Putin sweeping the country

The dramatic arrest [today, Saturday 10/25] of the head of Russia's largest oil producer alarmed the country's business and political elite, with many analysts saying the actions against the oil company, Yukos, are a Kremlin-directed campaign to keep him out of politics.

Khodorkovsky, who has openly funded opposition parties, is the latest of Russia's superrich oligarchs to be pursued by President Vladimir Putin's government. Tycoons Boris Berezovsky and Vladimir Gusinsky have gone into self-imposed exile to avoid criminal prosecution. article

I'm sure this is political chicanery, but I can't help but think Yukos' head (and Russia's richest man) Mikhail Khodorkovsky actually is guilty of the charges. I also can't help but wish the crooks who commit similar illegal acts on our side of the world would meet with the same justice. Maybe if they were in opposition to the pResident's government they would.

Businessmen fear that the probe will chill foreign investors' recent enthusiasm for Russia and impede the country's economic recovery.

Then look to U.S./CIA involvement. Oh? You think I'm turning into a radical conspiracy theorist? Don't think the CIA would be involved in Russia's economic affairs? They'll be there. You can take it to the bank.

In another article, it is suggested that other U.S. based oil companies like Exxon-Mobil and Shell might have been working on a deal to get a part of Yukos. It appears to be suggested that if Yukos can be taken over by the state, due to Khodorkovsky's arrest, Putin will think himself to be in a better position with foreign oil companies running it. I'm not at all sure that would be true.

Khodorkovsky has often clashed with the government, demanding that YUKOS be allowed to build pipelines so it can pump more oil to export markets. Russia's pipelines are all controlled by state monopoly Transneft.

Seems to me that Putin is trying to keep the political balance from shifting to private corporations.

But then, I'm not exactly in the loop there.

I do like how the article calls it "Putin's government". At least it acknowledges that it's not the people's government. Too bad that distinction isn't made in the press for our own.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.