Four months after the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, a group of suspects has been assembled, evidence has been compiled and fingers have been pointed. We are, however, as far away from any real resolution of this case, as we were when it happened. Blame falls at the doors of two people, Russian Premier Vladimir Putin and exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky. The debate surrounding the case is due to see an increased amount of media
attention in the coming months when a book, authored by Litvinenko’s wife, is due to come into circulation. The death of Alexander Litvinenko can not be treated as a case in isolation, there have been several similar deaths in recent years, most
notably that of outspoken journalist, Anna Politkovskaya. One poisoning does not fall into the category of political assassinations as neatly as that of Litvinenko or Politkovskaya. Yegor Gaidar’s illness at NUI Maynooth has now been verified (by Gaidar and not his doctors) as a case of
intentional poisoning. Gaidar penned an op-ed piece tellingly entitled ‘How I was poisoned and why Russia’s political
enemies were surely behind it’. Gaidar
believes that his poison lay in an odd
tasting cup of tea which he drank in the University canteen on the old campus. The poison given to Litvinenko, though
radioactive in nature, was also believed to have been administered via a cup of tea. Culinary similarities aside, the poisoning of these two prominent Russian figures within two days of each other was,
naturally, treated with a great deal of suspicion.
Allegations as to who was responsible for Mr.Gaidar’s poisoning were slow in
coming, due to the incomprehensibility of an attack on a man now as politically
inconsequential as Mr.Gaidar. Anatoly
Chubais, a Gaidar associate, himself the target of an assassination attempt in 2005, is quoted as saying that an “unconstitutional and forceful change of power in Russia” is what links the deaths and attempt on the life of Mr.Litvineko, Anna Politskovaya and Yegor Gaidar. In this scenario, it would be Vladimir Putin and his colleagues in the FSB (Russian
intelligence service) that committed or at least sanctioned the crimes. One factor, and the only one of note, that links these three characters is their committal to print their deep mistrust of President Vladimir Putin. Litvinenko authored ‘Blowing up Russia’, which alleged that Putin and
others planned a series of bombings in Moscow to legitimise a re-entry in
Chechnya, Politkovskaya wrote a scathing attack on the president in her book ‘Putin’s Russia’ and Gaidar has been highly critical of Putin’s rule, commenting that
‘Today’s Kremlin thinks that democracy
was being built too quickly in Russia.
TheGovernment does not say that it is
against democracy, only that it is untimely and needs to be delayed-a logic that
manifests itself in most official decisions’.
Litvinenko’s account of the apartment bombings is important not only because it implicates Putin in state sponsored terror, but also because it implicates Putin and the FSB in a coup d’etat, removing Boris Yeltsin and installing Putin. All three were worrisome over the course down which Putin was leading Russia; all three were attempting to counter the myth of Putin as a stern yet fair leader. . To this list of
mysterious deaths we must add a man by the name of Yuri Schekochikhin, a
journalist at Novaya gazetta, the same magazine that Anna Politkovskaya worked for. He also authored ‘Slaves of KGB: 20th Century, The religion of betrayal’. Tests showed that he was poisoned with
Thallium, the same poison first believed to have been used on Litvinenko.
It was not only the close proximity to the poisoning of Litvinenko that set alarm bells ringing in the case of Gaidar, but also shared cast members. The man named by Scotland Yard as the chief suspect in the Litvinenko murder, Andrei Lugovoi, was at one time the bodyguard of Yegor Gaidar and Boris Berizovsky. Lugovoi was also a former agent of the KGB, now FSB, the
service at which Vladimir Putin sat at the helm for many years. A trail of polonium 210 followed Lugovoi on planes around Europe, including his meeting point with Alexander Litvinenko on the day he was taken ill. Lugovoi was reported to have been in London to watch CSKA Moscow play Arsenal in the champion’s league. This story has become less credible with the revelation that Lugovoi and his
travelling companion Dmitry Kovtun held no tickets for the game upon their arrival in London. Boris Berezovsky broke his
silence recently and spoke candidly of his impression of Andrei Lugovoi and the
Litvinenko poisoning. While in hospital
Litvinenko allegedly confided to Mr.Berezovsky that he thought that
Lugovoi was the one who poisoned him, furthermore, he added that there was no such thing as a ‘former’ KGB agent and that Lugovoi was still on the same payroll as he was during his intelligence career, though now it was unofficial. Berezovksy claims that Litvinenko was in the process of compiling very damaging evidence
implicating unnamed figures in criminal dealings. In perhaps the most open
accusation to date, Berizovsky declared that ‘they (The Russian Prosecutor
general’s office) know who actually
contracted and carried out this crime’.
It would be disingenuous to place Gaidar in the same category as Litvinenko or Politkovskaya, Litvinenko having refused to murder oligarch Boris Berezovsky and Politkovskaya having sided with Chechnya in their conflict with Russia. Motives for Putin to have the two murdered are
numerous, an explanation for an attempt on Gaidar’s life is more difficult to
envisage. One explanation for this spate of plots is that a power struggle is ensuing in the Kremlin. Putin has not named his
preferred successor, thus different factions are vying for power as the 2008 elections approach.
The involvement of the FSB or any other arm of the Russian Government in the
attempt on the life of Yegor Gaidar is very much open to debate, Gaidar himself
dismissing the claims, whereas close
associates of his are more cautious to
absolve guilt. The initial reaction of the
Russian embassy in Dublin to Mr.Gaidar’s illness was to say that he was diagnosed as suffering from gastroenteritis, when no such diagnosis was made. Such an account is at odds with the report from James
Connolly memorial hospital and Gaidar’s personal physicians. Mr.Gaidar’s doctors in Russia could not use the term ‘Poisoned’ due to the fact that they could not determine the cause of his illness, they could, however, confirm that the illness was not a natural occurrence. Gaidar checked himself out of Connolly hospital a day after he was committed, against the advice of doctors. Gaidar’s quick flight would indicate that he was not so much returning to the safety of home as
escaping from possible danger. One
possible reason for the lack of any firm
diagnosis is the fact that traces of some poisons are not apparent 48 hours after their administration.
What makes the cases of Litvinenko and Gaidar so extraordinary is the fact that they are both prominent critics of the Putin administration, they were both poisoned within two days of each other and both poisonings occurred outside of Russian territory. The likelihood that two high
profile poisonings would happen in such close proximity to other and not be
somehow related is slim. One must wonder if the Gardai have acted on the new
information that Yegor Gaidar was indeed poisoned and whether they have set about trying to ascertain who prepared his tea that morning. This tale of intrigue has not yet seen its end and it is quite possible that it is in Maynooth that some vital
evidence may be found.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
The REAL Begrudgers.
Pot... Kettle... Black... By John Doyle. I had to scratch my vernaculars in amazement. FOUR times?! No, it can't be! I was standing outside Humanity House as Wednesday afternoon let rip with a seasonal temper tantrum, and in the brisk retreat from John Paul II Library, I had just encountered the Irish chestnut "Begrudger", on the tail-end of four different conversations. What is it about this, ahem, "word", that draws both off the cuff, and highbrow conversation to it, like bluebottles air raiding a fresh heap of heifer dung? Why, like Harry Callaghan reaching for his penis extension shooter at the most miniscule of provocation, must the Irish resort to this linguistic atrocity at tense moments leading to philosophical enlightenment, or let's not kid ourselves, anytime some poor soul has the sheer audacity to take umbrage with our festering ooze of false idols. "I don't like Paddy Casey, "Agghh, yer only a begrudgerrrrrr....." Now repeat ad infinitum and watch your dignity spin away to eternal gloom with the murky dishwater. Land of poets and scholars my hole. Would these codgers and street corner prophets be more content if we lived in a Maoist police state, where any form of differing opinions were met with a sobering and probably terminal dose of gulag? The bottom line, and bear with me on this one, is that surely the people who accuse others of begrudgery, are themselves, the glaring culprits, as they simply do not have the psychological capacity to deal with those of us more enlightened than their own knee-jerk, nation humiliating "Stan The Man" isms, so they assume everyone else should automatically put their opinions in hock and function at the same socio-cultural pond life level as themselves? I put it to you, that the next time you are in conversation with someone who rattles off the "B Word" with the ease of John Delaney slithering through the long grass of another F.A.I. press conference, grab the nearest convenient stinking wet fish, (Or if unavailable, Ed Joyce's weapon of choice should be sufficient), and repeatedly slap them across both cheeks, until the rosy red tell tale signs suggest a more eloquent lingo glowing on the horizon. The Brits, god bless 'em, gave us the notorious Chuckle Brothers, the Yanks in a devastating act of generosity, presented us with Bill Cosby, and the Aussies, not to be excluded from the party, concocted the mind challenging witchery of Home And Away, so we, not to be outdone in our inherent Celtic wisdom, conjured up the word, B... No it's not going to be said. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
The Spiders Web
The Spider’s Web
By Paul Donnelly
A fly must have a boring life, you would imagine. It flies around, as flies are wont to do, landing occasionally, before flying around some more.
Simple pleasures for our little fly.
However, not all is blissful for the simple fly. Tragedy can strike in the form of a spider’s web. Sitting at a computer in Callan Science Building, one such tragedy unfolds before me. I watch as the fly struggles to escape from its imminent doom, which only results in the fly becoming further entangled in the web. Weakened from its exertions, the fly gives up the struggle and the spider finally strikes its prey.
Strangely enough, this whole episode takes on another meaning for me. It raises the question: is the internet being also known as the World Wide Web more accurate than we think?
Given thought, the similarities of the internet with a web are striking. Like a fly, one becomes trapped in the World Wide Web by their own direction. And, in the majority of cases, any attempts to escape its clutches result in becoming entrapped further.
So, are we the flies doomed to be trapped by the virtual web?
Far from looking for surveys and statistics, I simply look to either side of myself. To the left, a girl, who most likely swore to her friends that she was never going on “Bebo” when it first became a craze; is checking her page for new comments. To the right, a guy with headphones and an hour to kill is searching “You Tube” for some light entertainment. In fact, all along the open space, students can be seen in “time-passing” endeavours. Far be it from me to preach, though, as I sit among them, presently logged in to My Space.
Can this really be? Are we all caught in the web?
Such habitual use of the internet may not be an absolutely terrible thing, as students can also avail of resources like Moodle on the internet. However, a quick search of the number of participants in one of my own subject modules returned five pages of names, equaling 100 people, who have never used the resource. Even though a large amount of time is spent on the internet by students, there seems to be an air of apathy with regards to Moodle, as well as other academic resources.
Open access to such a large amount of computers for students within colleges is bound to lead to misuse in some respect. With this in mind, colleges have moved to block the use of sites like Bebo, among others, in particular areas. Unfortunately, when it comes to stopping students in this way, it is akin to swatting flies with a newspaper. Simply put, more often than not, a fly will escape. The way students escape is by using proxy sites. These act as external links to websites, completely bypassing any barriers or blocks. In a time of frequent technological advancement, it is no surprise that progress in security is often equally matched or out-passed by those who would manipulate such advancements for the worst.
For its purest intentions, the internet is a wonderful service to all. However, since its inception, the World Wide Web has been a breeding ground for as much of the base and depraved nature of the human condition as it has been for the good and wholesome. For example, a child could easily access pornography, while copyrighted material, such as music or video, is illegally available for download to anyone.
This is internet misuse with broader implications, however. Even though misuse among students is relatively more innocent, solutions are few and far between. After all, it goes without saying that students are fully entitled to spend their time as they wish. But when searches of the internet can return material like “The Complete Lyrics to 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” or “The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide”, it is clear that a solution is not only necessary, but urgent.
In all truth, the metaphors that refer to the internet all imply risk and danger. “Surfing the web” surely implies the risk that one may fall and become immersed beneath crashing waves. We should realise the truth behind the metaphor of the internet also being “the web”. Though it is a weakening struggle to escape the web, a persistent struggle will pay off. However, those of weaker will who simply give in should be prepared for a spider to pounce, first tearing off the head and then feeding upon the internal juices…so to speak.
My point is; would you prefer to fly, or be left dangling from the ceiling?
And remember, even though it is a struggle, it’s worth it in the end.
By Paul Donnelly
A fly must have a boring life, you would imagine. It flies around, as flies are wont to do, landing occasionally, before flying around some more.
Simple pleasures for our little fly.
However, not all is blissful for the simple fly. Tragedy can strike in the form of a spider’s web. Sitting at a computer in Callan Science Building, one such tragedy unfolds before me. I watch as the fly struggles to escape from its imminent doom, which only results in the fly becoming further entangled in the web. Weakened from its exertions, the fly gives up the struggle and the spider finally strikes its prey.
Strangely enough, this whole episode takes on another meaning for me. It raises the question: is the internet being also known as the World Wide Web more accurate than we think?
Given thought, the similarities of the internet with a web are striking. Like a fly, one becomes trapped in the World Wide Web by their own direction. And, in the majority of cases, any attempts to escape its clutches result in becoming entrapped further.
So, are we the flies doomed to be trapped by the virtual web?
Far from looking for surveys and statistics, I simply look to either side of myself. To the left, a girl, who most likely swore to her friends that she was never going on “Bebo” when it first became a craze; is checking her page for new comments. To the right, a guy with headphones and an hour to kill is searching “You Tube” for some light entertainment. In fact, all along the open space, students can be seen in “time-passing” endeavours. Far be it from me to preach, though, as I sit among them, presently logged in to My Space.
Can this really be? Are we all caught in the web?
Such habitual use of the internet may not be an absolutely terrible thing, as students can also avail of resources like Moodle on the internet. However, a quick search of the number of participants in one of my own subject modules returned five pages of names, equaling 100 people, who have never used the resource. Even though a large amount of time is spent on the internet by students, there seems to be an air of apathy with regards to Moodle, as well as other academic resources.
Open access to such a large amount of computers for students within colleges is bound to lead to misuse in some respect. With this in mind, colleges have moved to block the use of sites like Bebo, among others, in particular areas. Unfortunately, when it comes to stopping students in this way, it is akin to swatting flies with a newspaper. Simply put, more often than not, a fly will escape. The way students escape is by using proxy sites. These act as external links to websites, completely bypassing any barriers or blocks. In a time of frequent technological advancement, it is no surprise that progress in security is often equally matched or out-passed by those who would manipulate such advancements for the worst.
For its purest intentions, the internet is a wonderful service to all. However, since its inception, the World Wide Web has been a breeding ground for as much of the base and depraved nature of the human condition as it has been for the good and wholesome. For example, a child could easily access pornography, while copyrighted material, such as music or video, is illegally available for download to anyone.
This is internet misuse with broader implications, however. Even though misuse among students is relatively more innocent, solutions are few and far between. After all, it goes without saying that students are fully entitled to spend their time as they wish. But when searches of the internet can return material like “The Complete Lyrics to 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” or “The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide”, it is clear that a solution is not only necessary, but urgent.
In all truth, the metaphors that refer to the internet all imply risk and danger. “Surfing the web” surely implies the risk that one may fall and become immersed beneath crashing waves. We should realise the truth behind the metaphor of the internet also being “the web”. Though it is a weakening struggle to escape the web, a persistent struggle will pay off. However, those of weaker will who simply give in should be prepared for a spider to pounce, first tearing off the head and then feeding upon the internal juices…so to speak.
My point is; would you prefer to fly, or be left dangling from the ceiling?
And remember, even though it is a struggle, it’s worth it in the end.
Inebriated Ireland
“I had such a great time last night! I can’t remember a thing!!!”
Whenever these words are uttered, I cannot help but listen in awe to the amazing paradox that has just come out of this last night’s party goer. There is a simple reason for my wonderment. If you can’t remember last night, how then can you be sure that it was indeed a great one?
I suppose that this question comes from the fact that (take a large breath, because it could possibly be construed as yet another paradox…). I am a nineteen year old, Irish teenager, who doesn’t drink. And don’t get me wrong. It is not due to any particular reason other than the fact that I honestly don’t see the point of it. It’s not that I haven’t had the opportunities. It’s not that I am an innocent kid who has not been exposed to the chance to become absolutely langered, as some may say.
But right from the day I could comprehend the ideas behind alcohol, I chose not to drink. From a personal standpoint, going out and losing your sense of judgement just doesn’t seem like an intelligent idea. Too often have I heard stories from people who rue their previous night’s actions. And yet, by the next week, the same person has decided that it would be a fantastic idea to throw all their senses out the window once more, and run those risks again. It doesn’t make any sense to me why people do this.Ok then. Maybe that’s me. Maybe I’ve been exposed to the wrong type of people. Maybe not all of Ireland is like that? But look at the facts. In a study of European countries by the Irish Health Promotion Unit, Ireland had the highest level of binge drinkers, with 58% of drinking occasions ending up in binge drinking among men and 30% among women. Alcohol related mortality has increased in line with the increases in alcohol consumption between 1992 and 2002, in particular alcohol specific chronic conditions e.g. dependency, abuse and psychosis (+61%) and acute conditions e.g. alcohol poisoning (+90%). Nearly €6 billion of personal income is spent on alcohol in Ireland representing €1,942 for every adult (15 years and over).
I could sit here and rhyme off facts and figures all day, but that would be pointless and boring. (And let’s face it. Many of you have probably condemned me as boring already!) But the bottom line is we have developed a drink culture worse than any other country, and all we can do is sit back, laugh and ironically, open a drink to celebrate.In Ireland, when Paddy is born, we drink. When Paddy receives his communion, we drink. When Paddy gets married, we drink. When Paddy gets sick and dies, we drink. Be it for happiness or sadness, celebration or despair, the Irish remain steadfast in their choice of activities. Drink until drunk.
In today’s society, the term “non-alcoholic event” simply means “drink as many shots as you can in your bedroom before going out”. We no longer appear to have the ability to have any form of a get together without involving drink. A simple stroll through the Arts block here on campus proves this point. “Come to our AGM. Free drinks for all!” “Monday, cheap drinks!” “Speed dating, come get sloshed and embarrass yourself in front of strangers.”Attitudes that most countries would be appalled by, we have a twisted sense of pride in. Yet, it cannot be a coincidence that a high amount of the road deaths in Ireland take place later at night. How often do we have to see the headlines “Four people died last night in a car crash, which occurred between 2 and 4 a.m.”? And what are people doing at this time of the night? Were they at the library or doing charity work? I seriously doubt it. Drink is involved, and yet the government and the gardai won’t admit it. If they did, then they would have to do something about it. Instead of picking on the school moms, who are doing one or two k.p.h over the limit, they would be out on a Saturday night arresting the drivers who are drunk and booting it down the roads at double the speed limit.
I know this article will undoubtedly alienate people; I know this will most likely gain a response of “Haha, look at the goody two shoed killjoy”, but at the end of the day, it is my decision. I am not going to try and force people to stop drinking. I don’t have that power. What really annoys me is the fact that Ireland as a culture and as a population, not only refuse to look on the under aged drinking, the binge drinking and the desire to go out with the sole intention of getting drunk negatively; we encourage and expect it! Too many people have replied to my parents telling them of my decision with “Ah, I’m sure he drinks. He just does it behind your back”. Too many people have said to me “Ah, go on. Sure it’s all a bit of craic”. What really irritates me the most about this attitude is the fact that some people cannot accept I choose not to partake in this cultural phenomenon.
I will always respect other people’s decisions to do what they want, but please, please, a thousand times, please, allow me the same privilege. Realise that not everyone is like you; not everyone wants to be like you. I apologise if my idea of a “great night” is staying in and watching 24, or going to the cinema with some friends, and being able to actually remember it. But maybe it is about time that as a culture, we start to challenge what our idea of “fun” is, and realise that a glass of larger may not be everyone’s cup of tea!
Whenever these words are uttered, I cannot help but listen in awe to the amazing paradox that has just come out of this last night’s party goer. There is a simple reason for my wonderment. If you can’t remember last night, how then can you be sure that it was indeed a great one?
I suppose that this question comes from the fact that (take a large breath, because it could possibly be construed as yet another paradox…). I am a nineteen year old, Irish teenager, who doesn’t drink. And don’t get me wrong. It is not due to any particular reason other than the fact that I honestly don’t see the point of it. It’s not that I haven’t had the opportunities. It’s not that I am an innocent kid who has not been exposed to the chance to become absolutely langered, as some may say.
But right from the day I could comprehend the ideas behind alcohol, I chose not to drink. From a personal standpoint, going out and losing your sense of judgement just doesn’t seem like an intelligent idea. Too often have I heard stories from people who rue their previous night’s actions. And yet, by the next week, the same person has decided that it would be a fantastic idea to throw all their senses out the window once more, and run those risks again. It doesn’t make any sense to me why people do this.Ok then. Maybe that’s me. Maybe I’ve been exposed to the wrong type of people. Maybe not all of Ireland is like that? But look at the facts. In a study of European countries by the Irish Health Promotion Unit, Ireland had the highest level of binge drinkers, with 58% of drinking occasions ending up in binge drinking among men and 30% among women. Alcohol related mortality has increased in line with the increases in alcohol consumption between 1992 and 2002, in particular alcohol specific chronic conditions e.g. dependency, abuse and psychosis (+61%) and acute conditions e.g. alcohol poisoning (+90%). Nearly €6 billion of personal income is spent on alcohol in Ireland representing €1,942 for every adult (15 years and over).
I could sit here and rhyme off facts and figures all day, but that would be pointless and boring. (And let’s face it. Many of you have probably condemned me as boring already!) But the bottom line is we have developed a drink culture worse than any other country, and all we can do is sit back, laugh and ironically, open a drink to celebrate.In Ireland, when Paddy is born, we drink. When Paddy receives his communion, we drink. When Paddy gets married, we drink. When Paddy gets sick and dies, we drink. Be it for happiness or sadness, celebration or despair, the Irish remain steadfast in their choice of activities. Drink until drunk.
In today’s society, the term “non-alcoholic event” simply means “drink as many shots as you can in your bedroom before going out”. We no longer appear to have the ability to have any form of a get together without involving drink. A simple stroll through the Arts block here on campus proves this point. “Come to our AGM. Free drinks for all!” “Monday, cheap drinks!” “Speed dating, come get sloshed and embarrass yourself in front of strangers.”Attitudes that most countries would be appalled by, we have a twisted sense of pride in. Yet, it cannot be a coincidence that a high amount of the road deaths in Ireland take place later at night. How often do we have to see the headlines “Four people died last night in a car crash, which occurred between 2 and 4 a.m.”? And what are people doing at this time of the night? Were they at the library or doing charity work? I seriously doubt it. Drink is involved, and yet the government and the gardai won’t admit it. If they did, then they would have to do something about it. Instead of picking on the school moms, who are doing one or two k.p.h over the limit, they would be out on a Saturday night arresting the drivers who are drunk and booting it down the roads at double the speed limit.
I know this article will undoubtedly alienate people; I know this will most likely gain a response of “Haha, look at the goody two shoed killjoy”, but at the end of the day, it is my decision. I am not going to try and force people to stop drinking. I don’t have that power. What really annoys me is the fact that Ireland as a culture and as a population, not only refuse to look on the under aged drinking, the binge drinking and the desire to go out with the sole intention of getting drunk negatively; we encourage and expect it! Too many people have replied to my parents telling them of my decision with “Ah, I’m sure he drinks. He just does it behind your back”. Too many people have said to me “Ah, go on. Sure it’s all a bit of craic”. What really irritates me the most about this attitude is the fact that some people cannot accept I choose not to partake in this cultural phenomenon.
I will always respect other people’s decisions to do what they want, but please, please, a thousand times, please, allow me the same privilege. Realise that not everyone is like you; not everyone wants to be like you. I apologise if my idea of a “great night” is staying in and watching 24, or going to the cinema with some friends, and being able to actually remember it. But maybe it is about time that as a culture, we start to challenge what our idea of “fun” is, and realise that a glass of larger may not be everyone’s cup of tea!
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