Ti ch'ih halop budesh? That's how i feel more and more. There is this pressure to side with one political group or another and i don't like it. Like i am expected to stand fully by the agenda of 1 group and 1 group alone. I feel i want to 'vote against all candidates'.

In NY an influencial media person asked me in whose interests it might be to giving Yulia Latynina, a radically anti-Putin journalist, as much press as possible. This request for my friend's participation in the Latynina campaign was coming from Mr Goldfarb, Berezovsky's right hand man. They are trying to make her into new Anna Politkovskaya. She is demonstrating amazing loyalty to those people. She is also making an attempt to become the next Nord Ost guru but that will never happen as Tatyana Karpova and Nord Ost non-government organisation are about to take her to court over her first and most likely last Nord Ost article in Novaya Gazeta. Also, the position is taken.

So Oleg Gordievsky, former KGB colonel, was awarded a medal by the Queen for his work for British secret services. To me this means that the British government is consciously taking the confrontation with the Russians to another level. Within months we went from Russians awarding medals to British naval officers for saving the Russian submarine crew in 2005 and Brits giving medals to the Russian secret services guys for their help after the 2005 London bombings to this. I foresee possible arrests of the 'Russian spies' on British territory and the relationship deteriorating even further. Sadly.

I am planning a trip to Chechnya possibly with my guys from Russia today and Al Jazeera. I am thinking of the angle and what the focus should be. I reaaly want to concentrate on how young people feel and what they think about the future of their land and their own. I'd love to talk to Ramzan too.

I've been thinking about politics rather too much recently and i do have moments when i want to get out. But...i still have a lot to say and, more importantly apply myself in a practical way. And Nord Ost, especially the people, is not something you take up when you feel like it. It's for life.

Chechenskoe Obshestvo

I was at the Frontline last nigth for Q and A session with Timur Aliev chief editor of the most liberal publication in Chechnya Chechen Society. I asked him a question which he kindly answered, and when it was all done came up to him. I said 'thank you' and he goes 'Thank you, for the play'. 'You know me?' He said 'Of course, you were on the front page of our paper'. A lovely man, very smart and brave. Answering my question one of the very interesting things he said was that young people in Chechnya actually genuinely look up to Ramzan Kadyrov and the claims by the rebels that young Chechens are joining their side in their hundreds is not true.

load of bull

As long as people believe that ‘FSB blowing up Russia’ is banned in Russia when in reality it’s on sale in every book store, and Novaya Gazeta is somehow seized before it arrives on news stands when in fact it’s widely available, the rift between Russia and the West will grow.

Anna’s last book published only in Russian just went on sale in Russia and is already sold out.

In view of the recent US-Russia related events and the forthcoming showdown at the G8 i suggest everyone watches Dr.Strangelove just to reenforce for themselves how pathetic this whole arms race idea is. I saw it again a couple of days ago as i am writing my own political farse.

shame really

Я не правозащитник, и не левозащитник. Я не вижу ничего за что стоит бороться всеми возможными силами. Перестала видеть.

if you weren't gone...

I'm sure if Anna was alive she'd write about this new Malik/Ramzan alliance. But she can't because they killed her. There is every reason to think Malik was involved, for the same reasons he was involved in Nord Ost. And Ramzan, he didn't help plot it but very much gave his approval once it happened. As one of those people told me 'she is where she should be'.

case closed...

It looks like Nord Ost case is going to be closed. This means it's pretty much over. This made big news in Russia. The reason given is very strange. The case is going to be closed because the terrorists are dead or in hiding, It is stated officially! that there were 52 hostage takers and 40 of them were killed. This is the first time they admit that a number of them escaped. They just want the case closed. I spoke to Tatayna, the president of non-government organisation Nord Ost, and they will appeal and she remains positive. But i feel this is it. It's sad, as their lives will now be just sorrow and there will be no more purpose, no mission. Just feeling of grief and injustice.