FROM HINDUSTAN TIMES:

Recall Moscow envoy for backing chess king, UK Queen urged

Moscow, December 06, 2007

The pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi has appealed to Queen Elizabeth
II to withdraw the British ambassador from Moscow for allegedly
supporting opponents of President Vladimir Putin.

"This would be the same as if we went to America and started giving
money to the Klu Klux Klan," Alexander Gagiyev, a Nashi leader, told
the English-language Moscow Times.

The group, which wants Putin to remain Russia's leader despite a
Constitutional requirement for him to step down next year, has been
picketing the British embassy to protest ambassador Sir Anthony
Brenton's recent attendance at a meeting of The Other Russia, an anti-
Kremlin coalition led by chess champion Garry Kasparov.
Kasparov, who says he will run in presidential polls slated for March
2, spent five days in a Russian jail last week for leading an
"unauthorized rally" against Putin's alleged plans to remain Russia's
leader.

Nashi accuses Brenton of pledging to donate $2-million to The Other
Russia, a claim the British side denies.

In addition to writing to the Queen, Nashi says it is suing Brenton in
a Moscow court on the grounds that he violated the Vienna Convention,
which forbids diplomats from interfering in the internal politics of
host countries.

Nashi, which means "Ours" in Russian, is the Putinista youth movement
established by the Kremlin two years ago to ward off the threat of a
Ukrainian-style orange revolution in Russia.





Chess One wrote:
"SBD" wrote in message
...
On Dec 6, 12:57 pm, zdrakec wrote:

I certainly agree with your points about Kasparov. However, I must
respectfully disagree about the USCF having any involvement. The
function of the USCF is to promote chess in the United States; it has
(in my humble opinion) no business taking any sort of political stand
on non-chess issues.


Agreed. It isn't their mission.

But chessplayers within the USCF or just in general, could form, oh,
what is the name of the physicians' organization against nuclear arms?
Alzheimer's moment.... but such a group could be international.

Medecin sans Frontieres. A local guy in our town won a Nobel for his work
[that's 4 Nobels for our town].

I know a Swedish gal my own age who is an MD. She has been to Africa twice
with this program. Tough to read her personal writing though, since she says
that somewhat more than half of the time she is reduced to nursing [which is
of great need there] and cannot practice her science as a doctor.

Sweden gives more money per capita to programs like this [and in contrast
with USA, more money in absolute amount too] and, while this Scandinavian
country provides a formidable lead in world conscience, I still accept her
50% effectiveness report by virtue of her own experience there. I also
accept that as being the superior opinion in contribution and experience of
its effect.

While I like the spirit of Jerry Spinrad's post, nevertheless it must be
said that unless chess has something to say about democratic process which
it can usefully contribute by virtue of its own demonstrated process, it
should hold its council. USCF is no exemplar of any democratic idea, and
FIDE is a democratic absurdity.

To have read the recent messages here provided by Larry Parr, citing Larry
Evans' new title on the real zeitgeist in chess, is enough to cause any
candid opinion, pause. Yet even in our game, you will note the contentious
denial thrown at what Evan's says.

In this sense Marcus Roberts is right if his intent was to say: We should
make peace in our own house before venturing abroad.

Where, do you think, is there a will to do that?

Phil Innes