Stop NATO news: November 20, 2011
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Obama Doctrine, Expanding NATO Zone And Potential Opposition
American Elites Mulling How To “Take China Down”
U.S., NATO Repeat Of Libyan Model In Iran, Syria Not So Simple: Chinese Analyst
Over 3,000 Afghans Protest Against Long-Term U.S. Military Presence
Ethiopian Troops Invade Somalia
Syria: Western Military Attack Will Destabilize Entire Middle East
Kazakhstan Warns Against Repeating NATO Libyan War In Syria
Turkish Activists Protest NATO Missile System
United Arab Emirates To Be Provided First Advanced Missile Interceptors Outside U.S.
Georgia: U.S. To Install New Radar Systems, Upgrade Navy
Germany: NATO Holds Tenth Baltic Aerial Warfare Training Events
Saakashvili Erects Monument To Reagan In Georgian Capital
BRICs Set To Overcome U.S.: Goldman Sachs Chairman
Tolstoy Commemorated On 101st Anniversary Of His Death
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Obama Doctrine, Expanding NATO Zone And Potential Opposition
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-263355-the-obama-doctrine-nato-and-turkey.html
Today’s Zaman
November 20, 2011
The Obama Doctrine, NATO and Turkey
Gokhan Bacik
-It would not be wrong to describe the huge area from Spain to eastern Turkey, including North Africa, as the “NATO zone.” NATO is the most important rule-maker in this large geographical area. This colossal and still-expanding zone transforms the traditional diplomacy and strategy of the West. The present-day NATO reminds us that, as in the early ’50s, NATO is working to consolidate its zones of influence.
-However, there is one important question here: Where is the anti-NATO zone being formed? Soon, states like China, insecure about what is happening in the Middle East, will react. This reaction will determine the new politico-tectonics of global politics.
The US has spent more than $4 trillion on the Iraqi War. It is argued that more than 4,000 American soldiers have been killed. The number of civilian deaths is not less than 250,000. In other words, US foreign policy under the Bush Doctrine was a kind of disaster. It was very costly, and bloody. Worse, it ruined US prestige in the Muslim world. Yet, the usual pace of US foreign policy was also very slow, so much so that it tended to take decades for it to realize anything.
But things are different today. In sharp contrast, the former regimes and rulers of Libya, Tunisia and Egypt were ousted in less than eight months. I am not saying that the US was behind the Arab Spring, but the US successfully oriented it to move in line with US interests. US-educated academic Abdurrahim El-Keib was appointed the new Libyan prime minister. Prominent Ennahda figures have been talking positively of the US. Since President Harry Truman, with the mild exception of Bill Clinton’s time, it is only now that the US has acquired the capacity to generate some level of soft power in the Middle East. Consequently, the US is now forming effective coalitions with states such as Turkey and France on the matter of the Arab Spring, as well as with the various factions of the opposition, including Islamists and seculars. All such developments make it possible to talk about a new doctrine prevailing in US foreign policy: the Obama Doctrine.
One can identify certain characteristics of the Obama Doctrine, such as (1) the prioritizing of the domestic opposition: Unlike in the past, foreign intervention is no longer the “agent” of regime change. Instead, that agent is now support for the domestic opposition. This support, we are all sure, includes military issues as well. (2) Rapid contact with the opposition: This contact quickly ends up as official recognition of the opposition as the new-regime. (3) There is room for Islamist groups: Some effort is made to persuade them that they will not be excluded. (4) Keeping the Israeli profile lower: Israel is still very influential, but it is no secret that Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu hate each other. The Obama Doctrine does not constitute a serious deviation from the traditional American-Jewish alliance. However, it certainly requires Israel to maintain a low profile while Arab politics heat up. (5) Using Arab politics to exclude or isolate Russia, China and Iran in the Middle East: The shadow agenda of excluding these states coincides with all major issues on the US agenda regarding Arab politics. (6) The return of NATO as an influential instrument.
The NATO issue deserves more attention. It would not be wrong to describe the huge area from Spain to eastern Turkey, including North Africa, as the “NATO zone.” NATO is the most important rule-maker in this large geographical area. This colossal and still-expanding zone transforms the traditional diplomacy and strategy of the West. The present-day NATO reminds us that, as in the early ’50s, NATO is working to consolidate its zones of influence. This rise of NATO is somehow about the failure of the EU in global politics. For instance, convinced of this failure, Turkey has upgraded its relations with the US and NATO. It is not surprising to see that, during the Arab Spring, the US and Turkey became close allies once again.
However, there is one important question here: Where is the anti-NATO zone being formed? Soon, states like China, insecure about what is happening in the Middle East, will react. This reaction will determine the new politico-tectonics of global politics.
Although everything has gone almost well between Turkey and the US during the Arab Spring, Turkey may yet surprise the US when it comes to relations with the anti-NATO zone, notably with China. True, Turkey is historically part of the Western system. But it has also been the historic “zone broker” state. Thus, Turkey has been both part of one zone, and the contact broker for it and the other zone. Turkish foreign policy jargon – full of binaries such as “dialogue between East and West,” “Islam and the West,” “Iran and the West” – should be read as the language of a zone-brokering state.
Consistent with this, Turkey will seek to be the zone broker in the upcoming competition between NATO (mainly the US) and China, in order to profit from that competition.
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American Elites Mulling How To “Take China Down”
http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/ID/684720/US-elites-mulling-how-to-take-China-down.aspx
Global Times
November 19, 2011
US elites mulling how to ‘take China down’
China-bashing is nothing new in the ongoing race for the Republican presidential candidacy. Former Utah governor and US ambassador to China Jon Huntsman has decided to blaze a trail to attract public attention, unintentionally giving away a secret among US politicians.
China has 500 million Web users and 80 million bloggers, who “are bringing about change, the likes of which is going to take China down,” said the candidate in a CBS debate with candidate Mitt Romney. “We should be reaching out to our allies and constituencies within China.”
By “taking China down,” Huntsman described a rosy picture to the electorate: “We have an opportunity to go up and win back our economic manufacturing muscle. That’s all I want to do as president.”
Even taking into account the complexity of the context of the comment, “taking China down” should not be simply seen as a slip of tongue. It perhaps reflects the real thinking of many US political elites.
The Internet era has brought some change to China, and has led to all kinds of interpretations. Some people in China have made public their willingness to cooperate with anti-China forces in the West and do not even bother to conceal such intentions. Huntsman’s words show that some Western politicians have openly joined forces with them.
Chinese society has to make a decision when confronted with such encouragement to take down China from the outside.
If Huntsman’s wish to “take China down” continues to be integrated into US national policy and becomes a collective belief for Americans, and if they think the US will only fare well at the expense of China, the 21st century will hardly be a peaceful century – another Cold War may be the best we can expect.
The collapse of the Soviet Union was considered to have contributed to the prosperity of the US and its global hegemony. Now, Huntsman is encouraging Americans to bring about the disintegration and collapse of China’s current political system. He doesn’t care how risky it is for the US to do so or whether China will slide into chaos. What he wants is very simple: reinvigoration of the US and its economic manufacturing muscle.
Huntsman’s way of thinking gives us a clearer picture of the political wisdom and morality of the US presidential candidates. World peace and prosperity have no place on their agenda.
Perhaps Huntsman’s words can also serve as a blessing in disguise for the Chinese people. They let us know that some hostility from the outside cannot be dissolved by our good will. We must develop our own strength to break their wild ambition of “taking China down.”
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U.S., NATO Repeat Of Libyan Model In Iran, Syria Not So Simple: Chinese Analyst
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90780/7649601.html
China Military Online
November 18, 2011
Use of force in Iran, Syria not so simple
By Gao Jiquan
Edited and translated by People’s Daily Online
Beijing: Following the killing of Muammar Qaddafi, Western powers appear to be moving to tighten the rope around Syria and Iran. Signs evidently point to an impending attack against Syria and Iran.
Sun Lixin, an expert on the Middle East and vice director of the Research Center for Developing Countries under the China Institute of International Studies, said in an interview with People’s Daily that the use of force is not such a simple proposition, is not as easy, as it seems.
Difficult to copy ‘Libya pattern’
Reporter: Western countries are applying more and more pressure on Syria, and some have even forecasted that Syria would become the “second Libya.” What is your view?
Sun: It is difficult for the West to copy the “Libya pattern” when it comes to Syria.
Reporter: Why is it difficult?
Sun: For instance, prior to the use of force against Libya, the United States and other Western countries prompted the United Nations to pass U.N. Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973, which directly caused NATO to use force against Libya.
When the West attempted to use force against Syria through the United Nations, China and Russia voted against the proposal, which has at least made a repeat of the “Libya pattern” through normal procedures impossible.
Reporter: What are the differences between the regimes of Syria and Libya?
Sun: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad still enjoys considerable public support, so his regime remains relatively stable. By contrast, Muammar Gaddafi had lost international and domestic support before the Libyan civil war started. A case in point is the Arab League’s strong support for U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973.
In addition, Syria’s social structure is different from that of Libya. Libya is a tribal society, while Syria’s ruling Baath Party has a more solid social foundation for governing the country
Reporter: Will war break out in Syria and Iran?
Sun: I do not think Western countries will launch a war against Syria. First, Western countries put up a good front during the Libyan civil war. They appeared quite united but were actually riddled with insurmountable internal contradictions.
Second, Syria and Iran are much more powerful than Libya — not to mention their greater influence in the Middle East. After the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a damning report on Iran’s nuclear program, the United States took a tougher stance on Iran-related affairs, and senior officials including Hillary Clinton warned of a possible strike against the country. However, a war against Iran remains unlikely in the short term.
Reporter: It seems that the United States has been sharpening its knife to take military action against Iran since the International Atomic Energy Agency published the latest report on Iran’s nuclear issue. What is your opinion on this tense situation?
Sun: The situation has a background. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has fallen from power, which was a welcome sight for many Iranians because Mubarak was a pro-U.S. president and many Iranians feel that Iran has become freer in the Middle East after his downfall.
A short time ago, Iranian warships went through the Suez Canal for the first time in 32 years, and Iran is carrying out nuclear research in a high-profile way. Currently, the Middle East is turbulent, and the United States does not want Iran to benefit but wants to pressure and warn it. The point of penetration chosen by the United States is the nuclear issue.
Reporter: Can we say that the United States is currently aimed at warning Iran by pressuring it, but not overthrowing the Iranian government?
Sun: The United States’ main purpose is still to warn Iran, because it is still unable to overthrow the Iranian government. Of course, it wants to overthrow it because it hates it very much. The Islamic Revolution of 1979 changed Iran from an ally into an enemy to the United States. At that time, 52 U.S. diplomats were detained as hostages for 444 days, directly ruining the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Reporter: The current chaotic situation in the Middle East makes many people believe that it will not be a question of whether or not the West will take military action, but a question of which the West will attack first: Syria or Iran.
Sun: I believe it is very hard for the West to take military action against Iran, especially at the current moment. Since the presidential election of United States will soon start in 2012, it is almost impossible for the United States to do it now. If the United States indeed takes the action now and the results are not ideal, the election will be ruined. Currently, there are a lot of economic and election issues on Obama’s schedule, and taking military action against Iran is a not thing that Obama will do as a priority.
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Over 3,000 Afghans Protest Against Long-Term U.S. Military Presence
http://en.rian.ru/world/20111120/168864182.html
Russian Information Agency Novosti
November 20, 2011
Some 3,000 Afghans protest against long-term U.S. deal
KABUL: Over three thousand people, mostly students, protested on Sunday in eastern Afghanistan against a deal that would allow a long-term presence of U.S. troops in the country.
A gathering of some 2,000 tribal elders known as a loya jirga approved the idea of such a long-term partnership deal at a conference that ended on Saturday.
The demonstrators gathered near the capital of the eastern province of Nangarhar and shouted “Death to America! Death to the Government of Hamid Karzai!” to protest against any partnership with the United States allowing for the stay of U.S. troops in the country.
All international combat troops are expected to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, with security to be passed to the Afghan police and army. However, the proposed security agreement envisages the keeping of U.S. troops in the country past this deadline.
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Ethiopian Troops Invade Somalia
http://en.rian.ru/world/20111120/168853714.html
Russian Information Agency Novosti
November 20, 2011
Ethiopian troops cross into Somalia – media
Several hundred Ethiopian troops with military vehicles have crossed into Somalia’s southern and central part, news networks reported citing local elders.
BBC quoted eyewitnesses as saying there were at least 20 vehicles carrying Ethiopian troops.
The Ethiopian authorities dismissed the reports.
Ethiopian soldiers withdrew from Somalia in 2009 after a three-year presence.
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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-11/20/c_131257715.htm
Xinhua News Agency
November 20, 2011
Ethiopian troops amass at common border with Somalia
MOGADISHU: Hundreds of Ethiopian troops have gathered along the common frontier with Somalia…
Residents in the central Somali town of Beledweyne in Hiran province along the border with Ethiopia said that there has been a visible increase in the Ethiopian troops at the border and that rebel fighters in the towns near the border are getting ready for a possible incursion.
“We still don’t have troops over the border yet but many trucks full of troops arrived at the border and the fighters here are preparing for any eventuality,” Daahir Adde, an elder in Beledweyne told Xinhua by phone.
Reporters from other areas in the central Somalia provinces said that troops from Somalia’s neighbor Ethiopia were seen along the common frontiers of the two countries and that rebel fighters’ battle wagons were seen heading towards the frontier.
This news comes as joint military operations are being undertaken by Kenyan and Somali troops against rebel militants in the southern provinces…
Ethiopian troops withdrew from Somalia in 2009 after two years of presence during which they fought with an insurgency led by the radical Islamist group of Al-Shabaab.
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The Al-Shabaab fighters currently control much of the south and center of the wear ravaged horn of African nation while the internationally-recognized Somali government runs only the capital and a few parts of the south of the country.
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Syria: Western Military Attack Will Destabilize Entire Middle East
http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=159908
Azeri Press Agency
November 20, 2011
Assad: Syria war will destabilize all ME
Baku: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has warned against any foreign attack against his country, saying military action will cause instability in the whole Middle East, APA reports quoting Press TV.
Speaking to Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper, Assad said the Arab League’s intervention could provide a pretext for a Western military action, warning that a war against Syria would create an “earthquake” across the region, AFP reported on Saturday.
“If they are logical, rational and realistic, they shouldn’t do it because the repercussions are very dire. Military intervention will destabilize the region as a whole, and all countries will be affected,” he said.
The Syrian president referred to the mounting foreign pressure on his government, but vowed that his country “will not bow down and that it will continue to resist the pressure being imposed on it.”
The remarks come in response to a decision by the Arab League which set a deadline of Saturday for Syria to comply with its peace plan, threatening to impose sanctions if Damascus failed to end the months-long unrest in the country.
The Arab bloc, which had earlier suspended Syria’s membership over the unrest, called on the Syrian government to allow in teams of observers to help establish calm in the country, a move Damascus has described as “illegitimate and dangerous.”
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Damascus also says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country and that security forces have been given clear instructions not to harm civilians.
In addition, Syrian state TV has broadcast reports showing seized weapons caches and confessions by terrorist elements describing how they obtained arms from foreign sources.
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Kazakhstan Warns Against Repeating NATO Libyan War In Syria
http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/11/20/382563.htm
Syrian Arab News Agency
November 20, 2011
Kazakh President Warns against Repeating Libyan Scenario in Syria
MOSCOW: Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed rejection of any foreign intervention in Syria and the repetition of the Libyan scenario in the country.
In statements to the Russian press in Moscow on Saturday, President Nazarbayev said that there was a complete interference in Libya’s internal affairs, and this can’t be repeated against any other independent country such as Syria.
He considered that the UN took a decision on monitoring what was taking place in Libya, yet the decision degenerated into air strikes and falsifying the resolution of the UN Security Council and violating what it stipulated.
He indicated that the global financial crisis intensified the existing contradictions, indicating that the living standards in Europe and North Africa are deteriorating due to current events.
He asserted that the main issue today is to guarantee social justice and to better living standards.
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Turkish Activists Protest NATO Missile System
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/211032.html
Press TV
November 19, 2011
Turkish activists protest NATO missile system
Turkish activists in the city of Malatya in eastern Turkey have staged a protest rally to voice their opposition to Turkish government’s decision to establish a NATO radar base in Malatya province.
The protesters said they don’t want their country to host a system that would protect Israel and the US. The activists also called on NATO to leave their country. This is not the first time that Turkish people have opposed the establishment of the NATO missile system.
The planned radar base has provoked concerns in Turkey and also in some other countries in the region, including in Iran, that it could destabilize the region.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of Iran’s Parliament Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, during his Ankara visit, said Iranian lawmakers see the NATO missile system as a negative development. Boroujerdi, however, stated that Iran is still determined to upgrade its friendly relations with Turkey.
The Turkish government had been pursuing a policy of zero-tension towards the country’s neighbors, but experts say the missile system could create tensions between Turkey and some of its neighbors.
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It seems that Turkey’s agreement to host the NATO radar base has opened up a complicated chapter in relations between Iran and Turkey…
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United Arab Emirates To Be Provided First Advanced Missile Interceptors Outside U.S.
http://gulfnews.com/business/general/uae-continues-talks-on-advanced-missile-defence-1.933693
Gulf News
November 20, 2011
UAE continues talks on advanced missile defence
Lockheed expects more Mideast contracts
By Iman Sherif
-”The governments of the United States and the UAE are having discussions about Theatre High Altitude Area Defence [THAAD] systems making the UAE the first customer for this system outside the United States. We look forward to providing this unique technology to the UAE.” The programme is initially valued at about $7 billion (Dh25.69 billion).
-The UAE’s military expenditure was about $15 billion in 2010, making the UAE second in the GCC after Saudi Arabia (Dh139 billion), and 18th worldwide.
In comparison, the military expenditure of the US in 2010 was about $700 billion.
Abu Dhabi: The UAE is likely to become the first country outside the US to have an advanced ballistic missiles defence system developed by US weapons giant Lockheed Martin, a senior executive of the company has said.
Gulf News had a candid discussion with the Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin’s Middle East division, Willy Moore, during the Dubai Airshow, which was attended by a large contingent of the company’s executives.
“Lockheed Martin looks at the Middle East as an important region. Approximately 30 per cent of our international sales come from the Middle East, and we expect that we will continue to have a strong presence here in the years to come,” Moore said.
The UAE Airforce operates about 80 F-16 fighter planes made by Lockheed Martin.
“We were so pleased to see UAE pilots flying demonstration flights in Lockheed Martin F-16s at the Dubai Airshow. They are the result of over a decade of engagement in the UAE from the signing of the initial contract to the delivery of the aircraft and up to today,” said Moore.
Regional programmes
Several regional programmes are in development in which Lockheed will be a major contractor.
“The governments of the United States and the UAE are having discussions about Theatre High Altitude Area Defence [THAAD] systems making the UAE the first customer for this system outside the United States. We look forward to providing this unique technology to the UAE,” added Moore. The programme is initially valued at about $7 billion (Dh25.69 billion).
Lockheed Martin’s regional headquarters is in Abu Dhabi…
Security environment
Lockheed Martin is a 30 per cent shareholder in a local joint venture for aircraft maintenance and support.
The company, Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Centre (Ammroc) is owned by Mubadala Aerospace, Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky to provide maintenance services for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft of the UAE Armed Forces.
The nations of the region are constantly adapting to the changing global security environment.
The UAE’s military expenditure was about $15 billion in 2010, making the UAE second in the GCC after Saudi Arabia (Dh139 billion), and 18th worldwide.
In comparison, the military expenditure of the US in 2010 was about $700 billion.
“Many nations see the need to enhance their capabilities in a number of areas, including tactical aircraft and integrated air and missile defence.
…
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Georgia: U.S. To Install New Radar Systems, Upgrade Navy
http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=159868
Azeri Press Agency
November 19, 2011
US to help Georgia install new radar systems
Rashad Suleymanov
Baku: The US will help Georgia install new radar systems, Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said at the press conference after a meeting with US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, APA reports.
The minister said the sides discussed the issues of the coast guard and security. Vano Merabishvili said modern radar systems will be installed in Georgia with the help of the US. It will allow Tbilisi to fully control the country’s air space.
“Our Navy needs support,” he said.
Mabus said Washington will continue to support Georgia. The US will help Georgia with security issues, including the renewal of the infrastructure of the Navy.
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Germany: NATO Holds Tenth Baltic Aerial Warfare Training Events
http://baltic-review.com/2011/11/nato%E2%80%99s-allied-air-command-ramstein-germany-will-hold-the-10th-baltic-region-air-training-event/
Baltic Review
November 19, 2011
NATO’s Allied Air Command Ramstein (Germany) will hold the 10th Baltic Region Air Training Event
On November 21 and 22 NATO’s Allied Air Command Ramstein (Germany) will hold the 10th Baltic Region Air Training Event (BRTE X). The event will demonstrate NATO commitments to international security, solidarity between the allies and confidence.
“It is our pleasure to receive NATO partners in Lithuania for a joint exercise in the Baltic skies for the tenth time. We work together to have a shared security. BRTE is an excellent opportunity to display solidarity between NATO and the Baltic States,” Commander Lithuanian Air Force Brig Gen Edvardas Mažeikis said.
BRTE X will focus on the interoperability of regional capabilities. Real and simulated situations will be used to train both deployable and static NATO air command and control centers.
The event will involve two of the four Danish fighters conducting the Baltic Air-policing mission, L-39 light assault aircraft and Mi-8 helicopter of the Lithuanian Air Force, two US F-15 fighters, three Poland’s Mig-29 fighters, and US Air Force’s KC-135 aerial refueling military aircraft. Air operations will be controlled from the Baltic Joint Command and Reporting Centre in Karmėlava, Joint Air Operations Centre in Uedem (Germany), and Air Operations & Control Station Nieuw Milligen (Netherlands) which will be deployed for the training event.
Aircraft will take part in an aerial warfare situations, simulate mid-air loss of communication and interception, and emergency landing in the Vilnius International Airport. BRTE X will also involve imitational weapons jettisoning and ejection tasks over the Rukla Training Area, and aerial refueling is also foreseen.
Headquarters Allied Air Command Ramstein (HQ AC Ramstein, Germany) plans and conducts air training events to improve command and control of NATO’s airspace surveillance and control, air policing, and other air capabilities deployed in the Baltic region. With the program, NATO aims at improving interoperability and integration of the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian Air Forces in line with valid NATO standards as well as demonstrating the solidarity of the allies with the Baltic States. Introduced in 2008 as a series of training for air-policing over the Baltics, BRTEs have grown into wide-range air exercises that train for various aspects of air operations. The training events are coordinated with respective civilian institutions and departments. Participants of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program are also invited to train in BRTEs.
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Saakashvili Erects Monument To Reagan In Georgian Capital
http://en.trend.az/regions/scaucasus/georgia/1959366.html
Trend News Agency
November 20, 2011
Monument to 40th U.S. president to be erected in Tbilisi
N. Kirtskhalia
Photograph from Rustavi 2
Tbilisi: A monument to the 40th U.S. president Ronald Reagan will be erected in the Park Rica in Tbilisi on Sunday. The monument was created in the original style, the Tbilisi City Hall told Trend.
A bronze Reagan sits on the bench. Anyone can also sit and take pictures with the sculpture.
A quotation from Ronald Reagan’s speech – “Each generation must take care to preserve freedom” – was engraved on the monument in Georgian and English.
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BRICs Set To Overcome U.S.: Goldman Sachs Chairman
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/11/20/60719979.html
Itar-Tass
November 20, 2011
BRIC set to overtake US
According to a report by the chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Jim O’Neil, the combined GDP of the BRIC members Brazil, Russia, India and China is set to top that of the United States before the end of this decade.
In his report, Dr. O’Neill also supports proposals to give the BRIC group a bigger say in world economic bodies and to invite Russia to join what is now the Financial G-7.
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Tolstoy Commemorated On 101st Anniversary Of His Death
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/11/20/60718246.html
Interfax
November 20, 2011
Tolstoy remembered on death anniversary
Tolstoy: Two Wars and Carthago Delenda Est
Events in the family estate of Leo Tolstoy have marked 101 years since the death of the Russian philosopher and novelist.
The place is called Yasnaya Polyana. Tolstoy spent 50 years there, working on novels including War and Peace and Anna Karenina.
He died at 82 at a small railway station after catching pneumonia.
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