The Hunter Connection? Kazakh Security Chief Arrested For Treason Was "Close Friends" With Bidens
Among the boldest and eye-brow raising political moves by embattled Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev within the past days that grabbed international headlines was his ordering the arrest of Kazakhstan's powerful former intelligence chief, Karim Massimov, on the charge of high treason.
Indicating that amid widespread fuel price unrest which quickly became aimed squarely at toppling Tokayav's rule there's a simultaneous power struggle within the government, Massimov had headed the National Security Committee (KNB) up until his Thursday sudden removal and detention. Massimov had served as the prior longtime strongman ruler Nursultan Nazarbayev's prime minister and has long been considered his "right hand man".
Why The Kazakhstan Crisis Is A Much Bigger Deal Than Western Media Is Letting On
Mass protests and anti-government violence have left dozens dead. Russia is deploying 3,000 paratroopers after Kazakh security forces were overrun. The largest city, Almaty, looks like a warzone. To appreciate why Russia is willing to deploy troops to Kazakhstan, it's critical to understand the depth of Russia's vital national interests inside the country. This isn't just any former Soviet republic. It's almost as important to Russia as Belarus or Ukraine.
First, Russia and Kazakhstan have the largest continuous land border on planet earth. If Kazakhstan destabilizes, a significant fraction of the country's 19 million residents could become refugees streaming across the border. Russia is not willing to let that happen.
Second, roughly one-quarter of the population of Kazakhstan is ethnic Russians. Kazakh nationalists are overwhelmingly Muslims, who resent the Orthodox-Christian Russian minority. Russia believes that civil war would entail a non-trivial risk of anti-Russian ethnic cleansing.
Third, the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan was the heart of the Soviet space program. Russia still uses it as its primary space-launch facility. The Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East will lessen that dependence, but it still isn't complete.
Kazakhstan government resigns amid massive protests over high fuel prices
Chaos gripped Kazakhstan this week as protests broke out throughout the central Asian nation over fuel prices. The country’s government resigned on January 5, 2022, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev named a new acting prime minister. But the cabinet’s resignation did little to calm the anger over fuel price hikes as protesters clashed with police.
Tensions between US, Russia rise over military involvement in Kazakhstan
Tensions between the U.S. and Russia rose on Saturday as the Kremlin delivered a strong rebuke to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who a day prior said, "it's sometimes very difficult to get" Russians to leave "once [they] are in your house."
Speaking before reporters on Friday, Blinken said of the recent unrest in Kazakhstan, "There are very particular drivers of what's happening in Kazakhstan right now."
"And what's happening in there is different from what's happening on Ukraine's borders. Having said that, I think one lesson in recent history is that once Russians are in your house, it's sometimes very difficult to get them to leave," Blinken added.
Blinken's comments were an apparent jab at Russia, after the Collective Security Treaty Organization - compromised of five former Soviet allies and Russia - sent troops into Kazakhstan as the country remains embroiled in political unrest.
"If Antony Blinken loves history lessons so much, then he should take the following into account: when Americans are in your house, it can be difficult to stay alive and not be robbed or raped," Russia's foreign ministry said on Telegram, saying the secretary of State's comment was "typically offensive,"
No comments:
Post a Comment