Those among our human rights activists, who were disappointed that Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice failed to meet with many NGO activists recently in Moscow, will be heartened by a strong message just issued by the State Department's top Russian expert.

An article by Thom Shanker in today's New York Times begins:

WASHINGTON, May 31 — A top Russia expert at the State Department issued an unusually sharp public criticism on Thursday of Moscow’s behavior under President Vladimir V. Putin, describing the Kremlin as bullying its neighbors while silencing political opponents and suppressing individual rights at home.

Read more for the full article...

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Today's "Washington Post" ran a letter to the editor I sent in regarding the Russian government's crackdown on foreign NGOs. I argue in the letter that "The Kremlin's real goal is probably not to expel foreign human rights groups, a step that would irreparably tarnish Russia's international image, but to intimidate them into self-censorship."

I did not pick the title the Post placed over the letter, which is a little misleading. The Kremlin's crackdown in subtle, not "soft", which is not the same thing (you wouldn't want to buy "subtle toilet paper" or be accused of having a "soft mind", right?).

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The Washington Post reports that yesterday Russia forced 90 foreign grassroots human rights and other nongovernmental organizations to cease all activity until they meet cumbersome corporate registration requirements.

Is this but the first shoe to drop?

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