More to Come

Lot going on this week but I'm working on a couple of angles.  Check back shortly!

FIFA Also Concerned about Security in Wake of Airport Attack

The day before the blast, FIFA president Sepp Blatter met with Russian soccer officials to sign what is called a Declaration of Appointment; essentially, this makes official Russia as the host of the 2018 World Cup.  Now, whether Russia should even be hosting the World Cup is a different argument for a different day (though the decision to let Russia host looks positively inspired in light of the dubious choice of Qatar in 2022) but the blast does bring to the forefront a primary concern FIFA has in awarding the event to Russia: an over-reliance on air travel.

The story I linked to notes this concern and you can read the full executive summary of Russia's bid evaluation here (pages 37-38).  I'll quote the relevant portion:

The bid’s transport plan is based mainly on the geographic clustering of its candidate Host Cities. The country’s vastness and its remoteness from other countries, coupled with the fact that the high-speed railway network is limited and would only link six candidate Host Cities by 2018, would put pressure on the air traffic infrastructure, potentially causing transfer challenges in view of the lack of alternative means of long-distance transport. The current air traffic situation is to be improved through major upgrades and capacity increases to the majority of the airports. However, any delay in the completion of the transport projects could impact on FIFA’s tournament operations an the proposed installation of temporary facilities could impose a high cost burden. In particular, a greater number of direct flight connections to major international airports would have to be made available from the majority of candidate Host City airports.

I'll translate that FIFA-speak into English: "Oh, shit, you can't get anywhere in Russia except on a plane.  They better improve their airports or we're screwed."

Now, if you're FIFA, in addition to the already obvious infrastructure problems, you're most likely looking at dramatically beefed-up security, longer lines, fears about another airport attack, etc.  Indeed, President Medvedev is already blaming "lax security" and The Economist is already reporting that the immediate move to force all persons entering Domodedovo airport to walk through metal detectors is already causing pileups which, of course, is its own security problem.  FIFA has to be thinking about another attack on a Russian airport during the World Cup, one that, if their documents are to be believed, could completely cripple the ability of all participants (players, media, fans) to get from one venue to another.  Will FIFA, which often demands carte blanche from its hosts, demand direct flights for the teams that bypass security?  Who knows?

Not to mention that you would have to believe that this incident is likely going to raise the cost of all future renovations and, at some point, you have to wonder when somebody is going to ask where all the money is going to come from. But that's a Russia-specific problem.

Regardless, no doubt both the IOC and FIFA will be watching to see how Russia responds to this crisis.  Privately, they're certainly sweating.

'We Live in a Dangerous World" says IOC Head Rogge

Yes, that's the ringing endorsement from IOC President Jacques Rogge, speaking in the aftermath of the Moscow airport bombing. I guess, what else can you say if you're Jacques Rogge? That you're utterly terrified at this point after two major terrorist incidents in fewer than 12 months? Follow the link to see the video.

US Olympic Speedskaters Arrive in Moscow at Totally Different Airport

A contingent of US speedskaters arrived around 6 p.m. local time in Moscow today for the Essent ISU World Cup Skating in Moscow.  Not to bore you with the intricacies of international speedskating, but none of the speedskaters you may have actually heard of (Shani Davis, for example) made the trip, as they prepare for the upcoming World All-Around Championships in Salt Lake City this February. 

Now, the skaters arrived at Sheremetyevo airport, not at the Domodedovo airport where the attacks took place but, nevertheless, there is certainly a concern about whether the competition will continue.  For their part, the US skaters sound like they want to go forward with the competition (a 10 hour flight will do that). 

The big picture here (as I bury the lead) is that this can only heighten concerns that Russia will be able to provide for a safe and secure Olympic Games in 2014. Unfortunately, the IOC has been in this situation already with Russia, as they were forced to publicly and repeatedly implore the world that they were confident the Russians would provide for a safe Games.  When was this, you ask?  After last year's gruesome Moscow Metro bombings that killed at least 40 and wounded many more.  And that attack is believed to have been carried out by two Dhagestani 'black widows.'  More than anything, the IOC wants to avoid an uncomfortable situation like the Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta or, worse still, the 1972 Munich Massacre (even if Eric Bana is the shit) - avoidance of any chance of being forced to repeat Avery Brundage's wooden 'the Games must go on' speech.

This is an issue I'm going to come back to repeatedly.  This is now two major terrorist attacks in less than a year, both carried out by folks with ties to separatist regions in the Caucasus.  What will the Russian government do to assure the world, and the IOC, that security in 2014 will be adequate?

Moscow Airport Blast Related to Olympics?

Watching CNN right now and I'll be following the deadly terrorist attack at Domodedovo airport in Moscow all day long.  Right now, it looks like at least 35 people are dead.  Naturally, there are already tons of conflicting reports coming in.  Tom Fuentes, a former FBI agent and now a talking head at CNN, is already speculating that this is the work of Chechen terrorists.  Here's a quick link to a Guardian timeline of Chechen terrorist attacks since the mid-nineties. 

There has also been some early speculation that this blast may be related to the Sochi Olympics.  There are, of course, a number of groups that are opposed to Sochi hosting the Olympics; if you read Russian, check out the environmental group North Caucasus Environmental Watch or www.nosochi2014.com, whose stated mission is to 'ask the world and the IOC to strip Russia of the Sochi Olympics based on it being the location of the Circassian Genocide.'

Now, I'd like everybody to withhold judgment on whether this is the work of Chechen terrorists/separatists until we have more information.  The bad blood between Chechens (and other peoples from the Caucasus) and Russians is hundreds of years old (check out the Wikipedia pages if you want more info) and there is a tendency to immediately blame any acts of violence in Russia on the Chechens.  Now, I'm not saying that they're not responsible, I just need more info before I pass judgment.  I've linked to an early report from eyewitnesses to the blast and I will, of course, be on this story all day long.  The environment can wait.

Environmental Quick Hit

Here's a link to the invaluable Around the Rings with their brief take on the visit of UNEP (see below) to Sochi.  I'm working on a bigger post for tomorrow or Tuesday, so hopefully this will tide you over.

As a sneak preview, here's a video from a Russian environmentalist showing the condition of one river in the region; damage believed to have been caused by construction in and around Sochi.  Even if you don't speak Russian, it's worth a look-see.  

Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee and UNEP to Hold Public Discussion

News today that the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee (SOC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will be hosting a forum over the course of the next four days to discuss environmental issues surrounding the preparations for the Games.  Outside of 'resettling' Sochi residents to make way for Olympic progress, the environmental impact of the numerous building projects is probably the hot-button international issue as Russia prepares to host the Games. 

Let's backtrack for a bit: Interestingly, the only parallel in terms of building costs for an Olympic Games is Beijing in 2008.  Chinese officials have always maintained that they spent around $15 billion on the Games, while independent observers estimate that the cost could be closer to $40 billion (remember: Russia is planning to spend $30 billion).  I'll say this: cost estimates for the Games are notoriously tricky to estimate.  By that I mean that Russia, as with China, counts a lot of the cost as 'infrastructure improvements.'  Russia wants you to read 'infrastructure improvements' as 'we are improving your lives and would have spent this money anyway, Games or no Games.'  This is dubious, of course; it is hard to justify even $15 billion in 'infrastructure improvements' in a sleepy, Black Sea resort like Sochi. 

But I digress. Let's regroup and remember that all of this building means for Russia that 1) people are being displaced and 2) the natural environment is arguably irreparably being altered.  Ergo, the involvement of UNEP.

Around this time last year, UNEP released a report on the environmental conditions in Sochi, which arrived at such critical conclusions as "the Sochi Games present both challenges and opportunities."  This will be their 4th visit to meet with the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, while the World Wildlife Fund's Russian-language site laments that neither they, nor Greenpeace, have been invited.  The Russian version of the WWF is critical of the building process, noting the destruction of the Sochi National Forest, local rivers and fear that this entire process is merely 'green pr,' as opposed to actually finding solutions to environmental problems.  Oh, and did I mention proposed building in the West Caucasus, an area designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site?

Prime Minister Putin has gotten involved, of course, blasting some of these construction firms for some of the sites they chose for certain events, even getting some projects stopped and relocated, stating that 'in setting our priorities and choosing between money and the environment, we're choosing the environment.'  Now it's easy for Putin to take this position; he is a major reason why these firms have access to these projects, so he can afford to take some shots at them here and there, all the while coming off as the good guy to the local and international media.  Of course, these construction firms, and the project in general, is bankrolled by the government, so it will be quick to blame supposedly independent firms for any failures but take credit for any success.  It is the nature of the beast. 

Sadly, I am also reminded of the story of former SOC consultant, Dr. Sergei Volkov.  The doctor, who has since fled Russia for Ukraine out of fear of being arrested, was an environmental consultant to the SOC and repeatedly warned the Russian government to step back and further research  the complex geology and ecology of the region.  He warned of of possible landslides, the presence of Mercury and Uranium on some sites and that the weather patterns in Sochi were not properly studied.  Tragically, 3 Russian construction workers lost their lives and millions of dollars were washed away when a storm destroyed a port being built in Sochi - in a location Dr. Volkov warned had unpredictable weather.  And now, after what he claims were  repeated threats, Dr. Volkov is in hiding.  Is this starting to sound familiar?

I'll continue to do my best to follow the news, if there is any, that comes out of these public forums, whether in English or in Russian.  Thanks for reading.

Attack on City Council Member Olympic Related?

A disconcerting story just caught my attention as I was looking for a topic to write about today.  According to the anti-Russian 'Caucasian Knot,' Sochi City-Planning Councilman Valery Suchkov believes that an attack against him (he was hit by a car) on January 7 is directly related to his role as a vocal advocate for Sochi residents in the face of top-down edicts from Moscow as planning and building for the Olympic Games continues.  Suchkov, who was critical of the resettlement of locals to make way for Olympic building projects, the necessity of rerouting certain streets, etc., among other projects, remains hospitalized.  From the article:

Mr Suchkov was hospitalized with traumas on January 7 in Khosta. He was told that he had been hit by a car. Galina Suchkova, his wife, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the incident occurred not far from their house.

"Valery told me that some unknown people called him and asked [him to pick up]  some important package brought to him from Moscow," she said and added that the callers said that "they were from the post office and could not find their house; therefore, they asked him to go out to the road."

Valery Suchkov said that "an organized gang, liquidating unwanted public activists, human rights defenders and journalists who oppose and reveal corruption in Sochi and territorial bodies," operates in Sochi.

Unfortunately,  this is merely the latest in what has become a horrifying set piece in Russia: speak out against the government or government policy, prepare to be attacked, expect the government to condemn the attack while doing very little to find either the attackers or those who ordered the attacks.

Regrettably, Russia is now considered to be one of the most dangerous places in which to be an investigative journalist and Anna Politkovskaya, who reported for Novaya Gazeta on the Second Chechen war and was killed in 2006 for her exposes, remains the face of the trend.  The most recent incident, the brutal attack of Kommersant's Oleg Kashin, is believed to be tied to his reports on youth movements, as well as his digging into the proposed $8 billion road from Moscow to St. Petersburg that was to cut right through the famous Khimki forest.  There are at least two other journalists who are believed to have been attacked from exposing the corruption surrounding the construction or for covering the protests of the project.  Construction on the proposed highway has since been halted.

The Committee to Protect Journalists now believes that 52 journalists have been killed in Russia since 1992; the International Federation of Journalists' report, 'Partial Justice,' cites 300 deaths and disappearances of Russian Journalists since 1993.  Regardless of the exact figure, Russia is now considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for investigative journalists.

Beyond that, as the above case Mr. Suchkov shows, even relatively obscure opposition figures face severe consequences for speaking out or highlighting controversial government plans and policies, especially as it concerns one of the most ambitious building projects in Russian history.  With more than $30 billion invested in Sochi, will principled objections be tolerated?  Sadly, the answer appears to be no.

IOC May Force Postponment of F1 Race in Sochi

Back from a brief hiatus and ready to roll!  Let's kick it off with an AP report that the International Olympic Committee might look to push back the date of the first Formula 1 race that was to be held in Sochi.  Back in October, and already in the midst of what is probably the most ambitious building project going on in Europe (though I can't wait to see what Qatar looks like in a few years), F1 head Bernie Ecclestone signed a six-year contract with Russian officials to hold a yearly Grand Prix race in the Black Sea resort.  Now, despite the fact that IOC officials say that 70% of the Olympic venues will be completed by the end of 2011, apparently there is a clause in the contract that allows the IOC to postpone the first scheduled race, which is to be held in 2014.  It is worth noting that Voice of Russia has recently reported that the IOC has said nothing of the sort.

Despite some extensive research on my part (read: Google), I'm still not sure exactly what the hold up will be.  With more than $30 billion US already committed to creating an Olympic paradise from essentially scratch, how much more trouble could putting together an F1 track could be?

“Whatever you say it is, it isn't.”

Been out of the loop for a while, but I wanted to touch on a report that came across the wire (and in English).It is report from state-owned Russian news agency ITAR-TASS on the state of Russian preparations for 2014.  In a meeting at Roza Khutor, Russian President Dimitri Medvedev announced that preparation has "actually entered its final phase."

The president drew attention of the participants in the meeting held at the Roza Khutor ski resort to the fact that slightly more than three years remain before the opening of the Olympics. “This project is super large-scale for our country. Not because any Olympics is a very big project, not because we have not the easiest conditions here. The project is ambitious - in terms of the construction volumes and financing, as well as the organisational complexity,” Medvedev explained.

It is unclear, what, exactly, is meant by "final phase."  Medvedev has previously promised that all Olympic venues will be completed by 2012, so that may be it.  Aside from that, Sochi is certainly not even close to having all the necessary infrastructure completed which, ultimately, is just as important. 

So, I guess if you narrowly define the term "final phase" to mean we expect to have all venues complete by 2012, then there's your answer.  I guess you could also say I'm in the "final phase" of my life.  Oh well.

You Didn't Think You Could Actually Use Your Apartment, Did You?

From filternews.ru (link in Russian), which is exactly what it sounds like, I pulled a report on the construction of new apartments near the pending Olympic Village in Sochi.  As you may or may not know, the International Olympic Committee has requested over 41,000 available rooms for attendees be made available in Sochi.  To that end, comes this report that nearly 2,500 apartments being built in the "Sport and Tourist" complex but that those apartments come with a catch.  The purchasers of those apartments will not be able to use them during the Olympic and Paralympic Games (January-March, 2014) and they will be handed over to the Sochi Olympic Committee for that time period.  According to this article, this will not affect the purchase price; apartments with so-called "encumbrances" will cost the same as those without, though it's not clear how this will be determined.

As best I can tell from various source, well fewer than half of the required housing has  been constructed.  It will be interesting to follow this development to see how the gap is bridged in the coming months and years - though it's not as if there is a lack of experience in this department.