Yukos to blight Putin's Rome trip

[emad]

From CNN:
<snip>

ROME, Italy -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a state visit to Italy but his meetings with European Union officials could be dogged by concerns about the Yukos crisis. Putin flew into Rome on Tuesday night to have dinner with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, although the official visit did not start until Wednesday. The two men, who are meeting for the sixth time this year, reportedly watched Berlusconi's soccer team AC Milan win a European Champions League match on television. After a day of meetings with Italian leaders, Putin plans to meet ailing Pope John Paul II.
<snip>

His meeting with Berlusconi, whose country currently holds the rotating EU Presidency, should yield a number of deals, including a possible gas sector accord between Russia's Gasprom and Italy's largest utility Enel. Berlusconi considers Putin a friend and has supported Russia's efforts to join the World Trade Organization. He has even suggested Russia could become part of a "Big Europe" along with Israel and Turkey.

Later Wednesday, Putin will cross the river Tiber to meet the pope at a time when the Russian Orthodox and Catholic churches are attempting to mend post-Communist ties. But Putin is unlikely to secure a visit by the 83-year pontiff to Russia -- one of the only major states the pope has not visited.
<snip>

More:
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/11/05/italy.putin/index.html

CNN has omitted to mention that the Russian Orthodox Church has repeatedly vetoed JP2 from making visits to Russia, claiming that this would incite 'poaching on their terriorty' and citing ailing Catholic coffers in Eastern Europe as the real motive behind papal attempts to 'pilgrimise' the area.

Nothing like a turf war to bring out the bottom line...

[mbperrin]

1. Sure are lots of folks worried about

how big business crooks are handled, aren't there?

"Arrested at the point of a gun." Charges? Loads of tax evasion, fraud, and forgery. Nah, no big businessman would ever do anything like that, right?

On the other hand, kid steals a $5,000 car, chase him down in high speed pursuit and shoot him if needed! Yeah, priorities!

Loads of crooks in THIS country heading large companies I'd like to see arrested at gun point...

Or how about just arrested? Kenny-boy, is that you????? nah, didn't think so.......

[loudnclear]

2. It's all about propping up "monoplism" it's not about democracy!

The public is being blinded by a very smart PR program which hides the real agendas behind what is going on in the world. The US and Israel are the biggest cabal behind the 'new world' order...the other nations just "think" they are a part of it. I do believe, however, that France, China, Cuba, and Venezuela and most of the Arab nations understand what is going on...other nations are giving up their young and their resources to feed the beast and they think they are buying favors from the US. You'll know who isn't going along with the program by who we put on the "hit list." The beast will use the code words of "dictatorships" "freedom" "communism" "liberation" "free-markets" etc. in ways that will suit the purposes of the beast.

Folks, you have got to start thinking outside the box...I know it is difficult but just know that all things are not as they seem.

[bemildred]

3. This horseshit.

Pooty-poot will ignore them if they are not polite.
He's got the cards, and this PR bullshit they are trotting
out to try and save the Yukos prick will not work.
They keep forgetting that the reach of the Media Whores
does not extend offshore.