Do You Link Me?

Let's dive right in to a heptathlon of links for this Friday.  As always, enjoy and feel free to contact me if you hear or read anything interesting.

1. According to RIA-Novosti, Slovenia wants in on Sochi building projects.  Slovenian prime minister Borut Pahor met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, recently to talk business relations, particularly to sign an agreement allowing the South Stream gas pipeline to go through Slovenia.
2.  According to the AFP and others, Putin looked into a snow leopard's eyes and saw its soul.  With the relatively recent coronation as one of Sochi's Olympic mascots, the snow leopard has seen a surge in popularity.  Also, it was widely reported that the leopard was Putin's first choice.  So, he met one, and had this to say about the significance of the meeting: "That one of the symbols of the Olympics is a beast that was wiped out by man in the 1950s shows that Russia is different. Russia cares about nature, about its riches and preserves them for future generations."
3.  As I wrote about this week, the IOC blew through town for the 5th time to check the progress of the Sochi build.  The USA Today leads with the headline "Sochi work on track at quick pace," according to the words of Jean-Claude Killy, the man who lead the recon.  On the other hand, the Toronto Sun heads their article with "IOC concerned about progress for Sochi Olympics."  I hope to write a bit more about the visit this weekend but these opposing viewpoints are interesting nonetheless.  
4. Longtime foes Georgia and Russia settled it all last week...on the rugby pitch.  Georgia dominated, winning 38-6.  This sews up the top spot in Division 1 for Georgia in advance of next year's World Cup.
5. Sochi/Adler airport, which will be used by most everybody headed to the Sochi Olympics, has upgraded its technology.
6. Companies (not sure which ones, exactly, beyond Gazprom) have signed a so-called "green" declaration, promising to protect the local ecosystem. 
7. Not really a link, but I'll actually be heading to Kazakhstan on Sunday to work as an election observer for the "accelerated" presidential election.  If I get some time over there and have access to the internet, I'll try to update any relevant news, etc.  Also, I'll try to write some stuff up this weekend to auto post over the next week.

IOC Drops by to Say Hi

The IOC is baaaaaack, led by Jean-Claude Killy (an alpine skiing great, no less, and one of the few athletes in the IOC) to take a looksee at what is going on in Sochi these days.  This is the fifth IOC delegation to visit Sochi and the first since the 'successful' showing of the alpine course earlier this year except for, you know, the fear of an avalanche.  Per the IOC's website:

The Commission will be in the Black Sea resort for the next three days, and will combine technical meetings with visits to some of the venue sites, in order to see the progress being made for the Games. The Commission will look at areas such as Games operations and services and the experience of different client groups like the athletes, National Olympic Committees, International Federations, spectators and the media. There will also be a working group looking at the Paralympic Games during the visit.

 And that's about that, for now.  Once the full report comes out I'll be sure to link to it here and discuss it here

Audit Reveals Overpriced Building Materials for Sochi Construction

At least that what RIA-Novosti is reporting, reflecting on a report by the head of the presidential comptroller office, as the report calls it; basically, it's the internal auditing department.  The report cited one example, the cost of fill materials and the fact that the price has more than doubled for the sand and rocks required for the build over the last year.  Best I can tell from poking around the internet is that a full report is due to vice president Putin by the end of the month, at least according to Caucasian Knot which, admittedly, is not a non-partisan source.

All of this is, no doubt, part of what is now a very public effort by the government to appear to be rooting out corruption, both in Sochi and elsewhere in Russia.  Though, one has to wonder why it has taken this long to figure out considering, well, you know, Olympstroy is a government-created entity so, presumably, somebody in the Russian government was filling out the purchase orders.  But, hey, it's hard to find good help these days. 

Global Sports Forum Follow-up

As I've discussed here previously, the Global Sports Forum was held last week in Barcelona. And along comes Russell Scibetti from The Business of Sports with neat little recap/paraphrase of Sochi 2014 head Dimitri Chernyshenko's remarks at the forum.  A lot of it you've heard somewhere before from any figure in charge of preparations for any large event but, what the hell, I'll go ahead and rebut some of the paraphrases (does that count as journalism?).  Without further ado:

•  On the legacy of Sochi 2014: The Games will go a long way to improve the environment. Green standards are being used for all new venue construction. They want to be as carbon-neutral as possible throughout the construction and the Games. There is also a lift for the Sochi national parks, which in turn will help save the snow leopard (being used as one of the mascots as well).

Obviously, not everybody agrees on this.  There's all kinds of environmental issues that are up for debate and you can find some of those in my old posts and elsewhere on the internet.  If there's something being built in Sochi, odds are somebody is pissed off about it.  Oh and there's this:

• In line with the previous statement: They literally started from nothing, a “blank canvas” which was a big advantage allowing them to build an infrastructure. They are the biggest construction site in the world and have over 42,000 workers involved.  

This statement is true, assuming by "them" and "advantage" we're referring to the Sochi 2014 builders and not the vacationers, people who were bought out of their homes to make way for the Olympics or the environmentalists.  I'm sure it's a thrill for any construction company to get carte blanche for a project but I'm not sure it's an advantage to the other 180 million people in Russia who don't live in Sochi that the government is spending $30 billion to host a party. 

•   And finally, about corruption and security: There is an image of corruption in Russia, but the Sochi project is very transparent and wants to act as an anti-corruption model for other projects. You can never completely stop terrorism, but the authorities are doing everything possible. There are 100 different nationalities living in this area in peace. Sochi “will be” the safest place ever for the Olympics.

Nevermind about Dimitri Medvedev's ordering a probe into possible corruption surrounding the Sochi build last summer (ignoring the fact, of course, as to whether that was an honest attempt to root out corruption or just for show).  Or the Moscow Times report last summer that Medvedev was using the boogeyman of terrorism to distract people from endemic corruption in Sochi.  But Medvedev is shifty, using the actual terrorist act this year in Domodedovo airport to shift the attention to Georgia and other foreigners who might have it out for Sochi.  Oh, don't forget that Olympstroi, the builder in charge of the project, is on (I think) its third leader in four years.  Other than that, shipshape.  

Celebrity Soccer Match Proves Chechnya Open for Business

Got a hot tip the other day, so I thought I'd pass it along.  Former stars of Brazilian soccer showed up last week in Chechnya to play a celebrity soccer match to support funding for AIDS prevention research.  Ok, I made that last part up.  It was to show "to show Chechnya had recovered from years of separatist conflict."  Seriously.  Don't believe me, check the BBC:

(Chechen President/strongman) Mr Kadyrov scored twice in the match in Grozny, but his team lost 6-4 to the Brazilian all-stars who included Romario, Dunga, Bebeto and Cafu.

Mr Kadyrov said he organised the game to show Chechnya had recovered from years of separatist conflict.

The Kremlin-backed leader has been widely accused of human rights abuses.
He said the Brazilians were not paid to appear but came out of goodwill and in return for a donation to flood victims in Brazil....

After the game, Mr Kadyrov said it had shown that Chechnya was recovering from war.
"They write everywhere about the killings and explosions in the Chechen republic," he said.
"Particularly in Europe they write that Kadyrov is bad and Russia is bad, there is no normal life for the people, and we are showing today that the population of one million on the territory of the Chechen republic is developing sports, education and culture, and that we are building an honourable future."

"If some people think that terrorism is not dying here, they are deeply wrong." 

Well, that's one point of view, I guess.  Unfortunately, the Council on Foreign Relations doesn't necessarily agree, citing 2009 statistics that suicide bombings in Checnnya quadrupled from the year before.  That's simply a matter of fact.  Now, there has certainly been some positive economic growth, and Kadyrov is doing what any leader would in spinning the information, but the fact remains that Chechnya is far from safe.

Kadyrov has his own issues, certainly, stemming from his controversial installation as Chechen president to allegations of human rights abuses on his watch (thanks Wiki).  He's been accused of wanting to impose Islamic law on his people to being quoted (as the BBC article notes) as saying that he'd have no problem taking on a few extra wives, etc, etc. 

And, of course, you'd have to wonder what in the world ex-soccer stars from Brazil are getting out of this deal, but I'd highly doubt that it's a thank you for donations to Brazilian flood relief.  

What this is all about, of course, is the fact that Kadyrov was recently reelected (I use the word 'elected' loosely) to a second  term as Chechen president.  It's about projecting an image of stability, as terror threatens to overwhelm other parts of what should now be officially named the "restive North Caucasus."  And, of course, it's about the belief that all the good things that come to Chechnya are a result of the Kadyrov presidency  and that anything bad that happens in the future are the result of "outsiders."  But, hey, would you expect any less from a guy who has an essay competition dedicated to himself?

Friday Link Heptathalon; Space Olympics Cancelled

Yeah, that's what I'm calling it from here on out, unless I get a better idea.  Seven seems like a nice number, so seven links you shall get every Friday for your edification.  Read 'em, get better informed, etc, etc.  Also, I'm going to try and incorporate a video or two each Friday, as well.  Some informative, most funny, many will involve women's gymnastics.  Anyway, onto the links:

1. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced that Sochi 2014 will use the international rink dimensions, as a opposed to the smaller, NHL-sized surface that was used in Vancouver in 2010.   The international rink is roughly 200 ft x 100 ft, as opposed to the NHL rink, which is 200 x 85.  Historically, the international surface is used in, well, international events and Vancouver 2010 is the first Olympics I'm aware of that used the smaller surface; even Salt Lake City 2002 used the international dimensions.  The IIHF also announced that, logically, the international size will remain the standard in Europe, while the NHL rink will be used even for international competition in North America.  Ultimately, as anyone who watched the 2010 hockey tournament (my favorite sporting event, ever) knows, the dimensions don't matter so much when the world's greatest players are on display.
2. RIA-Novosti interviews Orietta Moscatelli, New Europe Project Chief at the Apcom Press Agency, about the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.   RIA is affiliated with Apcom, so fyi on that. 
3. Duncan Mackay at insidethegames.biz reports that Kommersant was awarded the  "Sochi 2014 official supplier in the printed media category."  Kommersant is owned by Alisher Usmanov, who also has a stake in Arsenal and Facebook and is ungodly rich, and provides the newspaper the right to use Olympic symbols, publish special Olympic editions (not Special Olympics editions), etc.  
4. Not gay Figure Skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek talks on video about what he's been up to, getting ready for Sochi and his relationship with all-around gold medalist Nastya Liukin.
5. Russian airline Aeroflot dropped over $2 billion on eight new Boeing planes, part of a larger order as the company gears up for what it hopes will be increased international travel as 2014 draws closer.
6. The Boston Globe reports that ski jumping is set to go co-ed for Sochi.  In case you somehow didn't know (and how wouldn't you???), women were shut out of ski jumping at Vancouver, with the IOC contending that there simply wasn't enough depth and geographical diversity to justify adding the women to the program.  That situation, apparently, has changed, and the IOC is expected to approve the program shortly.  The only other event that is only for men?  Why, that'd be nordic combined (ski jumping and cross-country skiing).  No doubt because it might affect women's abilities to have children.
7. Those of you who were hoping to compete in space swords, space disk or space luge, I gots bad news.  The Space Olympics have been totally cancelled.

Russia Olympic Head Wins Samaranch Award, Hopes Also to Ably Serve Dictator

Fine, so I made the last part of that up.  The first part, however, is true, as Dimitri Chernyshenko, the CEO of the 2014 Winter Games, won an award named after longtime IOC boss (and former Francisco Franco supporter/Blueshirt) Juan Antonio Samaranch (more on him later).  The award recognized the recruitment and development of the 25,000 volunteers that will be needed to help run the Games.  This happened at the Global Sports Forum (which is held in Barcelona, Samaranch's hometown) and the award was but one of many given out on the night.  What is the Global Sports Forum, you ask:

Officially supported by the City of Barcelona, the Global Sports Forum Barcelona is an exchange platform attracting a wide range of personalities from the world of sport. Thanks to its unique emphasis on the position of sport at the heart of modern society, the Forum is a place where people come together and debate issues, the aim being to highlight sport in all its dimensions: economic, social, political and cultural.

The Global Sports Forum Barcelona represents a magnificent opportunity to come together and make the most of a truly international platform:

1. Thematic clusters
Debates on long-term trends in sport and the burning topics on the day, with speakers from a variety of backgrounds proposing policy recommendations to be shared with the wider international sporting community.

2. Networking
A chance to meet and exchange views with people from the same fields and others from different environments.

3. Experience sharing
The Global Sports Forum Barcelona is the place to propose and share ideas, to consider new opportunities and put forward best practices in sport.

The Global Sports Forum Barcelona offers a warm welcome to:

• Sport federations, clubs and organisations
• Former and current athletes
• Political leaders and government representatives
• Representatives of local bodies
• Business leaders
• Marketing and sponsorship decision-makers
• Foundations, NGOs and charity organisations
• Health experts
• Academics and education stakeholders

 So there.  Man, 'thematic clusters' sounds super exciting, doesn't it.  Basically, this is a lot of talking. Now, as for Samaranch well, he was a lot of things, but the one thing harped on by investigative reporters, primarily the UK's Andrew Jennings, is his fascist past. In fact, Jennings and a colleague have more than one book exposing this aspect of Samaranch's past (something that is conspicuously missing from Wikipedia/his official Olympic bio) and the level of his involvement in the Franco regime.  Nothing else to report here, just always enjoy a chance to point out Samaranch's fascist past.  Hey, it got him the second-longest tenure atop the IOC and museum or two.  Good on him.

NYT Reports on Security Situation in Sochi,

The New York Times has a nice little summary of the security situation surrounding the run-up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.  It hits the major events (Domodedovo, killing of tourists, civil war in Chechnya), with a little bit of analysis from Dimitri Kozak, who is deputy prime minister and nominally in charge of the building in Sochi:

In an interview, a deputy prime minister, Dmitri N. Kozak, acknowledged that such groups would be likely to try to step up their activities as the Olympics drew closer. But he played down the significance of Sochi’s location, saying that the terrain was so difficult to traverse that it was easier to travel by plane from Moscow — about 850 miles — than over land from Chechnya.

“Concerning geography, I would say that it is an illusion that there is more access to Sochi for terrorists,” Mr. Kozak said. “Sochi is isolated from the rest of the Caucasus — Chechnya and other such regions — by mountains that are not easily passable.”

He said the Sochi Olympics would be a target for extremist groups around the world, not just those from the Caucasus. “Today, distance for terrorist organizations does not have much meaning,” he said.

I'm interested because, to my knowledge, this is the first time a major figure in the Russian government has acknowledged the fact that terrorists might step up their game as the Olympics draw closer.  I take some issue with the idea that Sochi would be a target from other terrorist groups from the around the world and not just from the Caucasus.  This may be true (Munich, 1972 comes to mind) but the odds are that the future attacks will be from domestic sources.  And Kozak knows this, but the idea that there are external enemies is one that is going to be, in my opinion, pushed ever more heavily as 2014 comes closer.  Russia's foreign policy places primacy on the right to do whatever is necessary to assure internal security and it's a lot easier to plant the idea that there may be external disruptions than to acknowledge the fact that you are having  difficulty with the internal version. 

Quick Thoughts on Nagorno-Karabakh, Medvedev as "Honest Broker"

Ok, so those were The Economist's tongue-in-cheek words about Russian President Dimitri Medvedev's mediation this weekend in Sochi between Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian and Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev.  The topic?  The continuing escalation of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijain, primarily over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which I wrote about last week.  The AFP had a slightly, uh, more neutral take on the whole proceeding:

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian and Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev released a statement stating their intention to "resolve all controversial questions in a peaceful manner" after meeting in Sochi.
They agreed to hold joint investigations of skirmishes along the ceasefire line, which killed at least 22 soldiers last year, under the aegis of the Minsk group of the OSCE, chaired by France, Russia and the United States.
They also agreed to complete a swap of prisoners of war and to return the bodies of soldiers killed during the conflict, a deal that they agreed at their last summit in October.
The peaceful rhetoric came after Azerbaijan repeatedly threatened to use force to win back Karabakh if peace talks did not yield results, while Armenia has warned of large-scale retaliation if Baku launches military action.
Azerbaijan's defence minister said last month that his country was preparing for war with Armenia to "liberate its territories."
The Armenian president said in January that his country was prepared to fight its neighbour again to defend the region, which is controlled by Armenian separatists.

As The Economist notes, both Armenia and Azerbaijan have pretty much done the exact opposite of "peaceful manner" over the last, well, couple decades.  But, really, this last year has been pretty bad.  Massive escalations in military spending on both sides though, owing to its oil wealth, Azerbaijan's military spending alone is bigger than the entire Armenian budget in total.  As The Economist's expert notes, beyond the loss of life, the escalation of the conflict into a hot one could further destabilize an already unstable world oil market.  And round and round she goes...

Some of this is a rehash, and so be it, but what does this have to do with the Olympics. Obviously, Medvedev has a vested interest in both actually brokering peace in the region and being seen as the guy who brokered said peace.  Or at least a cease-fire that is actually a cease-fire.  And to do it in Sochi, in the Caucasus, would make it that much sweeter.  Medvedev is hoping for this headline: 

Russian President Brokers Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh, Part of the World Nobody Has Ever Heard of Safe for Democracy

What he's more likely to get:

Sochi, Russia Last Place Armenian/Azeri Leaders Seen Alive, as Region Plunges into Chaos

Now I know which one the IOC is banking on.  The question is, where's the smart money?

Odds and Ends for Thursday, March 2

News has kind of been spread out over the last few days, so I thought I'd just hit you with some quick bullet points for today.  Sochi has been all over the news the last few days, but not specifically for the Olympics.  At any rate, it is an indication that Russia is ready for Sochi to grow in international name recognition by hosting key meetings there, etc.  If nothing else, I'm sure they'd be thrilled to have a world leader not named Lukashenko swing through.  Just a thought. 

Also, I need to make this a regular feature (maybe on Fridays) and give it a jazzy name.  Any ideas?  At any rate:

• The Moscow Times has an English-language translation of a rather thoughtful and reasonable article from Kavkazsky Uzel (Caucasian Knot).  In how the high-profile Sochi Games have turned the Circassian genocide from a local into an international issue.  Good reading.
• Globalpost.com reports that Russia has been "scandalized" by the results of the Olympic Mascots voting.  Yes, scandalized.  By voting for a cartoon leopard.
• RIA-Novosti reports that Russia has offered up Sochi to host the next meeting of the NATO-Russia Council.  Well, at least the weather would be nice.
• State-run ITAR-TASS reports that Sochi will also be hosting Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev and Armenian President Serge Sargsyan to discuss a host of issues, particularly the trouble in Nagorno-Karahabkh.  "Moscow shows patience and restraint, when acting as an intermediary in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is sure that this stand will bring positive results," says an unidentified staffer in the Kremlin.  If only these beady-eyed Caucasians would approach regional security with the same tact as the Russians, we'd have kicked this thing years ago.  Or kicked everybody out, anway.
• And we'll conclude with good ol' fashioned Georgia bashing, courtesy Voice of Russia.  Nice to see a "news source" openly mock a foreign head of state.  Thanks for reading...