makarov…

Since then the name Makarov has popped up on the radar of both Interpol, the CIA and the Russian FSB in connection with crimes as widespread as people trafficking, the sale of arms to terrorist groups throughout the world and the hi-jack of a Greek oil tanker in 2003. It was believed that his  access to nuclear grade weapons resulted in the U.S. Administration placing a bounty on his head as he may have been involved in the procurement of the nuclear material encased in the bomb detonated by the followers of Zakhaev two months ago. He is thought to be a major player arms deals across the globe. Despite his evident Russian nationalism, according defense analysts, there is a willingness to do business with just about anyone, so long as the price is right.

Makarov: We Will Bomb Again
After the two recent attacks, we investigate the validity of the terror threats broadcast.

---

Russian terrorist, Makarov, unleashed a day of terror that have left scores of people dead and injured. Bombings and attacks are the latest in a chilling catalogue of violence against the Russian government and Western targets. Security officials now put him on a par with Al Queda in terms of the threat that is posed to democracy in this region of the world. In 2009, the offices of U.S. oil company in Baku were blown up with three people killed. In 2008, an ambush of FSB tailing him left the car riddled with AK47 fire and five agents killed. Perhaps the worst until recently was the 2008 shopping mall bomb when Makarov blew up Swedish and furniture and attire in St. Petersburg leaving 100 shoppers killed or wounded. In the same year the kidnap and murder of Sibgaz owner’s wife and daughter appalled and chilled the Russian public. He is similarly not averse to action against economic targets, in 2007, the blowing up of Russia-Germany gas pipeline in Belarus occurred when Gasneft refused to pay a fee to prevent “disruption to service”. The capture and beheading of Israeli secret service, Moissad, attaché to Kiev who was investigating Makarov’s links to Islamic terror has also put him on the map.

There are also suggestions that the foiled 2009 Moscow bomb plot against English speaking International School was his work along with other potential atrocities that were averted at the eleventh house by Russia’s ever stretched military and security services. His criminal activities are well known to agencies throughout the world. People trafficking: he is mainly involved in moving women from the poorest parts of Eastern Europe to Western Europe with priorities of well paid jobs only to be forced into prostitution across Europe, the Gulf states and the U.S. Using connections in Russian and Ukrainian banking, Makarov is laundering money earned in drugs and weapons dealing done mainly through transports to Cryptus, Lebnon and Syria, his operations provide muscle and safe passage of the Russian section of the heroin trail from the poppy fields of Afghanistan to the dealers of Hamburg and Amsterdam. Despite his portrayal as a Russian nationalist, Makarov will steal weapons to order from the Russian or Ukranian armed forces for whoever is willing to pay the highest price regardless of idology.

His bank robbing exploits allow him to obtain funds for nefarious activities by means of crude heists that usually involve a body count. In 2007 Siberian Mine company diamond store, gems and stones with value of $15 million. In 2006 Russian State Postal and Banking Service Depot – Rub 32 million, 2005 hold up a of bullion trucks in Moscow – estimated haul $7 million, 3 security guards killed, 2004 HBS Bank Istanbul 2004 $3 million and 2002 ZBV bank Kiev 1.5 million.

In a speech in New York last night, United Nations Secretary General, Moses Awani, urged the world to grasp the severity of the situation but underlines that responses should be proportionate and not exacerbate an already tense situation. His move against the Russian Establishment marks a new phase in the career of Makarov. Insiders claim that this is due to a growing disaffection with the way in which Russia is being run and its ever closer ties to the West. This recent wave of bombings and attacks are designed to destabilize the apparatus of the state and the fragile democracy that underpins it.

A keen student of Russian history, Makarov wants to see a return to the autocratic past of Russia’s pre-communist past. Makarov has a number of ex-military men on his payroll who are similarly disaffected by the westward orientation of the current Russian administration. There is a worry in Western capitals that many throughout the Russia’s military share in the sentiments expressed by Makarov and his private militants and may latch on in the inevitability to seize pride and intelligence they feel they’ve lost: following the foiled attempt in 1991.

If Makarov has managed to secure nuclear grade weapons then the means of delivering them to any number of capitals within the west via ground based launchers could be the next step. U.S. missile defense systems deployed in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic are said to be in a high state of readiness. Units of the Nato rapid deployment forces have been pulled out of the line in Afghanistan and moved to bases in Germany and Turkey where they are said to be “refitting” although insiders told this paper that stealth insertion techniques such as HALO parachute jumps and low-flying helicopter manuevers were being gone through “day and night”. Any insertion of Western troops onto Russian soil is likely to lead to further tensions if not playing directly into Makarov’s hands as it may well be the final straw for elements of the Russian military.

Western leaders look for UN Security Council Resolution to Problem
To sit and do nothing is regarded as no option in European capitals, similarly, giving the impression operations on Russian soil are imminent does nothing to defuse the situation. Western leaders would be looking for some sort of UN Security Council resolution to legitimate any action on Russian soul or a call from the Russian government itself. Both look to be unlikely as Russia and China would vote any moves and the French are inclined to.

Peace rests on a knife edge: Failure to act could have damaging consequences
Failure to act by the west could have equally damaging consequences especially for the EU. The EU currently imports almost half of its natural gas and 30 percent of its oil from Russia. Eastern Europe consumes even higher percentages of Russian gas. In 2004, oil imports from Russia and Central Asia reached 5.9 million barrels per day (190 million times). Russia also supplied some 132 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Rising demand indicates that Europe’s dependence on Russian energy will continue to grow. The EU imports 52 percent of its oil and 57 percent of its gas with imports projected to rise to 53 percent of its oil and 64 percent of its gas over 15 years, much of which is forecast to come from Russia. As an asset rich state, Russia is well placed to deliver this again. It has the largest proven gas reserves (1.688 trillion cubic feet) and the seventh largest proven oil reserves (60.8 billion to 64.4 billion barrels) in the world, and large areas of eastern Siberia and the Arctic are still unexplored. Total Russian net and exports reached 5 million barrels per day in 2004. There have been accusations in the past that Russia has given its energy resource as an extension of foreign policy but as one German diplomat claimed “this well seems like a tea party if Makarov gets his hands on the military and economic hardware”. Makarov has thought to have been behind the bombing of the main Russia-Germany pipeline three years ago. The prices of oil and gas reached new heights on international markets yesterday. Stock markets have new levels of response. Oil prices rose up new heights yesterday as suffering gripped the world following a day of attacks by Russian terrorist, Makarov.