As President and then Prime-Minister, apart from the Moscow Kremlin and the White House, Putin has used numerous official residences throughout the country. In August 2012 Nemtsov listed 20 villas and palaces, 9 of which were built during Putin's 12 years in power. This compares to the President of the United States' 2 official residences.[3Dell Studio 1440 BatteryDell Studio 17 Battery58] Some of the residences include: Gorki-9 near Moscow, Bocharov Ruchey in Sochi, Dolgiye Borody in Novgorod Oblast, Novo-Ogaryovo in Moscow Oblast and Riviera in Sochi (the latter two were left for Putin when he was Prime-Minister in 2008-2012, others were used by Dmitry Medvedev at that period).[359] Dell Studio 1440n Battery Furthermore, a massive Italianate-style mansion costing an alleged USD 1 billion[352] and dubbed "Putin's Palace" is under construction near the Black Sea village of Praskoveevka. The mansion, built on government land and sporting 3 helipads, Dell Studio 1440z Battery a private road paid for from state funds and guarded by officials wearing uniforms of the official Kremlin guard service, is said to have been built for Putin's private use. In 2012 Sergei Kolesnikov, a former business associate of Putin's, told the BBC's Newsnight programme, that he had been ordered by deputy prime minister, Igor Sechin, to oversee the building of it.[360] Dell Studio 1450 Battery

Languages

Apart from Russian, Putin speaks fluent German. His family used to speak German at home as well.[361] After becoming President he was reported to be taking English lessons and could be seen conversing directly with Bush and native speakers of English in informal situations, but he continues to use interpreters for formal talks. Dell Studio 1450n Battery Putin spoke English in public for the first time during the state dinner in Buckingham Palace in 2003 saying but a few phrases while delivering his condolences to Queen Elizabeth II on the death of her mother.[362] He made a full fluent English speech while addressing delegates at the 119th International Olympic Committee Session in Guatemala City on behalf of the successful bid of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics.[171] Dell Studio 1457 BatteryReligion

 

 

Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, attending a commemoration service for the victims of the September 11 attacks in St. Nicholas Cathedral, New York, 16 November 2001.

Putin's father was "a model communist, genuinely believing in its ideals while trying to put them into practice in his own life". Dell Studio 1458 Battery

With this dedication he became secretary of the Party cell in his workshop and then after taking night classes joined the factory's Party bureau.[363] Though his father was a "militant atheist",[364] Putin's mother "was a devoted Orthodox believer".Dell Studio 14z BatteryDell Studio 1558R Battery Though she kept no icons at home, she attended church regularly, despite the government's persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church at that time. She ensured that Putin was secretly christened as a baby and she regularly took him to services. His father knew of this but turned a blind eye.[363] Dell Studio 14zn BatteryDell Studio 15 BatteryDell Studio 1557 Battery

According to Putin's own statements, his religious awakening followed the serious car crash of his wife in 1993, and was deepened by a life-threatening fire that burned down their dacha in August 1996.[364] Right before an official visit to Israel his mother gave him his baptismal cross telling him to get it blessed "I did as she said and then put the cross around my neck. I have never taken it off since."[363Dell Studio 1535 Battery] When asked whether he believes in God during his interview with Time, he responded saying: "...There are things I believe, which should not in my position, at least, be shared with the public at large for everybody's consumption because that would look like self-advertising or a political striptease."[365] Dell Studio 1536 BatteryMartial arts

Vladimir Putin

 

Putin on a tatami at the Kodokan Institute in Tokyo on 5 September 2000.

Teacher(s)        Anatoly Rahlin, Hatsuo Royama

Rank         Sambo:

Master of Sports,

     Champion of Leningrad

Judo:

         6th degree black belt,

     Champion of Leningrad

Kyokushin kaikan:

         6th dan black belt

Years active     1966–present

Occupation       President of Russia

One of Putin's favorite sports is the martial art of judo. Putin began training in sambo (a martial art that originated in the Soviet Union) at the age of 14, before switching to judo, which he continues to practice today.[366] Putin won competitions in his hometown of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), including the senior championships of Leningrad in both sambo and judo. He is the President of the Yawara Dojo, Dell Studio 1537 Battery

 the same Saint Petersburg dojo he practiced at when young. Putin co-authored a book on his favorite sport, published in Russian as Judo with Vladimir Putin and in English under the title Judo: History, Theory, Practice (2004).[367] Dell Studio 1555 Battery

 

Though he is not the first world leader to practice judo, Putin is the first leader to move forward into the advanced levels. Currently, Putin holds a 6th dan (red/white belt)[36Dell XPS M1530 Battery8] and is best known for his Harai Goshi (sweeping hip throw). Putin earned Master of Sports (Soviet and Russian sport title) in judo in 1975 and in sambo in 1973. At a state visit to Japan, Putin was invited to the Kodokan Institute, the judo headquarters, where he showed different judo techniques to the students and Japanese officials. Dell XPS M1730 BatteryPutin also holds a 6th dan black belt in Kyokushin kaikan karate. He was presented the black belt in December 2009 by Japanese champion Kyokushin Karate-Do master Hatsuo Royama.[369]

In 2013, Putin re-introduced the GTO physical fitness program to Russia[370] with the support of Steven Seagal.[3Dell XPS M2010 Battery

 

 

Barack Hussein Obama II (i/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States, the first African American to hold the office. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. Sony SVS13AA11L Battery
 

He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.
Sony PCG-41414L BatteryHe served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004, running unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives in 2000.
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In 2004, Obama received national attention during his campaign to represent Illinois in the United States Senate with his victory in the March Democratic Party primary, his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July, and his election to the Senate in November. He began his presidential campaign in 2007, Sony SVS131A11L Battery

Sony PCG-41412L Batteryand in 2008, after a close primary campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won sufficient delegates in the Democratic Party primaries to receive the presidential nomination. Sony PCG-41218L Battery
Sony PCG-41411L BatteryHe then defeated Republican nominee John McCain in the general election, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He was re-elected president in November 2012,
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 defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney, and was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2013.

Early in his first term in office, Obama signed into law economic stimulus legislation in response to the Great Recession in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, Sony SVS131B11L Battery
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Sony PCG-41216L Batteryand Job Creation Act of 2010. Other major domestic initiatives in his presidency include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as "Obamacare"; the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010; Sony SVS151A11L Battery
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the Budget Control Act of 2011; and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. In May 2012, he became the first sitting U.S. president to publicly support same-sex marriage and in 2013 his administration filed briefs which urged the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 and California's Proposition 8 as unconstitutional. In foreign policy, Sony SVS151B11L Battery

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Obama ended U.S. military involvement in the Iraq War, increased troop levels in Afghanistan, signed the New START arms control treaty with Russia, ordered U.S. military involvement in Libya, and ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Sony SVS151G1GL Battery
 

Main articles: Family of Barack Obama and Early life and career of Barack Obama

Obama was born on August 4, 1961,[1] at Kapiʻolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital (now Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children) in Honolulu, Hawaii,[2][3][4] and is the first President to have been born in Hawaii.[5] Sony PCG-4121DL Battery

Sony PCG-41212L Battery His mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was born in Wichita, Kansas, and was of mostly English ancestry.[6] His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was a Luo from Nyang’oma Kogelo, Kenya. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian class at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where his father was a foreign student on scholarship. Sony PCG-4121EL Battery
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[7][8] The couple married in Wailuku on Maui on February 2, 1961,[9][10] and separated when Obama's mother moved with their newborn son to Seattle, Washington, in late August 1961, to attend the University of Washington for one year. In the meantime, Obama, Sr. completed his undergraduate economics degree in Hawaii in June 1962, Sony PCG-4121GL Battery
Sony PCG-41211L Batterythen left to attend graduate school at Harvard University on a scholarship. Obama's parents divorced in March 1964.[11] Obama Sr. returned to Kenya in 1964 where he remarried; he visited Barack in Hawaii only once, in 1971.[1sony PCG-4R2L battery

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sony PCG-6Z4L battery2] He died in an automobile accident in 1982.[13]

In 1963, Dunham met Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian East–West Center graduate student in geography at the University of Hawaii, and the couple were married on Molokai on March 15, 1965.[14]

 

sony PCG-6Z3L battery After two one-year extensions of his J-1 visa, Lolo returned to Indonesia in 1966, followed sixteen months later by his wife and stepson in 1967, with the family initially living in a Menteng Dalam neighborhood in the Tebet subdistrict of south Jakarta, then from 1970 in a wealthier neighborhood in the Menteng subdistrict of central Jakarta.[ sony PCG-4Q4L battery

 

sony PCG-6Z2L battery15] From ages six to ten, Obama attended local Indonesian-language schools: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School for two years and Besuki Public School for one and a half years, supplemented by English-language Calvert School homeschooling by his mother.[16]

sony PCG-4Q3L battery

 

 

Obama with his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, mother Ann Dunham and grandfather Stanley Dunham, in Honolulu, Hawaii

In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, and with the aid of a scholarship attended Punahou School, a private college preparatory school, from fifth grade until his graduation from high school in 1979.[17] Obama lived with his mother and sister in Hawaii for three years from 1972 to 1975 while his mother was a graduate student in anthropology at the University of Hawaii.[18sony PCG-4Q1L battery

 

sony PCG-6Z1L battery] Obama chose to stay in Hawaii with his grandparents for high school at Punahou when his mother and sister returned to Indonesia in 1975 to begin anthropology field work.[19]

 

sony PCG-6XBL batteryHis mother spent most of the next two decades in Indonesia, divorcing Lolo in 1980 and earning a PhD in 1992, before dying in 1995 in Hawaii following treatment for ovarian cancer and uterine cancer.[20] sony PCG-6X1L battery

 

Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind."[8] He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage.[21

 

sony PCG-6XAL battery] Reflecting later on his years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered—to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect—became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear."[22] Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, sony PCG-6X2L battery

 

sony PCG-6X8L batterymarijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind".[23] Obama was also a member of the "choom gang", a self-named group of friends that spent time together and occasionally smoked marijuana.[24][25] sony PCG-6X6L battery

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Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend Occidental College. In February 1981, he made his first public speech, calling for Occidental to divest from South Africa in response to its policy of apartheid.[26] Sony SVS13AB1GL Battery

Sony PCG-61911L Battery
Sony PCG-61913L Battery In mid-1981, Obama traveled to Indonesia to visit his mother and half-sister Maya, and visited the families of college friends in Pakistan and India for three weeks.[26] Later in 1981, he transferred to Columbia College, Sony SVS131C1DL Battery
Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations[27] and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation,[28] then at the New York Public Interest Research Group.[29][30] Sony SVS131C24L Battery
 

Chicago community organizer and Harvard Law School

Two years after graduating, Obama was hired in Chicago as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Roseland, Sony SVS131E1DL Battery

Sony PCG-61813L BatteryWest Pullman, and Riverdale on Chicago's South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988.[30][31] He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens.[32]
Sony PCG-61714L Battery Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute.[33] In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time.[3Sony SVS131G1DL Battery

Sony PCG-71C12L Battery4][35] He returned to Kenya in 1992 with his fiancée Michelle and his half-sister Auma.[34][36] He returned to Kenya in August 2006 for a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya.[37] Sony SVS151C1GL Battery

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In late 1988, Obama entered Harvard Law School. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year,[ Sony SVS151C2DL Battery

Sony PCG-61A14L Battery38] and president of the journal in his second year.[32][39] During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as an associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990.[4Sony SVS151E1GL Battery
0] After graduating with a J.D. magna cum laude[41] from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago.[38] Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention[32][39] Sony PCG-61A11L Battery
Sony PCG-61A13L Battery and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations,[42] which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father.[42] Sony PCG-71614L Battery

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University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney

In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book.[42][43] Sony PCG-71713L Battery
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He then taught at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years—as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004—teaching constitutional law.[44]

From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration campaign with ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars; Sony PCG-71911L Battery
Sony SVE171E11L Battery it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, leading Crain's Chicago Business to name Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.[45] Sony PCG-71912L Battery

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In 1993, he joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 13-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004. His law license became inactive in 2007.[46][47]
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From 1994 to 2002, Obama served on the boards of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project; and of the Joyce Foundation.[30] Sony PCG-71913L Battery
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Sony SVE151G13L Battery He served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999.[30]

Legislative career: 1997–2008

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State Senator: 1997–2004

Main article: Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama

Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, succeeding State Senator Alice Palmer as Senator from Illinois's 13th District, which at that time spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park – Kenwood south to South Shore and west to Chicago Lawn.[48] Once elected,
Sony SVE151E11L Battery Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation that reformed ethics and health care laws.[49] He sponsored a law that increased tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, Sony PCG-91211L Battery

Sony SVE141L11L Batteryand promoted increased subsidies for childcare.[50] In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures.[51] Sony PCG-91311L Battery
 

Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was reelected again in 2002.[52] In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary race for Illinois's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one.[53] Sony SVE141C11L Battery
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In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority.[54] He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained, Sony PCG-61713L Battery

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and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations.[50][55] During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms.[56] Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.[57] Sony PCG-91111L Battery
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U.S. Senate campaign

Main article: United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004

 

 

County results of the 2004 U.S. Senate race in Illinois. Counties in blue were won by Obama.

In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race; he created a campaign committee, began raising funds, and lined up political media consultant David Axelrod by August 2002. Obama formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.[58] Sony PCG-71312L Battery
 

Obama was an early opponent of the George W. Bush administration's 2003 invasion of Iraq.[59] On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War,[60Sony PCG-71311L Battery

Sony PCG-61315L Battery] Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq War rally,[61] and spoke out against the war.[62] He addressed another anti-war rally in March 2003 and told the crowd that "it's not too late" to stop the war.[63] Sony PCG-71218L Battery

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Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun to not participate in the election resulted in wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates.[6Sony PCG-71217L Battery

Sony PCG-61311L Battery4] In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the national Democratic Party, started speculation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, Dreams from My Father.[65] Sony PCG-71313L Battery

Sony PCG-61215L Battery In July 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention,[66] seen by 9.1 million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party.[67] Sony PCG-71315L Battery

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Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004.[68] Six weeks later, Alan Keyes accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan.[69] In the November 2004 general election, Obama won with 70 percent of the vote.[70] Sony PCG-71316L Battery
 

U.S. Senator: 2005–2008

Main article: United States Senate career of Barack Obama

 

 

Obama in his official portrait as a member of the United States Senate

Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005,[71] becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus.[72] Sony PCG-71317L Battery

Sony PCG-71216L Battery CQ Weekly characterized him as a "loyal Democrat" based on analysis of all Senate votes in 2005–2007. Obama announced on November 13, 2008, that he would resign his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, before the start of the lame-duck session, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.[73] Sony PCG-71318L Battery
 

Legislation

See also: List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate

Obama cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.[74] He introduced two initiatives that bore his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction concept to conventional weapons;[75Sony PCG-71211L Battery
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Sony PCG-71215L Battery] and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.[76] On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama—along with Senators Tom Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain—introduced follow-up legislation: Sony PCG-3B1L Battery
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Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.[77]

Obama sponsored legislation that would have required nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks, but the bill failed to pass in the full Senate after being heavily modified in committee. Sony PCG-3B3L Battery

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Sony PCG-3H3L Battery [78] Regarding tort reform, Obama voted for the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which grants immunity from civil liability to telecommunications companies complicit with NSA warrantless wiretapping operations.[79]

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Obama and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) visit a Russian facility for dismantling mobile missiles (August 2005).[80]

In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.[81] In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.[8Sony PCG-3B4L Battery
2] Obama also introduced Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections,[83] and the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007,[84] neither of which was signed into law. Sony PCG-3C2L Battery
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Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to add safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges.[85] This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008.[86] Sony PCG-3D3L Battery
He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which has not passed committee; and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.[8Sony PCG-3D4L Battery
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7] Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.[88]
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Committees

Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works and Veterans' Affairs through December 2006.[89] In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additionalSony PCG-3F1L Battery

Sony PCG-3B1L Battery assignments with Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.[90] He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs.[91Sony PCG-3F4L Battery] As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He met with Mahmoud Abbas before Abbas became President of the Palestinian National Authority, and gave a speech at the University of Nairobi in which he condemned corruption within the Kenyan government.[92] Sony PCG-3F2L Battery
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Presidential campaigns

 

2008 presidential campaign

Main articles: United States presidential election, 2008, Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008, and Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008

 

 

Obama stands on stage with his wife and daughters just before announcing his presidential candidacy in Springfield, Illinois, February 10, 2007 Sony PCG-9Z1L Battery
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President George W. Bush meets with President-elect Obama in the Oval Office on November 10, 2008

On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.[93][94] The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic because it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858.[93][9Sony PCG-7142L Battery

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5] Obama emphasized issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care,[96] in a campaign that projected themes of "hope" and "change".[97] Sony PCG-7151L Battery
 

A large number of candidates entered the Democratic Party presidential primaries. The field narrowed to a duel between Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton after early contests, with the race remaining close throughout the primary process but with Obama gaining a steady
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On August 23, Obama announced his selection of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate.[10Sony PCG-7153L Battery
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0] Obama selected Biden from a field speculated to include former Indiana Governor and Senator Evan Bayh and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.[101] At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Hillary Clinton called for her supporters to endorse Obama, and she and Bill Clinton gave convention speeches in his support.[102Sony PCG-7161L Battery
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Sony PCG-8131L Battery] Obama delivered his acceptance speech, not at the center where the Democratic National Convention was held, but at Invesco Field at Mile High to a crowd of over 75,000; the speech was viewed by over 38 million people worldwide.[103][104] Sony PCG-7171L Battery

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During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the quantity of small donations.[105] On June 19, 2008, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976.[106] Sony PCG-7172L Battery
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John McCain was nominated as the Republican candidate and the two engaged in three presidential debates in September and October 2008.[107] On November 4, Obama won the presidency with 365 electoral votes to 173 received by McCain.[108] Obama won 52.9% of the popular vote to McCain's 45.7%.[Sony PCG-7174L Battery
109] He became the first African American to be elected president.[110] Obama delivered his victory speech before hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago's Grant Park.[111]

2012 presidential campaign

Main articles: United States presidential election, 2012 and Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012 Sony PCG-7181L Battery

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Following the typical TV news voter map color scheme, the Empire State Building lit blue when CNN projected Obama as the winner of the 2012 election; had Romney won it would have been lit red.[112]

On April 4, 2011, Obama announced his re-election campaign for 2012 in a video titled "It Begins with Us" that he posted on his website and filed election papers with the Federal Election Commission.[113][114Sony PCG-7182L Battery
Sony PCG-7183L Battery][115] As the incumbent president he ran virtually unopposed in the Democratic Party presidential primaries,[116] and on April 3, 2012, Obama had secured the 2778 convention delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination.[117]

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Mitt Romney and President Obama shake hands in the Oval Office on November 29, 2012, following their first meeting since President Obama's re-election.

At the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, former President Bill Clinton formally nominated Obama and Joe Biden as the Democratic Party candidates for president and vice president in the general election, Sony PCG-51412L Battery
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Sony VPCF119HX battery in which their main opponents were Republicans Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, and Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.[118]

On November 6, 2012, Obama won 332 electoral votes, exceeding the 270 required for him to be re-elected as president.[119][120][1Sony PCG-61412L Battery
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Sony VPCF114FX battery21] With 51% of the popular vote, Obama became the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to twice win the majority of the popular vote.[122][123] President Obama addressed supporters and volunteers at Chicago's McCormick Place after his reelection and said: Sony PCG-81112L Battery
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"Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties."[124][125] Sony PCG-81114L Battery
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Presidency

 

Main article: Presidency of Barack Obama

See also: Confirmations of Barack Obama's Cabinet and List of presidential trips made by Barack Obama

First days

 

 

Barack Obama takes the oath of office administered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. at the Capitol, January 20, 2009

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President took place on January 20, 2009. In his first few days in office, Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq.[126] He ordered the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp,[1Sony PCG-81312L Battery

Sony VPCF11PFX battery27] but Congress prevented the closure by refusing to appropriate the required funds[128][129][130] and preventing moving any Guantanamo detainee into the U.S. or to other countries.[131] Sony PCG-81313L Battery
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Obama reduced the secrecy given to presidential records.[132] He also revoked President George W. Bush's restoration of President Ronald Reagan's Mexico City Policy prohibiting federal aid to international family planning organizations that perform or provide counseling about abortion.[133] Sony PCG-81411L Battery
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omestic policy

Main article: Barack Obama social policy

The first bill signed into law by Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, relaxing the statute of limitations for equal-pay lawsuits.[134] Five days later, he signed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover an additional 4 million uninsured children.[135] In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy which had limited funding of embryonic stem cell research and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.[136]

 

 

Obama delivering a speech at joint session of Congress with Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on February 24, 2009

Obama appointed two women to serve on the Supreme Court in the first two years of his Presidency. Sonia Sotomayor, nominated by Obama on May 26, 2009, to replace retiring Associate Justice David Souter, was confirmed on August 6, 2009,[137] becoming the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.[138] Elena Kagan, Sony VPCF11JFX battery
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D nominated by Obama on May 10, 2010, to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, was confirmed on August 5, 2010, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three, for the first time in American history.[139] Sony VPCF11FGX battery
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On September 30, 2009, the Obama administration proposed new regulations on power plants, factories and oil refineries in an attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to curb global warming.[140][141] Sony VPCF11LFX battery
 

On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a measure that expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.[142][143] Sony VPCF11DGX battery

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On March 30, 2010, Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, a reconciliation bill which ends the process of the federal government giving subsidies to private banks to give out federally insured loans, increases the Pell Grant scholarship award, and makes changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[144][145] Sony VPCF117FX battery
 

In a major space policy speech in April 2010, Obama announced a planned change in direction at NASA, the U.S. space agency. He ended plans for a return of human spaceflight to the moon and development of the Ares I rocket, Sony VPCF112FX battery
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Sony VPCF1190X batteryAres V rocket and Constellation program, in favor of funding Earth science projects, a new rocket type, and research and development for an eventual manned mission to Mars, and ongoing missions to the International Space Station.[146]

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Obama meets with the Cabinet, November 23, 2009.

On December 22, 2010, Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, fulfilling a key promise made in the 2008 presidential campaign[147][148] to end the Don't ask, don't tell policy of 1993 that had prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces.[149] Sony VPCF116FX battery
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President Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address focused on themes of education and innovation, stressing the importance of innovation economics to make the United States more competitive globally. Sony VPCF11GGX battery
He spoke of a five-year freeze in domestic spending, eliminating tax breaks for oil companies and reversing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, banning congressional earmarks, and reducing healthcare costs. He promised that the United States would have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015 and would be 80% reliant on "clean" electricity.[150] Sony VPCF11NFX battery
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As a candidate for the Illinois state senate Obama had said in 1996 that he favored legalizing same-sex marriage;[152] but by the time of his run for the U.S. senate in 2004, he said that while he supported civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex partners, for strategic reasons he opposed same-sex marriages.[15Dell XPS 14 Battery

 

3] On May 9, 2012, shortly after the official launch of his campaign for re-election as president, Obama said his views had evolved, and he publicly affirmed his personal support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, Dell XPS 14D Battery

 

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Dell XPS L701X Batterybecoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.[154][155]

During his second inaugural address on January 21, 2013,[125] Obama called for full equality for gay Americans: "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law — for if we are truly created equal, Dell XPS 14D-L401X Battery

then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well." This was a historic moment, being the first time that a president mentioned gay rights or the word "gay" in an inaugural address.[156][1Dell XPS 15 Battery

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Dell XPS L501X Battery57] In 2013 the Obama administration filed briefs which urged the Supreme Court to rule in favor of same-sex couples in the cases of Hollingsworth v. Perry (regarding same-sex marriage)[158] and United States v. Windsor (regarding the Defense of Marriage Act).[159]

 

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Economic policy

Main article: Economic policy of Barack Obama

 

 

Obama presents his first weekly address as President of the United States on January 24, 2009, discussing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

On February 17, 2009, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion economic stimulus package aimed at helping the economy recover from the deepening worldwide recession.[160] Dell XPS 15-L501X Battery

 

Dell XPS 17-L701X BatteryThe act includes increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and incentives, and direct assistance to individuals,[161] which is being distributed over the course of several years. Dell XPS 15-L502X Battery

 

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In March, Obama's Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, took further steps to manage the financial crisis, including introducing the Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, which contains provisions for buying up to two trillion dollars in depreciated real estate assets.[162] Dell XPS 15Z Battery

Dell XPS 17 BatteryObama intervened in the troubled automotive industry[163] in March 2009, renewing loans for General Motors and Chrysler to continue operations while reorganizing. Over the following months the White House set terms for both firms' bankruptcies, including the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat[1Dell Latitude E4300 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6530 Battery64] and a reorganization of GM giving the U.S. government a temporary 60% equity stake in the company, with the Canadian government taking a 12% stake.[165] In June 2009, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, Obama called on his cabinet to accelerate the investment.[166] Dell Latitude E4310 Battery

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Dell Latitude E6520N Battery He signed into law the Car Allowance Rebate System, known colloquially as "Cash for Clunkers", that temporarily boosted the economy.[167][168][169]

Although spending and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department authorized by the Bush and Obama administrations totaled about $11.5 trillion, only $3 trillion had been spent by the end of November 2009.[1Dell Latitude E5420 Battery

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Dell Latitude E6430S XFR Battery70] However, Obama and the Congressional Budget Office predicted that the 2010 budget deficit will be $1.5 trillion or 10.6% of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) compared to the 2009 deficit of $1.4 trillion or 9.9% of GDP.[171][172] For 2011, the administration predicted the deficit will slightly shrink to $1.34 trillion, Dell Latitude E5520 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6430 ATG Battery while the 10-year deficit will increase to $8.53 trillion or 90% of GDP.[173] The most recent increase in the U.S. debt ceiling to $16.4 trillion was signed into law on January 26, 2012.[174] On August 2, 2011, after a lengthy congressional debate over whether to raise the nation's debt limit, Dell Latitude E6120 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6430 Battery Obama signed the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011. The legislation enforces limits on discretionary spending until 2021, establishes a procedure to increase the debt limit, creates a Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to propose further deficit reduction with a stated goal of achieving at least $1.5 trillion in budgetary savings over 10 years, Dell Latitude E6220 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E5530 Batteryand establishes automatic procedures for reducing spending by as much as $1.2 trillion if legislation originating with the new joint select committee does not achieve such savings.[175] By passing the legislation, Congress was able to prevent a U.S. government default on its obligations.[176] Dell Latitude E6320 Battery

 

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Employment statistics (changes in unemployment rate and net jobs per month) during Obama's tenure as U.S. President[177][178]

As it did throughout 2008, the unemployment rate rose in 2009, reaching a peak in October at 10.0% and averaging 10.0% in the fourth quarter. Following a decrease to 9.7% in the first quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate fell to 9.6% in the second quarter, Dell Latitude E6400 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E5420M Batterywhere it remained for the rest of the year.[179] Between February and December 2010, employment rose by 0.8%, which was less than the average of 1.9% experienced during comparable periods in the past four employment recoveries.[180] By November 2012, the unemployment rate fell to 7.7%,[18Dell Latitude E6410 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E5520 Battery1] changing little in April 2013 to 7.5%.[182] GDP growth returned in the third quarter of 2009, expanding at a rate of 1.6%, followed by a 5.0% increase in the fourth quarter.[183] Growth continued in 2010, Dell Latitude E6420 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6330 Batteryposting an increase of 3.7% in the first quarter, with lesser gains throughout the rest of the year.[183] In July 2010, the Federal Reserve expressed that although economic activity continued to increase, Dell Latitude E6420 ATG Battery

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its pace had slowed, and chairman Ben Bernanke stated that the economic outlook was "unusually uncertain".[184] Overall, the economy expanded at a rate of 2.9% in 2010.[185]

The Congressional Budget Office and a broad range of economists credit Obama's stimulus plan for economic growth.[186][187] Dell Latitude E6510 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6230 Battery The CBO released a report stating that the stimulus bill increased employment by 1–2.1 million,[187][188][189][190] while conceding that "It is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package."[1

 

Dell Latitude E6210 Battery86] Although an April 2010 survey of members of the National Association for Business Economics showed an increase in job creation (over a similar January survey) for the first time in two years, 73% of 68 respondents believed that the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment.[191] Dell Latitude E6520 Battery

 

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Within a month of the 2010 midterm elections, Obama announced a compromise deal with the Congressional Republican leadership that included a temporary, two-year extension of the 2001 and 2003 income tax rates, Dell Latitude E6400 ATG Battery

Dell Latitude E6400 XFR Battery a one-year payroll tax reduction, continuation of unemployment benefits, and a new rate and exemption amount for estate taxes.[19Sony VGP-BPL13 Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS21A/B Battery2] The compromise overcame opposition from some in both parties, and the resulting $858 billion Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress before Obama signed it on December 17, 2010.[193] Sony VGP-BPL14/B Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS21/S BatteryHealth care reform

Main article: Health care reform in the United States

 

 

Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the White House, March 23, 2010

Obama called for Congress to pass legislation reforming health care in the United States, a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal.[194Sony VGP-BPL14/S Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS21B Battery] He proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured, to cap premium increases, and to allow people to retain their coverage when they leave or change jobs. His proposal was to spend $900 billion over 10 years and include a government insurance plan, Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS21 Batteryalso known as the public option, to compete with the corporate insurance sector as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality of health care. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for pre-existing conditions, and require every American to carry health coverage. Sony VGP-BPS9 Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS15/S BatteryThe plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.[195][196]

On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017-page plan for overhauling the U.S. health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009.[194] After much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Sony VGP-BPS11 Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS15/B Battery Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9 where he addressed concerns over the proposals.[197] In March 2009, Obama lifted a ban on using federal funds for stem cell research.[198] Sony VGP-BPS13 Battery

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Maximum Out-of-Pocket Premium as Percentage of Family Income and federal poverty level, under Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, starting in 2014. (Source: CRS)

On November 7, 2009, a health care bill featuring the public option was passed in the House.[199][200]

 

Sony VGP-BPS15 BatteryOn December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its own bill—without a public option—on a party-line vote of 60–39.[201] On March 21, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by the Senate in December was passed in the House by a vote of 219 to 212.[202] Obama signed the bill into law on March 23, 2010.[ Sony VGP-BPS13A/B Battery

 

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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes health-related provisions to take effect over four years, including expanding Medicaid eligibility for people making up to 133% of the federal poverty level (FPL) starting in 2014,[ Sony VGP-BPS13B/B Battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS14B Battery204] subsidizing insurance premiums for people making up to 400% of the FPL ($88,000 for family of four in 2010) so their maximum "out-of-pocket" payment for annual premiums will be from 2 to 9.5% of income,[205][206] providing incentives for businesses to provide health care benefits, Sony VGP-BPS13/B Battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS14/B Battery prohibiting denial of coverage and denial of claims based on pre-existing conditions, establishing health insurance exchanges, prohibiting annual coverage caps, and support for medical research. Sony VGP-BPS13B/Q Battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS14 Battery According to White House and Congressional Budget Office figures, the maximum share of income that enrollees would have to pay would vary depending on their income relative to the federal poverty level.[205Sony VGP-BPS13B/S Battery

][207]

The costs of these provisions are offset by taxes, fees, and cost-saving measures, such as new Medicare taxes for those in high-income brackets, taxes on indoor tanning, cuts to the Medicare Advantage program in favor of traditional Medicare, and fees on medical devices and pharmaceutical companies;[2Sony VGP-BPS13/Q Battery

Sony VGP-BSP13/S Battery08] there is also a tax penalty for those who do not obtain health insurance, unless they are exempt due to low income or other reasons.[209] In March 2010, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the net effect of both laws will be a reduction in the federal deficit by $143 billion over the first decade.[210] Sony PCG-6Z2M battery

 

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The law faced several legal challenges, primarily based on the argument that an individual mandate requiring Americans to buy health insurance was unconstitutional. On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5–4 vote in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius that the Commerce Clause does not allow the government to require people to buy health insurance, Sony SVS13A1S9E battery

 but the mandate was constitutional under the US Congress's taxing authority.[211]

Gulf of Mexico oil spill

On April 20, 2010, an explosion destroyed an offshore drilling rig at the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a major sustained oil leak. The well's operator, BP, initiated a containment and cleanup plan,
Sony VPCSA3T9E batteryand began drilling two relief wells intended to stop the flow. Obama visited the Gulf on May 2 among visits by members of his cabinet, and again on May 28 and June 4. On May 22, he announced a federal investigation and formed a bipartisan commission to recommend new safety standards, after a review by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and concurrent Congressional hearings. Sony SVS13A1X9E battery

Sony VPCSA battery On May 27, he announced a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling permits and leases, pending regulatory review.[212] Sony SVS1312J3E battery

Sony SVS1511S3R batteryAs multiple efforts by BP failed, some in the media and public expressed confusion and criticism over various aspects of the incident, and stated a desire for more involvement by Obama and the federal government.[213] Sony SVS1312P9E battery
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Gun control

 

 

President Obama visiting shooting victims at University of Colorado Hospital on July 22, 2012

On January 16, 2013, one month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, President Obama signed 23 executive orders and outlined a series of sweeping proposals regarding gun control.[214]
Sony SVS1512X9E battery He urged Congress to reintroduce an expired ban on "military-style" assault weapons, such as those used in several recent mass shootings, impose limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, introduce background checks on all gun sales, pass a ban on possession and sale of armor-piercing bullets, Sony SVS1313C5E battery
introduce harsher penalties for gun-traffickers, especially unlicensed dealers who buy arms for criminals and approving the appointment of the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the first time since 2006.[215] Sony SVS1313S9E battery
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2010 midterm elections

Main articles: United States House of Representatives elections, 2010 and United States Senate elections, 2010

Obama called the November 2, 2010 election, where the Democratic Party lost 63 seats in, and control of, the House of Representatives,[216] "humbling" and a "shellacking".[217] He said that the results came because not enough Americans had felt the effects of the economic recovery.[218] Sony VPCSB1X9E battery

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Foreign policy

Main article: Foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration

 

 

Obama speaking on "A New Beginning" at Cairo University on June 4, 2009

In February and March 2009, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made separate overseas trips to announce a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and Europe, using the terms "break" and "reset" to signal major changes from the policies of the preceding administration.[2Sony VPCSB1Z9E battery
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Sony VPCSB1B9E battery19] Obama attempted to reach out to Arab leaders by granting his first interview to an Arab cable TV network, Al Arabiya.[220]

On March 19, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran.[221][2Sony VPCSB2L1E battery
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22] In April, Obama gave a speech in Ankara, Turkey, which was well received by many Arab governments.[223] On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt calling for "A New Beginning" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace.[224] Sony VPCSB3L9E battery
 

On June 26, 2009, in response to the Iranian government's actions towards protesters following Iran's 2009 presidential election, Obama said: "The violence perpetrated against them is outrageous. We see it and we condemn it."[22Sony VPCSB3M9E battery
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Sony VPCSB1A9E battery5] On July 7, while in Moscow, he responded to a Vice President Biden comment on a possible Israeli military strike on Iran by saying: "We have said directly to the Israelis that it is important to try and resolve this in an international setting in a way that does not create major conflict in the Middle East."[226] Sony VPCSB3T9E battery
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On September 24, 2009, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to preside over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.[227]

In March 2010, Obama took a public stance against plans by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue building Jewish housing projects in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.[228] Sony VPCSB4L1E battery
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[229] During the same month, an agreement was reached with the administration of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a new pact reducing the number of long-range nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries by about one-third.[2
Sony VPCSE2L9E battery30] Obama and Medvedev signed the New START treaty in April 2010, and the U.S. Senate ratified it in December 2010.[231] Sony VPCSB4X9E battery

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On December 6, 2011, he instructed agencies to consider LGBT rights when issuing financial aid to foreign countries.[232]

Iraq War

Main article: Iraq War

On February 27, 2009, Obama announced that combat operations in Iraq would end within 18 months. His remarks were made to a group of Marines preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Obama said, "Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end."[23Sony VPCSE battery
3] The Obama administration scheduled the withdrawal of combat troops to be completed by August 2010, decreasing troop's levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of about 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011. Sony VPCSE1E1E battery
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On August 19, 2010, the last U.S. combat brigade exited Iraq. Remaining troops transitioned from combat operations to counter-terrorism and the training, equipping, and advising of Iraqi security forces.[234Sony VPCSE1V9E battery
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Sony VPCSE2J9E battery][235] On August 31, 2010, Obama announced that the United States combat mission in Iraq was over.[236] On October 21, 2011 President Obama announced that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq in time to be "home for the holidays".[237]

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Meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron during the 2010 G-20 Toronto summit

War in Afghanistan

Main article: War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

Early in his presidency, Obama moved to bolster U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan.[238] He announced an increase to U.S. troop levels of 17,000 in February 2009 to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires".[239] He replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, with former Special Forces commander Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal in May 2009, indicating that McChrystal's Special Forces experience would facilitate the use of counterinsurgency tactics in the war.[240] On December 1, 2009, Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 military personnel to Afghanistan and proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date;[241] this took place in July 2011. David Petraeus replaced McChrystal in June 2010, after McChrystal's staff criticized White House personnel in a magazine article.[242] In February 2013 Obama said the U.S. military would reduce the troop level in Afghanistan from 68,000 to 34,000 US troops by February 2014.[243]

Israel

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Obama meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, 2009

Obama referred to the bond between the United States and Israel as "unbreakable."[244] During the initial years of the Obama administration, the U.S. increased military cooperation with Israel, including increased military aid, re-establishment of the U.S.-Israeli Joint Political Military Group and the Defense Policy Advisory Group,
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Sony PCG-41414M batteryand an increase in visits among high-level military officials of both countries.[245] The Obama administration asked Congress to allocate money toward funding the Iron Dome program in response to the waves of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.[246] Sony SVS13AA11M battery
 

In 2011, the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, with the United States being the only nation to do so.[247] Obama supports the two-state solution to the Arab–Israeli conflict based on the 1967 borders with land swaps.[248] Sony SVS131B12M battery
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In 2013, one journalist reported that, in Obama's view, "with each new settlement announcement, Netanyahu is moving his country down a path toward near-total isolation."[249]

War in Libya Sony SVS151A12M battery
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Main article: 2011 military intervention in Libya

In March 2011, as forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi advanced on rebels across Libya, calls for a no-fly zone came from around the world, including Europe, the Arab League, and a resolution[250] passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate.[251] In response to the unanimous passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 on March 17, Gaddafi—who had previously vowed to "show no mercy" to the rebels of Benghazi[25Sony SVS1311P9EB battery
2]—announced an immediate cessation of military activities,[253] yet reports came in that his forces continued shelling Misrata. The next day, on Obama's orders, the U.S. military took part in air strikes to destroy the Libyan government's air defense capabilities to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly-zone,[254] including the use of Tomahawk missiles, B-2 Spirits, and fighter jets.[255][256][257] Six days later, on March 25, by unanimous vote of all of its 28 members, NATO took over leadership of the effort, dubbed Operation Unified Protector.[258] Some Representatives[259] questioned whether Obama had the constitutional authority to order military action in addition to questioning its cost, structure and aftermath.[260][261] Sony SVS1511L3ES battery
 

Osama bin Laden

Main article: Death of Osama bin Laden

President Obama on Osama bin Laden's Death

 

President Obama's address (Full Text)

President Obama on Osama bin Laden's Death

audio only version

Problems playing these files? See media help.

 

 

President Barack Obama along with members of the national security team, receive an update on Operation Neptune's Spear, in the White House Situation Room, May 1, 2011. See also: The Situation Room (photograph) Sony SVS1511M3EW battery
 

Starting with information received in July 2010, intelligence developed by the CIA over the next several months determined what they believed to be the location of Osama bin Laden in a large compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a suburban area 35 miles from Islamabad.[262] CIA head Leon Panetta reported this intelligence to President Obama in March 2011.[ Sony SVS1511N3ES battery
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Sony PCG-41218M battery262] Meeting with his national security advisers over the course of the next six weeks, Obama rejected a plan to bomb the compound, and authorized a "surgical raid" to be conducted by United States Navy SEALs.[2Sony SVS1511V9EB battery

Sony PCG-41213M battery62] The operation took place on May 1, 2011, resulting in the death of bin Laden and the seizure of papers, computer drives and disks from the compound.[263][264] DNA testing identified bin Laden's body,[265Sony SVS1511V9ES battery

Sony PCG-41211M battery] which was buried at sea several hours later.[266] Within minutes of the President's announcement from Washington, DC, late in the evening on May 1, there were spontaneous celebrations around the country as crowds gathered outside the White House, and at New York City's Ground Zero and Times Square.[263Sony SVS1511W9EB battery
][267] Reaction to the announcement was positive across party lines, including from former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush,[268] and from many countries around the world.[269]

Cultural and political image

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Main article: Public image of Barack Obama

See also: International media reaction to the United States presidential election, 2008 and International reactions to the United States presidential election, 2012

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Obama's first term presidential portrait (2009)

Obama's family history, upbringing, and Ivy League education differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement.[270Sony VPCSA3Q9E battery
] Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong".[271]
Sony VPCSE2V9E batteryObama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."[272] Sony VPCSB4S9E battery
 

Obama is frequently referred to as an exceptional orator.[273] During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama has delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses.[274] Sony VPCSE2F1E battery

 

 

Obama conducting the first completely virtual interview from the White House in 2012[275]

According to the Gallup Organization, Obama began his presidency with a 68% approval rating[276] before gradually declining for the rest of the year, and eventually bottoming out at 41% in August 2010,[277Sony PCG-4121GM battery

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] a trend similar to Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years in office.[278] He experienced a small poll bounce shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden, which lasted until around June 2011, when his approval numbers dropped back to where they were prior to the operation.[279][280Sony SVE1511A1EW battery

Sony SVE14A3C5E battery][281] His approval ratings rebounded around the same time as his re-election in 2012, with polls showing an average job approval of 52% shortly after his second inauguration.[282Sony SVE1511F1E battery

Sony SVE14A1S1E battery] Polls show strong support for Obama in other countries,[283] and before being elected President he met with prominent foreign figures including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair,[284] Italy's Democratic Party leader and Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni,[285] and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.[286] Sony SVE1511K1E battery
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In a February 2009 poll conducted in Western Europe and the U.S. by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune, Obama was rated as the most respected world leader, as well as the most powerful.[287] In a similar poll conducted by Harris in May 2009, Sony SVE1511M1E battery

Sony SVE1511W1ESI battery Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of the economic downturn.[288][289]

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Obama won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards for abridged audiobook versions of Dreams from My Father in February 2006 and for The Audacity of Hope in February 2008.[290] His concession speech after the New Hampshire primary was set to music by independent artists as the music video "Yes We Can", Sony SVE1511Q1E battery

Sony SVE1511V1EW batterywhich was viewed 10 million times on YouTube in its first month[291] and received a Daytime Emmy Award.[292] In December 2008, Time magazine named Obama as its Person of the Year for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments".[29Sony SVE1511V1E battery

Sony SVE1511R9ESI battery3] He was again named Person of the Year in 2012.[294]

On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that Obama had won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".[295] Sony SVE1511W1E battery

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Sony SVE1511Q1EB battery Obama accepted this award in Oslo, Norway on December 10, 2009, with "deep gratitude and great humility."[296] The award drew a mixture of praise and criticism from world leaders and media figures.[297Sony SVE1512B1E battery

Sony SVE14A1S1EB battery][298] Obama is the fourth U.S. president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the third to become a Nobel laureate while in office.[299]

Family and personal life

 

Main article: Family of Barack Obama

 

 

Obama posing in the Green Room of the White House with wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia in 2009 Sony SVE1512C6E battery
 

In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family: "It's like a little mini-United Nations", he said. "I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher."[300] Obama has a half-sister with whom he was raised (Maya Soetoro-Ng, the daughter of his mother and her Indonesian second husband) and seven half-siblings from his Kenyan father's family – six of them living.[301] Obama's mother was survived by her Kansas-born mother, Madelyn Dunham,[302] until her death on November 2, 2008,[303
Sony SVE1511A1EB battery] two days before his election to the Presidency. Obama also has roots in Ireland; he met with his Irish cousins in Moneygall in May 2011.[304] In Dreams from My Father, Obama ties his mother's family history to possible Native American ancestors and distant relatives of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.[305]
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Obama was known as "Barry" in his youth, but asked to be addressed with his given name during his college years.[306] Besides his native English, Obama speaks some basic Indonesian, having learned the language during his four childhood years in Jakarta.[30Sony SVE1512K1E battery

Sony SVE1713C5E battery7][308] He plays basketball, a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team;[309] he is left-handed.[310] Sony SVE1512J1E battery
 

 

 

Obama taking a shot during a game on the White House basketball court, 2009

Obama is a supporter of the Chicago White Sox, and he threw out the first pitch at the 2005 ALCS when he was still a senator.[311Sony SVE1512M1E battery

Sony SVE1712Z1E battery] In 2009, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the all star game while wearing a White Sox jacket.[312] He is also primarily a Chicago Bears football fan in the NFL, but in his childhood and adolescence was a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and rooted for them ahead of their victory in Super Bowl XLIII 12 days after he took office as President.[313Sony SVE1513C4E battery
Sony SVE1712Q1E battery] In 2011, Obama invited the 1985 Chicago Bears to the White House; the team had not visited the White House after their Super Bowl win in 1986 due to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.[314]
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In June 1989, Obama met Michelle Robinson when he was employed as a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin.[315] Assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, Robinson joined him at group social functions, but declined his initial requests to date. Sony SVE1513D1E battery
[316] They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992.[317] The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born on July 4, 1998,[318] followed by a second daughter, Sony SVE1513E9E battery

Sony SVE1711X1E battery Natasha ("Sasha"), on June 10, 2001.[319] The Obama daughters attended the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. When they moved to Washington, D.C., in January 2009, the girls started at the private Sidwell Friends School.[ Sony SVE1513H1E battery
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20] The Obamas have a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo, a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy.[321]

Applying the proceeds of a book deal, the family moved in 2005 from a Hyde Park, Chicago condominium to a $1.6 million house in neighboring Kenwood, Chicago.[32Sony SVE1711R1E battery
Sony SVE1711F1E battery2] The purchase of an adjacent lot—and sale of part of it to Obama by the wife of developer, campaign donor and friend Tony Rezko—attracted media attention because of Rezko's subsequent indictment and conviction on political corruption charges that were unrelated to Obama.[323] Sony SVE1511A1E battery
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In December 2007, Money estimated the Obama family's net worth at $1.3 million.[324] Their 2009 tax return showed a household income of $5.5 million—up from about $4.2 million in 2007 and $1.6 million in 2005—mostly from sales of his books.[325Sony SVE1512X9E battery
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Sony SVE1511J1EW battery][326] On his 2010 income of $1.7 million, he gave 14% to non-profit organizations, including $131,000 to Fisher House Foundation, a charity assisting wounded veterans' families, allowing them to reside near where the veteran is receiving medical treatments.[327][3Sony SVE1513B1E battery
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Sony SVE1511H1ESI battery28] As per his 2012 financial disclosure, Obama may be worth as much as $10 million.[329]

Obama tried to quit smoking several times, sometimes using nicotine replacement therapy, and, in early 2010, Michelle Obama said that he had successfully quit smoking.[330][331] Sony SVE1513M1E battery
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Religious views

Obama is a Christian whose religious views developed in his adult life.[332] He wrote in The Audacity of Hope that he "was not raised in a religious household". He described his mother, raised by non-religious parents (whom Obama has specified elsewhere as "non-practicing Methodists and Baptists"), as being detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I have ever known". He described his father as a "confirmed atheist" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful." Obama explained how, through working with black churches as a community organizer while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change".[333]

In an interview with the evangelical periodical Christianity Today, Obama stated: "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life."[334] On September 27, 2010, Obama released a statement commenting on his religious views saying "I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't—frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead—being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me."[335][336] Sony SVE1713Z1E battery
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Пу́тин, IPA: [vɫɐˈdʲimʲɪr vɫɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪt͡ɕ ˈputʲɪn] ( listen); born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician who has been the President of Russia since 7 May 2012. Putin previously served as President from 2000 to 2008, Sony VPCCA3 battery

Sony SVE1511S1EW batteryand as Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012. Putin was also previously the Chairman of the United Russia political party.

For sixteen years Putin was an officer in the KGB, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, before he retired to enter politics in his native Saint Petersburg in 1991. Sony VPCCB2 battery

Sony SVE1511G1EB batteryHe moved to Moscow in 1996 and joined President Boris Yeltsin's administration where he rose quickly, becoming Acting President on 31 December 1999 when Yeltsin resigned unexpectedly. Sony VPCCB2M0E battery
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Sony SVE1511G1ESI batteryPutin won the subsequent 2000 presidential election and was re-elected in 2004. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits, Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term in 2008. Sony VPCCB2S1E battery

Sony SVE1711X1EB batteryDmitry Medvedev won the 2008 presidential election and appointed Putin as Prime Minister, beginning a period of so-called "tandemocracy".[1] In September 2011, following a change in the law, Putin announced that he would seek a third, non-consecutive term as President in the 2012 presidential election, Sony VPCCB3 battery

Sony SVE1711V1EB batteryan announcement which led to large-scale protests in many Russian cities. He won the election in March 2012 and is serving an increased, six-year term.[2][3]

Many of Putin's actions are regarded by the domestic opposition and foreign observers as undemocratic.[4] VPCCB3P1E battery

Sony SVE1711K1EW battery The 2011 Democracy Index stated that Russia has been in "a long process of regression culminated in a move from a hybrid to an authoritarian regime" under Putin,[5] and American diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks allege that Russia has become a "virtual mafia state."[6][7] Some critics describe him as a dictator,[8][9][10] allegations which Putin adamantly denies.
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20][21]

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Read more

 

 

Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao at the 2003 APEC Summit in Thailand

Putin's Russia maintains strong and positive relations with other BRIC countries. The country has sought to strengthen ties especially with the People's Republic of China by signing the Treaty of Friendship as well as building the Trans-Siberian oil pipeline geared toward growing Chinese energy needs.[21Sony PCG-41218L Battery

 

sony PCG-6X6L battery2] The mutual-security cooperation of the two countries and their central Asian neighbours is facilitated by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Sony PCG-41411L Battery

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The announcement made during the SCO summit that Russia resumes on a permanent basis the long-distance patrol flights of its strategic bombers (suspended in 1992)[213][214] in the light of joint Russian-Chinese military exercises, first-ever in history held on Russian territory,[215] made some experts believe that Putin is inclined to set up an anti-NATO bloc or the Asian version of OPEC.[21Sony PCG-41413L Battery

 

sony PCG-6X2L battery6] When presented with the suggestion that "Western observers are already likening the SCO to a military organisation that would stand in opposition to NATO", Putin answered that "this kind of comparison is inappropriate in both form and substance".[213]

Relations with Iran Sony PCG-41414L Battery

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Main article: Iran-Russia relations

 

 

Putin with Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 2007

On 16 October 2007 Putin visited Iran to participate in the Second Caspian Summit in Tehran,[217][218] sony PCG-4R1L battery

 

sony PCG-4Q1L batterywhere he met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[219] Other participants were leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.[220] This is the first visit of a Soviet or Russian leader to Iran since Joseph Stalin's participation in the Tehran Conference in 1943.[2sony PCG-4Q4L battery

sony PCG-4Q3L battery21] At a press conference after the summit Putin said that "all our (Caspian) states have the right to develop their peaceful nuclear programmes without any restrictions".[222] Sony PCG-61A11L Battery

 

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Subsequently, under Medvedev's presidency, Iran-Russia relations were uneven: Russia did not fulfill the contract of selling to Iran the S-300, one of the most potent anti-aircraft missile systems currently existing. However, Sony PCG-61A13L Battery

 

Sony PCG-91211L Battery Russian specialists completed the construction of Iran and the Middle East's first civilian nuclear power facility, the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, and Russia has continuously opposed the imposition of economic sanctions on Iran by the U.S. and the EU, as well as warning against a military attack on Iran. Sony PCG-61A14L Battery

 

Sony PCG-71914L Battery Putin was quoted as describing Iran as a "partner",[177] though he expressed concerns over the Iranian nuclear programme.[177]

Relations with Australasia, Latin America and others

Main articles: Australia–Russia relations, Russia–Venezuela relations, Cuba–Russia relations, and Brazil–Russia relations

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Putin with Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

 

 

Putin with Fidel Castro in 2000, re-establishing close ties between Russia and Cuba.

Putin and his successor Medvedev have enjoyed warm relations with Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Much of this has been through the sale of military equipment; since 2005, Venezuela has purchased more than $4 billion worth of arms from Russia.[22Sony PCG-71C12L Battery

 

Sony PCG-71913L Battery3] In September 2008, Russia sent Tupolev Tu-160 bombers to Venezuela to carry out training flights.[224] In November 2008, both countries held a joint naval exercise in the Caribbean.[225] Earlier in 2000, Putin had re-established stronger ties with Fidel Castro's Cuba.

 

 

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In September 2007, Putin visited Indonesia and in doing so became the first Russian leader to visit the country in more than 50 years.[226] Sony PCG-61714L Battery

 

Sony PCG-71911L Battery In the same month, Putin also attended the APEC meeting held in Sydney, Australia where he met with Australian Prime Minister John Howard and signed a uranium trade deal. This was the first visit by a Russian president to Australia. Sony PCG-61813L Battery

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Libya

 

 

Putin meeting with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2008.

In April 2008, Putin visited Libya where he met the leader Muammar Gaddafi, the country welcomed the idea of creating an OPEC-like group of gas-exporting countries, Putin became first Russian President who visited Libya, Sony PCG-61913L Battery

 

Sony PCG-71811L Batteryhe remarked the visit as "We are satisfied about the way in which we resolved this problem. I am absolutely convinced that the solution we have found will help the Russian and Libyan economies."[22Sony PCG-71614L Battery

Sony PCG-71713L Battery7] Putin condemned the foreign military intervention of Libya, he called UN resolution as "defective and flawed," and added "It allows everything. It resembles medieval calls for crusades.",[22Sony PCG-91111L Battery

 

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8] During the whole event, Putin condemned other steps taken by NATO.[229] Upon the death of Muammar Gaddafi, Putin called it as "planned murder" by US, he asked "They showed to the whole world how he (Gaddafi) was killed," and "There was blood all over. Is that what they call a democracy?"[230][231]

Syria

Dmitri Trenin reports in the New York Times that from 2000 to 2010 Russia sold around $1.5 billion worth of arms to Syria, making Damascus Moscow’s seventh-largest client.[232] During the 2011-3 Syrian civil war, Russia threatened to veto any sanctions against the Syrian government,[233] and continued to supply arms to the regime. Sony PCG-6X4M battery

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Putin opposed any foreign intervention. On 1 June 1, 2012, in Paris, he rejected the statement of French President Francois Hollande who called on Bashar Al-Assad to step down. Putin echoed the argument of the Assad regime that anti-regime Sony PCG-91112L Battery

 

Sony PCG-61316L Battery’’militants’’ were responsible for much of the bloodshed, rather than the shelling by Syrian forces and the civilian killings attributed by survivors and Western governments toregime supporters. He asked "But how many of peaceful people (sic) were killed by so-called militants? Did you count? Sony PCG-71312L Battery

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Sony PCG-61315L BatteryThere are also hundreds of victims." He also talked about previous NATO interventions and their results, and asked "What is happening in Libya, in Iraq? Did they become safer? Where are they heading? Nobody has an answer."[234] Sony PCG-71218L Battery

 

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Relations with post-Soviet states

Main articles: Color revolutions, Russia–Ukraine gas disputes, Russia–Ukraine relations, Belarus–Russia relations, Georgia–Russia relations, and Kyrgyzstan–Russia relations

A series of the so-called color revolutions in the post-Soviet states, namely the Rose Revolution in Georgia in 2003, Sony PCG-71217L Battery

 

Sony PCG-61311L Battery the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004 and the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan in 2005, led to frictions in the relations of those countries with Russia. In December 2004, Putin criticised the Rose and Orange Revolution, Sony PCG-71313L Battery

 

Sony PCG-61215L Batteryaccording to him: "If you have permanent revolutions you risk plunging the post-Soviet space into endless conflict".[235] During the protests following the 2011 Russian elections (in December 2011) Putin named the Orange Revolution an infamous foreknowledge for Russia.[236]

 

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Apart from a clash of nationalist rhetorics[clarification needed] with the common historical legacies of the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire[citation needed], a number of economic disputes erupted between Russia and some neighbours, Sony PCG-71315L Battery

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such as the Russian import ban of Georgian wine. And in some cases, such as the Russia–Ukraine gas disputes, the economic conflicts affected other European countries, for example when a January 2009 gas dispute with Ukraine led state-controlled Russian company Gazprom to halt its deliveries of natural gas to Ukraine,[23Sony PCG-71317L Battery

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Sony PCG-71216L Battery7] which left a number of European states, to which Ukraine transits Russian gas, to have serious shortages of natural gas in January 2009.[23Sony PCG-6X2M battery,

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7] In an interview with the German historian Michael Stürmer about the Russian shut-down of gas to Ukraine in early 2005, Putin linked the shut-down to the Orange revolution, saying: "This has a price [the Orange revolution]. Sony PCG-71211L Battery

In spite of so much frustration we have stablizied the situation. In old days we concluded agreements with Ukraine year after year, and then included transit fees. The West Europeans had no idea that their energy security was a cliffhanger. Sony PCG-71212L Battery

Sony PCG-71215L BatteryBy now we have a five-year agreement for transit to the E.U. This is an important step in the direction of European energy security".[177]

 

 

Meeting with Mikheil Saakashvili in 2008

The disputes typically arose because of inabilities of Ukraine to pay higher prices for natural gas and pay debts in time. In 2009, the Russia–Ukraine dispute was resolved by a long-term agreement on price formula, agreed by Prime Ministers Vladimir Putin of Russia and Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko[237][2Sony PCG-9Z1L Battery

 

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38] (later, when the rising global oil prices prompted the rising gas prizes[239] the agreement turned very unfavourable for Ukraine; in October 2011 Tymoshenko was found guilty of abuse of office when brokering the 2009 deal and was sentenced to seven years in prison).[240] Sony PCG-9Z2L Battery

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The plans of Georgia and Ukraine to become members of NATO have caused some tensions between Russia and those states. In 2010, Ukraine did abandon these plans.[24Sony PCG-7142L Battery

 

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1] Putin allegedly declared at a NATO-Russia summit in 2008 that if Ukraine joined NATO Russia could contend to annex the Ukrainian East and Crimea.[242] In public Putin has stated that Russia has no intention of annexing any country.[235] Sony PCG-4R1M battery

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Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin in 2002. Despite a number of economic disputes in mid-2000s (decade), Belarus has remained one of Russia's closest allies.

In August 2008, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili attempted to restore control over the breakaway South Ossetia, Sony PCG-7151L Battery

 

Sony PCG-7185L Battery claiming this action was in response to Ossetian border attacks on Georgians and to alleged buildups of Russian non-peacekeeping forces. Russian peacekeepers stationed there came under attack during the invasion and fought alongside the South Ossetians as Georgian troops pushed into the province and seized most of the capital of Tskhinvali. Sony PCG-7152L Battery

 

Sony PCG-7184L Battery However, the Georgian military was soon defeated in the resulting 2008 South Ossetia War after regular Russian forces entered South Ossetia and then Georgia proper, and also opened a second front in the other Georgian breakaway province of Abkhazia together with Abkhazian forces.[243] Sony PCG-7153L Battery

 

Sony PCG-7183L Battery [244] During this conflict, according to high level French diplomat Jean-David Levitte, Putin intended to depose the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and declared: "I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls".[245] Sony PCG-71C11M battery

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Putin blamed the 2008 war and the bad relations between Russia and Georgia as "the result of the policy that the Georgian authorities conducted back then and still attempt to conduct now"; he stated that Georgia is a Sony PCG-7154L Battery

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Sony PCG-7182L Battery"brotherly nation that hopefully will finally understand that Russia is not an enemy, but is a friend and the relations will be restored"[246] (one month before Georgian President Saakashvili had stated "Putin has a problem with Georgian people, but not with Georgian government").[Sony PCG-7162L Battery

 

Sony PCG-7181L Battery247] Putin stated in 2009 Georgia could have kept Abkhazia and South Ossetia "within its territory" if it had treated the residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia "with respect" (he claims they did "the opposite").[248] Sony PCG-7171L Battery

 

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The President of Ukraine elected during the Orange Revolution, Viktor Yushchenko, was succeeded in 2010 by Viktor Yanukovych, that led to improved relations with Russia.[249] Russia was able to expand the lease for the base for its Black Sea Fleet base in the Ukrainian city Sevastopol in exchange for lower gas prices for Ukraine Sony PCG-7172L Battery

Sony PCG-7173L Battery  (the 2010 Ukrainian–Russian Naval Base for Natural Gas treaty).[250] The President of Kyrgyzstan since 2009, Almazbek Atambayev, wants to guide Kyrgyzstan towards the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia and has stated his country has a "common future" with its neighbours and Russia.[251] Sony PCG-71111L Battery

 

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Eurasian policy

Main article: Eurasian Union

 

 

The proposed Eurasian Union with the most likely immediate members: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Despite existing or past tensions between Russia and most of the post-Soviet states, Putin has followed the policy of Eurasian integration. Sony PCG-81111L Battery

 

Sony PCG-81314L BatteryThe Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia has already brought partial economic unity between the three states, and the proposed Eurasian Union is said to be a continuation of this customs union. Sony PCG-81112L Battery

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A number of other regional organizations also provide the basis for further integration: the Union State of Russia and Belarus, the Eurasian Economic Community of Russia, Sony PCG-71D14M battery

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Belarus and Kazakhstan, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, consisting of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and the Commonwealth of Independent States comprising most of the post-Soviet countries. Sony PCG-81114L Battery

 

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On 18 November 2011, the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia signed an agreement, setting a target of establishing the Eurasian Union by 2015.[2Sony PCG-81214L Battery

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Sony PCG-81312L Battery52] The agreement included the roadmap for the future integration and established the Eurasian Commission (modelled on the European Commission) and the Eurasian Economic Space, which started work on 1 January 2012.[252][253] Sony PCG-61611M battery

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Programmes

 

Long-term strategies

 

 

Putin presents the "Strategy 2020" to the Extended Meeting of the State Council of Russia on 8 February 2008.

The 2007 election campaign of the United Russia party went under the slogan "Putin's Plan: Russia's Victory". When asked on the "Putin's Plan", Vladimir Putin said that his last five Addresses to the Federal Assembly contained some key parts "devoted to the state's medium-term development",Dell Latitude E4200 battery
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 and "if all these key ideas were put together to build a coherent system, it can become the country's development plan in the medium-term."[254] Dell Latitude E5410 battery
 

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Later the "Putin's Plan" was transformed into the Strategy 2020, which set the key goals and target figures for Russia's development until 2020. The "Strategy 2020" was first presented by Putin on the Extended Meeting of the State Council on 8 February 2008.[2Dell Latitude E5510 battery
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55] It is the second long-term development strategy adopted by the Russian Federation, following the Strategy 2010, which had been made the basis for Russian government programmes in June 2000 and was largely fulfilled by 2010.[256] Sony PCG-61813M battery

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Programme articles

Putin has published articles in the Russian press on a number of occasions, in particularly before and during his 2012 presidential campaign. Soon after the announcement that he would run for another Presidency on 24 September 2011, in his article called "New Integration Project for Eurasia – A Future That Is Being Born Today"[2Dell Latitude E6400 battery
 

Dell Latitude E5220 battery57] (Новый интеграционный проект для Евразии – будущее, которое рождается сегодня[258]), published by Izvestiya on 3 October, he brought to attention the idea of the Eurasian Union, composed of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and possibly other post-Soviet states[259][260] Dell Latitude E6400 ATG battery
 

(the concept was first proposed by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, during a 1994 speech at a Moscow university).[261] This publication was soon followed by the presidents of Belarus, Dell Latitude E6500 battery
 

Dell Latitude E6430s batteryKazakhstan and Russia signing an agreement on 18 November 2011 which established the Eurasian Commission (modeled on the European Commission) from 1 January 2012 and set a target of establishing the Eurasian Union (modeled on the European Union) by 2015.[253] Dell Latitude E4300 battery
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         Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Vladimir Putin/Articles

In the course of the 2012 presidential campaign, in order to present his election program, Putin published 7 articles in different Russian editions. In those articles, he presented his vision of the problems which Russia successfully solved in the last decade and the goals yet to be achieved. The topics of the articles were as follows: the general overview, the ethnicity issue, economic tasks, democracy and government efficiency, social policy, military, foreign policy.[262]

Speeches and catch phrases

 

Addresses to the Federal Assembly

During his terms in office Putin has made eight annual addresses to the Federal Assembly of Russia,[263] speaking on the situation in Russia and on guidelines of the internal and foreign policy of the State (as prescribed in Article 84 of the Constitution[264]). Dell Latitude E4320 battery
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Speeches abroad

 

 

Putin making his Munich speech in 2007.

One of the most important and widely publicized speeches of Putin made abroad was made on 10 February 2007 on the Munich Conference on Security Policy, and hence became known as the Munich speech.
Dell Latitude E6330 batteryIt was dubbed by the press to be "the turning point of the Russian foreign policy", and western observers called it the most tough speech from a leader of Russia since the time of the Cold War.[26Dell Latitude E6410 battery
5] The speech was also seen as been made by Putin to openly assert the new (old) role of Russia in the international politics, the role close to that of the Soviet Union and the return to which role is seen as one of the achievements of Putin's Presidency.[265] Dell Latitude E6410 ATG battery
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In the Munich speech Putin called to uphold the principle "security for everyone is security for all", criticized the policies of the United States and NATO, condemned the unipolar model of international relations as flawed and lacking moral basis, Dell Latitude E6510 battery

Dell Latitude E6320 battery condemned the hypocrisy of countries trying to teach democracy to Russia, condemned the domination of hard power and enforcement by the U.S. of the Western norms and laws to other countries bypassing the international law and substituting the United Nations by NATO or the EU.[ Sony PCG-71511M battery

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265] Putin also called to stop the militarization of space and questioned the plans to deploy American missile defense in Europe as threatening strategic nuclear balance and spurring new arms race (that's when the countries dubbed as rogue states by the West are in fact lacking any rocket weapons capable to threaten Europe or the U.S. Dell Latitude E6120 battery

Dell Latitude E6230 battery and being unable to develop such weapons any time soon).[265] His speech was criticized by some attendant delegates at the conference, including former NATO secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who called it "disappointing and not helpful."[180] Dell Latitude E6210 battery
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On 4 July 2007 Putin made a full fluent English speech while addressing delegates at the 119th International Olympic Committee Session in Guatemala City on behalf of the successful bid of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympic Games in Russia.[171] Sony VGN-TT1RLN/B battery

 

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Outdoor speeches

 

 

Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev on 2 March 2008, the day of Russian presidential election. The soundtrack while they walk is Lubeh, Putin's favourite band.[266] Sony PCG-91112M battery

 

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Notable Putin's outdoor speeches include his addresses during the Victory Day Moscow Military Parades one every 9 May in the years between 2000 and 2007. Under Putin's presidency and premiership, the old Soviet tradition of 9 May Parades, Sony VGN-TT1RVN/X battery

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Sony VGN-TT46MG/W battery which had been in decline in 1990s, was gradually restored in full grandeur. Since the 2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade the armoured fighting vehicles resumed regular taking part in the Red Square parades. Sony VGN-TT11LN/B battery

 

Sony VGN-TT46GG/W battery Putin often used the Victory Day occasion to discuss Russia's military development and Russia's security and foreign affairs. For example, he said on 9 May 2007 that "threats are not becoming fewer but are only transforming and changing their appearance. Sony VGN-TT11M/N battery

 

Sony VGN-TT21WN/B batteryThese new threats, just as under the Third Reich, show the same contempt for human life and the same aspiration to establish an exclusive dictate over the world."[267] Sony PCG-91311M battery

 

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During his 2012 presidential campaign Putin made a single outdoor public speech at the 100,000-strong rally of his supporters in the Luzhniki Stadium on 23 February, Russia's Defender of the Fatherland Day.[103Sony VGN-TT11RM/N battery

 

Sony VGN-TT21VN/X battery] In the speech he called not to betray the Motherland, but to love her, to unite around Russia and to work together for the good, to overcome the existing problems.[268] He said that the foreign interference into Russian affairs should not be allowed, that Russia has its own free will.

 

Sony VGN-TT21JN/B batteryHe compared the political situation at the moment (when fears were spread in the Russian society that 2011–2012 Russian protests could instigate a color revolution directed from abroad) with the First Fatherland War of 1812, Sony PCG-71315M battery

 

Sony PCG-61611M batteryreminding that its 200th anniversary and the anniversary of the Battle of Borodino would be celebrated in 2012.Putin cited Lermontov's poem Borodino and ended the speech with Vyacheslav Molotov's famous Great Patriotic War slogan "The Victory Shall Be Ours!" ("Победа будет за нами!").[103][268] Sony VGN-TT11RM/R battery

 

On the post-election celebration rally, while making an acceptance speech, Putin was for the first time ever seen with tears in his eyes (later he explained that "it was windy"). He said to a 110,000-strong audience: "I told you we would win and we won!"[102][269] Sony VGN-TT11VN/X battery

 

Putinisms

 

 

Alluding to Rudyard Kipling's python Kaa, Putin addresses the Russian non-systemic opposition, who, according to him, work for foreign interests: Come to me, Bandar-logs![270] Sony VGN-TT11WN/B battery

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Putin has produced a large number of popular aphorisms and catch-phrases, known as putinisms.[271] Many of them were first made during his annual Q&A conferences, where Putin answered questions from journalists and other people in the studio, Sony PCG-71316M battery

 

Sony PCG-61511M battery as well as from Russians throughout the country, who either phoned in or spoke from studios and outdoor sites across Russia. Putin is known for his often tough and sharp language.[271] The examples of most popular putinisms include:[272] Dell Latitude E6120 Battery

Мочить в сортире – To bump off in a toilet. One of the earliest "putinisms", made in September 1999, when he promised to destroy terrorists wherever they were found, including in toilets.[272] In 2010, Putin also promised to pluck out the remaining terrorists from the bottom of a sewer (выковырять со дна канализации).[2Dell Latitude E6210 Battery

Она утонула – She sank. Putin's short answer to a question from Larry King in September 2000 asking what happened to the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk.[2 Dell Latitude E6220 Battery  73]

72] Many criticized Putin for the cynicism perceived in this answer. This curt reply also spawned a new kind of joke based on giving one short, self-evident answer (including a verb in past tense) to a "What has happened with..?" question.[citation needed] Sony PCG-71318M battery

 

Пахал, как раб на галерах – literally, Ploughed like a slave on a galley (the Russian verb пахать also has the general meaning of "to do hard work"). This is how Putin described his work as President of Russia from 2000 to 2008 during a Q&A conference in February 2008.[2Dell Latitude E6520 Battery  71] Not only did the phrase itself became popular, but a wrong reading of it—как раб ("like a slave") in Russian sounds almost identical to как краб ("like a crab")—led to the appearance of a popular Internet nickname for Putin, "Crabbe" (Russian: Крабе), while Dmitry Medvedev was (for some reason) similarly nicknamed Shmele (Russian: Шмеле, a non-existent vocative form of шмель, meaning "bumblebee").[27Dell Latitude E6520N Battery  4]

 

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Putin during one of his annual Q&A conferences, indicating with his pen.

От мертвого осла уши – Ears of a dead ass. According to Putin, that was what Latvia would receive instead of the western Pytalovsky District of Russia claimed by Latvia in a territorial dispute stemming from the Soviet border redrawing.[27Dell Inspiron 13R Battery] On 27 March 2007 Russia and Latvia signed the treaty on state border, in which Latvia renounced its territorial claims.[275] Dell Inspiron 13z Battery1

Шакалить у иностранных посольств – Jackaling at foreign embassies. Putin's view of the Russian "non-systemic opposition": characterising them as having minimal support among the population, he says that they turn to asking for money and support from foreign governments.[276] Dell Inspiron 1410 Battery

 

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Как минимум государственный деятель должен иметь голову. – At the very least, a state leader should have a head. Putin's response to Hillary Clinton's claim that Putin has no soul. He also recommended that international relations be built without emotion and instead on the basis of the fundamental interests of the states involved.[272] Dell Inspiron 1420 BatteryРучку верните – Return my pen. A phrase said by Putin to the industrial oligarch Oleg Deripaska, after Deripaska was forced by Putin to sign, using Putin's pen, an agreement aimed at resolving a socio-economic crisis in the monograd of Pikalyovo on 4 June 2009, Dell inspiron 1425 Battery

 which had escalated after the different owners of the aluminum oxide plant and connected enterprises in the town did not pay their workers' salaries and were unable to negotiate the terms on which the local industrial complex would work. Putin came to the scene personally to conduct the negotiations.[277] Dell inspiron 1427 Battery

Shearing a pig- On 25 June 2013,  Vladimir Putin revealed the surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden is indeed in a Moscow airport, ending a global guessing game over the US fugitive's whereabouts. Dell Inspiron 1440 Battery Putin lashed out at US accusations that the Russia was harbouring a fugitive, saying "I'd rather not deal with such questions, because anyway it's like shearing a pig – lots of screams but little wool". [278] Sony PCG-6Z2M battery,

 

Public image

 

Ratings and polls

 

 

Putin's approval (blue) and disapproval (red) ratings during his eight-year presidency.

According to public opinion surveys conducted by NGO Levada Center, Putin's approval rating was 81% in June 2007, and the highest of any leader in the world.[279] His popularity rose from 31% in August 1999 to 80% in November 1999, Dell Inspiron 1470 BatteryDell Inspiron 1470n Batterynever dropping below 65% during his first Presidency.[280] In January 2013, his approval rating fell to 62%, the lowest point since 2000 and a ten-point drop over two years.[281] Observers see Putin's high approval ratings as a consequence of the significant improvements in living standards and Russia's reassertion of itself on the world scene that occurred during his tenure as President.[2Dell Inspiron 14R Battery82][283][dead link] One analysis attributed Putin's popularity, in part, to state-owned or state-controlled television.[284]

A joint poll by World Public Opinion in the US and Levada Center [285Sony PCG-6X4M battery,

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Sony PCG-4Q1M battery] in Russia around June–July 2006 stated that "neither the Russian nor the American publics are convinced Russia is headed in an anti-democratic direction" and "Russians generally support Putin's concentration of political power and strongly support the re-nationalization of Russia's oil and gas industry. Dell Inspiron 14z Battery" Russians generally support the political course of Putin and his team.[286] A 2005 survey showed that three times as many Russians felt the country was "more democratic" Dell Inspiron 1501 Batteryunder Putin than it was during the Yeltsin or Gorbachev years, and the same proportion thought human rights were better under Putin than Yeltsin.[284]

Assessments

Putin was Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2007.[287] In April 2008, Putin was put on the Time 100 most influential people in the world list.[288] Sony PCG-4Q2M battery

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Vodka Putinka. Some vodkas in Russia are named after politicians.

On 4 December 2007, at Harvard University, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev credited Putin with having "pulled Russia out of chaos" and said he was "assured a place in history", despite Gorbachev's claim that the news media have been suppressed and that election rules run counter to the democratic ideals he has promoted".Dell Inspiron 1520 Battery [289] In December 2011, amid the protests following the 2011 Russian elections Gorbachev criticized Putin for a decision to seek the third term in the presidential elections and advised Putin to leave politics. Putin's press spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on Gorbachev's expressions as following: Dell Inspiron 1521 BatteryDell Inspiron 17R Battery "A former leader, who was basically responsible for the dissolution of his country, gives advice to the person, who could prevented Russia from a similar destiny".[290]

Criticism of Putin has been spread especially over the Runet.[291] It is said that the Russian youth organisations finance a full "network" of pro-government bloggers.[292] Dell Inspiron 1525 Battery

In the U.S. embassy cables, published by WikiLeaks in late 2010, Putin was called "alpha dog" and compared with Batman (while Dmitry Medvedev was compared with Batman's crime-fighting partner Robin). Dell Inspiron 1526 BatteryAmerican diplomats said Putin's Russia had become "a corrupt, autocratic kleptocracy centred on the leadership of Vladimir Putin, in which officials, oligarchs and organised crime are bound together to create a "virtual mafia state."[293][294] Putin called it "slanderous".[295] Dell Inspiron 1570 BatteryBy western commentators and the Russian opposition, Putin has been described as a dictator.[8][296] Putin biographer Masha Gessen has stated that "Putin is a dictator," comparing him to Alexander Lukashenko.[9][297] Former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has described Putin as a "ruthless dictator" whose "days are numbered."[10] U.S. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney called Putin "a real threat to the stability and peace of the world."[298] Dell Inspiron 1570n Battery

 

In the fall of 2011, the anti-Putin opposition movement in Russia became more visible, with street protests against allegedly falsified parliamentary elections (in favor of Putin's party, United Russia) cropping up across major Russian cities. Following Putin's re-election in March 2012, the movement struggled to redefine its new course of action.[299]

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Putin's name and image are widely used in advertisement and product branding.[300] Among the Putin-branded products are Putinka vodka, the PuTin brand of canned food, the Gorbusha Putina caviar and a collection of T-shirts with his image.[301Dell Inspiron 15z BatteryImage

Putin tries to create an outdoor, sporty, tough guy image in the media, demonstrating his physical capabilities and taking part in unusual or dangerous acts, such as extreme sports and interaction with wild animals.[302] For example, in 2007, the tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda published a huge photograph of a bare-chested Putin vacationing in the Siberian mountains under the headline: "Be Like Putin."[303] Dell Inspiron 1720 Battery

 Such photo ops are part of a public relations approach that, according to Wired, "deliberately cultivates the macho, take-charge superhero image".[3Dell Inspiron 1721 Battery

00] Some of the activities have been criticised for involving deception or being completely staged. Notable examples of Putin's macho adventures include:[304] Dell Inspiron 1750 Battery]

 

 

 

Vladimir Putin in Tuva, fishing in 2007. Putin often supports a tough guy image in the media.

Flying military jets. Putin flew a Sukhoi Su-27 fighter over Chechnya in 2000 and a Tu-160 supersonic heavy bomber on 16 August 2005 at MAKS Airshow.[304] Dell Latitude E6230 Battery  Dell Inspiron N7110 Battery

Martial arts. Putin demonstrated his martial art skills on a tatami at the Kodokan Institute in Tokyo on 5 September 2000 and has subsequently made further demonstrations.[304]

Adventures in the wild. On his trip to Tuva in August 2007, Putin was riding horses, rafting, fishing and swimming in a cold Siberian river (doing all that mostly bare-chested).[303] In August 2009 Putin repeated the experience.[305] Dell Latitude E6320 Battery  Descending in a deepwater submersible. On 1 August 2009 Putin descended 1395 m to the bottom of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake, on a MIR submersible accompanied by deepwater explorer Anatoly Sagalevich (who had been among the team which had reached the bottom at the North Pole in the Arktika 2007 expedition). From the bottom of Baikal Putin spoke to journalists via hydrophone.[306] Dell Latitude E6420 Battery  Dell Inspiron N7010D BatteryDell Inspiron N7010R Battery

 

Tranquilizing tigers. In 2008 Putin visited the Ussuri national park, where he sedated an Amur tiger with a tranquiliser gun and then helped measure its teeth and fit it with a tracker.[303] Claims were made later that the tiger was actually from the Khabarovsk Zoo and that it died soon after the stunt, but the suspected tiger named by the Khabarovsk Zoo workers[307] was found in late 2009 in Zelenogorsk,[308] while the claims of a stunt were denied by the scientists who organized the "safari".[309] Dell Latitude E6420 ATG Battery

Tranquilizing polar bears. In April 2010 Putin traveled to Franz Josef Land in the Russian Arctic, where he tranquilized a polar bear and attached a satellite tag to him.[310]

Riding a motorbike. In July 2010 Putin appeared at a Bikers festival in Sevastopol riding a Harley-Davidson tricycle; the high council of Russian bikers movements unanimously voted him into a Hells Angel rank with the nickname of Abaddon.[3Dell Latitude E6420M Battery  04][311] Putin's associations with motorcycle gangs led to him being accidentally placed on a blacklist of banned people in Finland.[312]

Firefighting from the air. In August 2010, Russian TV broadcasted video of Putin co-piloting a firefighting plane Beriev Be-200 to dump water on a raging fire during the 2010 Russian wildfires.[300][304] Dell Latitude E6420 XFR Battery

 

 

Putin driving a Formula 1 car, 2010 (see the video).

Shooting darts at whales. In late August 2010 Putin shot darts from a crossbow at a gray whale off Kamchatka Peninsula coast as part of an eco-tracking effort, while balancing on a rubber boat in the sea.[304][313] Dell Inspiron M301ZD BatteryDell Inspiron N5110 BatteryDell Inspiron N7010 Battery

Driving a race car. Putin tested a Formula 1 car on 7 November 2010 in Saint Petersburg, reaching a maximum speed of 240 km per hour.[304][314]

Scuba diving. Putin took part in scuba diving at the archaeological site of the ancient Greek colony of Phanagoria in the Taman Bay on 11 August 2011.[31Dell Inspiron M301ZR Battery5] During the dive he "discovered" two amphorae and emerged from the sea exclaiming to television cameras "Treasure!" In October 2011, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told media: "Putin did not find the amphorae on the sea bed that had been lying there for thousands of years [Dell Inspiron M4110 BatteryDell Inspiron N5010R Battery...] They were found during an [archaeological] expedition several weeks or days beforehand. Of course they were then left there [for him to find] or placed there. It is a completely normal thing to do."[316] Dell Inspiron M501 BatteryDell Inspiron N5010D Battery

Leading endangered cranes. Putin attempted to help endangered Siberian cranes begin their migration routes by leading them through the air in a motorized hang glider. Initially, the birds did not follow him. Putin blamed this outcome on strong winds.[317]

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Catching big fish. In July 2013 Putin was pictured in Tuva, Siberia, holding up a large pike that he 'caught' and which the Kremlin claimed weighed 21kg, a very large amount for that species. Many media outlets and internet users questioned whether the fish could have weighed that much.[318] Dell Inspiron M5010D BatteryDell Inspiron N4050 BatteryDell Inspiron N4110 BatteryDell Inspiron N5010 Battery Some bloggers also pointed out that Putin's fishing trip wasn't on the official schedule and that he was photographed wearing clothing identical to that worn during a previous trip to the region.[319]

Singing and painting

 

 

Putin playing and then singing Blueberry Hill at a charity concert. Dell Inspiron M5010R Battery

On 11 December 2010, at a concert organized for a children's charity in Saint Petersburg, Putin sang Blueberry Hill accompanying himself on the piano. The concert was attended by various Hollywood and European stars such as Kevin Costner, Dell Inspiron M501D BatterySharon Stone, Alain Delon, and Gerard Depardieu.[320][321] At the same event Putin played "С чего начинается Родина?" (From What the Motherland Begins?, a patriotic song from Putin's favourite spy movie "Щит и меч", The Shield and the Sword).[3Dell Inspiron M5110 Battery21] Putin also played or sang that song on a number of other occasions,[322] such as a meeting with the Russian spies deported from the U.S., including Anna Chapman.[323Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Battery] Another melody which Putin is known to play on the piano is the Anthem of Saint Petersburg, his native city.[324]

Putin's painting "Узор на заиндевевшем окне" (A Pattern on a Hoarfrost-Encrusted Window), which he had painted during the Christmas Fair on 26 December 2008, became the top lot at the charity auction in Saint Petersburg and sold for 37 million rubles.[325Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Battery] The picture was made for a series of other paintings by famous Russians. The painters were required to illustrate one of the letters of the Russian alphabet with a subject connected to Nikolay Gogol's novel Christmas Eve Dell Inspiron Mini 10 BatteryDell Inspiron N4010R Battery (the 200th anniversary from Gogol's birth was celebrated in 2008). Putin's picture depicted a hoarfrost pattern (Russian: Узор, illustrating the Cyrillic letter У) on a window with curtains sewn with traditional Ukrainian ornaments.[325Dell Inspiron Mini 1011 Battery] The creation of the painting coincided with the 2009 Russia-Ukraine gas dispute, which left a number of European states without Russian gas and amid January frosts.[237] Dell Inspiron Mini 1012 BatteryDell Inspiron N4010 BatteryDell Inspiron N4010D Battery

In popular culture

 

 

A scene from the Superputin comics

A Russian movie called A Kiss not for Press was premiered in 2008 on DVD. The movie is said to be based on biography of Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila.[326] Dobby, a house elf from Harry Potter film series, has been found to look like Putin,[327] and so was also Daniel Craig in his role of James Bond (he was the first blond actor to play James Bond).[328] Dell Inspiron mini 1018 Battery

There are a large number of songs about Putin.[329] Some of the more popular include:

Такого, как Путин – "[I Want] A Man Like Putin" by Singing Together[330]

Гороскоп (Путин, не ссы!) – "Horoscope (Putin, Don't Piss!)" by Uma2rman[331]

ВВП – "VVP" by a Tajik singer Tolibjon Kurbankhanov (Толибджон Курбанханов)[332][333]

Our Madhouse is Voting for Putin by Working Faculty. Dell Inspiron Mini 10v BatteryDell Inspiron N3110 Battery

Putin also is a subject of Russian jokes and chastushki, such as the popular "[Before Putin] There Was No Orgasm" featured in the comedy film The Day of Elections.[334] There is a meta-joke, that since the coming of Putin to power, all the classic jokes about a smart yet rude boy called Вовочка (Vovochka, diminutive from Vladimir) have suddenly become political jokes. Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Battery

Putin features in the colouring book for children Vova and Dima (presented on his 59th birthday),[335] where he and Dmitry Medvedev are drawn as good-behaving little boys, and in the Superputin online comics series, where Putin and Medvedev are portrayed first as superheroes,[300] and then as a troll and an orc in the World of Warcraft.[336] Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Battery

Vladimir Putin was portrayed by internet personality Nice Peter in his Youtube series Epic Rap Battles of History, in Season 2's finale episode, "Rasputin vs. Stalin" (aired on April 22, 2013).[337]

Personal life Dell Inspiron Mini 9N Battery

Family

See also: Lyudmila Putina

 

 

Lyudmila Putina in 2007

On 28 July 1983 Putin married Kaliningrad-born Lyudmila Shkrebneva, at that time an undergraduate student of the Spanish branch of the Philology Department of the Leningrad State University and a former Aeroflot flight attendant. Dell Inspiron N301 Battery

 They lived together in Germany from 1985 to 1990. During this time, according to BND archives, a German spy befriended Putina, who said that Putin beat her and had love affairs.[338] When the couple left Germany in 1990 it was rumoured that Putin left behind an illegitimate child.[338] Putina is now rarely seen with Putin[339][340Dell Latitude E6330 Battery

] and there have been rumours, according to the Daily Mail and other newspapers, that the couple have separated.[339][340][341] Putin has been linked by newspapers with other women, including gymnast Alina Kabayeva[339Dell Latitude E6430 Battery

][340] and ex-spy Anna Chapman.[341][342] These rumours have been denied.[343][344] Vladimir Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, announced on June 6, 2013 that their marriage is over, ending years of speculation about their relationship. Dell Latitude E6430s Battery  Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no official divorce had been drawn up yet, and he did not know when it would be, but he attached little importance to the formality.[345] Dell Latitude E5220 Battery

Putin and his wife have two daughters, Mariya Putina (born 28 April 1985 in Leningrad, Soviet Union) and Yekaterina Putina (born 31 August 1986 in Dresden, East Germany). The daughters grew up in East Germany[346] and attended the German School in Moscow until his appointment as Prime Minister. Dell Latitude E5420 Battery  After that they studied international economics at the Finance Academy in Moscow, although it was not officially reported due to security reasons.[citation needed] According to the Daily Mail, Dell Latitude E5520 Batterytheir photographs have never been published by the Russian media, and no family portrait has ever been issued.[341] According to an article in the newspaper De Pers Mariya is married to the Dutchman Jorrit Faassen.[347][348] Today they live in Voorschoten, Netherlands.[349] Dell Inspiron N3010 Battery

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Personal wealth and residences

Figures released during the legislative election of 2007 put Putin's wealth at approximately 3.7 million rubles ($150,000) in bank accounts, a private 77.4-square-meter (833 sq ft) apartment in Saint Petersburg, 260 shares of Bank Saint Petersburg (with a December 2007 market price $5.36 per share[3Dell Inspiron N3010D Battery50]) and two 1960s-era Volga M21 cars that he inherited from his father and does not register for on-road use. In 2012 Putin reported an income of 3.6 million rubles ($113,000). This has led opponents, such as politician Boris Nemtsov, to question how Putin can afford certain possessions, such as his 11 luxury watches worth an estimated $700,000.[351] Dell Inspiron N3010R Battery

 

An Italianate palace on Russia's southern Black Sea coast allegedly built for Vladimir Putin's personal use.[352]

Putin's purported 2006 income totalled 2 million rubles (approximately $80,000).[353] According to the data Putin did not make it into the 100 wealthiest Duma candidates of his own United Russia party.[354] Dell Inspiron N301Z Battery

Unconfirmed claims by some Russian opposition politicians and journalists allege that Putin secretly possesses a large fortune (as much as $40 billion) via successive ownership of stakes in a number of Russian companies.[355][3Dell Inspiron N301ZD Battery

 

56] Asked at a press conference on 14 February 2008 whether he was the richest person in Europe, as some newspapers claimed; and if so, to state the source of his wealth, Putin said "This is plain chatter, not worthy discussion, plain bosh. They have picked this in their noses and have smeared this across their pieces of paper. This is how I view this."[357] Dell Studio 1436 Battery

 

Read more

 

Vladimir Putin and Barack Hussein Obama

Putin was born on 7 October 1952, in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (modern day Saint Petersburg, Russia),[25] to parents Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin (1911–1999) and Maria Ivanovna Putina (née Shelomova; 1911–1998). His mother was a factory worker, and his father was a conscript in the Soviet Navy, where he served in the submarine fleet in the early 1930s, and later served in the NKVD during World War II.[26][27Sony PCG-41313M battery

 

Sony VGP-BPL20 battery][28][29] Two elder brothers were born in the mid-1930s; one died within a few months of birth, while the second succumbed to diphtheria during the siege of Leningrad in World War II.

 

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Putin with his mother, Maria Ivanovna, in July 1958

Vladimir Putin's paternal grandfather, Spiridon Ivanovich Putin (1879–1965), was employed at Vladimir Lenin's dacha at Gorki as a cook, and after Lenin's death in 1924, he continued to work for Lenin's wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya. Sony PCG-41314M battery

 

Sony VPCZ21Q9E batteryHe would later cook for Joseph Stalin when the Soviet leader visited one of his dachas in the Moscow region. Spiridon later was employed at a dacha belonging to the Moscow City Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, at which the young Putin would visit him.[30] Sony PCG-41315M battery

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The ancestry of Vladimir Putin has been described as a mystery with no records surviving of any ancestors of any people with the surname "Putin" beyond his grandfather Spiridon Ivanovich.

His autobiography, Ot Pervogo Litsa (English: In the First Person),[26] Sony PCG-4R2M battery

 

Sony VPCZ13Z9E/X batterywhich is based on Putin's interviews, speaks of humble beginnings, including early years in a communal apartment in Leningrad. On 1 September 1960, he started at School No. 193 at Baskov Lane, Sony PCG-4U2M battery

 

Sony VPCZ13V9E battery just across from his house. By fifth grade he was one of a few in a class of more than 45 pupils who was not yet a member of the Pioneers, largely because of his rowdy behavior. In sixth grade he started taking sport seriously in the form of sambo and then judo. Sony PCG-6Z4M battery

 

Sony VPCZ13M9E/B battery In his youth, Putin was eager to emulate the intelligence officer characters played on the Soviet screen by actors such as Vyacheslav Tikhonov and Georgiy Zhzhonov.[31]

Putin graduated from the International Law branch of the Law Department of the Leningrad State University in 1975, writing his final thesis on international law.[ Sony PCG-6112M battery

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32] His PhD thesis was titled "The Strategic Planning of Regional Resources Under the Formation of Market Relations" and it argued that Russian economic success would depend on creating national energy champions.[33Sony PCG-6122M battery

 

Sony VPCZ13 battery] While at university he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and remained a member until the party was dissolved in December 1991.[34] Also at the University he met Anatoly Sobchak who later played an important role in Putin's career. Sony PCG-6123M battery

Sony PCG-6124M battery Anatoly Sobchak was at the time an Assistant Professor and lectured Putin's class on Business Law (khozyaystvennoye pravo).[35]

KGB career

 

 

 

Putin in KGB uniform

Putin joined the KGB in 1975 upon graduation, and underwent a year's training at the 401st KGB school in Okhta[disambiguation needed], Leningrad. He then went on to work briefly in the Second Chief Directorate (counter-intelligence) Sony VPCZ11 battery

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before he was transferred to the First Chief Directorate, where among his duties was the monitoring of foreigners and consular officials in Leningrad.[36][37]

From 1985 to 1990, the KGB stationed Putin in Dresden, East Germany.[38] Following the collapse of the East German government, Putin was recalled to the Soviet Union and returned to Leningrad, where in June 1991 he assumed a position with the International Affairs section of Leningrad State University, reporting to Vice-Rector Yuriy Molchanov.[ Sony VPCZ11X9E/B battery

Sony VPCZ11Z9E battery

 

 

 

37] In his new position, Putin maintained surveillance on the student body and kept an eye out for recruits. It was during his stint at the university that Putin grew reacquainted with his former professor Anatoly Sobchak, then mayor of Leningrad.[39] Sony VPCZ11Z9E/B battery

 

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Putin finally resigned from the active state security services with the rank of Lieutenant colonel on 20 August 1991 (with some attempts to resign made earlier),[39] on the second day of the KGB-supported abortive putsch against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.[40] Putin later explained his decision: "As soon as the coup began, Sony VPCZ12C7E/B battery

 

Sony VPCZ12Z9E/B batteryI immediately decided which side I was on", though he also noted that the choice was hard because he had spent the best part of his life with "the organs".[41]

Early political career

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Saint Petersburg administration

In May 1990, Putin was appointed Mayor Sobchak's advisor on international affairs. On 28 June 1991, he was appointed head of the Committee for External Relations of the Saint Petersburg Mayor's Office, Sony VPCZ12M9E/B battery

 

Sony VPCZ12X9E/B battery with responsibility for promoting international relations and foreign investments. The Committee also registered business ventures in Saint Petersburg. Less than one year later, Putin was investigated by a commission of the city legislative council. Commission deputies Marina Salye and Yury Gladkov concluded that Putin understated prices and permitted the export of metals valued at $93 million, in exchange for foreign food aid that never arrived.[42][ Sony VPCZ12V9E battery

Sony VPCZ12V9E/B battery43] Despite the commission's recommendation that Putin be fired, Putin remained head of the Committee for External Relations until 1996.[44][45] Sony VGN-TT battery

 

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From 1994 to 1997, Putin was appointed to other positions in Saint Petersburg. In March 1994, he became first deputy head of the city administration. From 1995 through June 1997, he led the Saint Petersburg branch of the pro-government Our Home Is Russia political party.[46

 

Sony VGN-Z51XG/B battery] From 1995 through June 1997 he was also the head of the Advisory Board of the JSC Newspaper Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti.[46]

Moscow career

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Putin as FSB director, 1998

In 1996, Anatoly Sobchak lost the Saint Petersburg mayoral election to Vladimir Yakovlev. Putin was called to Moscow and in June 1996 became a Deputy Chief of the Presidential Property Management Department headed by Pavel Borodin. Sony VGP-BPL14/B battery

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Sony VGN-Z51MG/B batteryHe occupied this position until March 1997. During his tenure Putin was responsible for the foreign property of the state and organized transfer of the former assets of the Soviet Union and Communist Party to the Russian Federation.[35] Sony VGP-BPS14 battery

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On 26 March 1997, President Boris Yeltsin appointed Putin deputy chief of Presidential Staff, which he remained until May 1998, and chief of the Main Control Directorate of the Presidential Property Management Department (until June 1998). His predecessor on this position was Alexei Kudrin and the successor was Nikolai Patrushev, both future prominent politicians and Putin's associates.[35]

On 27 June 1997, at the Saint Petersburg Mining Institute, guided by rector Vladimir Litvinenko, Putin defended his Candidate of Science dissertation in economics, titled "The Strategic Planning of Regional Resources Under the Formation of Market Relations".[47] When Putin later became president, the dissertation became a target of plagiarism accusations by fellows at the Brookings Institution; though the allegedly plagiarised study was referenced to[48][49] the authors of the allegation felt sure it constituted plagiarism, though they were unsure as to whether it was "intentional";[48][50] the dissertation committee denied the accusations.[49] In his dissertation,[citation needed] and in a later article published in 1999, Putin advocated the idea of so-called National champions, a concept that would later become central to his political thinking.

On 25 May 1998, Putin was appointed First Deputy Chief of Presidential Staff for regions, replacing Viktoriya Mitina; and, on 15 July, the Head of the Commission for the preparation of agreements on the delimitation of power of regions and the federal center attached to the President, replacing Sergey Shakhray. Sony VGP-BPS14/S battery

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Sony VGN-Z51XTG/B batteryAfter Putin's appointment, the commission completed no such agreements, although during Shakhray's term as the Head of the Commission there were 46 agreements signed.[51Sony VGN-Z11WN/B battery

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Sony VGN-Z31XN/B battery] Later, after becoming President Putin canceled all those agreements.[35]

On 25 July 1998, Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin head of the FSB (one of the successor agencies to the KGB), the position Putin occupied until August 1999. Sony VGN-Z21MN/B battery

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Sony VGP-BPS12/Q batteryHe became a permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on 1 October 1998 and its Secretary on 29 March 1999. Sony VGN-Z21 battery

 

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First Premiership (1999)

 

On 9 August 1999, Vladimir Putin was appointed one of three First Deputy Prime Ministers, which enabled him later on that day, as the previous government led by Sergei Stepashin had been sacked, to be appointed acting Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation by President Boris Yeltsin.[5Sony VGN-Z21XN battery

2] Yeltsin also announced that he wanted to see Putin as his successor. Later, that same day, Putin agreed to run for the presidency.[5Sony VGN-Z21ZN/X battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS12 battery3] On 16 August, the State Duma approved his appointment as Prime Minister with 233 votes in favour (vs. 84 against, 17 abstained),[54] while a simple majority of 226 was required, making him Russia's fifth PM in fewer than eighteen months. Sony VGN-Z31 battery

 

Sony VGP-BPL12 batteryOn his appointment, few expected Putin, virtually unknown to the general public, to last any longer than his predecessors. He was initially regarded as a Yeltsin loyalist; like other prime ministers of Boris Yeltsin, Putin did not choose ministers himself, his cabinet being determined by the presidential administration.[55] Sony VGN-Z31MN/B battery

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Yeltsin's main opponents and would-be successors, Moscow Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov and former Chairman of the Russian Government Yevgeniy Primakov, were already campaigning to replace the ailing president, and they fought hard to prevent Putin's emergence as a potential successor. Sony VGN-Z31WN/B battery

Putin's law-and-order image and his unrelenting approach to the renewed crisis in the North Caucasus, which started when the Islamic International Brigade based in Chechnya invaded a neighboring region starting the War in Dagestan, soon combined to raise Putin's popularity and allowed him to overtake all rivals. Sony VGN-Z31ZN/B battery

 

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While not formally associated with any party, Putin pledged his support to the newly formed Unity Party,[56] which won the second largest percentage of the popular vote (23.3%) in the December 1999 Duma elections, and in turn he was supported by it. Sony VGN-Z51 battery

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Acting Presidency

 

 

Putin landing in Grozny in a Su-27 fighter jet (20 March 2000)

On 31 December 1999, Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned and, according to the constitution, Putin became Acting President of the Russian Federation. On assuming this role, Putin went on a previously scheduled visit to Russian troops in Chechnya.[citation needed] Sony SVE1511A1EW battery
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The first Presidential Decree that Putin signed, on 31 December 1999, was titled "On guarantees for former president of the Russian Federation and members of his family".[57][58] This ensured that "corruption charges against the outgoing President and his relatives" Sony SVE1511K1E battery

Sony SVE1513Q1E batterywould not be pursued, although this claim is not strictly verifiable.[clarification needed][59] Later, on 12 February 2001, Putin signed a federal law on guarantees for former presidents and their families, which replaced the similar decree. Sony SVE1511L1E battery

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While his opponents had been preparing for an election in June 2000, Yeltsin's resignation resulted in the Presidential elections being held within three months, on 26 March 2000; Putin won in the first round with 53% of the vote.[60] Sony SVE1511M1E battery

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First Presidential term (2000–2004)

 

Vladimir Putin was inaugurated president on 7 May 2000. He appointed Minister of Finance Mikhail Kasyanov as his Prime minister. Having announced his intention to consolidate power in the country into a strict vertical, Sony SVE1511P1E battery

Sony SVE1513D1E battery in May 2000 he issued a decree dividing 89 federal subjects of Russia between 7 federal districts overseen by representatives of his in order to facilitate federal administration.

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Putin taking the presidential oath with Boris Yeltsin looking on (7 May 2000)

During his first term in office, he moved to curb the political ambitions of some of the Yeltsin-era oligarchs such as former Kremlin insider Boris Berezovsky, who had "helped Mr. Putin enter the family, and funded the party that formed Mr. Putin's parliamentary base", according to BBC profile.[61] Sony SVE1511V1E battery

Sony SVE1513C5E battery [62] At the same time, according to Vladimir Solovyev, it was Alexey Kudrin who was instrumental in Putin's assignment to the Presidential Administration of Russia to work with Pavel Borodin,[63] and according to Solovyev, Berezovsky was proposing Igor Ivanov rather than Putin as a new president.[64][65] Sony SVE1511W1E battery
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Between 2000 and 2004, and ending following the Yukos-affair, Putin apparently won a power-struggle with the oligarchs, reaching a 'grand-bargain' with them. This bargain allowed the oligarchs to maintain most of their powers, in exchange for their explicit support - and alignment with - his government.[66][67] Sony SVE1512C6E battery
 

A new group of business magnates, such as Gennady Timchenko, Vladimir Yakunin, Yuriy Kovalchuk, Sergey Chemezov, with close personal ties to Putin, also emerged.

Russia's legal reform continued productively during Putin's first term. In particular, Putin succeeded in the codification of land law and tax law, Sony SVE1512J1E battery
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Sony SVE1512M1E battery where progress had been slow during Yeltsin's administration, because of Communist and oligarch opposition, respectively. Other legal reforms included new codes on labour, administrative, criminal, commercial and civil procedural law, as well as a major statute on the Bar.[22] Sony SVE1711R1E battery

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The first major challenge to Putin's popularity came in August 2000, when he was criticised for his alleged mishandling of the Kursk submarine disaster.[68]

In December 2000, Putin sanctioned the law to change the National Anthem of Russia. At the time the Anthem had music by Glinka and no words. Sony SVE1711F1E battery
The change was to restore (with a minor modification) the music of the post-1944 Soviet anthem by Alexandrov, while the new text was composed by Sergey Mikhalkov, who previously had authored the lyrics of the two versions of the Soviet anthem.[69][70] Sony SVE1711X1E battery
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Putin with John Paul II in the Vatican City (5 June 2000)

Many in the Russian press and in the international media warned that the death of some 130 hostages in the special forces' rescue operation during the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis would severely damage President Putin's popularity. However, Sony SVE1712Z1E battery

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 shortly after the siege had ended, the Russian president was enjoying record public approval ratings – 83% of Russians declared themselves satisfied with Putin and his handling of the siege.[71] Sony SVE1713C5E battery

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A few months before the elections, Putin fired Kasyanov's cabinet and appointed Mikhail Fradkov to his place. Sergey Ivanov became the first civilian in Russia to take Defense Minister position.

In 2003, a referendum was held in Chechnya adopting a new constitution which declares the Republic as a part of Russia. Sony SVE1713S1E battery
Chechnya has been gradually stabilized with the establishment of the parliamentary elections and a regional government.[72][73] Throughout the war Russia has severely disabled the Chechen rebel movement, although sporadic violence continued to occur throughout the North Caucasus.[74] Sony SVE1511A1EB battery

Sony SVE1511W1ESI batterySecond Presidential term (2004–2008)

 

 

 

Putin speaking at the 2005 Victory Day Parade on Red Square. Saint Basil's Cathedral is on the background.

On 14 March 2004, Putin was elected to the presidency for a second term, receiving 71% of the vote.[60] Sony SVE14A1S1EB battery

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The Beslan school hostage crisis took place in September 2004, in which hundreds died. Among the administrative measures taken after that terrorist act, Putin launched an initiative to replace the direct election of the Governors and Presidents of the Federal subjects of Russia with a system whereby they would be nominated by the President and approved or disapproved by regional legislatures.[75][7Sony SVE14A1S1EP battery
6] In 2005 Putin created the Public Chamber of Russia.

In 2005, the National Priority Projects were launched to improve Russia's health care, education, housing and agriculture. Sony SVE1511Q1EB battery
Sony SVE1511R9ESI battery The most high-profile change within the national priority project frameworks was probably the 2006 across-the-board increase in wages in healthcare and education, as well as the decision to modernise equipment in both sectors in 2006 and 2007.[77] Sony SVE1511A1E battery

Sony SVS13A1S9E battery In his May 2006 annual speech, Putin announced increasing maternity benefits and state support of prenatal care for women. By 2012 the demographic programmes of the government led to a 45% increase in second child births by women, and a 60% increase in third, fourth etc. births.[78] Sony SVE1511R9E battery
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Putin with Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel in March 2008

The continued criminal prosecution of Russia's then richest man, President of YUKOS company Mikhail Khodorkovsky, for fraud and tax evasion was seen by the international press as a retaliation for Khodorkovsky's donations to both liberal and communist opponents of the Kremlin. Sony SVE1513A4E battery
 

 

The government said that Khodorkovsky was corrupting a large segment of the Duma to prevent tax code changes such as taxes on windfall profits and closing offshore tax evasion vehicles. Khodorkovsky was arrested, Sony SVE1513B1E battery

Sony VPCCA3E1E battery Yukos was bunkrupted and the company's assets were auctioned at below-market value, with the largest share acquired by the state company Rosneft.[79] The fate of Yukos was seen in the West as a sign of a broader shift of Russia towards a system of state capitalism.[80][81] Sony SVE1513B4E battery
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A study by Bank of Finland's Institute for Economies in Transition (BOFIT) in 2008 found that state intervention had made a positive impact on the corporate governance of many companies in Russia: the governance was better in companies with state control or with a stake held by the government.[82] Sony SVE1513V1E battery

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George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin take a sunset walk on a pier along the Black Sea, 5 April 2008

Putin was criticized in the West and also by Russian liberals for what many observers considered a wide-scale crackdown on media freedom in Russia. On 7 October 2006, Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist who exposed corruption in the Russian army and its conduct in Chechnya, was shot in the lobby of her apartment building. Sony SVE1713Z1E battery

Sony VPCCB2M1E battery
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Sony VPCCB3 battery The death of Politkovskaya triggered an outcry in Western media, with accusations that, at best, Putin has failed to protect the country's new independent media.[83][84] When asked about the Politkovskaya murder in his interview with the German TV channel ARD, Putin said that her murder brings much more harm to the Russian authorities than her writing.[8Sony SVE17 battery

Sony VPCCB2M0E battery5] By 2012 the performers of the murder were arrested and named Boris Berezovsky and Akhmed Zakayev as a possible clients.[86] Sony VPCCA1C5E battery
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In 2007, "Dissenters' Marches" were organized by the opposition group The Other Russia,[87] led by former chess champion Garry Kasparov and national-Bolshevist leader Eduard Limonov. Following prior warnings, demonstrations in several Russian cities were met by police action, Sony VPCCA2 battery
which included interfering with the travel of the protesters and the arrests of as many as 150 people who attempted to break through police lines.[88] The Dissenters' Marches have received little support among the Russian general public, according to polls.[89] Sony VPCCA2S0E battery

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On 12 September 2007, Putin dissolved the government upon the request of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Fradkov commented that it was to give the President a "free hand" in the run-up to the parliamentary election. Viktor Zubkov was appointed the new prime minister.[90]

In December 2007, Sony VPCCA2Z0E battery
Sony VPCCA3 battery United Russia won 64.24% of the popular vote in their run for State Duma according to election preliminary results.[91] United Russia's victory in December 2007 elections was seen by many as an indication of strong popular support of the then Russian leadership and its policies.[92][93] Sony SVS13A1X9E battery
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On 8 February 2008, Putin delivered a speech before the expanded session of the State Council headlined "On the Strategy of Russia's Development until 2020".[94] In his last days in office Putin was reported to have taken a series of steps to re-align the regional bureaucracy to make the governors report to the prime minister rather than the president.[95Sony SVS1312P9E battery

Sony VPCSB1X9E battery][96] The presidential site explained that "the changes... bear a refining nature and do not affect the essential positions of the system. The key role in estimating the effectiveness of activity of regional authority still belongs to President of the Russian Federation."

Second Premiership (2008–2012) Sony SVS1312S9E battery
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Main article: Vladimir Putin's Second Cabinet

 

 

Vladimir Putin with Dmitry Medvedev

Putin was barred from a third term by the Constitution. First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was elected his successor. On 8 May 2008, only a day after handing the presidency to Medvedev, Putin was appointed Prime Minister of Russia, maintaining his political dominance.[97] Sony SVS1313S9E battery

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The 2008-2009 world crisis hit the Russian economy especially hard, interrupting the flow of cheap Western credit and investments. This coincided with tension in relationships with the EU and the U.S. following the 2008 South Ossetia war, in which Russia defeated the U.S. and NATO ally Georgia.
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However, the large financial reserves, accumulated in the Stabilization Fund of Russia in the previous period of high oil prices, alongside the strong management helped the country to cope with the crisis and resume economic growth since mid-2009. Sony SVS1511S9E battery
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Sony SVS13 batteryThe Russian government's anti-crisis measures have been praised by the World Bank, which said in its Russia Economic Report from November 2008: "prudent fiscal management and substantial financial reserves have protected Russia from deeper consequences of this external shock. The government's policy response so far—swift, comprehensive, and coordinated—has helped limit the impact."[ Sony VPCSB battery
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98] Putin himself named the overcoming of consequences of the world economic crisis one of the two main achievements of his 2nd Premiership[78] (the other named achievement being the stabilisation of the size of Russia's population between 2008-2011 following the long period of demographic collapse started in the 1990s).[78] Sony SVS13A1Y9E battery
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At the United Russia Congress in Moscow on 24 September 2011, Medvedev officially proposed that Putin stand for the Presidency in 2012; an offer which Putin accepted. Given United Russia's near-total dominance of Russian politics, Sony SVS1311F3E battery
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Sony SVS15 batterymany observers believed that Putin was all but assured of a third term. The move was expected to see Medvedev stand on the United Russia ticket in the parliamentary elections in December, with a goal of becoming Prime Minister at the end of his presidential term.[99Sony SVS1311K9E battery
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After the parliamentary elections on 4 December 2011, tens of thousands Russians engaged in protests against alleged electoral fraud, the largest protests in Putin's time; protesters criticized Putin and United Russia and demanded annulment of the election results.[100] However, those protests, organized by the leaders of the Russian "non-systemic opposition", sparked the fear of a colour revolution in society, and a number of "anti-Orange" counter-protests (the name alludes to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine) and rallies of Putin supporters were carried out, surpassing in scale the opposition protests.[101][102][103]

Third Presidential term (2012–present)

 

 

 

Putin taking the presidential oath at his 3rd inauguration ceremony (7 May 2012)

On 4 March 2012, Putin won the 2012 Russian presidential elections in the first round, with 63.6% of the vote.[60] Sony SVS1311N9E battery
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While extraordinary measures were taken to make the elections transparent, including the usage of webcams on the vast majority of polling stations, the vote was criticized by Russian opposition and some international bodies for perceived irregularities.[citation needed]. Several heads of states around the world congratulated Putin on winning elections. Sony SVS1311S9E battery

Sony vgp-bps24 batteryChinese Premier Hu Jintao congratulated Vladimir Putin on taking office as Russian president, and wished the Russian people greater achievements in developing their country under Putin's leadership.[1Sony SVS1313P9E battery
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Sony VPCSE2E1E battery04] The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh said "Your success in these elections is an affirmation by the Russian people of your vision of a strong, prosperous and democratic Russia," Sony SVS1511Q9E battery

Sony VPCSE2C5E batteryand added that he "deeply appreciated the personal commitment and attention that you have brought to nurturing the India-Russia strategic partnership over the last 12 years".[105] The President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari called the election results a "resounding victory".[1
Sony VPCSE1X9E battery06] Venezuela President Hugo Chavez personally congratulated Putin on his victory, calling Putin "a driving force behind strategic ties of cooperation between Venezuela and Russia."[107]
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Anti-Putin protests took place during and directly after the presidential campaign. The most notorious protest was the 21 February Pussy Riot performance, and subsequent trial.[108] As well, an estimated 8,000-20,000 protesters gathered in Moscow on 6 May.[109][110] On 6 May, eighty people were injured in confrontations with police,[111] Sony SVS1511S2C battery
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Sony SVS1511V9E battery 450 were arrested, with another 120 arrests taking place the following day.[112]

Putin was inaugurated in the Kremlin on 7 May 2012. On his first day as President, Putin issued 14 Presidential decrees, including a lengthy one stating wide-ranging goals for the Russian economy. Other decrees concerned education, housing, skilled-labor training, Sony SVE171A11M battery

Sony SVS1511W9EB battery relations with the European Union, the defense industry, inter-ethnic relations, and other policy areas dealt with in Putin's programme articles issued during the Presidential campaign.[113][114] Sony SVE151C11M battery

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In 2012 and 2013, Putin and the United Russia backed stricter legislation against the rights of the LGBT community in Russia, first in Saint Petersburg, Archangelsk and Novosibirsk, but a law against "homosexual propaganda"Sony SVE1711T1EB battery

Sony SVS1511V9EB battery (which prohibits such symbols as the rainbow flag as well as published works containing homosexual content) was adopted by State Duma in June 2013.[115][116][117][118][119]

In June 2013 Putin attended a televised rally of the All-Russia People's Front where he was elected head of the movement,[120Sony SVE1711K1EW battery

Sony SVS1511T9ES battery] which was set up in 2011.[121] According to journalist Steve Rosenberg, the movement is intended to "reconnect the Kremlin to the Russian people" and one day, if necessary, replace the increasingly unpopular United Russia party that currently backs Putin.[122] Sony SVE1711V1EB battery
 

Policies

 

Domestic policies

See also: Sovereign democracy and Putinism

Putin's domestic policies, especially early in his first presidency, were aimed at creating a strict "vertical of power". On 13 May 2000, Sony SVE1711X1EB battery
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he issued a decree dividing the 89 federal subjects of Russia between 7 federal districts overseen by representatives named by himself in order to facilitate federal administration. Putin also pursued a policy of enlargement of federal subjects: Sony SVE1511G1ESI battery
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Sony SVS1511N3ES batterytheir number was reduced from 89 in 2000 to the present 83 after the autonomous okrugs of Russia were merged with their parent subjects.

 

 

On 13 May 2000, Putin divided Russia into 7 federal districts. On 19 January 2010, the new 8th North Caucasian Federal District (shown here in purple) was split from Southern Federal District.

According to Stephen White, Russia under the presidency of Putin made it clear that it had no intention of establishing a "second edition" Sony SVE1511S1EW battery
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of the American or British political system, but rather a system that was closer to Russia's own traditions and circumstances.[123] Putin's administration has often been described as a "sovereign democracy".[124Sony SVE1511S1EB battery
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Sony SVS1511M3EW battery] First proposed by Vladislav Surkov in February 2006, the term quickly gained currency within Russia and arguably unified various political elites around it. According to its proponents, the government's actions and policies ought above all to enjoy popular support within Russia itself and not be determined from outside the country.[125][ Sony SVE1511H1EW battery
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Sony SVS1511L3ES battery126]

In July 2000, according to a law proposed by him and approved by the Federal Assembly of Russia, Putin gained the right to dismiss heads of the federal subjects. In 2004, the direct election of governors by popular vote was ended. This was seen by Putin as a necessary move to stop separatist tendencies and get rid of those governors who were connected with organised crime.[127Sony SVE1511J1EW battery

Sony SVS1311P9EB battery] The measure proved to be temporary: in 2012, as proposed by Putin's successor Dmitry Medvedev, the direct election of governors was re-introduced.[128] Along with the return of elected governors, Medvedev's reforms also simplified the registration of political parties and reduced the number of signatures required by non-parliamentary parties and independent candidates to participate in elections,[128Sony VPCCA4S1E battery

Sony SVS1311E3EW battery] thus reverting or further loosening the restrictions imposed by previous Putin-endorsed legislation. Notably, the tough electoral legislation has been among the government actions effected under Putin's presidency that have been criticised by many independent Russian media outlets and Western commentators as anti-democratic.[129
Sony SVS151A12M battery][130]

During his first term in office, Putin moved to curb the political ambitions of some of the Yeltsin-era oligarchs, resulting in the exile or imprisonment of such people as Boris Berezovsky, Vladimir Gusinsky, Mikhail Khodorkovsky; other oligarchs soon joined Putin's camp.[citation needed]
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Putin presided over an intensified fight with organised crime and terrorism that resulted in two times lower murder rates by 2011,[131] as well as significant reduction in the numbers of terrorist acts by the late 2000s (decade).[132] Sony VPCCB3M1E battery
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Putin succeeded in codifying land law and tax law and promulgated new codes on labour, administrative, criminal, commercial and civil procedural law.[22] Under Medvedev's presidency, Putin's government implemented some key reforms in the area of state security, the Russian police reform and the Russian military reform. Sony VPCCA2S1E battery
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Economic policy

See also: Economy of Russia

 

 

Russian GDP since the end of the Soviet Union. The Russian term for GDP is ВВП (VVP) which coincides with the initials of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and is often used as a shortcut when writing or speaking about him. Sony SVS13AA11M battery
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Under the Putin administration the economy made real gains of an average 7% per year (2000: 10%, 2001: 5.1%, 2002: 4.7%, 2003: 7.3%, 2004: 7.2%, 2005: 6.4%, 2006: 8.2%, 2007: 8.5%),[133] making it the 7th largest economy in the world in purchasing power. Russia's nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Sony VPCSA3Q9E battery

Sony PCG-4121GM battery increased 6 fold, climbing from 22nd to 10th largest in the world. In 2007, Russia's GDP exceeded that of Russian SFSR in 1990, meaning it has overcome the devastating consequences of the 1998 financial crisis and preceding recession in the 1990s.[16] Sony VPCSB4S9E battery
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During Putin's eight years in office, industry grew by 76%, investments increased by 125%,[16] and agricultural production and construction increased as well. Real incomes more than doubled and the average monthly salary increased sevenfold from $80 to $640.[14][17] From 2000 to 2006 the volume of consumer credit increased 45 times[134]

Sony PCG-41414M battery [135] and the middle class grew from 8 million to 55 million. The number of people living below the poverty line decreased from 30% in 2000 to 14% in 2008.[16][136]

In 2001, Putin, who has advocated liberal economic policies, introduced a flat tax rate of 13%;[137][13
Sony PCG-41218M battery8] the corporate rate of tax was also reduced from 35 percent to 24 percent;[137] Small businesses also get better treatment. The old system with high tax rates has been replaced by a new system where companies can choose either a 6-percent tax on gross revenue or a 15-percent tax on profits.[13Sony VPCSE2F1E battery

Sony PCG-41213M battery7] The overall tax burden is lower in Russia than in most European countries.[139]

A central concept in Putin's economic thinking was the creation of so-called National champions, vertically integrated companies in strategic sectors that are expected not only to seek profit, but also to "advance the interests of the nation". Examples of such companies include Gazprom, Rosneft and United Aircraft Corporation.[140] Sony VPCSE2V9E battery
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Before the Putin era, in 1998, over 60% of industrial turnover in Russia was based on barter and various monetary surrogates. The use of such alternatives to money has now fallen out of favour, boosting economic productivity significantly. Besides raising wages and consumption, Putin's government has received broad praise also for eliminating this problem.[141] Sony PCG-4121EM battery
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Some oil revenue went to the stabilization fund established in 2004. The fund accumulated oil revenue, allowing Russia to repay all of the Soviet Union's debts by 2005. In early 2008, it was split into the Reserve Fund (designed to protect Russia from possible global financial shocks) and the National Welfare Fund, whose revenues will be used for a pension reform.[16] Dell XPS 14 battery
 

Inflation remained a problem however, as between 1999–2007 it was kept at the forecast ceiling only twice, and in 2007 the inflation exceeded that of 2006, continuing an upward trend at the beginning of 2008.[ Dell XPS 15 battery
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Dell XPS M2010 battery16] The Russian economy is still commodity-driven despite its growth. Payments from the fuel and energy sector in the form of customs duties and taxes accounted for nearly half of the federal budget's revenues. The large majority of Russia's exports are made up of raw materials and fertilizers,[16Dell XPS L401X battery

Dell XPS M1730 battery] although exports as a whole accounted for only 8.7% of the GDP in 2007, compared to 20% in 2000.[142]

In December 2011, after 15 years of negotiations, Russia finally joined the World Trade Organisation. The accession to WTO was expected to be ratified by Russian Parliament in the spring of 2012. Dell XPS L501X battery
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Industrial development

See also: Automotive industry in Russia, Petroleum industry in Russia, Aircraft industry of Russia, and Shipbuilding in Russia

 

 

Putin promotes the Lada Kalina brand driving through the recently opened Amur Highway in 2010.

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To boost the market share of locally produced vehicles and support the Russia's automotive industry, the government under Putin implemented several protectionist measures and launched programs to attract foreign producers into the country. In late 2005, the government enacted legislation to create special economic zones Dell XPS L701X battery

Dell XPS M140 battery (SEZ) with the aim of encouraging investments by foreign automotive companies. The benefits of operating in the special economic zones include tax allowances, abolishment of asset and land taxes and protection against changes in the tax regime. Some regions also provide extensive support for large investors (over $100 million.) These include Saint Petersburg/Leningrad Oblast, Dell XPS L702X battery
Kaluga Oblast and Kaliningrad Oblast.[143] Under Putin as President and Premier, most of the world's largest automotive companies opened plants in Russia, including Ford Motor Company, Toyota, General Motors, Nissan, Hyundai Motor, Suzuki, Magna International, Scania and MAN SE.

In 2005, Dell XPS M1210 battery
Dell XPS M1330 battery Putin initiated an industry consolidation programme to bring the main aircraft producing companies under a single umbrella organization, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). The aim was optimize production lines and minimise losses. The programme was divided in three parts: reorganization and crisis management (2007–2010), Dell Latitude E4200 battery
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evolution of existing projects (2010–2015) and further progress within the newly created structure (2015–2025).[144]

The UAC, one of the so-called national champions and comparable to EADS in Europe, enjoyed considerable financial support from the Russian government, and injected money to the companies it had acquired to improve their financial standing. The deliveries of civilian aircraft increased to 6 in 2005, Dell Latitude E5410 battery
 

Dell Latitude E5420 batteryand in 2009 the industry delivered 15 civilian aircraft, worth 12.5 billion roubles, mostly to domestic customers.[145] Since then Russia has successfully tested the fifth generation jet fighter, Sukhoi PAK FA, Dell Latitude E5510 battery
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Dell Latitude E5220 battery and started the commercial production of the regional airliner Sukhoi Superjet 100, as well as started developing a number of other major projects. Dell Latitude E6400 battery
 

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In a similar fashion, Putin created the United Shipbuilding Corporation in 2007, which led to the recovery[citation needed] of shipbuilding in Russia. Since 2006, much efforts were put into consolidation and development of the Rosatom Nuclear Energy State Corporation, Dell Latitude E6400 ATG battery
 

which led to the renewed construction of nuclear power plants in Russia as well as a vast activity of Rosatom abroad, buying huge shares in world's leading uranium production companies and building nuclear power plants in many countries, Dell Latitude E6500 battery
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Dell Latitude E6430 battery including Iran, China, Vietnam and Belarus.[citation needed] In 2007, the Russian Nanotechnology Corporation was established, aimed to boost the science and technology and high-tech industry in Russia.[146] Dell Latitude E4310 battery
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Energy policy

Main article: Energy policy of Russia

See also: Energy in Russia, Oil industry of Russia, and Nuclear power in Russia

 

 

Under Putin, Russia strengthened its position as a key oil and gas supplier to much of Europe.

In the 2000s (decade) Russia's oil and gas wealth was transformed into the country's well-being and international influence, and Russia was frequently been described in the media as an energy superpower.[23] Dell Latitude E6400 XFR battery

Dell Latitude E6320 batteryPutin oversaw that the growing taxation of oil and gas exports filled in the Russian budget, while oil and gas prices, production, and exports all significantly grew.

Putin sought to Russia's large share on the European energy market by building the submerged gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine and the New Europe (the countries which were often seen as non-reliable transit partners by Russia, especially following Russia-Ukraine gas disputes of the late 2000s (decade)). Dell Latitude E6410 battery

Dell Latitude E6230 battery The pipeline projects backed by Putin include the Blue Stream from Russia to Turkey (build on the Black Sea bed), Nord Stream from Russia to Germany (the longest sub-sea pipeline in the world, built through the Baltic Sea) and the planned South Stream from Russia to the Balkans and Italy (via the Black Sea). Dell Latitude E6410 ATG battery
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Dell Latitude E6220 battery Russia also undermined the rival pipeline project Nabucco by buying the Turkmen gas and redirecting it into Russian pipelines.

On the other hand Russia diversified its export markets by building the Trans-Siberian oil pipeline to the markets of China, Japan and Korea, as well as the Sakhalin–Khabarovsk–Vladivostok gas pipeline in the Russian Far East. Dell Latitude E6510 battery
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Dell Latitude E6210 battery Russia has built LNG plant on Sakhalin and is building another one in Primorye, aiming to increase the overseas gas exports. Meanwhile, in the Gulf of Finland Russia has built a major Ust-Luga port connected to the Baltic Pipeline System-II, which allowed to export oil without transit through the ports of the Baltic states. Sony PCG-41311M battery

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 The share of processed oil slowly grows with major oil refineries being built in Tatarstan and other regions of Russia.

Putin also presided over resuming the construction of major hydropower plants, such as the Bureya Dam and the Boguchany Dam, as well as the restoration of the nuclear industry of Russia, with some 1 trillion rubles ($42.7 billion) Sony PCG-41314M battery

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Sony VPCZ12Z9E/X batteryallocated from the federal budget to nuclear power and industry development before 2015.[147] A large number of nuclear power stations and units are currently being constructed by the state corporation Rosatom in Russia and abroad. Sony PCG-4R2M battery

 

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Arctic policy

Main article: Arctic policy of Russia

 

 

Putin aboard the battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy during the Northern Fleet manoeuvres in the Barents Sea, 2005.

Putin has sought to increase Russian military and economic presence in the Arctic. In August 2007, a Russian expedition named Arktika 2007, led by Artur Chilingarov, planted a Russian flag on the seabed below the North Pole to underline Russia's 2001 claim submission.[148] Sony PCG-4R2M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12X9E/B battery [148] In June 2008 General Vladimir Shamanov announced that Russia would increase the operational radius of its Northern Fleet submarines.[149] and in July 2011, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov announced plans for two brigades to be stationed in the Arctic.[150] Sony PCG-4U2M battery

 

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A construction program of floating nuclear power plants will provide power to Russian Arctic coastal cities and gas rigs. A 21,500-ton barge with twin 35-megawatt reactors, the Akademik Lomonosov, will go into operation in 2012.[151][15Sony PCG-6Z4M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12V9E battery2] The Prirazlomnoye field, an offshore oilfield in the Pechora Sea that will include up to 40 wells, is currently under construction and drilling is expected to start in early 2012. It will have the world's first ice-resistant oil platform and will also be the first offshore Arctic platform.[153][154] Sony PCG-6112M battery

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In August 2011 Rosneft, a Russian government-operated oil company, signed a deal with ExxonMobil to receive oil assets in exchange for the joint development of Russian Arctic resources by both companies.[15Sony PCG-6121M battery

 

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5] The agreement includes a $3.2 billion hydrocarbon exploration of the Kara and Black seas,[156] as well as joint development of ice-resistant drilling platforms and other Arctic technologies.[157] "The scale of the investment is very large. It’s scary to utter such huge figures" said Putin on signing the deal.[155]

Environmental policy

Main articles: Environment of Russia and Environmental issues in Russia

 

 

Putin uses a tranquilizer gun to sedate an Amur Tiger in the Ussuri Nature Reserve in Primorsky Krai, 2008. Sony PCG-6122M battery

 

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In 2004, President Putin signed the Kyoto Protocol treaty designed to reduce greenhouse gases.[158] However Russia did not face mandatory cuts, because the Kyoto Protocol limits emissions to a percentage increase or decrease from 1990 levels and Russia's greenhouse-gas emissions fell well below the 1990 baseline due to a drop in economic output after the breakup of the Soviet Union.[159] Sony PCG-6123M battery

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Putin personally supervises and/or promotes a number of protection programmes for rare and endangered animals in Russia:

The Amur Tiger Programme[160]

The White Whale Programme[161]

The Polar Bear Programme[162]

The Snow Leopard Programme[163]

Religious and national policy

Main article: Religion in Russia

Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism, defined by law as Russia's traditional religions and a part of Russia's "historical heritage"[16Sony VPCZ13 battery

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Sony VPCZ11Z9E battery4] enjoyed limited state support in the Putin era. The vast construction and restoration of churches, started in 1990s, continued under Putin, and the state allowed the teaching of religion in schools (parents are provided with a choice for their children to learn the basics of one of the traditional religions or secular ethics). Sony VPCZ13V9E battery

 

Sony VPCZ11X9E/B battery His approach to religious policy has been characterised as one of support for religious freedoms, but also the attempt to unify different religions under the authority of the state.[165] In 2012, Putin was honored in Bethlehem and a street was named after him.[166]

 

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Putin meeting with religious leaders of Russia in 2001

Putin regularly attends the most important services of the Russian Orthodox Church on the main Orthodox Christian holidays. He established a good relationship with Patriarchs of the Russian Church, the late Alexy II of Moscow and the current Kirill of Moscow.

 

Sony VGP-BPS20/S battery As President, he took an active personal part in promoting the Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate, signed 17 May 2007 that restored relations between the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia after the 80-year schism.[167] Sony VGP-BPL20 battery

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Putin and United Russia enjoy high electoral support in the national republics of Russia, in particular in the Muslim-majority republics of Povolzhye and the North Caucasus. Sony PCG-31111M battery

 

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Under Putin, the Hasidic FJCR became increasingly influential within the Jewish community, partly due to the influence of Federation-supporting businessmen mediated through their alliances with Putin, notably Lev Leviev and Roman Abramovich.[168][1

Sony PCG-31113M battery68][169] According to the JTA, Putin is popular amongst the Russian Jewish community, who see him as a force for stability. Russia's chief rabbi, Berel Lazar, said Putin "paid great attention to the needs of our community and related to us with a deep respect."[170] Sony PCG-31112M battery

 

Sports development

Main article: Sport in Russia

 

 

Vladimir Putin addressing the International Olympic Committee in Guatemala City in 2007, on behalf of the successful bid of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

On 4 July 2007 Putin addressed the delegates at the 119th International Olympic Committee Session in Guatemala City on behalf of the successful bid of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2014 Winter Paralympics,[1Sony PCG-41212M battery

 

Sony PCG-41218M battery71] the first Winter Olympic Games in Russia. In 2008, the city of Kazan won the bid for the 2013 Summer Universiade, and on 2 December 2010 Russia won the right to host the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup, also for the first time in Russia.

 

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Other major tournaments which the country has been chosen to host include the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow and the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan (both events never held in Russia so far), Sony PCG-41215M battery

Sony PCG-41216M batterythe Russian Grand Prix (a new race of the Formula One since 2014, to be held in Sochi) and the 2016 IIHF World Championship.

Military development

Main article: Russian military reform

The resumption of long-distance flights of Russia's strategic bombers was followed by the announcement by Russian Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov during his meeting with Putin on 5 December 2007, that 11 ships, including the aircraft carrier Kuznetsov, would take part in the first major navy sortie into the Mediterranean since Soviet times. Sony PCG-41311M battery

 

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 [172] The sortie was to be backed up by 47 aircraft, including strategic bombers.[173]

 

 

Putin in the cockpit of a Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber before the flight, August 2005.

While from the early 2000s (decade) Russia started pumping more money into its military and defence industry, Sony PCG-41313M battery

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Sony VPCZ12Z9E/X batteryit was only in 2008 that the full-scale Russian military reform began, aimed to modernize Russian Armed Forces and made them significantly more effective. The reform was largely carried by Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov during Medvedev's Presidency, under supervision of both Putin, Sony PCG-41212M battery

 

Sony PCG-31114M battery as the Head of Government, and Medvedev, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces.

Key elements of the reform included reducing the armed forces to a strength of one million; reducing the number of officers; centralising officer training from 65 military schools into 10 'systemic' military training centres; creating a professional NCO corps; Sony PCG-41315M battery

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reducing the size of the central command; introducing more civilian logistics and auxiliary staff; elimination of cadre-strength formations; reorganising the reserves; reorganising the army into a brigade system; reorganising air forces into an air base system instead of regiments.[174]

The number of Russia's military districts was reduced to just 4. The term of draft service was reduced from two years to one, which put an end to the old harassment traditions in the army, since all conscripts became very close by draft age. Sony PCG-41215M battery

 

Sony PCG-31113M batteryThe gradual transition to the majority professional army by the late 2010s was announced, and a large programme of supplying the Armed Forces with new military equipment and ships was started. The Russian Space Forces were replaced on 1 December 2011 with the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces.

In spite of Putin's call for major investments in strategic nuclear weapons, these will fall well below the New START limits due to the retirement of aging systems.[175]

Foreign policy

Main articles: Foreign policy of Russia, Foreign policy of Vladimir Putin, and List of presidential trips made by Vladimir Putin

Relations with NATO and the West

 

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U.S. President George W. Bush and Putin at the 33rd G8 summit, June 2007.

Main articles: NATO–Russia relations and Russia–United States relations

Putin's Russia relationships with NATO and the U.S. have passed several stages. When Putin first became President, the relations were cautious. After the 9/11 attacks when Putin quickly supported U.S. in the War on Terror, the opportunity for partnership appeared.[17Sony PCG-41216M battery

6] However, the U.S. responded by further expansion of NATO to Russia's borders and by unilateral withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.[17Sony PCG-4R2M battery

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Sony VPCZ12Z9E/B battery6] Since 2003, when Russia did not support the Iraq War and when Putin became ever more distant from the West in his internal and external policies, the relations continued to deteriorate. Sony PCG-6Z4M battery

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Sony VPCZ12X9E/B batteryAccording to Russia scholar Stephen F. Cohen, the narrative of the mainstream U.S. media, following that of the White House, became profoundly anti-Putin, Sony PCG-41217M battery

full of accusations that Putin had caused problems which actually stem from the 1990s, and assertions that Putin was personally responsible for any murders of his Russian political opponents, such as the journalist Anna Politkovskaya and the supposed KGB defector in London, Aleksandr Litvinenko.[1Sony PCG-6121M battery

 

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Sony VPCZ12V9E/B battery76] In an interview with Michael Stürmer, Putin was quoted saying that there were three questions which most concerned Russia and Eastern Europe; namely the status of Kosovo, the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty and American plans to build missile defence sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, and suggested that all three were some way linked.[17Sony PCG-6122M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12M9E battery7] In Putin's view, concessions on one of these questions on the Western side might be met with concessions from Russia on another.[177Sony PCG-41218M battery

 

 

 

Putin with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in 2008.

In February 2007, at the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy, Putin openly criticized what he called the United States' monopolistic dominance in global relations, and "almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations". Sony PCG-6123M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12C7E/B batteryHe said the result of it is that "no one feels safe! Because no one can feel that international law is like a stone wall that will protect them. Of course such a policy stimulates an arms race."[17Sony PCG-31111M battery]8] In this speech, which became known as Munich Speech, Putin called for a "fair and democratic world order that would ensure security and prosperity not only for a select few, but for all".[178] His remarks however were met with criticism by some delegates[179] such as former NATO secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who called his speech, "disappointing and not helpful."[180] Previously, in a January 2007 interview Putin said Russia is in favor of a democratic multipolar world and of strengthening the systems of international law.[181] The months following Putin's Munich speech[17Sony PCG-6124M battery

 

Sony VPCZ11Z9E/B battery8] were marked by tension and a surge in rhetoric on both sides of the Atlantic. Both Russian and American officials, however, denied the idea of a new Cold War.[182]

Putin publicly opposed plans for the U.S. missile shield in Europe, Sony VPCZ13 battery

 

Sony VPCZ11Z9E batteryand presented President George W. Bush with a counterproposal on 7 June 2007 of modernising and sharing the use of the Soviet-era Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan rather than building a new system in the Czech Republic[Sony VPCZ13M9E/B battery

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177] Putin proposed it would not be necessary to place interceptor missiles in Poland then, but interceptors could be placed in NATO member Turkey or Iraq. Putin suggested also equal involvement of interested European countries in the project.[1Sony VPCZ13Z9E/X battery

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Sony VPCZ11X9E/B battery83] The proposal was declined. Russia suspended its participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe on 11 December 2007.[184]

Vladimir Putin strongly opposes the secession of Kosovo from Serbia. He called any support for this act "immoral" and "illegal".[18Sony VPCZ23K9E battery

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Sony VPCZ11X9E battery5] He described Kosovo's declaration of independence a "terrible precedent" that will come back to hit the West "in the face".[186] He stated that the Kosovo precedent will de facto destroy the whole system of international relations, developed over centuries.[187]

 

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Putin's relations with former American President George W. Bush, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, former French President Jacques Chirac, and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi are reported to be personally friendly. Sony VGP-BPS20/B battery

Sony VGP-BPS20/S batteryPutin's "cooler" and "more business-like" relationship with Germany's new Chancellor, Angela Merkel is often attributed to Merkel's upbringing in the former DDR, where Putin was stationed when he was a KGB agent.[188] Sony VGP-BPL14 battery

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Relations with the U.K.

Main article: Russia–United Kingdom relations

 

 

Putin, Koni and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2005

By mid-2000s (decade), the relations between Russia and the United Kingdom deteriorated when the United Kingdom granted political asylum to Putin's former patron, oligarch Boris Berezovsky in 2003.[189] Berezovsky, located in London, Sony VGP-BPL14/S battery

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often called for the overthrow of Putin[189] and allegedly directed anti-Putin activities in Russia. The United Kingdom also granted asylum to the Chechen rebel leader Akhmed Zakayev and other people who fled from Russia. Sony VGP-BPS14/S battery

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In 2006 it became known that Britain spied on Russia using a fake rock, which was located on a street and contained electronic equipment that allowed British diplomats to receive and transmit information.[19Sony VGN-Z11WN/B battery

 

Sony VGN-Z51WG/B battery0] The Russian security service FSB linked the rock with allegations that British were making secret payments to pro-democracy and human rights groups, and the same year President Putin introduced a law which restricted non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Sony VGN-Z11XN/X battery

 

Sony VGN-Z51MG/B batteryfrom getting funding from foreign governments. This resulted in many NGOs closing.[190] In 2006, the Russian liberal opposition met the media reports on "spy rock" with contempt, alleging that it was made-up by FSB,[191Sony VGN-Z21 battery

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Sony VGN-Z51XTG/B battery] but in 2012 Jonathan Powell, ex-chief of staff of the U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, confessed that the story with the rock was true.[190]

The end of 2006 brought very strained relations in the wake of the death by polonium poisoning[192][1Sony VGN-Z21WN/B battery

 

Sony VGN-Z31XN/B battery93] of Alexander Litvinenko in London. Litvinenko's friends Andrei Nekrasov and Alex Goldfarb claimed that Litvinenko had made a statement, in which Putin was accused of directing the assassination.[194][1Sony VGN-Z21XN battery

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Sony VGN-Z41WD/B battery95][196] Critics have doubted that Litvinenko is the true author of the released statement.[197][198][199] When asked about the Litvinenko accusations, Putin said that a statement released after death of its author "naturally deserves no comment", and stated his belief it was being used for political purposes.[200Sony VGN-Z31 battery

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Sony VGP-BPS12 battery] In 2012, when Litvinenko's widow admitted that her husband had worked for British intelligence services, Litvinenko's father said that the Russian secret services had a right to kill traitors,[192] and regretted "his participation in the smear campaign against Russia in general and [current] Prime Minister Putin in particular".[192] Sony VGN-Z31VN/X battery

 

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In 2007, the crisis in relations involved expelling four Russian envoys over Russia's refusal to extradite a former KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoi to face charges on the alleged murder of Litvinenko,[189]

 

Sony VGN-Z battery since the Russian constitution prohibits the extradition of Russian nationals to third countries. Mirroring the British actions, Russia expelled UK diplomats and announced that it would suspend issuing visas to UK officials and froze cooperation on counterterrorism in response to Britain suspending contacts with their Federal Security Service.[1Sony VGN-Z31WN/B battery

 

Sony VGN-Z51XG battery89] Lugovoi subsequently became an MP in the Russian Duma, giving him immunity from prosecution within Russia. On 10 December 2007, the British Ambassador in Moscow, Tony Brenton, reacted by saying: "It is a pity that a man wanted for murder gains political recognition.

 

Sony VGN-Z51WG battery It does Russia no good at all to have Lugovoy there in the parliament. It continues the suspicion."[201] The same day, Russia ordered the British Council to halt work at its regional offices in the country.[202] Sony VGN-Z31ZN/B battery

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Relations with India

Main article: India–Russia relations

 

 

India's Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with Russia's president Vladimir Putin in November 2001.

During his first and second term in office, bilateral trade turnover between India and Russia was modest and stood at US$ 3 billion, of which Indian exports to Russia were valued at US$ 908 million. The major Indian exports to Russia are pharmaceuticals; tea, coffee and spices; apparel and clothing; edible preparations; Sony PCG-4121DL Battery

 

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and engineering goods. Main Indian imports from Russia are iron and steel; fertilisers; non-ferrous metals; paper products; coal, coke & briquettes; cereals; and rubber. Indo-Russian trade is expected to reach US$10 billion by 2010. Putin wrote in an article in the Hindu, Sony PCG-4121EL Battery

 

sony PCG-6Z3L battery"The Declaration on Strategic Partnership between India and Russia signed in October 2000 became a truly historic step".[203][204] Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also agreed with his counterpart by stated in speech given during President Putin's 2012 visit to India, Sony PCG-4121FL Battery

 

sony PCG-6Z2L battery"President Putin is a valued friend of India and the original architect of the India-Russia strategic partnership".[205Sony PCG-4121GL Battery

 

sony PCG-6Z1L battery] Both countries closely collaborate on matters of shared national interest these include at the UN, BRICS, G20 and SCO where India has observer status and has been asked by Russia to become a full member.[206Sony PCG-41211L Battery

 

sony PCG-6XBL battery] Russia also strongly supports India receiving a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. In addition, Russia has vocally backed India joining the NSG[207] and APEC.[208] Moreover, it has also expressed interest in joining SAARC with observer status in which India is a founding member.[209][210] Sony PCG-41212L Battery

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Russia currently is one of only two countries in the world (the other being Japan) that has a mechanism for annual ministerial-level defence reviews with India.[211] The Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission (IRIGC), Sony PCG-41215L Battery

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sony PCG-6X8L battery which is one of the largest and comprehensive governmental mechanisms that India has had with any country internationally. Almost every department from the Government of India attends it.[211] Sony PCG-41217L Battery

 

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Relations with China and SCO

Main articles: People's Republic of China-Russia relations and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

 

 

Read more

 

n the early 1980s, prior to the outbreak of the civil war in Somalia, the Somali Ministry of Fisheries and the Coastal Development Agency (CDA) launched a development program focusing on the establishment of agricultural and fishery cooperatives for artisanal fishermen. It also received significant foreign investment funds for various fishery development projects,

 

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as the Somali fishing industry was considered to have a lot of potential owing to its unexploited marine stocks. The government at this time permitted foreign fishing through official licensing or joint venture agreements, forming two such partnerships in the Iraqi-Somali Siadco and Italian-Somali Somital ventures.[31] Sony VGP-BPS10 Battery

 

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Somalia's coral reefs, ecological parks and protected areas.

After the collapse of the central government in the ensuing civil war, the Somali Navy disbanded. With Somali territorial waters undefended, foreign fishing trawlers began illegally fishing on the Somali seaboard and ships from big companies started dumping waste off the coast of Somalia. This led to the erosion of the fish stock. Sony VGP-BPS11 Battery

Local fishermen subsequently started to band together to protect their resources.[5][8][32] After seeing the profitability of ransom payments, some financiers and former militiamen later began to fund pirate activities, splitting the profits evenly with the pirates.[33] Sony VGP-BPS12 Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS14B BatteryIn most of the hijackings, the pirates have not harmed their prisoners.[34]

Combined Task Force 150, a multinational coalition task force, subsequently took on the role of fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia by establishing a Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA)

 

Sony VGP-BPS14/B Batterywithin the Gulf of Aden.[16] However, many foreign naval vessels chasing pirates were forced to break off when the pirates entered Somali territorial waters.[35][36] To address this, in June 2008, following a letter from the Somalian Transitional Federal Government (TFG)

 

Sony VGP-BPS14 Battery to the President of the UN Security Council requesting assistance for the TFG's efforts to tackle acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia, the UN Security Council unanimously passed a declaration authorizing nations that have the consent of the Transitional Federal Government to enter Somali territorial waters to deal with pirates.[3Sony VGP-BPS13 Battery

7] On the advice of lawyers, the Royal Navy and other international naval forces have often released suspected pirates that they have captured because, although the men are frequently armed, they have not been caught engaging in acts of piracy and have thus not technically committed a crime.[38] Sony VGP-BPS13A Battery

 

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Due to improved anti-piracy measures the success of piracy acts on sea decreased dramatically by the end of 2011 with only four vessels hijacked in the last quarter versus 17 in the last quarter of the preceding year.[39]

 

Sony VGP-BPS13/Q Battery In response, pirates resorted to increased hostage taking on land.[39] The government of the autonomous Puntland region has also made progress in combating piracy, evident in recent interventions by its maritime police force (PMPF).[40] Sony VGP-BPS13A/B Battery

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In part to further curtail piracy activity, the London Somalia Conference was convened in February 2012.

According to the International Maritime Bureau, pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean had by October 2012 dropped to a six-year low.[3Sony VGP-BPS13/B Battery

0] Attempted hijackings fell from 237 in 2011 to 75 the following year, with successful attacks plummeting from 28 in 2011 to 14 in 2012.[41] Additionally, only 1 ship was attacked in the third quarter of 2012 compared to 36 during the same period in 2011.[30] Sony VGP-BPS13B/S Battery

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Summary of recent events[edit source | editbeta]

Main article: List of ships attacked by Somali pirates

Somali pirates have attacked hundreds of vessels in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region, though most attacks do not result in a successful hijacking. In 2008, there were 111 attacks which included 42 successful hijackings.[42Sony PCG-6Z2M battery

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Sony PCG-71318M battery] However, this is only a fraction of the up to 30,000 merchant vessels which pass through that area.[43] The rate of attacks in January and February 2009 was about 10 times higher than during the same period in 2008 and "there have been almost daily attacks in March",[42] with 79 attacks,[ Sony PCG-6X2M battery,

 

 

On 28 May 2007, a Chinese sailor was killed by the pirates because the ship's owners failed to meet their ransom demand.[47] On 5 October 2008, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1838[48] calling on nations with vessels in the area to apply military force to repress the acts of piracy.[ Sony vgp-bpsc24 battery
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Sony PCG-4121GM battery49] At the 101st council of the International Maritime Organization, India called for a United Nations peacekeeping force under unified command to tackle piracy off Somalia.[50] (There has been a general and complete arms embargo against Somalia since 1992.)

In November 2008, Sony SVS15 battery

Sony PCG-41214M battery Somali pirates began hijacking ships well outside the Gulf of Aden, perhaps targeting ships headed for the port of Mombasa, Kenya.[51] The frequency and sophistication of the attacks also increased around this time, as did the size of vessels being targetedSony VPCSA2Z9E battery

Sony PCG-41414M batteryLarge cargo ships, oil and chemical tankers on international voyages became the new targets of choice for the Somali hijackers. This is in stark contrast to the pirate attacks which were once frequent in the Strait of Malacca, another strategically important waterway for international trade, Sony SVS13AA11M battery
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which were according to maritime security expert Catherine Zara Raymond, generally directed against "smaller, more vulnerable vessels carrying trade across the Straits or employed in the coastal trade on either side of the Straits."[52] Sony SVS151A11M battery

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On 19 November 2008, the Indian Navy warship INS Tabar sank a suspected pirate mothership.[53] Later, it was claimed to be a Thai trawler being hijacked by pirates.[54] The Indian Navy later defended its actions by stating that they were fired upon first.[55] Sony SVS151A12M battery

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On 21 November 2008, BBC News reported that the Indian Navy had received United Nations approval to enter Somali waters to combat piracy.[56]

On 8 April 2009, four Somali pirates seized the Maersk Alabama 240 nautical miles (440 km; 280 mi) southeast of the Somalia port city of Eyl.[57] Sony SVS1311E3EW battery

Sony PCG-41211M batteryThe ship was carrying 17,000 metric tons of cargo, of which 5,000 metric tons were relief supplies bound for Somalia, Uganda, and Kenya.[58][59Sony SVS1311P9EB battery

Sony PCG-4121EM battery] On 12 April 2009, United States Navy SEAL snipers killed the three pirates that were holding Captain Richard Phillips hostage aboard a lifeboat from the Maersk Alabama after determining that Captain Phillips' life was in immediate danger.[60][61Sony SVS1511L3ES battery

Sony PCG-4121DM battery][62] A fourth pirate, Abdul Wali Muse, surrendered and was taken into custody.[63][64] On May 18, a federal grand jury in New York returned a ten-count indictment against him.[65]

On 20 April 2009, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented on the capture and release of 7 Somali pirates by Dutch Naval forces who were on a NATO mission.[66] After an attack on the Handytankers Magic, a petroleum tanker, Sony SVS1511M3EW battery

Sony VPCSE2V9E battery the Dutch frigate De Zeven Provinciën tracked the pirates back to a pirate "mother ship" and captured them.[66][67] They confiscated the pirates' weapons and freed 20 Yemeni fishermen whom the pirates had kidnapped and who had been forced to sail the pirate "mother ship".[66][67Sony PCG-4Q2M battery,

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Sony PCG-71315M battery] Since the Dutch Naval Forces were part of a NATO exercise, but not on an EU mission, they lacked legal jurisdiction to keep the pirates so they released them.[66] Clinton stated that this action "sends the wrong signal" and that additional coordination was needed among nations.[66] Sony SVS1511N3ES battery

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On 23 April 2009, international donors pledged over $250 million for Somalia, including $134 million to increase the African Union peacekeeping mission from 4,350 troops to 8,000 troops and $34 million for Somali security forces.[68][6Sony SVS1511T9ES battery

Sony VPCSB4S9E battery9] Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon told delegates at a donors' conference sponsored by the U.N. that "Piracy is a symptom of anarchy and insecurity on the ground", and that "More security on the ground will make less piracy on the seas."[68]
Sony VPCSA3Q9E battery [69] Somali President Sharif Ahmed pledged at the conference that he would fight piracy and to loud applause said that "It is our duty to pursue these criminals not only on the high seas, but also on terra firma".[68][ Sony SVS1511V9EB battery
69] The Somali government has not gone after pirates because pirate leaders currently have more power than the government.[68][69] It has been estimated by piracy experts that in 2008 the pirates gained about $80 million through ransom payments.[68][69] Sony PCG-4Q1M battery

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On 2 May 2009, Somali pirates captured the MV Ariana with its 24 Ukrainian crew.[70] The ship was released on 10 December 2009 after a ransom of almost $3,000,000 was paid.[71]

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Armed pirates in the Indian Ocean near Somalia. After the picture was taken, the vessel's crew members opened fire on U.S. Navy ships and the ship's crew members returned fire. One suspected pirate was killed and 12 were taken into custody (see engaged pirate vessels).

 

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On 8 November 2009, Somali pirates threatened that a kidnapped British couple, the Chandlers, would be "punished" if a German warship did not release seven pirates.[7Sony PCG-41212M battery

 

Sony PCG-31112M battery2] Omer, one of the pirates holding the British couple, claimed the seven men were fishermen, but a European Union Naval Force spokesman stated they were captured as they fired AK-47 assault rifles at a French fishing vessel.[72] Sony PCG-71C11M battery

 

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 The Chandlers were released on 14 November 2010 after 388 days of captivity.[73] At least two ransom payments, reportedly over GBP 500 000, had been made.[74] Sony PCG-41215M battery

 

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In April 2010, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) alluded to possible covert and overt action against the pirates. CIA officials had been publicly warning of this potential threat for months. In a Harpers Magazine article, a CIA official said, Sony PCG-71D14M battery

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"We need to deal with this problem from the beach side, in concert with the ocean side, but we don't have an embassy in Somalia and limited, ineffective intelligence operations. We need to work in Somalia and in Lebanon, Sony PCG-41216M battery

where a lot of the ransom money has changed hands. But our operations in Lebanon are a joke, and we have no presence at all in Somalia."[75]

In early May 2010, Russian special forces retook a Russian oil tanker that had been hijacked by 11 pirates. One died in the assault, Sony PCG-41217M battery

Sony PCG-41218M battery and a week later Russian military officials reported that the remainder were freed due to weaknesses in international law but died before reaching the Somali coast. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had announced the day the ship was retaken that "We'll have to do what our forefathers did when they met the pirates" until a suitable way of prosecuting them was available.[76]

 

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On 11 May 2010 Somali pirates seized a Bulgarian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Aden. The Panega, with 15 Bulgarian crew members aboard, was en route from the Red Sea to India or Pakistan. This was the first such hijacking of a Bulgarian-flagged ship. Sony PCG-41212M battery

 

Sony PCG-31113M battery On 12 May 2010, Athens announced that Somali pirates have seized a Greek vessel in the Gulf of Aden with at least 24 people on board, including two Greek citizens and some Filipinos. The vessel, sailing under the Liberian flag, was transporting iron from Ukraine to China. Sony PCG-61611M battery

 

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On 14 January 2011, while speaking to reporters, Sony PCG-41215M battery

 

Sony PCG-31112M batteryCommodore Michiel Hijmans of the Royal Netherlands Navy stated that the use of hijacked vessels in more recent hijackings had led to increased range of pirating activities, as well as difficulty to actively thwart future events due to the use of kidnapped sailors as human shields.[77] Sony PCG-61712M battery

 

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On 15 January 2011 thirteen Somali pirates seized the Samho Jewelry, a Maltese-flagged chemical carrier operated by Samho Shipping, 650 km southeast of Muscat. The Republic of Korea Navy destroyer Choi Young shadowed the Samho Jewlry for several days. In the early morning of 21 January 2011, Sony PCG-61813M battery

 

Sony PCG-61813M battery25 ROK Navy SEALs on small boats launched from the Choi Young boarded the Samho Jewelry while the Choi Youngs Westland Super Lynx provided covering fire. Eight pirates were killed and five captured in the operation; the crew of 21 was freed with the Captain suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach.[78] Sony PCG-71411M battery

 

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On 28 January 2011, an Indian Coast Guard aircraft while responding to a distress call from the CMA CGM Verdi, located two skiffs attempting a piracy attack near Lakshadweep. Seeing the aircraft, the skiffs immediately aborted their piracy attempt and dashed towards the mother vessel, MV Prantalay 14 –Sony PCG-71511M battery

 

Sony PCG-61611M battery a hijacked Thai trawler, which hurriedly hoisted the two skiffs on board and moved westward. The Indian Navy deployed the INS Cankarso which located and engaged the mothership 100 nautical miles north of the Minicoy island. 10 pirates were killed while 15 were apprehended and 20 Thai and Burmese fishermen being held aboard the ship as hostages were rescued.[79] Sony PCG-91112M battery

 

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Within a week of its previous success, the Indian Navy captured another hijacked Thai trawler, MV Prantalay 11 and captured 28 pirates aboard in an operation undertaken by the INS Tir purusuant to receiving information that a Greek merchant ship had been attacked by pirates on board high-speed boats,

Sony PCG-71C11M battery although it had managed to avoid capture. When INS Tir ordered the pirate ship to stop and be boarded for inspection, it was fired upon. The INS Tir returned fire in which 3 pirates were injured and caused the pirates to raise a white flag indicating their surrender. Sony PCG-71316M battery

 

The INS Tir subsequently joined by CGS Samar of the Indian Coast Guard. Officials from the Indian Navy reported that a total of 52 men were apprehended, but that 24 are suspected to be Thai fishermen who were hostages of the 28 African pirates.[80] Sony PCG-91311M battery

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In late February 2011, piracy targeting smaller yachts and collecting ransom made headlines when four Americans were killed aboard their vessel, the Quest, by their captors, while a military ship shadowed them.[81] A federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, sentenced three members of the gang that seized the yacht to life imprisonment.[82] On 24 February 2011 a Danish family on a yacht were captured by pirates.[83] Sony PCG-71318M battery

 

 

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In March 2011, the Indian Navy intercepted a pirate mother vessel 600 nautical miles west of the Indian coast in the Arabian Sea on Monday and rescued 13 hostages. Sixty-one pirates have also been caught in the operation carried out by Navy's INS Kalpeni.[84] Sony PCG-6Z2M battery,

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In late March 2011, Indian Navy seized 16 suspected pirates after a three-hour-long battle in the Arabian Sea, The navy also rescued 16 crew members of a hijacked Iranian ship west of the Lakshadweep Islands. The crew included 12 Iranians and four Pakistanis.[85] Sony PCG-6X2M battery,

 

On Jan. 5 2012, an SH-60S Seahawk from the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd, part of the USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, detected a suspected pirate skiff alongside the Iranian-flagged fishing boat, Al Molai. The master of the Al Molai sent a distress call about the same time reporting pirates were holding him captive. Sony PCG-4Q2M battery

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A visit, board, search and seizure team from the Kidd boarded the dhow, a traditional Arabian sailing vessel, and detained 15 suspected pirates who had been holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for several weeks. The Al Molai had been pirated and used as a "mother ship" for pirate operations throughout the Persian Gulf, members of the Iranian vessel's crew reported. [86]

 

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Pirates[edit source | editbeta]

 

Profile[edit source | editbeta]

 

 

A collage of pirates armed with AKM assault rifles, RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and semi-automatic pistols.

Most of the pirates are young.[87] An official list issued in 2010 by the Somali government of 40 apprehended pirate suspects noted that 80% (32/40) Sony PCG-41216M battery

were born in Somalia's southern conflict zones, while only 20% (8/40) came from the more stable northern regions.[88] As of 2012, the pirates primarily operate from the Galmudug region in the central section of the country.[89][90] In previous years, Sony PCG-41217M battery

Sony PCG-41218M batterythey largely ventured into sea from ports in the northeastern Puntland province, until the regional administration launched a major anti-piracy campaign and established a maritime police force (PMPF).[89] Sony PCG-41311M battery

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According to a 2008 BBC report, the pirates can be divided into three main categories:

Local fishermen, considered the brains of the pirates' operations due to their skill and knowledge of the sea. Sony PCG-41314M battery

 

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Ex-militiamen, who previously fought for the local clan warlords, or ex-military from the former Barre government used as the muscle.

Technical experts, who operate equipment such as GPS devices.[91]

The closest Somali term for 'pirate' is burcad badeed, which means "ocean robber". However, the pirates themselves prefer to be called badaadinta badah or "saviours of the sea" (often translated as "coastguard").[92] Sony PCG-41315M battery

 

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Methodology[edit source | editbeta]

 

 

A captured pirate skiff.

The methods used in a typical pirate attack have been analyzed.[93] They show that while attacks can be expected at any time, most occur during the day, often in the early hours. They may involve two or more skiffs that can reach speeds of up to 25 knots. Sony PCG-4R2M battery

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Sony VPCZ12Z9E/B batteryWith the help of motherships that include captured fishing and merchant vessels the operating range of the skiffs has been increased far into the Indian Ocean. An attacked vessel is approached from quarter or stern; RPGs and small arms are used to intimidate the operator to slow down and allow boarding. Sony PCG-4U2M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12X9E/B battery Light ladders are brought along to climb aboard. Pirates then will try and get control of the bridge to take operational control of the vessel.[93] According to Sky News, pirates also often jettison their equipment in the sea before being arrested, as this lowers the likelihood of a successful prosecution.[27] Sony PCG-6Z4M battery

 

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Weaponry and funding[edit source | editbeta]

The pirates get most of their weapons from Yemen, but a significant amount comes from Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. Sony PCG-6112M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12V9E batteryWeapons dealers in the capital receive a deposit from a hawala dealer on behalf of the pirates and the weapons are then driven to Puntland where the pirates pay the balance.[91] Various photographs of pirates in situ indicate that their weapons are predominantly AKMs, RPG-7s, AK47s, Sony PCG-6121M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12M9E/B batteryand semi-automatic pistols such as the TT-30.[94][95] Additionally, given the particular origin of their weaponry, they are likely to have hand grenades such as the RGD-5 or F1. Sony PCG-6122M battery

 

The funding of piracy operations is now structured in a stock exchange, with investors buying and selling shares in upcoming attacks in a bourse in Harardhere.[96] Pirates say ransom money is paid in large denomination US dollar bills. Sony PCG-6123M battery

It is delivered to them in burlap sacks which are either dropped from helicopters or cased in waterproof suitcases loaded onto tiny skiffs. Ransom money has also been delivered to pirates via parachute, as happened in January 2009 when an orange container with $3 million cash inside was dropped onto the deck of the supertanker MV Sirius Star to secure the release of ship and crew.[97Sony PCG-6124M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12M9E battery] To authenticate the banknotes, pirates use currency-counting machines, the same technology used at foreign exchange bureaus worldwide. According to one pirate, these machines are, in turn, Sony VPCZ13 battery

purchased from business connections in Dubai, Djibouti, and other areas.[98] Hostages seized by the pirates usually have to wait 45 days or more for the ships' owners to pay the ransom and secure their release.[99] Sony VPCZ13M9E/B battery

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In 2008, there were also allegations that the pirates received assistance from some members of the Somali diaspora. Somali expatriates, including some members of the Somali community in Canada, reputedly offered funds, equipment and information.[100] Sony VPCZ13Z9E/X battery

 

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According to the head of the U.N.'s counter-piracy division, Colonel John Steed, the Al-Shabaab group in 2011 increasingly sought to cooperate with the pirate gangs in the face of dwindling funds and resources for their own activities.[101Sony VPCZ21Q9E battery

 

Sony VPCZ11Z9E/B battery] Steed, however, acknowledged that he had no definite proof of operational ties between the pirates and the Islamist militants. Detained pirates also indicated to UNODC officials that some measure of cooperation with Al-Shabaab militants was necessary

 

Sony VPCZ11Z9E battery as they have increasingly launched maritime raids from areas in southern Somalia controlled by the insurgent outfit. Al-Shabaab members have also extorted the pirates, demanding protection money from them and forcing seized pirate gang leaders in Harardhere to hand over 20% of future ransom proceeds.[102Sony VPCZ23K9E battery

 

Sony VPCZ11X9E/B battery] There have also been ties with al-Qaeda receiving funding from pirate operations.[citation needed] A maritime intelligence source told CBS News that it was "‘inconceivable’ to Western intelligence agencies that al Qaeda would not be getting some financial reward from the successful hijackings." Sony VGP-BPL20 battery

 

Sony VPCZ11X9E batteryThey go on to express concern about this funding link being able to keep the group satisfied as piracy gains more publicity and higher ransoms.[103] Sony VGP-BPS20/B battery

 

Effects and perceptions[edit source | editbeta]

 

Costs[edit source | editbeta]

Both positive and negative effects of piracy have been reported.[4] In 2009, pirate income derived from ransoms was estimated at around 39 million euros (about $58 million),[104] rising to $238 million in 2010.[105Sony VGP-BPS20/S battery

Sony VPCZ11 battery] The average ransom had risen to $5.4 million in 2010, up from around $150 thousand in 2005.[106] However, by 2011, pirate ransom income dropped to $160 million, a downward trend which has been attributed to intensified counter-piracy efforts.[4] Sony VGP-BPS13 Battery

 

 

Besides the actual cost of paying ransoms, various attempts have been made at gauging indirect costs stemming from the piracy; especially those reportedly incurred over the course of anti-piracy initiatives.[4][107] Sony VGP-BPS13A Battery

 

During the height of the piracy phenomenon in 2008, local residents complained that the presence of so many armed men made them feel insecure and that their free spending ways caused wild fluctuations in the local exchange rate. Others faulted them for excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and khat.[91] Sony VGP-BPS13A/B Battery

 

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A 2010 report suggested that piracy off the coast of Somalia led to a decrease of revenue for Egypt as fewer ships use the Suez canal (estimated loss of about $642 million), impeded trade with neighboring countries, and negatively impacted tourism and fishing in the Seychelles.[105][ Sony VGP-BPS13B/B Battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS21/S Battery108] According to Sky News, around 50% of the world's containers passed through the Horn of Africa coastline as of 2012. The European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) has a yearly budget of over 8 million Euros earmarked for patrolling the 3.2 million square miles.[27]

 

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A 2011 report by Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) suggested that the indirect costs of piracy were much higher and estimated to be between $6.6 to $6.9 billion, as they also included insurance, naval support, legal proceedings, re-routing of slower ships, and individual protective steps taken by ship-owners.[4][105][109][110] Sony VGP-BPS13/B Battery

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Another report from 2011 published by the consultancy firm Geopolicity Inc. investigated the causes and consequences of international piracy, with a particular focus on such activity off the coast of Somalia.

 

Sony VGP-BPS21A BatteryThe paper asserted that what began as an attempt in the mid-1990s by Somali fishermen to protect their territorial waters has extended far beyond their seaboard and grown into an emerging market in its own right. Sony VGP-BPS13B/Q Battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS21 Battery Due to potentially substantial financial rewards, the report hypothesized that the number of new pirates could swell by 400 persons annually, that pirate ransom income could in turn rise to $400 million per year by 2015, and that piracy costs as a whole could increase to $15 billion over the same period.[111] Sony VGP-BPS13/Q Battery

 

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According to a 2012 investigative piece by the Somalia Report, the OBP paper and other similar reports that attempt to calibrate the global cost of piracy produce inaccurate estimates based on a variety of factors.

 

Sony VGP-BPS15/B BatteryMost saliently, instead of comparing the actual costs of piracy with the considerable benefits derived from the phenomenon by the maritime industry and local parties capitalizing on capacity-building initiatives, Sony VGP-BSP13/S Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS14/S Batterythe OBP paper conflated the alleged piracy costs with the large premiums made by insurance companies and lumped them together with governmental and societal costs.

 

Sony VGP-BPS15 BatteryThe report also exaggerated the impact that piracy has had on the shipping sector, an industry which has grown steadily in size from 25,000 billion tonnes/miles to 35,000 billion tonnes/miles since the rise of Indian Ocean piracy in 2005. Sony VGP-BPS14/B Battery

Sony VGP-BPS14B Battery Moreover, the global costs of piracy reportedly represent a small fraction of total maritime shipping expenses and are significantly lower than more routine costs, such as those brought on by port theft, bad weather conditions or fuel-related issues. Sony vgp-bps24 battery

Sony PCG-4121GM battery In the United States alone, the National Cargo Security Council estimated that between $10–$15 billion were stolen from ports in 2003, a figure several times higher than the projected global cost of piracy. Additionally, Sony vgp-bpsc24 battery
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Sony PCG-41214M batterywhile the OBP paper alleged that pirate activity has had a significantly negative impact on regional economies, particularly the Kenyan tourism industry, tourist-derived revenue in Kenya rose by 32% in 2011. Sony SVS15 battery
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Sony PCG-41414M battery According to the Somalia Report investigation, the OBP paper also did not factor into its calculations the overall decline in successful pirate attacks beginning in the second half of 2011, a downward trend largely brought about by the increasing use of armed guards.[4]

Benefits[edit source | editbeta] Sony SVE171A11M battery

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Some benefits from the piracy have also been noted. In the earlier years of the phenomenon in 2008, it was reported that many local residents in pirate hubs such as Harardhere appreciated the rejuvenating effect that the pirates' on-shore spending and restocking had on their small towns, Sony SVE151C11M battery
a presence which often provided jobs and opportunity when there were comparatively fewer. Entire hamlets were in the process reportedly transformed into boomtowns, with local shop owners and other residents using their gains to purchase items such as generators for uninterrupted electricity.[98Sony SVE1711T1EB battery

Sony PCG-41213M battery] However, the election of a new administration in 2009 in the northeastern Puntland region saw a sharp decrease in pirate operations, as the provincial authorities launched a comprehensive anti-piracy campaign and established an official maritime police force (PMPF). Since 2010, Sony SVE1711K1EW battery

Sony PCG-41211M battery pirates have mainly operated from the Galmudug region to the south. According to the Somalia Report, the significant infrastructural development evident in Puntland's urban centers has also mainly come from a combination of government development programs, Sony SVE1711V1EB battery

Sony PCG-4121EM battery internal investment by local residents returning to their home regions following the civil war in the south, and especially remittance funds sent by the sizable Somali diaspora.
Sony PCG-4121DM battery The latter contributions have been estimated at around $1.3-$2 billion a year, exponentially dwarfing pirate ransom proceeds, which total only a few million dollars annually and are difficult to track in terms of spending.[112] Sony SVE1711X1EB battery
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Additionally, impoverished fishermen in Kenya's Malindi area in the southeastern African Great Lakes region have reported their largest catches in forty years, catching hundreds of kilos of fish and earning fifty times the average daily wage as a result. Sony SVE1511G1ESI battery

Sony VPCSE2V9E batteryThey attribute the recent abundance and variety of marine stock to the pirates scaring away predatory foreign fishing trawlers, which have for decades deprived local dhows of a livelihood. According to marine biologists, indicators are that the local fishery is recovering because of the lack of commercial scale fishing.[113] Sony SVE1511G1EB battery
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Piracy off the coast of Somalia also appears to have a positive impact on the problem of overfishing in Somali waters by foreign vessels. A comparison has been made with the situation in Tanzania further to the south, Sony SVE1511S1ESI battery

Sony VPCSE2F1E battery which is also affected by predatory fishing by foreign ships and generally lacks the means to effectively protect and regulate its territorial waters. There, catches have dropped to dramatically low levels, whereas in Somalia they have risen back to more acceptable levels since the beginning of the piracy.[114] Sony SVE1511S1EB battery

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Casualties[edit source | editbeta]

Piracy off of the coast of Somalia has reportedly produced some casualties. According to many interviewed maritime security firms, ship owner groups, lawyers and insurance companies, fear of pirate attacks has increased the likelihood of violent encounters at sea, Sony SVE1511B1EW battery

Sony VPCSA3Q9E batteryas untrained or overeager vessel guards have resorted to shooting indiscriminately without first properly assessing the actual threat level. In the process, they have killed both pirates and sometimes innocent fishermen as well as jeopardized the reputation of private maritime security firms with their reckless gun use. Sony SVE1511H1EW battery
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Since many of the new maritime security companies that have emerged often also enlist the services of off-duty policemen and former soldiers that saw combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, worries of a "Blackwater out in the Indian Ocean" have only intensified.[115] Sony SVE1511J1EW battery
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Of the 4,185 seafarers whose ships had been attacked by the pirates and the 1,090 who were held hostage in 2010, a third were reportedly abused. Some captives have also indicated that they were used as human shields for pirate attacks while being held hostage.[1
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16]

According to Reuters, of the 3,500 captured during a four-year period, 62 died. The causes of death included suicide and malnutrition,[117Sony VPCCB3M1E battery

Sony SVS1511V9ES battery] with 25 of the deaths attributed to murder according to Intercargo.[115] In some cases, the captives have also reported being tortured.[118] Many seafarers are also left traumatized after release.[117] Sony VPCCA3S1E battery

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Profiteers[edit source | editbeta]

According to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), a veritable industry of profiteers has also risen around the piracy. Insurance companies, in particular, have profited from the pirate attacks, as insurance premiums have increased significantly. Sony VPCCA2S1E battery
DIW reports that, in order to keep premiums high, insurance firms have not demanded that ship owners take security precautions that would make hijackings more difficult. For their part, shipping companies often do not comply with naval guidelines on how best to prevent pirate Sony SVS13A1U9ES battery

Sony SVS1511T9ES batteryattacks in order to cut down on costs. Ship crews have also been reluctant to repel the pirates on account of their low wages and inequitable work contracts. In addition, security contractors and the German arms industry have profited from the phenomenon.[ Sony SVS13AA11M battery

Sony SVS1511N3ES battery5]

Sovereignty and environmental protection[edit source | editbeta]

 

The former UN envoy for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, has stated that "because there is no (effective) government, there is ... much irregular fishing from European and Asian countries,"[11
Sony SVS1511M3EW battery9] and that the UN has what he described as "reliable information" that European and Asian companies are dumping toxic and nuclear waste off the Somali coastline.[120] However, he stresses that "no government has endorsed this act, and that private companies and individuals acting alone are responsible."[12Sony SVS131B12M battery

Sony SVS1511L3ES battery0] In addition, Ould-Abdallah told the press that he approached several international NGOs, such as Global Witness, to trace the illicit fishing and waste-dumping. He added that he believes the toxic waste dumping is "a disaster off the Somali coast, a disaster (for) the Somali environment, the Somali population",Sony SVS151A11M battery
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and that what he terms "this illegal fishing, illegal dumping of waste" helps fuel the civil war in Somalia since the illegal foreign fishermen pay off corrupt local officials or warlords for protection or to secure counterfeit licenses.[119] Ould-Abdallah noted that piracy will not prevent waste dumping: Sony SVS1311E3EW battery
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I am convinced there is dumping of solid waste, chemicals and probably nuclear (waste).... There is no government (control) and there are few people with high moral ground[...] The intentions of these pirates are not concerned with protecting their environment. Sony PCG-41311M battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS20 battery What is ultimately needed is a functioning, effective government that will get its act together and take control of its affairs.

—Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy for Somalia[120]

Somali pirates which captured MV Faina, a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and military hardware, accused European firms of dumping toxic waste off the Somali coast and declared that the $8m ransom for the return of the ship will go towards cleaning up the waste. Sony PCG-41313M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12Z9E/X batteryThe ransom demand is a means of "reacting to the toxic waste that has been continually dumped on the shores of our country for nearly 20 years", Januna Ali Jama, a spokesman for the pirates said. Sony PCG-41314M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12Z9E/B battery"The Somali coastline has been destroyed, and we believe this money is nothing compared to the devastation that we have seen on the seas."[120]

These issues have generally not been reported in international media when reporting on piracy.[121][122Sony PCG-41315M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12X9E/B battery] According to Muammar al-Gaddafi, "It is a response to greedy Western nations, who invade and exploit Somalia’s water resources illegally. It is not a piracy, it is self defence."[123] Sony PCG-4R2M battery

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Pirate leader Sugule Ali said their motive was "to stop illegal fishing and dumping in our waters ... We don't consider ourselves sea bandits. We consider sea bandits [to be] those who illegally fish and dump in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas." Sony PCG-4U2M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12V9E batteryAlso, the independent Somali news-site WardherNews found that 70 percent "strongly supported the piracy as a form of national defence of the country's territorial waters".[124] Sony PCG-6Z4M battery

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Waste dumping[edit source | editbeta]

See also: Radioactive waste dumping by the 'Ndrangheta

Following the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, there have emerged allegations that after the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in late 1991, Somalia's long, remote shoreline was used as a dump site for the disposal of toxic waste. Sony PCG-6121M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12M9E battery The huge waves which battered northern Somalia after the tsunami are believed to have stirred up tonnes of nuclear and toxic waste that was illegally dumped in Somali waters by several European firms —Sony PCG-6122M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12C7E/B battery front companies created by the Italian mafia.[125] The European Green Party followed up these revelations by presenting before the press and the European Parliament in Strasbourg copies of contracts signed by two European companies—the Italian Swiss firm, Achair Partners, Sony PCG-6123M battery

 

Sony VPCZ11Z9E/B battery and an Italian waste broker, Progresso—and representatives of the warlords then in power, to accept 10 million tonnes of toxic waste in exchange for $80 million (then about £60 million). Sony PCG-6124M battery

According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assessment mission, there are far higher than normal cases of respiratory infections, mouth ulcers and bleeding, abdominal hemorrhages and unusual skin infections among many inhabitants of the areas around the northeastern towns of Hobbio and BenadirSony VPCZ13 battery

 

Sony VPCZ11Z9E battery  on the Indian Ocean coast—diseases consistent with radiation sickness. UNEP continues that the current situation along the Somali coastline poses a very serious environmental hazard not only in Somalia but also in the eastern Africa sub-region.[125][126]

 

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In 1992, reports ran in the European press of "unnamed European firms" contracting with local warlords to dump toxic waste both in Somalia and off Somalia's shores. Sony VPCZ13M9E/B battery

 

Sony VPCZ11X9E battery The United Nations Environment Program was called in to investigate, and the Italian parliament issued a report later in the decade. Several European "firms" — really front companies created by the Italian mafia — contracted with local Somali warlords to ship hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic industrial waste from Europe to Somalia. Sony VPCZ13V9E battery

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—Troy S. Thomas, Warlords rising: confronting violent non-state actors[127]

Under Article 9(1)(d) of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, it is illegal for "any transboundary movement of hazardous wastes or other wastes: Sony VPCZ21Q9E battery

 

Sony VPCZ11 battery that results in deliberate disposal (e.g. dumping) of hazardous wastes or other wastes in contravention of this Convention and of general principles of international law".[128]

According to Nick Nuttall of the United Nations Environmental Programme, "Somalia has been used as a dumping ground for hazardous waste starting in the early 1990s, Sony VPCZ23K9E battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS20/S battery and continuing through the civil war there", and "European companies found it to be very cheap to get rid of the waste, costing as little as $2.50 a tonne, where waste disposal costs in Europe are closer to $1000 per tonne."[120][129] Sony VGP-BPL20 battery

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Illegal fishing[edit source | editbeta]

At the same time, foreign trawlers began illegally fishing Somalia's seas, with an estimated $300 million of tuna, shrimp, and lobster being taken each year, depleting stocks previously available to local fishermen. Sony VGN-TT battery

 

Sony VGN-Z11VN/X batteryThrough interception with speedboats, Somali fishermen tried to either dissuade the dumpers and trawlers or levy a "tax" on them as compensation, as Segule Ali's previously mentioned quote notes. Peter Lehr, Sony VGP-BPL14 battery

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a Somalia piracy expert at the University of St. Andrews says "It's almost like a resource swap, Somalis collect up to $100 million a year from pirate ransoms off their coasts and the Europeans and Asians poach around $300 million a year in fish from Somali waters."[130][131

 

Sony VGN-Z51XG/B battery] The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) issued a report in 2005 stating that, between 2003 and 2004, Somalia lost about $100 million in revenue due to illegal tuna and shrimp fishing in the country's exclusive economic zone by foreign trawlers.[6] Sony VGP-BPL14/S battery

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According to Roger Middleton of Chatham House, "The problem of overfishing and illegal fishing in Somali waters is a very serious one, and does affect the livelihoods of people inside Somalia [...] the dumping of toxic waste on Somalia's shores is a very serious issue, Sony VGP-BPS14/B battery

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Sony VGN-Z51WG/B batterywhich will continue to affect people in Somalia long after the war has ended, and piracy is resolved."[132] To lure fish to their traps, foreign trawlers reportedly also use fishing equipment under prohibition such as nets with very small mesh sizes and sophisticated underwater lighting systems.[119] Sony VGN-Z11MN/B battery

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Under Article 56(1)(b)(iii) of the Law of the Sea Convention:

"In the exclusive economic zone, the coastal State has jurisdiction as provided for in the relevant provisions of this Convention with regard to the protection and preservation of the marine environment".Sony VGN-Z21MN/B battery

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Article 57 of the Convention in turn outlines the limit of that jurisdiction:

"The exclusive economic zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured".[133] Sony VGN-Z21XN battery

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Anti-piracy measures[edit source | editbeta]

 

 

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article titled Anti-piracy measures in Somalia. (Discuss) Proposed since January 2013. Sony VGN-Z31 battery

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Self-defense[edit source | editbeta]

The third volume of the handbook: Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy off the Coast of Somalia and in the Arabian Sea Area (known as BMP3) is the current authoritative guide for merchant ships on self-defense against pirates. Sony VGN-Z31ZN/B battery

The guide is issued and updated by a consortium of interested international shipping and trading organizations including the EU, NATO and the International Maritime Bureau.[93] Sony VGN-Z31VN/X battery

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It is distributed primarily by the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) – the planning and coordination authority for EU naval forces (EUNAVFOR). BMP3 encourages vessels to register their voyages through the region with MSCHOA as this registration is a key component of the operation of the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) Sony VGN-Z51 battery

 

Sony VGN-Z51XTG/B battery (the navy patrolled route through the Gulf of Aden). BMP3 also contains a chapter entitled "Self-Protective Measures" which lays out a list of steps a merchant vessel can take on its own to make itself less of a target to pirates and make it better able to repel an attack if one occurs.

 

Sony VGN-Z31XN/B batteryThis list includes doing thing like ringing the deck of the ship with razor wire, rigging fire-hoses to spray sea-water over the side of the ship (to hinder boardings), having a distinctive pirate alarm, Sony VGN-Z51WG battery

 

Sony VGN-Z41WD/B batteryhardening the bridge against gunfire and creating a "citadel" where the crew can retreat in the event pirates get on board. Other unofficial self-defense measures that can be found on merchant vessels include the setting up of mannequins posing as armed guards or firing flares at the pirates.[134] Sony VGN-Z51XG battery

 

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Though it varies by country, generally peacetime law in the 20th and 21st centuries has not allowed merchant vessels to carry weapons. As a response to the rise in modern piracy, however, the U.S. Government changed its rules so that it is now possible for US-flagged vessels to embark a team of armed private security guards. Sony VGN-Z battery

Other countries and organisations have similarly followed suit.[135] This has given birth to a new breed of private security companies who provide training and protection for crew members and cargo and have proved effective in countering pirate attacks.[136][ Sony VGP-BPL12 battery

Sony VGP-BPS12 battery137] The USCG leaves it to ship owners' discretion to determine if those guards will be armed.[138][139] Seychelles has become a central location for international anti-piracy operations, hosting the Anti-Piracy Operation Center for the Indian Ocean. In 2008, VSOS became the first authorized armed maritime security company to operate in the Indian Ocean region.[140] Sony PCG-41313M battery

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With safety trials complete in the late 2000s, laser dazzlers have been developed for defensive purposes on super-yachts.[141] They can be effective up to 2.5 miles with the effects going from mild disorientation to flash blindness at closer range.[142] Sony PCG-41315M battery

 

 

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In February 2012, Italian Marines based on the tanker Enrica Lexie allegedly fired on an Indian fishing trawler off Kerala, killing two of her eleven crew. The Marines allegedly mistook the fishing vessel as a pirate vessel. Sony PCG-4R2M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12Z9E/X batteryThe incident sparked a diplomatic row between India and Italy. Enrica Lexie was ordered into Kochi where her crew were questioned by officers of the Indian Police.[143] The fact is still sub juris and its legal eventual outcome could influence future deployment of VPDs,

 

Sony VPCZ12Z9E/B batterysince states will be either encouraged or discouraged to provide them depending on whether functional immunity is ultimately granted or denied to the Italians.[144]

 

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Another similar incident has been reported to have happened in the Red Sea between the coasts of Somalia and Yemen, involving the death of a Yemeni fisherman allegedly at the hands of a Russian Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) on board of a Norwegian flagged vessel.[145][146] Sony PCG-4R2M battery

 

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However, despite VPD deployment being controversial because of these incidents, according to the Associated Press,[147] during a United Nations Security Council conference about piracy "U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told the council that no ship carrying armed guards has been successfully attacked by pirates"Sony PCG-4U2M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12V9E battery and "French Ambassador Gerard Araud stressed that private guards do not have the deterrent effect that government-posted marine and sailors and naval patrols have in warding off attacks".

Military presence[edit source | editbeta]

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Ships of the multinational fleet Combined Task Force 150, March 2004.

From the left: DM F-213 Augsburg, JMSDF DD-106 Samidare, RNZN F-111 Te Mana, JMSDF DDG-175 Myōkō, MMI F-573 Scirocco, Spanish Navy Victoria (F82), US Navy USS Leyte Gulf, JMSDF AOE-422 Towada, USS Cushing Sony PCG-6112M battery

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The military response to pirate attacks has brought about a rare show of unity by countries that are either openly hostile to each other, or at least wary of cooperation, military or otherwise.

Currently there are three international naval task forces in the region, with numerous national vessels and task forces entering and leaving the region, Sony PCG-6122M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12M9E/B batteryengaging in counter-piracy operations for various lengths of time. The three international task forces which comprise the bulk of counter-piracy operations are Combined Task Force 150 (whose overarching mission is Operation Enduring Freedom), Combined Task Force 151 Sony PCG-6123M battery

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Sony VPCZ12M9E battery (which was set up in 2009 specifically to run counter-piracy operations)[148] and the EU naval task force operating under Operation Atalanta. All counter-piracy operations are coordinated through a monthly planning conference called Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE).[149] Sony VPCZ13 battery

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Originally having representatives only from NATO, the EU, and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) HQ in Bahrain, it now regularly attracts representatives from over 20 countries.

 

 

Part of Operation Atalanta, the Maestrale class frigate ITS Maestrale (F570) prepares to take on fuel alongside the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA-1) during an underway replenishment in the Indian Ocean. Sony VPCZ13V9E battery

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As part of the international effort, Europe plays a significant role in combating piracy off of the coast of the Horn of Africa. The European Union under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) launched EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation Atalanta (in support of Resolutions 1814 (2008), 1816 (2008),

 

Sony VPCZ12C7E/B battery1838 (2008) and 1846 (2008) of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)). This operation is working to protect humanitarian aid and reduce the disruption to the shipping routes and the de-stabilising of the maritime environment in the region. To date, 26 countries have brought some kind of contribution to the operation. Sony VPCZ21Q9E battery

 

Sony VPCZ11Z9E/B battery13 EU Member States have provided an operational contribution to EU NAVFOR, either with ships, with maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, or with Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) team. Sony VPCZ23K9E battery

 

Sony VPCZ11Z9E batteryThis includes France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Sweden, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, United Kingdom (also hosting the EU NAVFOR Operational headquarters), Portugal, Luxembourg, Malta and Estonia. Sony VGP-BPL20 battery

 

Sony VPCZ11X9E/B battery 9 other EU Member States have participated in the effort providing military staff to work at the EU NAVFOR Operational Headquarters (Northwood Headquarters – UK) or onboard units. These are Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Ireland and Finland. Finally, Sony VGP-BPS20/B battery

 

Sony VPCZ11X9E battery4 non-EU Member States, Norway (who has also provided an operational contribution with a warship regularly deploying), Croatia, Ukraine and Montenegro, have so far also brought their contribution to EU NAVFOR. Sony VGP-BPS20/S battery

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At any one time, the European force size fluctuates according to the monsoon seasons, which determine the level of piracy. It typically consists of 5 to 10 Surface Combatants (Naval ships), 1 to 2 Auxiliary ships and 2 to 4 Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft. Including land-based personnel, Sony VGP-BPL14 battery

 

Sony VGN-Z11VN/X battery Operation Atalanta consists of a total of around 2,000 military personnel. EU NAVFOR operates in a zone comprising the south of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the western part of the Indian Ocean including the Seychelles, which represents an area of 2,000,000 square nautical miles. Sony VGP-BPL14/B battery

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Additionally, there are, and have been, several naval deployments by non-multinational task forces in the past. Some notable ones include:

On 29 May 2009, Australia pledged its support, redirecting Australian Warship, HMAS Warramunga from duties in the Persian Gulf to assist in the fighting of Piracy.[150]

On 26 December 2008, China dispatched two destroyers Haikou (171), Sony VGP-BPS14 battery

 

Sony VGN-Z51XG/B batteryWuhan (169) and the supply ship Weishanhu (887) to the Gulf of Aden. A team of 16 Chinese Special Forces members from its Marine Corps armed with attack helicopters were on board.[151][152Sony VGP-BPS14/B battery

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Sony VGN-Z51WG/B battery] Subsequent to their initial deployment, China has maintained a three-ship flotilla of two warships and one supply ship in the Gulf of Aden by assigning ships to the area on a three-month basis.

 

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Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement and the visit, board, search, and seizure team embarked aboard USS Princeton (CG-59) engage in a mock assault operation in the Red Sea.

 

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The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy both support the actions of the Combined Task Force 151 in their anti-piracy missions in the area.[153]

To protect Indian ships and Indian citizens employed in seafaring duties, Indian Navy commenced anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden from 23 Oct 08. A total of 21[154Sony VGN-Z21MN/B battery

 

Sony VGN-Z31XN/B battery] IN ships have been deployed in the Gulf of Aden since Oct 08. In addition to escorting Indian flagged ships, ships of other countries have also been escorted. Merchant ships are currently being escorted along the entire length of the (490 nm long and 20 nm wide) Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) Sony VGN-Z21WN/B battery

 

Sony VGN-Z41WD/B battery that has been promulgated for use by all merchant vessels. A total of 1181 ships (144 Indian flagged and 1037 foreign flagged from different countries) have been escorted by IN ships in the Gulf of Aden since Oct 08. Sony VGN-Z21XN battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS12/Q batteryDuring its deployments for anti-piracy operations, the Indian Naval ships have prevented 15 piracy attempts on merchant vessels.

In response to the increased activity of the INS Tabar, India sought to augment its naval force in the Gulf of Aden by deploying the larger INS Mysore to patrol the area. Somalia also added India to its list of states, including the U.S. Sony VGN-Z21ZN/X battery

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and France, who are permitted to enter its territorial waters, extending up to 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) from the coastline, in an effort to check piracy.[155] An Indian naval official confirmed receipt of a letter acceding to India's prerogative to check such piracy. Sony VGN-Z31MN/B battery

"We had put up a request before the Somali government to play a greater role in suppressing piracy in the Gulf of Aden in view of the United Nations resolution. The TFG government gave its nod recently."[156] Sony VGN-Z31VN/X battery

 

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Sony VGP-BPS12 battery India also expressed consideration to deploy up to four more warships in the region.[157][158] On 14 March 2011, the Indian navy reportedly had seized 61 pirates and rescued 13 crew from the vessel, which had been used as a mother ship from where pirates launched attacks around the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi ship hijacked by pirates last year was freed after a ransom was paid.[159] Sony VGN-Z31WN/B battery

 

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Norway announced on 27 February 2009, that it would send the frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen to the coast of Somalia to fight piracy. Royal Norwegian Navy Fridtjof Nansen joined EU NAVFOR's international naval force in August.[160] Sony VGN-Z31ZN/B battery

 

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Russia also chose to send more warships to combat piracy near Somalia following the announcement from the International Maritime Bureau terming the menace as having gone "out of control."[161] Sony VGN-Z51 battery

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Anti-piracy boarding, December 2011

Due to their proximity to Somalia, the coast guard of Seychelles has become increasingly involved in counter-piracy in the region. On 30 March 2010, a Seychelles Coast Guard Trinkat class patrol vessel rescued 27 hostages and sank two pirate vessels. Sony VGN-Z11MN/B battery

 

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Other non-NATO and non-EU countries have, at one time or another, contributed to counter-piracy operations. Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Iran have all sent ships to the region, sometimes joining with the existing CTFs, sometimes operating independently.[162] Sony VGN-Z11WN/B battery

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Royal Australian Air Force Lockheed P-3 Orion surveillance plane patrol the ocean between the southern coast of Oman and the Horn of Africa. Sony PCG-4121DL Battery

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The anti-piracy flights are operated from UAE.[163] The Spanish Air Force also deployed P-3s to assist the international effort against piracy in Somalia. On 29 October 2008, a Spanish P-3 aircraft patrolling the coast of Somalia reacted to a distress call from an oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden. In order to deter the pirates, Sony PCG-4121EL Battery
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the aircraft flew over the pirates three times as they attempted to board the tanker, dropping a smoke bomb on each pass. After the third pass, the attacking pirate boats broke off their attack.[164] Later, on 29 March 2009, the same P-3 pursued the assailants of the German navy tanker Spessart (A1442), Sony PCG-4121GL Battery

Sony PCG-41413L Battery resulting in the capture of the pirates.[165] In April 2011, the Portuguese Air Force also contributed to Operation Ocean Shield by sending a P-3C[166] which had early success when on its fifth mission detected a pirate whaler with two attack skiffs.[1Sony PCG-41211L Battery

Sony PCG-41412L Battery67]

A maritime conference was also held in Mombasa to discuss the rising concern of regional piracy with a view to give regional and world governments recommendations to deal with the menace. The International Transport Workers Federation (ITWF) Sony PCG-41212L Battery

Sony PCG-41411L Batteryorganised the regional African maritime unions’ conference, the first of its kind in Africa. Godfrey Matata Onyango, executive secretary of the Northern Corridor Transit Coordination Authority said that "We cannot ignore to discuss the piracy menace because it poses a huge challenge to the maritime industry and if not controlled, it threats to chop off the regional internal trade. Sony PCG-41213L Battery

Sony PCG-41218L Battery The cost of shipping will definitely rise as a result of the increased war insurance premium due to the high risk off the Gulf of Aden."[citation needed][168][dead link] In 2008 Pakistan offered the services of the Pakistan Navy to the United Nations in order to help combat the piracy in Somalia "provided a clear mandate was given."[169] Sony PCG-41214L Battery
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Current fleet of vessels in operation[edit source | editbeta]

 

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2010)

Vessels, aircraft and personnel whose primary mission is to conduct anti-piracy activities come from different countries and are assigned to the following missions: Sony PCG-41216L Battery
Sony PCG-41217L BatteryOperation Ocean Shield (NATO and partner states), Atalanta (EU and partner states), Combined Task Force 151, independent missions of Japan, India, Russia, PR China, South Korea, Iran, Malaysia[clarification needed]. Additionally resources dedicated for the War on Terror missions of Combined Task Force 150 and Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa also operate against the pirates. sony PCG-4R2L battery

 

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On 28 January 2009, Japan announced its intention of sending a naval task force to join international efforts to stop piracy off the coast of Somalia. The deployment would be highly unusual, as Japan's non-aggressive constitution means Japanese military forces can only be used for defensive purposes. The issue has been controversial in Japan, sony PCG-4R1L battery

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although the ruling party maintains this should be seen as fighting crime on the high seas, rather than a "military" operation. The process of the Prime Minister of Japan, Taro Aso, giving his approval is expected to take approximately one month.[186] However, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) sony PCG-4Q3L battery

and the Japanese government face legal problems on how to handle attacks by pirates against ships that either have Japanese personnel, cargo or are under foreign control instead of being under Japanese control as current Article 9 regulations would hamper their actions when deployed to Somalia.[21sony PCG-4Q1L battery

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sony PCG-6Z3L battery8] It was reported on 4 February 2009, that the JMSDF was sending a fact-finding mission led by Gen Nakatani to the region prior to the deployment of the Murasame-class destroyer JDS DD-106 Samidare and the Takanami-class destroyersony PCG-6X2L battery

 

sony PCG-6Z2L battery JDS DD-113 Sazanami to the coast of Somalia with a 13-man team composed of Japanese Ministry of Defense personnel, with members coming from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the JMSDF to visit Yemen, Djibouti, Oman, and Bahrain from February 8 to 20.[219][2

 

sony PCG-6Z1L battery20] Both JMSDF vessels are units of the 8th Escort Division of the 4th Escort Flotilla based in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture.[221sony PCG-6X6L battery

 

sony PCG-6XBL battery] The JMSDF's special forces unit, the Special Boarding Unit is also scheduled to potentially deploy to Somalia.[222][223] The SBU has been deployed alongside the two destroyers to Somalia on 14 March 2009.[ sony PCG-6X7L battery

224] According to JMSDF officials, the deployment would "regain the trust of the shipping industry, which was lost during the war."[225] The JMSDF task force would be deployed off the coast of Somalia for 4 months.[22sony PCG-6X8L battery

sony PCG-6XAL battery6] In its first mission, the Takanami-class destroyer JDS DD-113 Sazanami was able to ward off pirates attempting to hijack a Singaporean cargo ship.[227] In addition, JMSDF P-3Cs are to be deployed in June from Djibouti to conduct surveillance on the Somali coast.[228][2Sony PCG-61A11L Battery

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29] The House of Representatives of Japan has passed an anti-piracy bill, calling for the JMSDF to protect non-Japanese ships and nationals, though there are some concerns that the pro-opposition House of Councillors may reject it.[230] Sony PCG-61A13L Battery
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Sony PCG-91211L BatteryThe Diet of Japan has passed an anti-piracy law that called for JMSDF forces to protect all foreign ships traveling off the coast of Somalia aside from protecting Japanese-owned/manned ships despite a veto from the House of Councillors, which the House of Representatives have overturned.[2Sony PCG-71C11L Battery

Sony PCG-71914L Battery31] In 2009, the destroyers Harusame and DD-154 Amagiri left port from Yokusuka to replace the two destroyers that had been dispatched earlier on March 2009.[23
Sony PCG-71913L Battery2] Under current arrangements, Japan Coast Guard officers would be responsible for arresting pirates since SDF forces are not allowed to have powers of arrest.[233Sony PCG-71C12L Battery]

The South Korean navy is also making plans to participate in anti-piracy operations after sending officers to visit the US Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain and in Djibouti.[234] The South Korean cabinet had approved a government plan to send in South Korean navy ships and soldiers to the coast of Somalia to participate in anti-pirate operations.[18Sony PCG-61714L Battery

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Sony PCG-71912L Battery8] The ROKN was sending the Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyer DDH 976 Munmu the Great to the coast of Somalia.[235] The Cheonghae Unit task force was also deployed in Somalia under CTF 151.[236] Sony PCG-61813L Battery

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The Swiss government calls for the deployment of Army Reconnaissance Detachment operators to combat Somali piracy with no agreement in Parliament[237] as the proposal was rejected after it was voted.[238] Javier Solana had said that Swiss soldiers could serve under the EU's umbrella.[239]
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The Philippine government ordered the dispatch of a Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer to work with the US Navy's 5th Fleet as part of its contribution against piracy.[240]

On 12 June 2009, Bulgaria also announced plans to join the anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and protect Bulgarian shipping, by sending a frigate with a crew of 130 sailors.[241]
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The Danish Institute for Military Studies has in a report[dead link] proposed to establish a regionally based maritime unit: a Greater Horn of Africa Sea Patrol, Sony PCG-61911L Battery
Sony PCG-61913L Batteryto carry out surveillance in the area to secure free navigation and take on tasks such as fishery inspection and environmental monitoring. A Greater Horn of Africa Sea Patrol would comprise elements from the coastal states – from Egypt in the north to Tanzania in the south.
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The unit would be established with the support of the states that already have a naval presence in the area.[242]

In February 2010, Danish special forces from the Absalon freed 25 people from the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel Ariella after it was hijacked by pirates off the Somali coast. The crew members had locked themselves into a store-room.[243][244] Sony PCG-61713L Battery

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Southern African waters are becomingly an increasingly attractive alternative to the more protected Eastern African sea lanes. The recent rise in counter-piracy patrols is pushing more pirates down the coast line into unprotected areas of the Indian Ocean, which will require the joint navies’ current patrols to widen their search area.[245] Sony PCG-91111L Battery
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In January 2012, US military forces freed an American and a Danish hostage after a gun battle with pirates during a night-time helicopter raid in Somalia. Two US helicopters attacked the site where the hostages were being held, 12 miles north of the town of Adado. Nine pirates were killed. There were no US casualties.[246] Sony PCG-71312L Battery

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In May 2012, EU Navfor conducted their first raid on pirate bases on the Somali mainland, destroying 5 pirate boats. The EU forces were transported by helicopter to the bases near the port of Harardhere, a well known pirate lair. The operation was carried out with the full support of the Somali government.[247][248] Sony PCG-71311L Battery
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Somalia[edit source | editbeta]

Puntland[edit source | editbeta]

Between 2009 and 2010, the government of the autonomous Puntland region in northeastern Somalia enacted a number of reforms and pre-emptive measures as a part of its officially declared anti-piracy campaign. Sony PCG-71217L Battery
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The latter included the arrest, trial and conviction of pirate gangs, as well as raids on suspected pirate hideouts and confiscation of weapons and equipment; ensuring the adequate coverage of the regional authority's anti-piracy efforts by both local and international media; Sony PCG-71315L Battery

Sony PCG-61312L Battery sponsoring a social campaign led by Islamic scholars and community activists aimed at discrediting piracy and highlighting its negative effects; and partnering with the NATO alliance to combat pirates at sea.[2Sony PCG-71316L Battery

Sony PCG-61311L Battery49] In May 2010, construction also began on a new naval base in the town of Bandar Siyada, located 25 km west of Bosaso, the commercial capital of Puntland.[21] The facility is funded by Puntland's regional government in conjunction with Saracen International, a UK-based security company, Sony PCG-71317L Battery

Sony PCG-61215L Battery and is intended to assist in more effectively combating piracy. The base will include a center for training recruits, and a command post for the naval force.[21] These numerous security measures appear to have borne fruit, as many pirates were apprehended in 2010, including a prominent leader. Sony PCG-71318L Battery

Sony PCG-61211L Battery [20] Puntland's security forces also reportedly managed to force out the pirate gangs from their traditional safe havens such as Eyl and Gar'ad,[250] with the pirates now primarily operating from Hobyo, El Danaan and Harardhere in the neighboring Galmudug region.[250]
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Following a Transitional Federal Government-Puntland cooperative agreement in August 2011 calling for the creation of a Somali Marine Force, of which the already established Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) would form a part, the Puntland administration resumed training of PMPF naval officials.[2Sony PCG-71211L Battery
51] The Puntland Maritime Police Force is a locally recruited, professional maritime security force that is primarily aimed at fighting piracy off of the coast of Somalia, safeguarding the nation's marine resources,[251] and providing logistics support to humanitarian efforts.[ Sony PCG-71212L Battery
Sony PCG-71215L Battery252] Supported by the United Arab Emirates,[251] PMPF officials are also trained by the Japanese Coast Guard.[253]

Galmudug[edit source | editbeta]

Government officials from the Galmudug administration in the north-central Hobyo district have also reportedly attempted to use pirate gangs as a bulwark against Islamist insurgents from southern Somalia's conflict zones;[254Sony PCG-9Z1L Battery

Sony PCG-8151L Battery] other pirates are alleged to have reached agreements of their own with the Islamist groups, although a senior commander from the Hizbul Islam militia vowed to eradicate piracy by imposing sharia law when his group briefly took control of Harardhere in May 2010 and drove out the local pirates.[254][255] Sony PCG-9Z2L Battery

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By the first half of 2010, these increased policing efforts by Somali government authorities on land along with international naval vessels at sea reportedly contributed to a drop in pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden from 86 a year prior to 33, forcing pirates to shift attention to other areas such as the Somali Basin and the wider Indian Ocean.[20][22][23] Sony PCG-7142L Battery
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Somaliland[edit source | editbeta]

The government of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia,[256Sony PCG-7153L Battery

Sony PCG-8131L Battery] has adopted stringent anti-piracy measures, arresting and imprisoning pirates forced to make port in Berbera. According to officials in Hargeisa, Somaliland's capital, the Somaliland Coast Guard acts as an effective deterrent to piracy in waters under its jurisdiction.[257][258] Sony PCG-7154L Battery

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Arab League summit[edit source | editbeta]

Following the seizure by Somali pirates of an Egyptian ship and a Saudi oil supertanker worth $100 million of oil, the Arab League, after a meeting in Cairo, has called for an urgent summit for countries overlooking the Red Sea, Sony PCG-7161L Battery
Sony PCG-7162L Batteryincluding Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Jordan, Djibouti and Yemen. The summit would offer several solutions for the piracy problem, in addition to suggesting different routes and looking for a more secure passageway for ships.

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Another possible means of intervention by the Red Sea Arab nations' navy might be to assist the current NATO anti-piracy effort as well as other navies.[259]

United Nations[edit source | editbeta] Sony PCG-7171L Battery
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In June 2008, following a letter from the Somalian Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to the President of the UN Security Council requesting assistance for the TFG's efforts to tackle acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia, Sony PCG-7173L Battery

Sony PCG-7183L Batterythe UN Security Council unanimously passed a declaration authorizing nations that have the consent of the Transitional Federal Government to enter Somali territorial waters to deal with pirates.[37Sony PCG-7174L Battery] The measure, which was sponsored by France, the United States and Panama, lasted six months. France initially wanted the resolution to include other regions with pirate problems, such as West Africa, but were opposed by Vietnam, Libya and most importantly by veto-holding China, who wanted the sovereignty infringement limited to Somalia.[260] Sony PCG-7181L Battery
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The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on 20 November 2008, that was proposed by Britain to introduce tougher sanctions against Somalia over the country's failure to prevent a surge in sea piracy.[ Sony PCG-71111L Battery

Sony VPCF115FM battery 261] The US circulated the draft resolution that called upon countries having naval capacities to deploy vessels and aircraft to actively fight against piracy in the region. The resolution also welcomed the initiatives of the European Union, Sony PCG-81111L Battery

Sony PCG-81411L Battery NATO and other countries to counter piracy off the coast of Somalia. US Alternate Representative for Security Council Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said that the draft resolution "calls on the secretary-general to look at a long-term solution to escorting the safe passage of World Food Programme ships."[26Sony PCG-81112L Battery
2] Even Somalia's Islamist militants stormed the Somali port of Harardheere in the hunt for pirates behind the seizure of a Saudi supertanker, the MV Sirius Star. A clan elder affiliated with the Islamists said
Sony PCG-81314L Battery "The Islamists arrived searching for the pirates and the whereabouts of the Saudi ship. I saw four cars full of Islamists driving in the town from corner to corner. The Islamists say they will attack the pirates for hijacking a Muslim ship."[263] Sony PCG-81113L Battery
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On 17 December 2008, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a tougher resolution, allowing for the first time international land and sea occupations in the pursuit of pirates.[264] Four ships, a Chinese fishing boat, Sony PCG-81214L Battery
a Turkish cargo ship, a Malaysian tug, and a private yacht were seized by pirates that same day.[265] Resolution 1851 takes current anti-piracy measures a step further.[266]
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A Russian drafted resolution, Security Council Resolution 1918, adopted on 27 April 2010, called on all states to criminalise piracy and suggested the possibility of establishing a regional or international tribunal to prosecute suspected pirates.[267] Sony PCG-81311L Battery
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Pursuant to resolution 1976 and resolution 2015, both adopted in 2011, the United Nations Security Council has called for more structured international support for Somalia's Transitional Federal Government as well as Puntland and other regional authorities in Somalia in creating counter-piracy special courts, laws, prisons and policing capabilities. Sony VPCF115FM battery
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 Resolution 1976 also encourages regional and federal actors to engage in more effective marine resource defence against illegal fishing and toxic waste dumping in areas under their jurisdiction.[268][269] Sony VPCF11MFX battery
 

On 19 November 2012 UN Security Council held an open meeting discuss piracy. The debate, which was the first held by the Security Council about this subject, was called by Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri and heard more than 40 speakers from different countries and international organizations.[147][270] Sony VPCF11FGX battery
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Private initiatives[edit source | editbeta]

 

 

Armed guard escort on a merchant ship.

There have been reports of pirates repelled by private initiatives. One such case would have occurred by the end of 2008, by armed personnel of transportation entrepreneur Barthe Cortes.[271][272Sony VPCF11LFX battery
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] VSOS, a Seychelles based company was authorized in 2008 by the authorities of Seychelles to operate armed maritime security guards. From this strategic hub the company extends its operations throughout the Indian Ocean.[273] Sony VPCF117FX battery
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Other vessel owners and shipping line companies have also hired private security outfits for assistance. One such firm is Espada Logistics and Security Group based in San Antonio, Texas, whose security officers provide on-board protection from a ship's point of entry to its point of destination. Sony VPCF11KFX battery

Sony VPCF11PFX batteryThey also offer anti-piracy training en route to the Gulf of Aden,[274][275] and have teamed up with African Shipping Lines, a leading international shipping line company, to provide security to vessels traveling along the coast of East Africa.[276] Another private venture is MUSC, which specializes in counterpiracy and ship security.[277] Sony VPCF11CGX battery
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As of 21 May 2012, Nick Maroukis of Triton Risk MSS states that not a single vessel with armed privately contracted maritime security contractors has been successfully hijacked by the pirates. A table of incidents from October to December 2011 shows pirate successes against armed and unarmed vessels.[278] Sony VPCF111FX battery

Sony VPCF11BFX battery Pirates have steadily ventured further across the Lloyd's Joint War Committee (JWC) designated high risk area (HRA) in order to evade naval patrols and search for easier targets. This is just one example of how pirates adapt their tactics to counter-piracy measures. Sony VPCF11GGX battery

Sony VPCF11AFX battery Triton Risk MSS has produced a short analysis which highlights other probable shifts in pirate tactics, techniques and procedures in 2012/13.[279] The maritime security industry has been actively trying to introduce self-regulation for private contracted armed security companies (PCASP) Sony VPCF11NFX battery
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Sony VPCF1190X battery since 2010. Main industry actors are: Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) and the International Association of Maritime Security Professionals (IAMSP). Governmental initiatives include the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Swiss government's International Code of Conduct (ICOC) initiative. As of spring 2012, Dell Latitude E4310 Battery

 

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one of the largest ship owners/operators organizations, BIMCO, has launched another initiative to bring standards into the maritime security industry though use of PCASP contracts for its members (called GUARDCON) and ISO accreditation and certification standards for PCASPs.

Legislation[edit source | editbeta] Dell Latitude E5400 Battery

 

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Jurisdiction[edit source | editbeta]

In June 2008, following a letter from the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) to the President of the UN Security Council requesting assistance for the Somali authorities' efforts at tackling acts of piracy in the Indian Ocean, Dell Latitude E5420 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6430S XFR Battery the UN Security Council unanimously passed a declaration authorizing nations that have the consent of the Somali government to enter Somali territorial waters to deal with pirates.[37] Dell Latitude E5500 Battery

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Suspected pirates captured in international waters have been tried in various countries. The Somali government questioned the authority of foreign countries to prosecute the pirates abroad. In response, the European Union attempted to focus the prosecutions closer to the Horn of Africa littoral by involving nearby territories.[280] Dell Latitude E6120 Battery

 

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In January 2011, a report by UN Special Advisor on piracy Jack Lang proposed that two special anti-piracy courts should be established in the stable northern Puntland and Somaliland regions of Somalia. It also recommended that a Somali extraterritorial tribunal be created in neighbouring Tanzania. Dell Latitude E6220 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6430 BatteryThis prospective court would be subject to Somali law and function, but would be based outside of Somalia due to the conflict that was then taking place in the southern part of the country. However, the latter proposal was rejected by the Somali authorities. This, along with legal, Dell Latitude E6320 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E5530 Batteryfinancial and security-related concerns, prompted the US government to also oppose the recommendation of a Somali extraterritorial tribunal. A British House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee report issued in January 2012 likewise rejected the idea as well as that of an international court, Dell Latitude E6400 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E5430 Battery and recommended instead that special anti-piracy courts operating under national laws in nearby states should be established.[281]

In 2011, the autonomous Puntland and Somaliland regions of Somalia each reached a security-related memorandum of understanding with the Seychelles. Dell Latitude E6410 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E5420M Battery Following the framework of an earlier agreement signed between the Transitional Federal Government and the Seychelles, the memorandum called for the transfer of convicted pirates to prison facilities in Puntland and Somaliland.[2Dell Latitude E6420 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E5520 Battery82] The TFG and the two regional administrations later signed a similar cooperative agreement with Mauritius in 2012, with the island nation scheduled to take on pirate suspects for trial and prosecution starting in June of the year.[283] Dell Latitude E6420 ATG Battery

 

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Kenya concurrently began serving as an additional location for trials of pirate suspects. In October 2012, its Court of Appeal stated that the country's courts could try pirates captured on international waters, as universal jurisdiction permitted all states to do so.[2Dell Latitude E6500 Battery

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84] In January 2013, the Somali government indicated that pirates interned in Kenya would be transferred to Somalia. The plan was conceived by the Somali authorities, although no specific date for the transfer was announced.[285] Dell Latitude E6520 Battery

 

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As Somalia further develops its courts and prison facilities in coordination with the UNODC Counter Piracy Program, pirates held in other territories are expected to be transferred for domestic detention.[286] Dell Latitude E6400 ATG Battery

 

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Trials[edit source | editbeta]

In May 2010, a Yemeni court sentenced six Somali pirates to death and jailed six others for 10 years each for hijacking a Yemeni oil tanker, killing one cabin crew member and leaving another missing in April 2009.[287] Dell Latitude E6400 XFR Battery

In May 2010, another Somali, Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, pleaded guilty in a New York federal court to seizing a United States-flagged ship Maersk Alabama and kidnapping its captain last year. He pled guilty, and was sentenced to 33 years imprisonment.[288] Dell Latitude E6410 ATG Battery

 

 

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Sony PCG-41212M battery while rescuing 20 Thai and Burmese fishermen that were held aboard the ship as hostages. The rescued fishermen were sent to Kochi while the 15 pirates, of Somali, Ethiopian and Kenyan origin, Sony VPCSA3Q9E battery

Sony PCG-4121GM batterywere taken to Mumbai. The Mumbai Police confirmed that they registered a case against the pirates for attempt to murder and various other provisions under the Indian Penal Code and the Passports Act for entering the Indian waters without permission.[79]
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In May 2012, a U.S. federal appeals court upheld the convictions of five pirate suspects, a decision which prosecutors described as the first United States-based piracy convictions in 190 years.[283]
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Proposed solutions[edit source | editbeta]

 

In November 2008, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, a group of ship-owners representing 75% of the world's independent tanker fleet, asked for United Nations intervention. Sony VPCSB4S9E battery

Sony PCG-41218M battery It called on the United Nations to co-ordinate anti-piracy patrols, and suggested the possibility of a naval blockade of Somalia and monitoring all vessels leaving the country's coastline. However, Sony VPCSE2F1E battery

Sony PCG-41213M battery NATO responded by saying that it would be impossible to effectively blockade Somalia's vast coast.[299] It also suggested that all home ports used by the pirates be blockaded, or that ground forces should be deployed to destroy pirate bases on land.[300] Sony VPCSE2V9E battery

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It has been suggested that land-based policies are the best way to combat piracy.[268][301] Governments would have to employ socioeconomic measures such as poverty alleviation and good governance in order to deal with piracy (and even terrorism) effectively. Sony PCG-4121DM battery
Sony PCG-4121EM battery In particular, a sustainable solution requires the establishment not only of effective governance but also the rule of law, reliable security agencies, and alternative employment opportunities for the Somali people.[302] This however, would suggest possible military intervention, a solution which there is opposition to since 1993's Operation Restore Hope.

Read more

 

A privateer or corsair used similar methods to a pirate, but acted while in possession of a commission or letter of marque and reprisal from a government or monarch authorizing the capture of merchant ships belonging to an enemy nation. HP 606609-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 431448-001 CPU fan with heatsinkFor example, the United States Constitution of 1787 specifically authorized Congress to issue letters of marque and reprisal. The letter of marque and reprisal was recognized by international convention and meant that a privateer could not technically be charged with piracy while attacking the targets named in his commission. This nicety of law did not always save the individuals concerned, however, HP 612354-001 CPU fan with heatsink

as whether one was considered a pirate or a legally operating privateer often depended on whose custody the individual found himself in—that of the country that had issued the commission, or that of the object of attack. HP 612355-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 450864-001 CPU fan with heatsinkSpanish authorities were known to execute foreign privateers with their letters of marque hung around their necks to emphasize Spain's rejection of such defenses. Furthermore, many privateers exceeded the bounds of their letters of marque by attacking nations with which their sovereign was at peaceHP 606014-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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HP 486844-001 CPU fan with heatsink (Thomas Tew and William Kidd are notable alleged examples), and thus made themselves liable to conviction for piracy. However, a letter of marque did provide some cover for such pirates, as plunder seized from neutral or friendly shipping could be passed off later as taken from enemy merchants. HP 610774-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

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The famous Barbary Corsairs of the Mediterranean, authorized by the Ottoman Empire, were privateers, as were the Maltese Corsairs, who were authorized by the Knights of St. John, and the Dunkirkers in the service of the Spanish Empire. HP 610773-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 492314-001 CPU fan with heatsinkIn the years 1626–1634 alone, the Dunkirk privateers captured 1,499 ships, and sank another 336.[51] From 1609 to 1616, England lost 466 merchant ships to Barbary pirates, and 160 British ships were captured by Algerians between 1677 and 1680.[52] HP 622033-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 491572-001 CPU fan with heatsink One famous privateer was Sir Francis Drake. His patron was Queen Elizabeth I, and their relationship ultimately proved to be quite profitable for England.[53]

Privateers constituted a large proportion of the total military force at sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. During the Nine Years War, HP 610777-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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the French adopted a policy of strongly encouraging privateers (French corsair s), including the famous Jean Bart, to attack English and Dutch shipping. England lost roughly 4,000 merchant ships during the war.[54]

 

HP 486799-001 CPU fan with heatsinkIn the following War of Spanish Succession, privateer attacks continued, Britain losing 3,250 merchant ships.[55] During the War of Austrian Succession, Britain lost 3,238 merchant ships and France lost 3,434 merchant ships to the British.[54] HP 631743-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

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During King George's War, approximately 36,000 Americans served aboard privateers at one time or another.[54] During the American Revolution, about 55,000 American seamen served aboard the privateers.[5HP 622029-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 535438-001 CPU fan with heatsink6] The American privateers had almost 1,700 ships, and they captured 2,283 enemy ships.[57] Between the end of the Revolutionary War and 1812, less than 30 years, Britain, France, Naples, the Barbary States, Spain, and the Netherlands seized approximately 2,500 American ships. HP 532613-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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58] Payments in ransom and tribute to the Barbary states amounted to 20% of United States government annual revenues in 1800.[59] Throughout the American Civil War, Confederate privateers successfully harassed Union merchant ships.[60] HP 532614-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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Privateering lost international sanction under the Declaration of Paris in 1856.

Modern age[edit source | editbeta]

Seaborne piracy against transport vessels remains a significant issue (with estimated worldwide losses of US$13 to $16 billion per year),[61][62] particularly in the waters between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, off the Somali coast, and also in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, which are used by over 50,000 commercial ships a year. Compaq Presario CQ62-215SA keyboard

 

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In the late 2000s,[63] the emergence of piracy off the coast of Somalia spurred a multi-national effort led by the United States to patrol the waters near the Horn of Africa. In 2011, Brazil also created an anti-piracy unit on the Amazon river.[64] Compaq Presario CQ62-220SA keyboard

 

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In recent years, shipping companies claimed that their vessels suffer from regular pirate attacks on the Serbian and Romanian stretches of the international Danube river, i.e. inside the European Union's territory, starting from at least 2011.[65][66][67]

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Map showing the extent of Somali pirate attacks on shipping vessels between 2005 and 2010.

Modern pirates favor small boats and taking advantage of the small number of crew members on modern cargo vessels. They also use large vessels to supply the smaller attack/boarding vessels. Compaq Presario CQ62-225SA keyboard

 

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Modern pirates can be successful because a large amount of international commerce occurs via shipping. Major shipping routes take cargo ships through narrow bodies of water such as the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Malacca making them vulnerable to be overtaken and boarded by small motorboats.[68][69Compaq Presario CQ62-229SA keyboard

 

Compaq Presario CQ62-220EA keyboard] Other active areas include the South China Sea and the Niger Delta. As usage increases, many of these ships have to lower cruising speeds to allow for navigation and traffic control, making them prime targets for piracy. Compaq Presario CQ62-230SA keyboard

 

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Also, pirates often operate in regions of developing or struggling countries with smaller navies and large trade routes. Pirates sometimes evade capture by sailing into waters controlled by their pursuer's enemies. With the end of the Cold War, Compaq Presario CQ62-235SA keyboard

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Compaq Presario CQ62-A65SA keyboardnavies have decreased size and patrol, and trade has increased, making organized piracy far easier. Modern pirates are sometimes linked with organized-crime syndicates, but often are parts of small individual groups. Compaq Presario CQ62-A20SA keyboard

 

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The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) maintains statistics regarding pirate attacks dating back to 1995. Their records indicate hostage-taking overwhelmingly dominates the types of violence against seafarers. For example in 2006, Compaq Presario CQ62-A25SA keyboard

Compaq Presario CQ62-A50SA keyboardthere were 239 attacks, 77 crew members were kidnapped and 188 taken hostage but only 15 of the pirate attacks resulted in murder.[70] In 2007 the attacks rose by 10% to 263 attacks. There was a 35% increase on reported attacks involving guns. Crew members that were injured numbered 64 compared to just 17 in 2006.[7Compaq Presario CQ62Z-200 keyboard

 

Compaq Presario CQ60Z-200 CTO keyboard1] That number does not include instances of hostage taking and kidnapping where the victims were not injured.

 

 

Aerial photograph of the Niger Delta, a center of piracy.

The number of attacks from January to September 2009 had surpassed the previous year's total due to the increased pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia. Between January and September the number of attacks rose to 306 from 293. Compaq Presario CQ60-107EA keyboard

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Compaq Presario CQ60-430SA keyboardThe pirates boarded the vessels in 114 cases and hijacked 34 of them so far in 2009. Gun use in pirate attacks has gone up to 176 cases from 76 last year.[72] Compaq Presario CQ60-212EA keyboard

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Rather than cargo, modern pirates have targeted the personal belongings of the crew and the contents of the ship's safe, which potentially contains large amounts of cash needed for payroll and port fees. In other cases, the pirates force the crew off the ship and then sail it to a port to be repainted and given a new identity through false papers purchased from corrupt or complicit officials.[73]

 

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Modern piracy can also take place in conditions of political unrest. For example, following the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, Thai piracy was aimed at the many Vietnamese who took to boats to escape. Further, following the disintegration of the government of Somalia, warlords in the region have attacked ships delivering UN food aid.[74] Compaq Presario CQ60-219EA keyboard

 

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Flag of Sea Shepherd, an environmental action group against marine poaching and overfishing.

Environmental action groups such as Sea Shepherd have been accused of engaging in piracy and terrorism, when they ram and throw butyric acid on the decks of ships engaged in commercial fishing, shark poaching and finning, seal hunting, and whaling. In two instances, they boarded a Japanese whaling vessel.[75][76] Compaq Presario CQ60-305EA keyboard

 

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The attack against the German built cruise ship the Seabourn Spirit offshore of Somalia in November 2005 is an example of the sophisticated pirates mariners face. The pirates carried out their attack more than 100 miles (160 km) Compaq Presario CQ60-305SA keyboard

 

Compaq Presario CQ60-405SA keyboard offshore with speedboats launched from a larger mother ship. The attackers were armed with automatic firearms and an RPG.[77]

Since 2008, Somali pirates centered in the Gulf of Aden made about $120 million annually, reportedly costing the shipping industry between $900 million and $3.3 billion per year.[78] By September 2012, Compaq Presario CQ60-307SA keyboard

 

Compaq Presario CQ60-320SA keyboardthe heyday of piracy in the Indian Ocean was reportedly over. Backers were now reportedly reluctant to finance pirate expeditions due to the low rate of success, and pirates were no longer able to reimburse their creditors.[79] According to the International Maritime Bureau, Compaq Presario CQ60-307EA keyboard

pirate attacks had by October 2012 dropped to a six-year low.[80] Only five ships were captured by the end of the year, Compaq Presario CQ60-311SA keyboard

Compaq Presario CQ60-311EA keyboardrepresenting a decrease from 25 in 2011 and 27 in 2010,[81] with only 1 ship attacked in the third quarter compared to 36 during the same period in 2011.[80] However, pirate incidents off on the West African seaboard increased to 34 from 30 the previous year, and attacks off the coast of Indonesia rose from 2011's total of 46 to 51.[80] Compaq Presario CQ60Z keyboard

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Many nations forbid ships to enter their territorial waters or ports if the crew of the ships are armed, in an effort to restrict possible piracy.[82] Shipping companies sometimes hire private armed security guards. Compaq Presario CQ56-254SA keyboard

 

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For the United States, piracy is one of the offenses against which Congress is delegated power to enact penal legislation by the Constitution of the United States, along with treason and offenses against the law of nations. Compaq Presario CQ56-100EA keyboard

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Compaq Presario CQ56-106EA keyboard Treason is generally making war against one's own countrymen, and violations of the law of nations can include unjust war among other nationals or by governments against their own people. Compaq Presario CQ56-250SA keyboard

 

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In modern times, ships and airplanes are hijacked for political reasons as well. The perpetrators of these acts could be described as pirates (for instance, the French for plane hijacker is pirate de l'air, literally air pirate), Compaq Presario CQ56-251SA keyboard

 

Compaq Presario CQ56-102EA keyboard but in English are usually termed hijackers. An example is the hijacking of the Italian civilian passenger ship Achille Lauro in 1985, which is generally regarded as an act of piracy. Compaq Presario CQ56-253SA keyboard

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Modern pirates also use a great deal of technology. It has been reported that crimes of piracy have involved the use of mobile phones, satellite phones, GPS, Sonar systems, modern speedboats, assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, mounted machine guns, and even RPGs and grenade launchers. Compaq Presario CQ56-115SA keyboard

 

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During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, two coaster ships were hijacked and sunk by the IRA in the span of one year, between February 1981 and February 1982.

A collision between the container ship Ocean Blessing and the hijacked tanker Nagasaki Spirit occurred in the Malacca Straits at about 23:20 on September 19, Compaq Presario CQ56-156SA keyboard

1992. Pirates had boarded the Nagasaki Spirit, removed its captain from command, set the ship on autopilot, and left with the ship's master for a ransom. The ship was left going at full speed with no one at the wheel. Compaq Presario CQ56-204SA keyboard

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Compaq Presario CQ56-250EA keyboard The collision and resulting fire killed the entire crew of Ocean Blessing; there were only 2 survivors from Nagasaki Spirit. The fire on the Nagasaki Spirit lasted for six days; the fire aboard the Ocean Blessing burned for five weeks.[85]

 

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The cargo ship Chang Song was boarded and seized by pirates posing as customs officials in the South China Sea in 1998. The entire crew of 23 was killed, and their bodies thrown overboard. Six bodies were eventually recovered in fishing nets. Compaq Presario CQ56-109SA keyboard

 

Compaq Presario CQ56-112EA keyboard A crackdown by the Chinese government resulted in the arrest of 38 pirates and the group's leader, a corrupt customs official, and 11 other pirates who were then executed.[86]

The New Zealand environmentalist, yachtsman and public figure Sir Peter Blake was killed by Brazilian river pirates in 2001.[87] Compaq Presario CQ56-110SA keyboard

 

Pirates boarded the supertanker Dewi Madrim in March 2003 in the Malacca Strait. Articles like those written by the Economist indicate the pirates did not focus on robbing the crew or cargo, but instead focused on learning how to steer the ship and stole only manuals and technical information. Compaq Presario CQ56-112SA keyboard

However, the original incident report submitted to the IMO by the IMB would indicate these articles are incorrect and misleading. See also: Letter to the Editor of Foreign Affairs. Compaq Presario CQ56-113SA keyboard

 

The American luxury liner The Seabourn Spirit was attacked by pirates in November 2005 off the Somalian coast. There was one injury to a crewmember; he was hit by shrapnel. Compaq Presario CQ56-102SA keyboard

 

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Pirates boarded the Danish bulk carrier Danica White in June 2007 near the coast of Somalia. USS Carter Hall tried to rescue the crew by firing several warning shots but wasn't able to follow the ship into Somali waters.[88]

 

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Part of the counter-piracy Operation Atalanta, the Maestrale class frigate ITS Maestrale (F570) prepares to take on fuel alongside the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA-1) during an underway replenishment in the Indian Ocean. Compaq Presario CQ56-103SA keyboard

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In April 2008, pirates seized control of the French luxury yacht Le Ponant carrying 30 crew members off the coast of Somalia.[89] The captives were released on payment of a ransom. The French military later captured some of the pirates, with the support of the provisional Somali government.[90] On June 2, 2008, Dell Latitude E4310 Keyboard

 

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 the UN Security Council passed a resolution enabling the patrolling of Somali waters following this and other incidents. The Security Council resolution provided permission for six months to states cooperating with Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Dell Latitude E4320 Keyboard

 

Dell Latitude E6430S Keyboard  to enter the country's territorial waters and use "all necessary means" to stop "piracy and armed robbery at sea, in a manner consistent with international law."[91]

Several more piracy incidents have occurred in 2008 including a Ukrainian ship, the MV Faina, containing an arms consignment for Kenya, Dell Latitude E4200 Keyboard

 

Dell Latitude E6430-ATG Keyboard including tanks and other heavy weapons, which was possibly heading towards an area of Somalia controlled by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) after its hijacking by pirates[92] before anchoring off the Somali coast. The Somali pirates—in a standoff with US missile destroyer the USS Howard—asked for a $20 million ransom for the 20 crew members it held; Dell Latitude E4300 Keyboard

 

Dell Latitude E6430 Keyboard  shots were heard from the ship, supposedly because of a dispute between pirates who wanted to surrender and those who didn't.[93] In a separate incident, occurring near the same time (late September to early October), an Iranian cargo ship, MV Iran Deyanat, departing from China, Dell Latitude E6500 Keyboard

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Dell Latitude E6420-ATG Keyboard  was boarded by pirates off Somalia. The ship's cargo was a matter of dispute, though some pirates have apparently been sickened, lost hair, suffered burns, and even died while on the ship. Speculations of chemical or even radioactive contents have been made.[94] Dell Latitude E5410 Keyboard

 

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On November 15, 2008, Somali pirates seized the supertanker MV Sirius Star, 450 miles off the coast of Kenya. The ship was carrying around $100 million worth of oil and had a 25-man crew. This marked the largest tonnage vessel ever seized by pirates.[95]

Dell Latitude E5500 Keyboard

A suspected pirate skiff in the Gulf of Aden burns after being destroyed by the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48).

On April 8, 2009, Somali pirates briefly captured the MV Maersk Alabama, a 17,000-ton cargo ship containing emergency relief supplies destined for Kenya. It was the latest in a week-long series of attacks along the Somali coast, Dell Latitude E5510 Keyboard

 

 

 and the first of these attacks to target a U.S.-flagged vessel. The crew took back control of the ship although the Captain was taken by the escaping pirates to a lifeboat.[96] On Sunday, April 12, 2009, Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued, reportedly in good condition, from his pirate captors who were shot and killed by US Navy SEAL snipers.[97][9Dell Latitude E5420 Keyboard

 

Dell Latitude E6230 Keyboard 8] Vice Admiral William E. Gortney reported the rescue began when Commander Frank Castellano, captain of the USS Bainbridge, determined that Phillips' life was in imminent danger and ordered the action. Dell Latitude E5520 Keyboard

 

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In July 2009, Finnish-owned ship MV Arctic Sea sailing under the Maltese flag was allegedly hijacked in the territorial waters of Sweden by a group of eight to ten pirates disguised as policemen. According to some sources, the pirates held the ship for 12 hours, went through the cargo and later released the ship and the crew.[99] Dell Latitude E6420 Keyboard

 

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On April 1, 2010, pirates attacked the USS Nicholas, an Oliver Hazard Perry-class missile frigate in international waters west of the Seychelles. The pirates opened fire from a small skiff at 12:27 am local time, presumably mistaking the warship for a merchant vessel in the dark. The USS Nichlolas returned fire, pursuing the small vessel until it stopped. Dell Latitude E6520 Keyboard

Dell Latitude E5530 Keyboard  The U.S. Navy crew detained the three occupants of the skiff as well as two more pirates aboard the mother ship, which was waiting nearby.[100]

Action of 6 May 2010 when the Liberian flagged Moscow University was attacked by Somali pirates in two speedboats when some 500 nautical miles (930 km) Dell Latitude E6520N Keyboard

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off the coast of Somalia. The Udaloy-class destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov was reported to be en route to the aid of the crew of Moscow University. The crew was reported to have locked themselves in the ship's radar room.[101][ Dell Latitude E5220 Keyboard

 

Dell Precision M4400 Keyboard 102] On 6 May, Russian Naval Infantry from the Marshal Shaposhnikov landed on the hijacked vessel and rescued it, killing one pirate and detaining eleven. The entire crew escaped unharmed.[103][104] Dell Latitude E5420M Keyboard

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On October 2, 2010, a 911 call transcript was released detailing an incident of an American tourist who was shot dead by Mexican pirates on a U.S.-Mexico border lake that has been plagued with drug cartel violence in recent years.[105]

Authorities estimate that only between 50%[106][107] to as low as 10%[108] of pirate attacks are actually reported (so as not to increase insurance premiums). Dell Latitude E6500 Keyboard

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Successful attempts against piracy[edit source | editbeta]

 

 

U.S. Navy helicopters disrupt a pirate attack on Philippine merchant vessel, March 24, 2011

International ships equipped with helicopters patrol the waters where pirate activity has been reported, but the area is very large. Dell Latitude E6400-XFR Keyboard

 

Dell Precision M4500 Keyboard Some ships are equipped with anti-piracy weaponry such as an LRAD, a sonic device that sends a sonic wave out to a directed target, creating a sound so powerful that it bursts the eardrums and shocks pirates, Dell Latitude E6410 Keyboard

 

Dell Precision M6600 Keyboard  causing them to become disoriented enough to drop their weapons, while the vessel being pursued increases speed and engages in evasive maneuvering.[109] Additional measures used against pirates include the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely controlled boats.[110] Dell Latitude E6410-ATG Keyboard

 

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Under a principle of international law known as the "universality principle", a government may "exercise jurisdiction over conduct outside its territory if that conduct is universally dangerous to states and their nationals."[11Dell Latitude E5430 Keyboard

Dell Precision M2400 Keyboard 8] The rationale behind the universality principle is that states will punish certain acts "wherever they may occur as a means of protecting the global community as a whole, even absent a link between the state and the parties or the acts in question." Under this principle, the concept of "universal jurisdiction" applies to the crime of piracy.[11Dell Latitude E4310 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6430-XFR Battery9] For example, the United States has a statute (section 1651 of title 18 of the United States Code) imposing a sentence of life in prison for piracy "as defined by the law of nations" committed anywhere on the high seas, regardless of the nationality of the pirates or the victims.[120Dell Latitude E4320 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6430S Battery]

According to piracy experts,[citation needed] the goal is to "deter and disrupt" pirate activity, and pirates are often detained, interrogated, disarmed, and released. With millions of dollars at stake, pirates have little incentive to stop. Dell Latitude E4200 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6430-ATG Battery In Finland, one case involves pirates who have been captured and whose boat was sunk. No prosecution of the pirates is forthcoming, as pirates attacked a vessel of Singapore and the pirates are not, themselves, Dell Latitude E4300 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6430 Battery EU or Finnish citizens. A further complication is that Singapore law allows the death penalty for piracy and Finland does not. Some countries have been reluctant to utilize the death penalty to stop pirates.[121] Dell Latitude E6500 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6420-ATG Battery

The Dutch are using a 17th-century law against sea robbery to prosecute.[citation needed] Warships that capture pirates have no jurisdiction to try them, and NATO does not have a detention policy in place. Prosecutors have a hard time assembling witnesses and finding translators, and countries are reluctant to imprison pirates because the countries would be saddled with the pirates upon their release.[122] Dell Latitude E5400 Battery

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George Mason University professor Peter Leeson has suggested that the international community appropriate Somali territorial waters and sell them, together with the international portion of the Gulf of Aden, to a private company which would then provide security from piracy in exchange for charging tolls to world shipping through the Gulf.[123][124] Dell Latitude E5500 Battery

 

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Self protection measures and increased patrol[edit source | editbeta]

 

 

Private guard escort on a merchant ship providing security services against piracy in the Indian Ocean.

First and foremost, the best protection against piracy is simply to avoid encountering them. This can be accomplished by using tools such as radar.[125] Dell Latitude E5510 Battery

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In addition, while the non-wartime 20th century tradition has been for merchant vessels not to be armed, the U.S. Government has recently changed the rules so that it is now "best practice" for vessels to embark a team of armed private security guards.[126][127] In addition, the crew themselves can be given a weapons training,[1Dell Latitude E5520 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6220 Battery28] and warning shots, using less-lethal ammunition, can be fired legally in international waters and/or when sailing under Israeli or Russian flag[dubious – discuss]. Finally, similar to weapons training, remote weapon systems can be implemented to a vessel.[129] Dell Latitude E6420 Battery

 

Other measures vessels can take to protect themselves against piracy are implementing a high freewall[130] and vessel boarding protection systems (e.g., hot water wall, electricity-charged water wall, automated fire monitor, slippery foam).[1Dell Latitude E6520 Battery

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Dell Latitude E6120 Battery31] Ships can also attempt to protect themselves using their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS).[132] Every ship over 300 tons carries a transponder supplying both information about the ship itself and its movements. Any unexpected change in this information can attract attention. Dell Latitude E6520N Battery

 

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 Previously this data could only be picked up if there was a nearby ship, thus rendering single ships vulnerable. However recently specalised satellites have been launched to detect and retransmit this data. Large ships cannot therefore be hijacked without being detected. Dell Latitude E6530 Battery

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Dell XPS L502X Battery  This can act as a deterrent to attempts to either hijack the entire ship or steal large portions of cargo with another ship since an escort can be sent more quickly than might otherwise have been the case. Dell Latitude E5420M Battery

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Finally, in an emergency, warships can be called upon. In some areas such as near Somalia, naval vessels from different nations are present that are able to intercept vessels attacking merchant vessels. For patrolling dangerous coastal waters (and/or keeping financial expenses down), robotic or remote-controlled USVs are also sometimes used.[13Dell Latitude E6500 Battery

Dell Latitude E6400-ATG Battery

Dell Latitude E6400-XFR Battery

 

Dell XPS 17-L702X Battery 3] Also, both shore-launched and vessel-launched UAVs are also used by the U.S. Army.[134][135]

Commerce raiders[edit source | editbeta]

 

See also: Ruse de guerre

A wartime activity similar to piracy involves disguised warships called commerce raiders or merchant raiders, which attack enemy shipping commerce, approaching by stealth and then opening fire. Commerce raiders operated successfully during the American Revolution. During the American Civil War, Dell Latitude E6410 Battery

 

Dell XPS 17-L701X Battery the Confederacy sent out several commerce raiders, the most famous of which was the CSS Alabama. During World War I and World War II, Germany also made use of these tactics, both in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Since commissioned naval vessels were openly used, Dell Latitude E6410-ATG Battery

 

Dell XPS L702X Battery  these commerce raiders should not be considered even privateers, much less pirates— although the opposing combatants were vocal in denouncing them as such.

National law[edit source | editbeta] Dell Latitude E5430 Battery

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United Kingdom[edit source | editbeta]

 

 

A Merchant seaman aboard a fleet oil tanker practices target shooting with a 12 gauge shotgun as part of training to repel pirates in the Strait of Malacca.

Section 2 of the Piracy Act 1837 creates a statutory offence of aggravated piracy. See also the Piracy Act 1850. Dell Precision M4600 Battery

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In 2008 the British Foreign Office advised the Royal Navy not to detain pirates of certain nationalities as they might be able to claim asylum in Britain under British human rights legislation, if their national laws included execution, or mutilation as a judicial punishment for crimes committed as pirates.[136] Dell Precision M4500 Battery

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Dell XPS 15Z Battery

Definition of piracy jure gentium

See section 26 of, and Schedule 5 to, the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997. These provisions replace the Schedule to the Tokyo Convention Act 1967. In Cameron v HM Advocate, 1971 SLT 333, the High Court of Justiciary said that that Schedule supplemented the existing law and did not seek to restrict the scope of the offence of piracy jure gentium.

 

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The book "Archbold" said that in a case that does not fall with section 2 of the Piracy Act 1837, the penalty appears to be determined by the Offences at Sea Act 1799, which provides that offences committed at sea are liable to the same penalty as if they had been committed upon the shore.[137] Dell Precision M6500 Battery

 

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History

William Hawkins said that at common law, piracy by a subject was esteemed to be petty treason. The Treason Act 1351 provided that this was not petty treason.[138]

In English admiralty law, piracy was classified as petit treason during the medieval period, and offenders were accordingly liable to be drawn and quartered on conviction. Piracy was redefined as a felony during the reign of Henry VIII. In either case, Dell Precision M4400 Battery

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piracy cases were cognizable in the courts of the Lord High Admiral. English admiralty vice-admiralty judges emphasized that "neither Faith nor Oath is to be kept" with pirates; i.e. contracts with pirates and oaths sworn to them were not legally binding. Dell XPS 14D Battery

 

Dell XPS 15D Battery Pirates were legally subject to summary execution by their captors if captured in battle. In practice, instances of summary justice and annulment of oaths and contracts involving pirates do not appear to have been common.[citation needed] Dell XPS 14D-L401X Battery

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United States[edit source | editbeta]

 

In the United States, criminal prosecution of piracy is authorized in the U.S. Constitution, Art. I Sec. 8 cl. 10:

The Congress shall have Power ... To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations; Sony SVE1511A1EW Keyboard

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Title 18 U.S.C. § 1651 states:

Whoever, on the high seas, commits the crime of piracy as defined by the law of nations, and is afterwards brought into or found in the United States, shall be imprisoned for life.

Citing the United States Supreme Court decision in the year 1820 case of United States v. Smith,[13Sony SVE1511K1E Keyboard

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Sony SVE1713Z1E Keyboard9] a U.S. District Court ruled in 2010 in the case of United States v. Said that the definition of piracy under section 1651 is confined to "robbery at sea." The piracy charges (but not other serious federal charges) against the defendants in the Said case were dismissed by the Court.[140] Sony SVE1511M1E Keyboard

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International law[edit source | editbeta]

 

Effects on international boundaries[edit source | editbeta]

During the 18th century, the British and the Dutch controlled opposite sides of the Straits of Malacca. The British and the Dutch drew a line separating the Straits into two halves. Sony SVE1511Q1E Keyboard

The agreement was that each party would be responsible for combating piracy in their respective half. Eventually this line became the border between Malaysia and Indonesia in the Straits.

Law of nations[edit source | editbeta] Sony SVE1511V1E Keyboard

 

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International Maritime Organization (IMO) conference on capacity-building to counter piracy in the Indian Ocean.

Piracy is of note in international law as it is commonly held to represent the earliest invocation of the concept of universal jurisdiction. Sony SVE1511W1E Keyboard

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Sony SVE1713Z1E KeyboardThe crime of piracy is considered a breach of jus cogens, a conventional peremptory international norm that states must uphold. Those committing thefts on the high seas, inhibiting trade, and endangering maritime communication are considered by sovereign states to be hostis humani generis (enemies of humanity).[141] Sony SVE1512C6E Keyboard

 

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For a different opinion on Pirates as Hostis Humani Generis see Caninas, Osvaldo Peçanha. Modern Maritime Piracy: History, Present Situation and Challenges to International Law. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the ISA – ABRI JOINT INTERNATIONAL MEETING, Pontifical Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro Campus (PUC-Rio), Sony SVE1512J1E Keyboard

 

Sony SVE1513M1E Keyboard Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jul 22, 2009

Because of universal jurisdiction, action can be taken against pirates without objection from the flag state of the pirate vessel. This represents an exception to the principle extra territorium jus dicenti impune non paretur ("One who exercises jurisdiction out of his territory is not obeyed with impunity").[142] Sony SVE1512K1E Keyboard

 

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International conventions[edit source | editbeta]

Articles 101 to 103 of UNCLOS[edit source | editbeta]

 

Pirates are a frequent topic in fiction and are associated with certain stereotypical manners of speaking and dress, some of them wholly fictional: "nearly all our notions of their behavior come from the golden age of fictional piracy, which reached its zenith in 1881 with the appearance of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island."[149] Sony SVE1512M1E Keyboard

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Sony SVE1513B1E Keyboard Some inventions of pirate culture such as "walking the plank" were popularized by J. M. Barrie's novel, Peter Pan, where Captain Hook's pirates helped define the fictional pirate archetype.[150Sony SVE1513C5E Keyboard

 

Sony SVE1513A4E Keyboard] A West Country native where many famous English pirates such as Blackbeard and Calico Jack hailed from, Robert Newton's portrayal of Long John Silver in Disney's 1950 film adaptation also helped define the modern rendition of a pirate, including the stereotypical West Country "pirate accent".[1HP 602472-001 CPU fan

 

HP 622029-001 CPU fan

51] Other influences include Sinbad the Sailor, and the recent Pirates of the Caribbean films have helped kindle modern interest in piracy and have performed well at the box office.

The classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance focuses on The Pirate King and his hopeless band of pirates on the South coast of England. HP 603690-001 CPU fan

 

HP 631743-001 CPU fanThe Pirate King is widely believed to be the inspiration for Jack Sparrow. The on-going manga One Piece details the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew to find the legendary treasure, The One Piece, and become the next Pirate King. HP 603691-001 CPU fan

 

HP 610778-001 CPU fan

Many sports teams use "pirate" or a related term such as "raider" or "buccaneer" as their nickname, basing their gimmick around the popular stereotypes of pirates, as well as to give them an "intimidating" image. Sony PCG-4121DL Battery
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sony PCG-6Z4L batteryThe Pittsburgh Pirates, a Major League Baseball team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, are perhaps the most well-known, and actually got their nickname in 1891 after being accused of "piratical" actions by another team after they signed a player from the accusing team. Sony PCG-4121FL Battery
 

 

sony PCG-6Z3L batteryThe Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both of whom play in the National Football League, also use pirate-related nicknames.

----------------------

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century.[1] Since 2005, many international organizations, including the International Maritime Organization and the World Food Programme, have expressed concern over the rise in acts of piracy.[2][ Sony PCG-4121GL Battery
Sony PCG-41211L Battery
 

 

sony PCG-6Z2L battery3] Piracy has impeded the delivery of shipments and increased shipping expenses, costing an estimated $6.6 to $6.9 billion a year in global trade according to Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP).[4Sony PCG-41212L Battery
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sony PCG-6Z1L battery] According to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), a veritable industry of profiteers has also risen around the piracy. Insurance companies, in particular, have profited from the pirate attacks, as insurance premiums have increased significantly.[5] Sony PCG-41214L Battery
 

A United Nations report and several news sources have suggested that piracy off the coast of Somalia is caused in part by illegal fishing.[6][7] According to the DIW and the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, the dumping of toxic waste in Somali waters by foreign vessels has also severely constrained the ability of local fishermen to earn a living and forced many to turn to piracy instead.[5][ Sony PCG-41215L Battery
 

 

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8] 70 percent of the local coastal communities "strongly support the piracy as a form of national defense of the country's territorial waters", and the pirates believe they are protecting their fishing grounds and exacting justice and compensation for the marine resources stolen.[9][10][ Sony PCG-41216L Battery
 

 

sony PCG-6XAL battery11] Some reports have suggested that, in the absence of an effective national coast guard following the outbreak of the civil war and the subsequent disintegration of the Armed Forces, local fishermen formed organized groups in order to protect their waters. Sony PCG-41217L Battery
 

 

sony PCG-6X8L battery This motivation is reflected in the names taken on by some of the pirate networks, such as the National Volunteer Coast Guard.[12] However, as piracy has become substantially more lucrative in recent years, other reports have speculated that financial gain is now the primary motive for the pirates.[13][14][15] Sony PCG-41218L Battery
 

 

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Combined Task Force 150, a multinational coalition task force, took on the role of fighting piracy off of the coast of Somalia by establishing a Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) within the Gulf of Aden.[1Sony PCG-41411L Battery
 

 

sony PCG-6X6L battery6] The increasing threat posed by piracy has also caused concern in India since most of its shipping trade routes pass through the Gulf of Aden. The Indian Navy responded to these concerns by deploying a warship in the region on 23 October 2008. In September 2008, Russia announced that it too would join international efforts to combat piracy.[17] Sony PCG-41412L Battery
 

 

sony PCG-6X2L battery Some reports have also accused certain government officials in Somalia of complicity with the pirates,[18] with authorities from the Galmudug administration in the north-central Hobyo district reportedly attempting to use pirate gangs as a bulwark against Islamist insurgents from the nation's southern conflict zones.[ Sony PCG-41413L Battery
Sony PCG-41414L Battery

 

sony PCG-6X1L battery19] However, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, both the former and current administrations of the autonomous Puntland region in northeastern Somalia appear to be more actively involved in combating piracy.[18sony PCG-4R2L battery

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] The latter measures include on-land raids on pirate hideouts,[20] and the construction of a new naval base in conjunction with Saracen International, a UK-based security company.[21] By the first half of 2010, sony PCG-4Q4L battery

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sony PCG-4Q1L battery these increased policing efforts by Somali government authorities on land and international naval vessels at sea reportedly contributed to a drop in pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden from 86 a year prior to 33, forcing pirates to shift attention to other areas such as the Somali Basin and the wider Indian Ocean.[20][22] Sony VGP-BPL12 Battery

 

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 [23] By the end of 2011, pirates managed to seize only four ships off of the coast of Somalia; 18 fewer than the 26 they had captured in each of the two previous years. They also attempted unsuccessful attacks on 52 other vessels, 16 fewer than the year prior.[24] As of 8 July 2013, the pirates were holding 1 large ship and an estimated 54 hostages.[25] Sony VGP-BPL13 Battery

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According to another source, there were 151 attacks on ships in 2011, compared to 127 in 2010 - but only 25 successful hijacks compared to 47 in 2010. 10 vessels and 159 hostages were being held at February 2012. In 2011, Sony VGP-BPL14 Battery

 

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pirates earned $146m, an average of $4.87m per ship. An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 pirates operated; by February 2012 1,000 had been captured and were going through legal processes in 21 countries.[26] According to the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR), intensified naval operations had by February 2012 led to a further drop in successful pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean, with the pirates' movements in the region at large also significantly constrained.[ Sony VGP-BPL14/B Battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS21A Battery27] 25 military vessels from the EU and NATO countries, the United States, China, Russia, India and Japan patrolled approximately 8.3m km2 (3.2m sq miles) of ocean, an area about the size of Western Europe.[2Sony VGP-BPL14B Battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS21 Battery6] On 16 July 2012, the European Union launched a new operation, EUCAP Nestor. An analysis by the Brussels-based Global Governance Institute urged the EU to commit onshore to prevent piracy.[2Sony VGP-BPL14/S Battery

Sony VGP-BPL21 Battery

8] By September 2012, the heyday of piracy in the Indian Ocean was reportedly over. Backers were now reportedly reluctant to finance pirate expeditions due to the low rate of success, and pirates were no longer able to reimburse their creditors.[2Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS15/S Battery9] According to the International Maritime Bureau, pirate attacks had by October 2012 dropped to a six-year low, with only 1 ship attacked in the third quarter compared to 36 during the same period in 2011.[30] Sony VGP-BPS9 Battery

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I

Read more

 

Piracy and Piracy in Somalia

Piracy is typically an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetratorLevono Ideapad G560 Keyboard

(e.g. one passenger stealing from others on the same vessel). The term has been used throughout history to refer to raids across land borders by non-state agents. Levono Ideapad Z570 Keyboard

 

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Piracy is the name of a specific crime under customary international law and also the name of a number of crimes under the municipal law of a number of States. It is distinguished from privateering,

 

Levono Ideapad Z575 Keyboard which is authorized by national authorities and therefore a legitimate form of war-like activity by non-state actors.[1] Privateering is considered commerce raiding, and was outlawed by the Peace of Westphalia (1648)

 

Levono Ideapad Z565 Keyboardfor signatories to those treaties.

Those who engage in acts of piracy are called pirates. Historically, offenders have usually been apprehended by military personnel and tried by military tribunals.

In the 21st century, the international community is facing many problems in bringing pirates to justice.[2] Levono Ideapad Z560 Keyboard

 

Levono Ideapad Y570 Keyboard

It may be reasonable to assume that piracy has existed for as long as the oceans were plied for commerce.[

 

Levono Ideapad V570A Keyboard6] The earliest documented instances of piracy are the exploits of the Sea Peoples who threatened the Aegean and Mediterranean in the 14th century BC.[7] In classical antiquity, the Illyrians and TyrrheniansLevono Ideapad Y560P Keyboard

were known as pirates, as well as Greeks and Romans. During their voyages the Phoenicians seem to have sometimes resorted to piracy, and specialized in kidnapping boys and girls to be sold as slaves.[8] Levono Ideapad Y560 Keyboard

 

In the 3rd century BC, pirate attacks on Olympos (city in Anatolia) brought impoverishment. Among some of the most famous ancient pirateering peoples were the Illyrians, populating the western Balkan peninsula. Constantly raiding the Adriatic Sea, Levono Ideapad V570A Keyboard

 

Levono Ideapad G575 Keyboard the Illyrians caused many conflicts with the Roman Republic. It was not until 168 BC when the Romans finally conquered Illyria and made it a province that their threat was ended.

 

Levono Ideapad B570G Keyboard

During the 1st century BC, there were pirate states along the Anatolian coast, threatening the commerce of the Roman Empire in the eastern Mediterranean. On one voyage across the Aegean Sea in 75 BC,[9] Julius Caesar was kidnapped and briefly held by Cilician pirates and held prisoner in the Dodecanese islet of Pharmacusa.[10] Levono Ideapad V570 Keyboard

 

Levono Ideapad B570A Keyboard

The Senate finally invested with powers to deal with piracy in 67 BC (the Lex Gabinia), and Pompey after three months of naval warfare managed to suppress the threat.

Many pirates had roles in Chinese history since the Three Kingdoms period. An example includes Gan Ning of Eastern Wu. Levono Ideapad V570C Keyboard

 

As early as 258 AD, the Gothic-Herulic fleet ravaged towns on the coasts of the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara. The Aegean coast suffered similar attacks a few years later. In 264, the Goths reached Galatia and Cappadocia, Levono Ideapad B570 Keyboard

Levono Ideapad B575 Keyboardand Gothic pirates landed on Cyprus and Crete. In the process, the Goths seized enormous booty and took thousands into captivity.

In 286 AD, Carausius, a Roman military commander of Gaulish origins, was appointed to command the Classis Britannica, and given the responsibility of eliminating Frankish and Saxon pirates who had been raiding the coasts of Armorica and Belgic Gaul. Sony PCG-41111M Keyboard
 

 

Sony PCG-81412M Keyboard

In the Roman province of Britannia, Saint Patrick was captured and enslaved by Irish pirates.

Early Polynesian warriors attacked seaside and riverside villages. They used the sea for their hit-and-run tactics – a safe place to retreat to if the battle turned against them. Sony PCG-41112M Keyboard

 

Middle Ages to 19th century[edit source | editbeta]

Caribbean[edit source | editbeta]

Main article: Piracy in the Caribbean

French pirate François l'Olonnais was nicknamed Flail of the Spaniards and had a reputation for brutality – offering no quarter to Spanish prisoners. L'Olonnais cannibalized a number of his victims, only to find the same fate at the hands of the Kuna tribe in Darién
Sony PCG-81111M Keyboard
 

 

In 1523, Jean Fleury seized two Spanish treasure ships carrying Aztec treasures from Mexico to Spain.[11] The great or classic era of piracy in the Caribbean extends from around 1560 up until the mid-1720s.[12Sony PCG-81112M Keyboard

 

Sony PCG-81411M Keyboard] The period during which pirates were most successful was from 1700 until the 1730s. Many pirates came to the Caribbean after the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, staying in the Caribbean and becoming pirates. Sony PCG-81212M Keyboard

 

Sony PCG-81311M Keyboard Others, the buccaneers, arrived in the mid-to-late 17th century and made attempts at earning a living by farming and hunting on Hispaniola and nearby islands; pressed by Spanish raids and possibly failure of their means of making a living Sony PCG-81113M Keyboard

Sony PCG-81313M Keyboardwild herds having been deliberately wiped out by the Spanish) they turned to a more lucrative occupation. Caribbean piracy arose out of, and on a smaller scale mirrored, the conflicts over trade and colonization among the rival European powers of the time including the empires of Britain, Spain, Sony PCG-31311M Keyboard

Sony PCG-3G2M Keyboard the Netherlands, Portugal and France. Most of these pirates were of English, Dutch and French origin, but occasionally Spaniards turned to piracy as well. Because Spain controlled most of the Caribbean, Sony PCG-51512M Keyboard

Sony PCG-3E1M Keyboardmany of the attacked cities and ships belonged to the Spanish Empire and along the East coast of America and the West coast of Africa. Dutch ships captured about 500 Spanish and Portuguese ships between 1623 and 1638.[7Sony PCG-51212M Keyboard
Sony PCG-51111M Keyboard

Sony PCG-3C1M Keyboard] Some of the best-known pirate bases were New Providence, in the Bahamas from 1715 to 1725,[13] Tortuga established in the 1640s and Port Royal after 1655. Among the most famous Caribbean pirates are Edward Teach or Blackbeard, Calico Jack Rackham, Henry Morgan and Bartholomew Roberts. Sony PCG-51112M Keyboard

Sony PCG-3J1M Keyboard

Another famous pirate of this era was Hendrick Lucifer, who fought for hours to acquire Cuban gold, becoming mortally wounded in the process. He died of his wounds hours after having transferred the booty to his ship.[14Sony PCG-51211M Keyboard

Sony PCG-3F1M Keyboard
Sony PCG-3H1M Keyboard] Most pirates were eventually hunted down by the Royal Navy and killed or captured; several battles were fought between the brigands and the colonial powers on both land and sea.

Piracy in the Caribbean declined for the next several decades after 1730, but by the 1810s many pirates roamed American waters though they were not as bold or successful as their predecessors. Throughout the first quarter of the 19th century, Sony PCG-5S1M Keyboard
the United States Navy repeatedly engaged pirates in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and in the Mediterranean. Several warships were designed specifically for the task. The most successful pirates of the era were Jean Lafitte and Roberto Cofresi. Sony PCG-7171M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7186M Keyboard Lafitte's ships operated primarily in the Gulf of Mexico but Cofresi's base was in Puerto Rico where he was considered a type of Robin Hood by many Puerto Ricans. Eventually he was defeated by the schooner USS Grampus and captured in 1825. Sony PCG-5P1M Keyboard
Sony PCG-5N2M Keyboard
The United States landed shore parties on several islands in the Caribbean in pursuit of pirates; Cuba was a major haven. By the 1830s piracy had died out again, and the navies of the region focused on the slav e trade. Sony PCG-3C2M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7181M Keyboard

In 1827, Britain declared that participation in the slave trade was piracy, a crime punishable by death. The power of the Royal Navy was subsequently used to suppress the slave trade, and while some illegal trade (mostly with Brazil and Cuba) continued, the Atlantic slave trade was eradicated by the middle of the 19th century. Sony PCG-7195M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7161M Keyboard

In the 20th century, one notable pirate active in the Caribbean was Boysie Singh. He operated off northern South America. He and his pirate gang killed several people and plundered their ships from 1947 to 1956. He was convicted for murder and hanged in the Royal Gaol at Trinidad, on 20 August 1957.[15] Sony PCG-7196M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7151M Keyboard

Recently, with the proliferation of small private yachts cruising the Caribbean, piracy is again on the rise with many yachts being plundered and their crews often tortured, raped or slain.[citation needed] Sony PCG-7192M Keyboard
 

East Asia[edit source | editbeta]

Main article: Wokou

 

 

Sixteenth century Japanese pirate raids.

By the ninth century, populations centered mostly around merchant activities in coastal Shandong and Jiangsu provinces. Sony PCG-7194M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7143M KeyboardWealthy benefactors, including Jang Bogo established Silla Buddhist temples in the region. Jang Bogo had become incensed at the treatment of his fellow countrymen, who in the unstable milieu of late Tang often fell victim to coastal pirates or inland bandits. After returning to Silla around 825, Sony PCG-7144M Keyboard
Sony PCG-7141M Keyboard
and in possession of a formidable private fleet headquartered at Cheonghae (Wando), Jang Bogo petitioned the Silla king Heungdeok (r. 826–836) to establish a permanent maritime garrison to protect Silla merchant activities in the Yellow Sea. Heungdeok agreed and in 828 formally established the Cheonghae (淸海, Sony PCG-7151M Keyboard
"clear sea") Garrison at what is today Wando island off Korea's South Jeolla province. Heungdeok gave Jang an army of 10,000 men to establish and man the defensive works. The remnants of Cheonghae Garrison can still be seen on Jang islet just off Wando's southern coast. Sony PCG-7153M Keyboard
Sony PCG-7154M Keyboard
Sony PCG-7162M KeyboardJang's force, though nominally bequeathed by the Silla king, was effectively under his own control. Jang became arbiter of Yellow Sea commerce and navigation.[16]

South East Asia[edit source | editbeta]

For the period January–March (1st quarter) of 2013, a total of 28 incidents comprising 27 actual incidents and one attempted incident were reported in Asia. Of the 27 actual incidents, five were Category 2 (moderately significant) incidents, Sony PCG-61211M Keyboard
 

Sony PCG-7171M Keyboard

 eight were Category 3 (less significant) incidents and 14 were petty theft incidents (minimum significant). No Category 1 (very significant) incident was reported during the 1st quarter of 2013. Compared to the same period in 2010-2012, there has been a decrease in the number of incidents and its severity.[17] Sony PCG-71211M Keyboard

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From the 13th century, Wokou based in Japan made their debut in East Asia, initiating invasions that would persist for 300 years. Sony PCG-71212M Keyboard
 

Sony PCG-7185M Keyboard

Piracy in South East Asia[18] began with the retreating Mongol Yuan fleet after the betrayal by their Javanese allies (who, incidentally, would found the empire of Majapahit after the Mongols left). They preferred the junk, Sony PCG-71312M Keyboard
Sony PCG-71311M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7184M Keyboard a ship using a more robust sail layout. Marooned navy officers, consisting mostly of Cantonese and Hokkien tribesmen, set up their small gangs near river estuaries, mainly to protect themselves. They recruited locals as common foot-soldiers known as 'lang' (lanun) to set up their fortresses. Sony PCG-71313M Keyboard
 

Sony PCG-7183M KeyboardThey survived by utilizing their well trained pugilists, as well as marine and navigation skills, mostly along Sumatran and Javanese estuaries. Their strength and ferocity coincided with the impending trade growth of the maritime silk and spice routes. Sony PCG-61212M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7182M Keyboard

 

 

Spanish warships bombarding the Muslim pirates of the southern Philippines in 1848.

During the mid-Qing dynasty, Chinese pirate fleets grew increasingly powerful throughout the early 19th century. The effects large-scale piracy had on the Chinese economy were immense. They preyed voraciously on China's junk trade, Sony PCG-71411M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7181M Keyboard which flourished in Fujian and Guangdong and was a vital artery of Chinese commerce. Pirate fleets exercised hegemony over villages on the coast, collecting revenue by exacting tribute and running extortion rackets. In 1802, the menacing Zheng Yi inherited the fleet of his cousin, Sony PCG-71511M Keyboard

Sony PCG-71D14M Keyboard

captain Zheng Qi, whose death provided Zheng Yi with considerably more influence in the world of piracy. Zheng Yi and his wife, Zheng Yi Sao (who would eventually inherit the leadership of his pirate confederacy) then formed a pirate coalition that, Sony PCG-61511M Keyboard

Sony PCG-5T2M Keyboardby 1804, consisted of over ten thousand men. Their military might alone was sufficient to combat the Qing navy. However, a combination of famine, Qing naval opposition, and internal rifts crippled piracy in China around the 1820s, and it has never again reached the same status.

Sony PCG-5T1M Keyboard

The Buginese sailors of South Sulawesi were infamous as pirates who used to range as far west as Singapore and as far north as the Philippines in search of targets for piracy.[19Sony PCG-61611M Keyboard

] The Orang laut pirates controlled shipping in the Straits of Malacca and the waters around Singapore,[20] and the Malay and Sea Dayak pirates preyed on maritime shipping in the waters between Singapore and Hong Kong from their haven in Borneo.[21] Sony PCG-71811M Keyboard

Sony PCG-71911M Keyboard
The Moro pirates of the southern Philippines harassed Spanish shipping and terrorized Christian Filipino settlements. David P. Forsythe wrote: "Of particular significance in Southeast Asia were the incursions of Moro raiders in the southern Philippines who may have captured around 2 million slaves in the first two centuries of Spanish rule after 1565."[22Sony PCG-5P2m Keyboard
]

In the 1840s and 1850s, United States Navy and Royal Navy forces campaigned together against Chinese pirates. Several notable battles were fought though pirate junks continued operating off China for years more. However, Sony PCG-5R1M Keyboard
Sony PCG-5R2M Keyboardsome British and American individual citizens also volunteered to serve with Chinese pirates to fight against European forces. The British offered rewards for the capture of westerners serving with Chinese pirates. Sony VPCEE2M1E keyboard

Sony VPCEE2S1E keyboard

During the Second Opium War and the Taiping Rebellion, piratical junks were again destroyed in large numbers by British naval forces but ultimately it wasn't until the 1860s and 1870s that fleets of pirate junks ceased to exist. Sony VPCEE3E0E keyboard

Sony PCG-71C11M Keyboard

 

Eastern Europe[edit source | editbeta]

Main articles: Cossacks and Uskoks

 

 

"Cossaks of Azov fighting a Turk ship" by Grigory Gagarin

One example of a pirate republic in Europe from the 16th through the 18th century was Zaporizhian Sich. Situated in the remote Steppe, it was populated with Ukrainian peasants that had run away from their feudal masters, Sony VPCEE3J0E keyboard

Sony 9Z.N5CSW.A0U Keyboard

 outlaws of every sort, destitute gentry, run-away slaves from Turkish galleys, etc. The remoteness of the place and the rapids at the Dnepr river effectively guarded the place from invasions of vengeful powers. Sony VPCEE3L0E keyboard

Sony VPCEL2S1E Keyboard

The main target of the inhabitants of Zaporizhian Sich who called themselves "Cossacks" were rich settlements at the Black Sea shores of Ottoman Empire and Crimean Khanate.[23] By 1615 and 1625, Sony VPCEE3Z0E keyboard

Zaporozhian Cossacks had even managed to raze townships on the outskirts of Istanbul, forcing the Ottoman Sultan to flee his palace.[24] Don Cossacks under Stenka Razin even ravaged the Persian coasts.[25] Sony VPCEE3S1E kseyboard

Sony VPCEL3S1E/W Keyboard

 

Europe[edit source | editbeta]

The most widely known and far reaching pirates in medieval Europe were the Vikings, warriors and looters from Scandinavia who raided mainly between the 8th and 12th centuries, during the Viking Age in the Early Middle Ages. Sony VPCEE keyboard

 

Sony VPCEL2S1E/W Keyboard

They raided the coasts, rivers and inland cities of all Western Europe as far as Seville, attacked by the Norse in 844. Vikings even attacked coasts of North Africa and Italy. They also plundered all the coasts of the Baltic Sea,

 

Sony VPCEL2S1E/B Keyboardascending the rivers of Eastern Europe as far as the Black Sea and Persia. The lack of centralized powers all over Europe during the Middle Ages favoured pirates all over the continent.[vague][citation needed] Sony VPC EL series Keyboard

Sony VPCEL3S1E Keyboard

In the Late Middle Ages, the Frisian pirates led by respectively Pier Gerlofs Donia and Wijerd Jelckama, fought against the troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Empire with some success, capturing as many as 28 ships in one battle earning Donia the title "Cross of the Dutchman" and making him one of the most famous and iconic pirates of the era. Sony PCG-7T1M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7T2M Keyboard

 

 

 

Hanging of Captain Kidd

Meanwhile, Moor pirates were common in the Mediterranean Sea. Toward the end of the 9th century, Moor pirate havens were established along the coast of southern France and northern Italy.[26] Sony PCG-7X1M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7X2M Keyboard

 

Sony VGN-N38Z Keyboard In 846 Moor raiders sacked Rome and damaged the Vatican. In 911, the bishop of Narbonne was unable to return to France from Rome because the Moors from Fraxinet controlled all the passes in the Alps. Moor pirates operated out of the Balearic Islands in the 10th century. Sony PCG-7Y1M Keyboard

Sony PCG-7Y2M Keyboard

 

Sony VGN-N38M KeyboardFrom 824 to 961 Arab pirates in the Emirate of Crete raided the entire Mediterranean. In the 14th century, raids by Moor pirates forced the Venetian Duke of Crete to ask Venice to keep its fleet on constant guard.[27] Sony VGN-N11M Keyboard

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After the Slavic invasions of the former Roman province of Dalmatia in the 5th and 6th centuries, a tribe called the Narentines revived the old Illyrian piratical habits and often raided the Adriatic Sea starting in the 7th century. Sony VGN-N11SR Keyboard

Sony VGN-N21E Keyboard

 

Sony VGN-N38L Keyboard By 642 they invaded southern Italy and assaulted Siponto. Their raids in the Adriatic increased rapidly, until the whole Sea was no longer safe for travel.

 

 

Captain William Bainbridge paying the U.S. tribute to the Dey of Algiers, circa 1800.

The Narentines took more liberties in their raiding quests while the Venetian Navy was abroad, as when it was campaigning in Sicilian waters in 827–882. Sony VGN-N21M Keyboard

 

Sony VGN-N38E Keyboard As soon as the Venetian fleet would return to the Adriatic, the Narentines temporarily abandoned their habits again, even signing a Treaty in Venice and baptising their Slavic pagan leader into Christianity. Sony VGN-N21S Keyboard

 

Sony VGN-N31ZR Keyboard In 834 or 835 they broke the treaty and again they raided Venetian traders returning from Benevento, and all of Venice's military attempts to punish them in 839 and 840 utterly failed. Later, they raided the Venetians more often, Sony VGN-N21Z Keyboard

Sony VGN-N29VN Keyboard

 

Sony VGN-N31Z Keyboard together with the Arabs. In 846, the Narentines broke through to Venice itself and raided its lagoon city of Caorle. In the middle of March 870 they kidnapped the Roman Bishop's emissaries that were returning from the Ecclesiastical Council in Constantinople. Sony VGN-N31L Keyboard

Sony VGN-N31M Keyboard

Sony VGN-N31S Keyboard This caused a Byzantine military action against them that finally brought Christianity to them.

After the Arab raids on the Adriatic coast circa 872 and the retreat of the Imperial Navy, the Narentines continued their raids of Venetian waters, Sony VGN-NW20EF Keyboard
Sony VGN-NW20EF/S Keyboard
 

 

Sony VGN-NS20EF/W keyboard

causing new conflicts with the Italians in 887–888. The Venetians futilely continued to fight them throughout the 10th and 11th centuries.

In 937, Irish pirates sided with the Scots, Vikings, Picts, and Welsh in their invasion of England. Athelstan drove them back.

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Four Chinese pirates who were hanged in Hong Kong in 1863

The Slavic piracy in the Baltic Sea ended with the Danish conquest of the Rani stronghold of Arkona in 1168. In the 12th century the coasts of western Scandinavia were plundered by Curonians and Oeselians from the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Sony VGN-NW11Z/S Keyboard
 

 

Sony VGN-NS20EF/P keyboard

Sony VGN-NS20EF keyboardIn the 13th and 14th century, pirates threatened the Hanseatic routes and nearly brought sea trade to the brink of extinction. The Victual Brothers of Gotland were a companionship of privateers who later turned to piracy. Until about 1440, maritime trade in both the North Sea and the Baltic Sea was seriously in danger of attack by the pirates. Sony VGN-NW11S/T Keyboard
 

 

Sony VGN-NS30Z keyboard

A lesser-known example of inland piracy is the looting of salt transports that took place on lake Traunsee in medieval Austria. Salt from salterns at the upper Traun river was exported downstream by boat across the lake, Sony VGN-NW11S/S Keyboard
Sony VGN-NW31EF Keyboard
 

 

Sony VGN-NS30E keyboardand further on to Bohemia via the Danube. These boats were often captured by pirates between the years 955 and 1000 until duke Otakar V. of Chiemgau and duke Liutold II. of Raschenberg-Reichenhall seized a pirate stronghold on lake Traunsee.[28]

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Attack by Moro Pirates on Brooke's Jolly Bachelor during the era of White Rajahs in Sarawak, 1843

H. Thomas Milhorn mentions a certain Englishman named William Maurice, convicted of piracy in 1241, as the first person known to have been hanged, drawn and quartered,[2Sony VGN-NW24S Keyboard
 

 

Sony VGN-NS20E keyboard

Sony VGN-NS20J keyboard9] which would indicate that the then-ruling King Henry III took an especially severe view of this crime.

The ushkuiniks were Novgorodian pirates who looted the cities on the Volga and Kama Rivers in the 14th century. Sony VGN-NW26M Keyboard
Sony VGN-NW20EF Keyboard
 

 

Sony VGN-NS11J keyboard

As early as Byzantine times, the Maniots (one of Greece's toughest populations) were known as pirates. The Maniots considered piracy as a legitimate response to the fact that their land was poor and it became their main source of income. The main victims of Maniot pirates were the Ottomans but the Maniots also targeted ships of European countries. Sony VGN-NW20SF Keyboard
Sony VGN-NW24EG Keyboard
 

 

Africa[edit source | editbeta]

Main article: Barbary corsairs

 

 

French ship under attack by Barbary pirates, ca. 1615

The Barbary corsairs were pirates and privateers that operated from North African (the "Barbary Coast") ports of Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli and ports in Morocco, preying on shipping in the western Mediterranean Sea from the time of the Crusades as well as on ships on their way to Asia around Africa until the early 19th century. Sony VGN-NW24JG Keyboard
 

Sony VGN-NS10L keyboardThe coastal villages and towns of Italy, Spain and Mediterranean islands were frequently attacked by them and long stretches of the Italian and Spanish coasts were almost completely abandoned by their inhabitants; Sony VGN-NW24MG Keyboard
Sony VGN-NW24MR Keyboard
after 1600 Barbary corsairs occasionally entered the Atlantic and struck as far north as Iceland. According to Robert Davis[30][3Sony VGN-NW26EG Keyboard
1] between 1 million and 1.25 million Europeans were captured by Barbary corsairs and sold as slaves in North Africa and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 19th centuries. The most famous corsairs were the Ottoman Hayreddin and his older brother Oruç Reis (Redbeard), Sony VGN-NW26JG Keyboard

Sony VGN-NS10E keyboard Turgut Reis (known as Dragut in the West), Kurtoğlu (known as Curtogoli in the West), Kemal Reis, Salih Reis and Koca Murat Reis. A few Barbary corsairs, such as the Dutch Jan Janszoon and the English John Ward (Muslim name Yusuf Reis), were renegade European privateers who had converted to Islam. Sony VGN-NW20SF Keyboard

Sony VGN-NW31ZF/S Keyboard

According to the U.S. Supreme Court, the United States treated captured Barbary corsairs as prisoners of war, indicating that they were considered as legitimate privateers by at least some of their opponents, as well as by their home countries. Sony VGN-NW21MF/P Keyboard
Sony VGN-NW31EF Keyboard

At one stage, the pirate population of Madagascar numbered close to 1000.[32] Île Sainte-Marie became a popular base for pirates throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The most famous pirate utopia is that of the probably fictional Captain Misson and his pirate crew, Sony VPCF11C4E/B Keyboard
Sony VPCF13M0E/B Keyboardwho allegedly founded the free colony of Libertatia in northern Madagascar in the late 17th century, until it was destroyed in a surprise attack by the island natives in 1694.[33]
Sony VPCF13Z0E/B Keyboard

North America[edit source | editbeta]

 

 

Jean Lafitte, New Orleans' legendary pirate

Ocean piracy, off the coasts of North America, continued as late as the 1870s. Pirates who operated in the Caribbean often sailed north to attack targets off the present day eastern seaboard of the United States. Sony VPCF11C5E Keyboard
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 Possibly the most famous of these was Blackbeard, who operated in the American south, attacking ships and at one point even blockading Charleston, South Carolina. Later in the 19th century, after the Golden Age of Piracy, Sony VPC-F11M1E/H Keyboard

Sony VPCF12M0E/B Keyboard Jean Lafitte became what is considered by many to be the last buccaneer due to his army of pirates and fleet of pirate ships which held bases in and around the Gulf of Mexico. Lafitte and his men participated in the War of 1812 battle of New Orleans and later his ships fought the United States Navy and the United States Revenue Cutter Service. Sony VPCF11S1E/B Keyboard
Sony VPC-F2 Keyboard
Eventually, Lafitte was evicted from the area by United States forces after several accidental sinking of U.S ships due to the rest of the crew attacking an American ship, thinking it was a Mexican ship, battles and raids. Between 1822 and 1825, the American West Indies Squadron fought against pirates in the Caribbean. Sony VPC-F21Z1E Keyboard

Sony VPCF12S1E/B Keyboard

By 1830, piracy in the Gulf of Mexico became rare with the exception of slave traders, who were considered pirates. In 1860 during the Reform War, the United States Navy fought the Battle of Anton Lizardo against rebels which were declared pirates by the Mexican government. In 1870, Sony VPCF22J1E Keyboard

Sony VPCF12Z1E Keyboardthe United States again fought pirates off Mexico during the Battle of Boca Teacapan. The pirates had attacked and captured Guaymas, Mexico, looted the foreign residents of their belongings and forced the United States consulate in Guaymas to provide their steamer with coal, Sony VPCF22L1E Keyboard
Sony VPCF22M1E Keyboard

Sony VPCF13S0E/B Keyboard after which they sailed for Boca Teacapan, Sinaloa. A United States Navy expedition under Willard H. Brownson was launched, resulting in the destruction of the pirate ship. The invention of steam powered vessels eventually put an end to piracy off North America though some isolated incidents continued to occur into the 1920s. Sony VPCF22S1E Keyboard
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The hanging of pirate Stede Bonnet in Charleston, 1718

River piracy, in late 18th-mid-19th century America, was primarily concentrated along the Ohio River and Mississippi River valleys. Sony VPCF23M1E Keyboard

Sony VPCF22M0E Keyboard River pirates usually located their operations in isolated frontier settlements, which were sparsely populated areas lacking the protection of civilized government. They resorted to a variety of tactics, depending on the number of pirates and size of the boat crews involved. Sony VPCF23Q1E Keyboard
Sony VPCF231S1E Keyboard
Sony VPCF23S1E Keyboard
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Sony VPCY21S1E/G Keyboard They were involved in river piracy including; deception, concealment, ambush, and assaults in open combat, near natural obstacles and curiosities, such as shelter caves, islands, river narrows, rapids, swamps, and marshes. River travelers were robbed, captured, and murdered and their livestock, slaves, cargo, and flatboats, keelboats, and rafts were sunk or sold down river. Sony VPCF11S1E Keyboard
Sony VPCF11C4E/B Keyboard
 

After the Revolutionary War, American river piracy began to take root; in the mid-1780s, along the upper Mississippi River, between Spanish Upper Louisiana, around St. Louis, down to the confluence of the Ohio River, at Cairo. Sony VPCF11Z1E/BI Keyboard
Sony VPCF12E1E/H Keyboard

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In 1803, at Tower Rock, the U.S. Army dragoons, possibly, from the frontier army post up river at Fort Kaskaskia, on the Illinois side opposite St. Louis, raided and drove out the river pirates. Sony VPCF12F4E/H Keyboard
 

 

 

Ann Bonny and Mary Read convicted of piracy on November 28, 1720

Stack Island became associated with river pirates and counterfeiters, starting in the late 1790s. In 1809, the last major river pirate activity took place, on the Upper Mississippi River, and river piracy in this area came to an abrupt end, Sony VPCF12M1E/H Keyboard

Sony VPCF23N1E Keyboard when a group of flatboatmen, meeting at the head of the Nine Mile Reach, decided to make a raid on Stack Island and wipe out the river pirates. They attacked at night, a battle ensued, and two of the boatmen and several outlaws were killed. Sony VPCF13E4E Keyboard
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Sony VPCF23P1E KeyboardThe attackers captured 19 other men, a 15-year-old boy and two women. The women and teenager were allowed to leave. The remaining outlaws are presumed to have been executed.
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From 1790–1834, Cave-In-Rock was the principal outlaw lair and headquarters of river pirate activity in the Ohio River region. The notorious cave, is today, within the peaceful confines of Illinois' Cave-in-Rock State Park. In 1797, Sony VPCF13J0E/H Keyboard

Sony VPCF21Z1E/BI Keyboard it was anything but peaceful, as Samuel Mason, who was initially a Revolutionary War Patriot[disambiguation needed] captain in the Ohio County, Virginia militia and a former associate judge and squire in Kentucky, led a gang of highway robbers and river pirates on the Ohio River. Sony VPCF1318E/H Keyboard

Sony VPCF13M1E/H KeyboardMason started his criminal organization in Red Banks and was driven out by regulators, sweeping through western Kentucky and first set up his new operation at Diamond Island, followed by Cave-In-Rock, and later, along the Mississippi River, from Stack Island to Natchez.

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Puerto del Príncipe being sacked in 1668 by Henry Morgan

During Samuel Mason's 1797–1799 occupation of Cave-In-Rock and after his departure, the name of Bully Wilson became associated with cave; a large sign was erected near the natural landmark's entrance,
Sony VPCF12S1E/B Keyboard "Liquor Vault and House for Entertainment." Wilson may have been an alias for Mason, a front man for his criminal operation, or another outlaw leader who ran a gang of pirates in the region. The Harpe Brothers who were allegedly America's first serial killers, were highwaymen, on the run from the law in Tennessee and Kentucky and briefly, joined Samuel Mason's gang at Cave-In-Rock. Sony VPCF13M1E/B Keyboard

Sony VPCF13Z8E/BI KeyboardPeter Alston, the son of American counterfeiter, Philip Alston who through his father, became a river pirate and highwayman at Cave-In-Rock and made the acquaintance of Samuel Mason and Wiley Harpe, Sony VPCF11C4E/B Keyboard
Sony VPCF13Z8E Keyboardfollowing them to Stack Island and Natchez. Around the late 18th century to early 19th century, on the Illinois side of the Ohio River, north of Cave-In-Rock, Jonathan Brown led a small gang of river pirates at Battery Rock. Sony VPCY21S1E Keyboard
 

 

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The lower Ohio River country was routinely patrolled by the Legion of the United States and U.S. Army troops, garrisoned at Fort Massac, as constabulary against native Americans, colonial raiders from Spanish Upper Louisiana Territory, and river outlaws in the region.

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Blackbeard's severed head hanging from Maynard's bowsprit

Between 1800 and 1820[citation needed], the legendary Colonel Plug also, known as Col. Plug or Colonel Fluger, ran a gang of river pirates on the Ohio River, in a cypress swamp, near the mouth of the Cache River, Sony VPCY11M1E Keyboard
 

 

Sony VPCYB3Q1R Keyboard which was below Cave-In-Rock and Fort Massac and just above the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Plug's tactics were to sneak aboard, personally, or have one of his pirates, secretly, Sony VPCY11S1E Keyboard
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go into the hull of a boat and either, dig out the caulking between the floor planks or drill holes with an auger, causing the boat to sink and be easily attacked. The boat and the cargo would later be sold down river. Little is known about Colonel Plug except, Sony VPCW1E8R/BU Keyboard
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Sony VPCYB2M1E Keyboard from the folklorish descriptions provided in 1830 by Timothy Flint's "Col. Plug, the last of the Boat-wreckers," in The Western Monthly Review and "The Boat-Wreckers—Or Banditti of the West," in the Rochester, Sony VPCY11V9E/S Keyboard
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Sony VPCYB1S1R Keyboard  New York newspaper, Daily Advertiser, Jan 29, 1830. Fluger claimed to have been a Yankee native of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and was a former militia colonel. No historical evidence exists to justify this, as no Fluger surname can be found in the New Hampshire U.S. census records or the Rockingham County military muster rolls.

 

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James Ford, an American Ohio River civic leader and businessman, secretly led a gang of river pirates and highwaymen from the 1820s to the mid-1830s, on the Ohio River in Illinois and Kentucky. Sony VPCY21S1E/SI Keyboard

 

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River piracy continued on the lower Mississippi River, from the early 1800s to the mid-1830s; these river pirates were mainly organized into large gangs similar to Samuel Mason's organization around Cave-In-Rock or smaller gangs under the operation of John A. Murrell. Sony VPCY21B7E Keyboard

 

Sony VPCYA1C5E Keyboard  These gangs also existed, from the 1820s to the mid-1830s, between Stack Island and Natchez, in the state of Mississippi. Sony VPCY21A7E Keyboard

 

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The decline of river piracy occurred, over time, as a result of direct military action taken and the combined strength of local law enforcement and regulator-vigilante groups that uprooted and swept out pockets of outlaw resistance. Sony VPCY21C5E Keyboard

 

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The Haida and Tlingit tribes, who lived along the coast of southern Alaska and on islands in northwest British Columbia, were traditionally known as fierce warriors, pirates and slave-traders, raiding as far as California.[34] Sony VPCY21M1R Keyboard

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Great Lakes piracy occurred, from 1900–1930, on Lake Michigan, through the exploits of "Roaring" Dan Seavey.

South Asia[edit source | editbeta]

Instances of piracy in India are recorded on Vedas. However, the most interesting one is with the issue of war due to piracy. At the time of the Muslim invasion of Sindh, in the 7th century, the new kingdom of Hijaz launched trade ships to India especially Sindh. HP Pavilion DV7-4020SA Keyboard

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HP Pavilion DV7-4180SA KeyboardHowever, a ship en route from Sri Lanka to Baghdad was carrying valuables and some slave girls which were looted off Debal (near modern Karachi) by the Meds. One of the slave girls sent a letter challenging the Caliph saying that he cannot rescue them. The Caliph sent a portion of his army to save the slaves. But, HP Pavilion DV7-4035SA Keyboard

 

HP Pavilion DV7-4150EA Keyboardthe people of Sindh became wary and thought of this army as a threat. This became an excuse for war between Arabs and Sindh.[35] HP Pavilion DV7-4040SA Keyboard

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HP Pavilion DV7-4144EA Keyboard Since the 14th century the Deccan (Southern Peninsular region of India) was divided into two entities: on the one side stood the Muslim Bahmani Sultanate and on the other stood the Hindu kings rallied around the Vijayanagara Empire. Continuous wars demanded frequent resupplies of fresh horses, which were imported through sea routes from Persia and Africa. HP Pavilion DV7-4130SA Keyboard

 

HP Pavilion DV7-4143EA Keyboard This trade was subjected to frequent raids by thriving bands of pirates based in the coastal cities of Western India. One of such was Timoji, who operated off Anjadip Island both as a privateer (by seizing horse traders, that he rendered to the raja of Honavar) and as a pirate who attacked the Kerala merchant fleets that traded pepper with Gujarat.

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The cemetery of past pirates at Île Ste-Marie (St. Mary's Island).

During the 16th and 17th centuries, there was frequent European piracy against Mughal Indian merchants, especially those en route to Mecca for Hajj. HP Pavilion DV7-4132EA Keyboard

HP Pavilion DV7-4140EA KeyboardThe situation came to a head, when Portuguese attacked and captured the vessel Rahimi which belonged to Mariam Zamani the Mughal queen, which led to the Mughal seizure of the Portuguese town Daman.[36HP G72-100 Keyboard

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HP Pavilion G72-B20SA Keyboard] In the 18th century, the famous Maratha privateer Kanhoji Angre ruled the seas between Mumbai and Goa.[37] The Marathas attacked British shipping and insisted that East India Company ships pay taxes if sailing through their waters.[38] HP G72-102SA Keyboard

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The southern coast of the Persian Gulf became known as the Pirate Coast as raiders based there harassed foreign shipping. Early British expeditions to protect the Indian Ocean trade from raiders at Ras al-Khaimah led to campaigns against that headquarters and other harbours along the coast in 1819.[39] Captain Kidd captured many vessels of the Mughal King. HP G72-130SA Keyboard

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Popular image[edit source | editbeta]

 

Main article: Golden Age of Piracy

In the popular modern imagination, pirates of the classical period were rebellious, clever teams who operated outside the restricting bureaucracy of modern life. Pirates were also depicted as always raising their Jolly Roger flag when preparing to hijack a vessel. The Jolly Roger is the traditional name for the flags of European and American pirates and a symbol for piracy that has been adopted by film-makers and toy manufacturers. HP G72-a30SA Keyboard

 

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Various claims and speculation about their overall image, attire, fashion, dress code, etc. have been made and contributed to their fanciful mystery and lore. HP G72-b01SA Keyboard

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HP Pavilion G72-A40SA KeyboardIncluding, for example, men getting their ear pierced was popular with pirates; the value of the earring was meant to pay for their burial if they were lost at sea and their body washed ashore.[citation needed] HP G72-a40SA Keyboard

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HP Pavilion G72-B01EA KeyboardPirate democracy[edit source | editbeta]

 

See also: Pirate code and distribution of justice

 

 

A pirate captain relaxes with his crew in a Howard Pyle illustration from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates.

Unlike traditional Western societies of the time, many Caribbean pirate crews of European descent operated as limited democracies. Pirate communities were some of the first to instate a system of checks and balances similar to the one used by the present-day United States and many other countries. HP G72-b10SA Keyboard

 

HP Pavilion G72-A30SA Keyboard The first record of such a government aboard a pirate sloop dates to the 17th century.[40]

Both the captain and the quartermaster were elected by the crew. They, in turn, appointed the other ship's officers. The captain of a pirate ship was often a fierce fighter in whom the men could place their trust, HP G72-b15SA Keyboard

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HP Pavilion G72-A20SA Keyboard rather than a more traditional authority figure sanctioned by an elite. However, when not in battle, the quartermaster usually had the real authority. Many groups of pirates shared in whatever they seized. Pirates injured in battle thus might be afforded special compensation similar to medical or disability insurance. HP G72 Keyboard

 

There are contemporary records that many pirates placed a portion of any captured money into a central fund that was used to compensate the injuries sustained by the crew. Lists show standardised payments of 600 pieces of eight ($156,000 in modern currency) HP G72 PC Series Keyboard

 

HP Pavilion G72-105SA Keyboardfor the loss of a leg down to 100 pieces ($26,800) for loss of an eye. Often all of these terms were agreed upon and written down by the pirates, but these articles could also be used as incriminating proof that they were outlaws. HP G72T-200 CTO Keyboard

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Treasure[edit source | editbeta]

 

 

 

Henry Every is shown selling his loot in this engraving by Howard Pyle. Every's capture of the Grand Mughal ship Ganj-i-Sawai in 1695 stands as one of the most profitable pirate raids ever perpetrated. HP Pavilion G72-110SA Keyboard

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Even though pirates raided many ships, few, if any, buried their treasure. Often, the "treasure" that was stolen was food, water, alcohol, weapons, or clothing. Other things they stole were household items like bits of soap and gear like rope and anchors, HP 640426-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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or sometimes they would keep the ship they captured (either to sell off or keep because it was better than their ship). Such items were likely to be needed immediately, rather than saved for future trade. For this reason, HP 641477-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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HP 582141-001 CPU fan with heatsinkthere was no reason for the pirates to bury these goods. Pirates tended to kill few people aboard the ships they captured; usually they would kill no one if the ship surrendered because, if it became known that pirates took no prisoners, their victims would fight to the last breath and make victory both very difficult and costly in lives. HP 653627-001 CPU fan with heatsink

In contrast, ships would quickly surrender if they knew they would be spared. In one well-documented case 300 heavily armed soldiers on a ship attacked by Thomas Tew surrendered after a brief battle with none of Tew's 40-man crew being injured.[41]

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Other noteworthy speculation involving pirates and their perceived high-importance and priorities toward that of fortune-hunting and traditional treasure exist; such as the iconic image of pirates with ear piercing, HP 666391-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 582139-001 CPU fan with heatsinkwas as a result of being a practical purpose among and therefore popular with pirates. The belief being the value of the earring was meant to pay for their burial if they were lost at sea and their body washed ashore.[citation needed] HP 650057-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

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Rewards[edit source | editbeta]

Pirates had a system of hierarchy on board their ships determining how captured money was distributed. However, pirates were more "egalitarian" than any other area of employment at the time. In fact pirate quartermasters were a counterbalance to the captain and had the power to veto his orders.

 

HP 535766-001 CPU fan with heatsink The majority of plunder was in the form of cargo and ship's equipment with medicines the most highly prized. A vessel's doctor's chest would be worth anywhere from £300 to £400, HP 650797-001 CPU fan with heatsink

or around $470,000 in today's values. Jewels were common plunder but not popular as they were hard to sell, and pirates, unlike the public of today, HP 384622-001 CPU fan with heatsink

HP 535439-001 CPU fan with heatsinkhad little concept of their value. There is one case recorded where a pirate was given a large diamond worth a great deal more than the value of the handful of small diamonds given his crewmates as a share. He felt cheated and had it broken up to match what they received.[42] HP 431311-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

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Sir Henry Morgan. In 1671, Morgan sacked and burned the city of Panama – the second most important city in the Spanish New World at the time.

Spanish pieces of eight minted in Mexico or Seville were the standard trade currency in the American colonies. However, every colony still used the monetary units of pounds, shillings and pence for bookkeeping while Spanish, German, HP 431312-001 CPU fan with heatsink

French and Portuguese money were all standard mediums of exchange as British law prohibited the export of British silver coinage. Until the exchange rates were standardised in the late 18th century each colony legislated its own different exchange rates. HP 443917-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 576837-001 CPU fan with heatsink In England, 1 piece of eight was worth 4s 3d while it was worth 8s in New York, 7s 6d in Pennsylvania and 6s 8d in Virginia. One 18th-century English shilling was worth around $58 in modern currency so a piece of eight could be worth anywhere from $246 to $465. As such, the value of pirate plunder could vary considerably depending on who recorded it and where.[43][44] HP 456605-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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Ordinary seamen received a part of the plunder at the captain's discretion but usually a single share. On average, a pirate could expect the equivalent of a year's wages as his share from each ship captured while the crew of the most successful pirates would often each receive a share valued at around £1,000 ($1.17 million) HP 498480-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 534685-001 CPU fan with heatsinkat least once in their career.[42] One of the larger amounts taken from a single ship was that by captain Thomas Tew from an Indian merchantman in 1692. Each ordinary seaman on his ship received a share worth £3,000HP 531941-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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HP 534684-001 CPU fan with heatsink ($3.5 million) with officers receiving proportionally larger amounts as per the agreed shares with Tew himself receiving 2½ shares. It is known there were actions with multiple ships captured where a single share was worth almost double this.[42][45

 

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By contrast, an ordinary seamen in the Royal Navy received 19s per month to be paid in a lump sum at the end of a tour of duty which was around half the rate paid in the Merchant Navy. However, corrupt officers would often "tax" their crews' wage to supplement their own and the Royal Navy of the day was infamous for its reluctance to pay. HP 532605-001 CPU fan with heatsink

From this wage, 6d per month was deducted for the maintenance of Greenwich Hospital with similar amounts deducted for the Chatham Chest, the chaplain and surgeon. Six months' pay was withheld to discourage desertion. HP 532617-001 CPU fan with heatsink

HP 534675-001 CPU fan with heatsink That this was insufficient incentive is revealed in a report on proposed changes to the RN Admiral Nelson wrote in 1803; he noted that since 1793 more than 42,000 sailors had deserted. Roughly half of all RN crews were pressganged and these not only received lower wages than volunteers but were shackled while the vessel was docked and were never permitted to go ashore until released from service.[46][47] HP 602472-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

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Although the Royal Navy suffered from many morale issues, it answered the question of prize money via the 'Cruizers and Convoys' Act of 1708 which handed over the share previously gained by the Crown to the captors of the ship. Technically it was still possible for the Crown to get the money or a portion of it but this rarely happened. HP 603690-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 657529-001 CPU fan with heatsinkThe process of condemnation of a captured vessel and its cargo and men was given to the High Court of the Admiralty and this was the process which remained in force with minor changes throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. HP 603691-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

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Bartholomew Roberts' crew carousing at the Calabar River. Roberts is estimated to have captured over 470 vessels.

Even the flag officer's share was not quite straightforward; he would only get the full one-eighth if he had no junior flag officer beneath him. If this was the case then he would get a third share. If he had more than one then he would take one half while the rest was shared out equally.

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There was a great deal of money to be made in this way. The record breaker, admittedly before our wars, was the capture of the Spanish frigate the Hermione, which was carrying treasure in 1762. The value of this was so great that each individual seaman netted £485 ($1.4 million in 2008 dollars).[48

 

HP 637610-001 CPU fan with heatsink] The two captains responsible, Evans and Pownall, got just on £65,000 each ($188.4 million). In January 1807 the frigate Caroline took the Spanish San Rafael which brought in £52,000 for her captain, HP 606574-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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Peter Rainier (who had been only a Midshipman some thirteen months before). All through the wars there are examples of this kind of luck falling on captains. Another famous 'capture' was that of the Spanish frigates HP 606729-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 637607-001 CPU fan with heatsinkThetis and Santa Brigada which were loaded with gold specie. They were taken by four British frigates who shared the money, each captain receiving £40,730. Each lieutenant got £5,091, the Warrant Officer group, £2,468, the midshipmen £791 and the individual seamen £182. HP 606731-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

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It should also be noted that it was usually only the frigates which took prizes; the ships of the line were far too ponderous to be able to chase and capture the smaller ships which generally carried treasure. HP 608010-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 622028-001 CPU fan with heatsinkNelson always bemoaned that he had done badly out of prize money and even as a flag officer received little. This was not that he had a bad command of captains but rather that British mastery of the seas was so complete that few enemy ships dared to sail.[49]

 

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Comparison chart using the share distribution known for three pirates against the shares for a Privateer and wages as paid by the Royal Navy.

A flyer describing the public execution of 16th-century pirate Klein Henszlein and his crew.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, once pirates were caught, justice was meted out in a summary fashion, and many ended their lives by "dancing the hempen jig",HP 608095-001 CPU fan with heatsink

HP 608229-001 CPU fan with heatsink or hanging at the end of a rope. Public execution was a form of entertainment at the time, and people came out to watch them as they would to a sporting event today. Newspapers were glad to report every detail, such as recording the condemned men's last words, HP 480481-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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 the prayers said by the priests for their immortal souls, and their final agonising moments on the gallows. In England most of these executions took place at Execution Dock on the River Thames in London. HP 535441-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

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In the cases of more famous prisoners, usually captains, their punishments extended beyond death. Their bodies were enclosed in iron cages (gibbet) (for which they were measured before their execution) and left to swing in the air until the flesh rotted off them- a process that could take as long as two years. HP 535442-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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The bodies of captains such as William "Captain" Kidd, Charles Vane, William Fly, and Jack Rackham ("Calico Jack") were all treated this way.[50]

Within the Pirate community, however, 'Justice' was swift and decisive. 'Cut-throat prudence demanded nothing less. Famously, keelhauling was a popular method for relatively minor crimes, while 'abandonment' on an island was not unknown either. HP 655983-001 CPU fan with heatsink

 

HP 434678-001 CPU fan with heatsink Indeed, 'Walking the plank' is now generally thought to refer to 'walking the last mile' down the gangplank to the miscreants new 'Home'.[citation needed]

Privateers[edit source | editbeta] HP 657942-001 CPU fan with heatsink

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Main article: Privateer

 

 

HMS Kent battling Confiance, a privateer vessel commanded by French corsair Robert Surcouf in October 1800, as depicted in a painting by Garneray.

 

Read more

 

In 2005, Dell XPS M1210 battery
Dell XPS M1330 battery Putin initiated an industry consolidation programme to bring the main aircraft producing companies under a single umbrella organization, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). The aim was optimize production lines and minimise losses. The programme was divided in three parts: reorganization and crisis management (2007–2010), Dell Latitude E4200 battery
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evolution of existing projects (2010–2015) and further progress within the newly created structure (2015–2025).[144]

The UAC, one of the so-called national champions and comparable to EADS in Europe, enjoyed considerable financial support from the Russian government, and injected money to the companies it had acquired to improve their financial standing. The deliveries of civilian aircraft increased to 6 in 2005, Dell Latitude E5410 battery
 

Dell Latitude E5420 batteryand in 2009 the industry delivered 15 civilian aircraft, worth 12.5 billion roubles, mostly to domestic customers.[145] Since then Russia has successfully tested the fifth generation jet fighter, Sukhoi PAK FA, Dell Latitude E5510 battery
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Dell Latitude E5220 battery and started the commercial production of the regional airliner Sukhoi Superjet 100, as well as started developing a number of other major projects. Dell Latitude E6400 battery
 

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In a similar fashion, Putin created the United Shipbuilding Corporation in 2007, which led to the recovery[citation needed] of shipbuilding in Russia. Since 2006, much efforts were put into consolidation and development of the Rosatom Nuclear Energy State Corporation, Dell Latitude E6400 ATG battery
 

which led to the renewed construction of nuclear power plants in Russia as well as a vast activity of Rosatom abroad, buying huge shares in world's leading uranium production companies and building nuclear power plants in many countries, Dell Latitude E6500 battery
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Dell Latitude E6430 battery including Iran, China, Vietnam and Belarus.[citation needed] In 2007, the Russian Nanotechnology Corporation was established, aimed to boost the science and technology and high-tech industry in Russia.[146] Dell Latitude E4310 battery
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Energy policy

Main article: Energy policy of Russia

See also: Energy in Russia, Oil industry of Russia, and Nuclear power in Russia

 

 

Under Putin, Russia strengthened its position as a key oil and gas supplier to much of Europe.

In the 2000s (decade) Russia's oil and gas wealth was transformed into the country's well-being and international influence, and Russia was frequently been described in the media as an energy superpower.[23] Dell Latitude E6400 XFR battery

Dell Latitude E6320 batteryPutin oversaw that the growing taxation of oil and gas exports filled in the Russian budget, while oil and gas prices, production, and exports all significantly grew.

Putin sought to Russia's large share on the European energy market by building the submerged gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine and the New Europe (the countries which were often seen as non-reliable transit partners by Russia, especially following Russia-Ukraine gas disputes of the late 2000s (decade)). Dell Latitude E6410 battery

Dell Latitude E6230 battery The pipeline projects backed by Putin include the Blue Stream from Russia to Turkey (build on the Black Sea bed), Nord Stream from Russia to Germany (the longest sub-sea pipeline in the world, built through the Baltic Sea) and the planned South Stream from Russia to the Balkans and Italy (via the Black Sea). Dell Latitude E6410 ATG battery
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Dell Latitude E6220 battery Russia also undermined the rival pipeline project Nabucco by buying the Turkmen gas and redirecting it into Russian pipelines.

On the other hand Russia diversified its export markets by building the Trans-Siberian oil pipeline to the markets of China, Japan and Korea, as well as the Sakhalin–Khabarovsk–Vladivostok gas pipeline in the Russian Far East. Dell Latitude E6510 battery
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Dell Latitude E6210 battery Russia has built LNG plant on Sakhalin and is building another one in Primorye, aiming to increase the overseas gas exports. Meanwhile, in the Gulf of Finland Russia has built a major Ust-Luga port connected to the Baltic Pipeline System-II, which allowed to export oil without transit through the ports of the Baltic states. Sony PCG-41311M battery

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 The share of processed oil slowly grows with major oil refineries being built in Tatarstan and other regions of Russia.

Putin also presided over resuming the construction of major hydropower plants, such as the Bureya Dam and the Boguchany Dam, as well as the restoration of the nuclear industry of Russia, with some 1 trillion rubles ($42.7 billion) Sony PCG-41314M battery

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Sony VPCZ12Z9E/X batteryallocated from the federal budget to nuclear power and industry development before 2015.[147] A large number of nuclear power stations and units are currently being constructed by the state corporation Rosatom in Russia and abroad. Sony PCG-4R2M battery

 

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Arctic policy

Main article: Arctic policy of Russia

 

 

Putin aboard the battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy during the Northern Fleet manoeuvres in the Barents Sea, 2005.

Putin has sought to increase Russian military and economic presence in the Arctic. In August 2007, a Russian expedition named Arktika 2007, led by Artur Chilingarov, planted a Russian flag on the seabed below the North Pole to underline Russia's 2001 claim submission.[148] Sony PCG-4R2M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12X9E/B battery [148] In June 2008 General Vladimir Shamanov announced that Russia would increase the operational radius of its Northern Fleet submarines.[149] and in July 2011, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov announced plans for two brigades to be stationed in the Arctic.[150] Sony PCG-4U2M battery

 

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A construction program of floating nuclear power plants will provide power to Russian Arctic coastal cities and gas rigs. A 21,500-ton barge with twin 35-megawatt reactors, the Akademik Lomonosov, will go into operation in 2012.[151][15Sony PCG-6Z4M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12V9E battery2] The Prirazlomnoye field, an offshore oilfield in the Pechora Sea that will include up to 40 wells, is currently under construction and drilling is expected to start in early 2012. It will have the world's first ice-resistant oil platform and will also be the first offshore Arctic platform.[153][154] Sony PCG-6112M battery

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In August 2011 Rosneft, a Russian government-operated oil company, signed a deal with ExxonMobil to receive oil assets in exchange for the joint development of Russian Arctic resources by both companies.[15Sony PCG-6121M battery

 

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5] The agreement includes a $3.2 billion hydrocarbon exploration of the Kara and Black seas,[156] as well as joint development of ice-resistant drilling platforms and other Arctic technologies.[157] "The scale of the investment is very large. It’s scary to utter such huge figures" said Putin on signing the deal.[155]

Environmental policy

Main articles: Environment of Russia and Environmental issues in Russia

 

 

Putin uses a tranquilizer gun to sedate an Amur Tiger in the Ussuri Nature Reserve in Primorsky Krai, 2008. Sony PCG-6122M battery

 

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In 2004, President Putin signed the Kyoto Protocol treaty designed to reduce greenhouse gases.[158] However Russia did not face mandatory cuts, because the Kyoto Protocol limits emissions to a percentage increase or decrease from 1990 levels and Russia's greenhouse-gas emissions fell well below the 1990 baseline due to a drop in economic output after the breakup of the Soviet Union.[159] Sony PCG-6123M battery

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Putin personally supervises and/or promotes a number of protection programmes for rare and endangered animals in Russia:

The Amur Tiger Programme[160]

The White Whale Programme[161]

The Polar Bear Programme[162]

The Snow Leopard Programme[163]

Religious and national policy

Main article: Religion in Russia

Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism, defined by law as Russia's traditional religions and a part of Russia's "historical heritage"[16Sony VPCZ13 battery

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Sony VPCZ11Z9E battery4] enjoyed limited state support in the Putin era. The vast construction and restoration of churches, started in 1990s, continued under Putin, and the state allowed the teaching of religion in schools (parents are provided with a choice for their children to learn the basics of one of the traditional religions or secular ethics). Sony VPCZ13V9E battery

 

Sony VPCZ11X9E/B battery His approach to religious policy has been characterised as one of support for religious freedoms, but also the attempt to unify different religions under the authority of the state.[165] In 2012, Putin was honored in Bethlehem and a street was named after him.[166]

 

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Putin meeting with religious leaders of Russia in 2001

Putin regularly attends the most important services of the Russian Orthodox Church on the main Orthodox Christian holidays. He established a good relationship with Patriarchs of the Russian Church, the late Alexy II of Moscow and the current Kirill of Moscow.

 

Sony VGP-BPS20/S battery As President, he took an active personal part in promoting the Act of Canonical Communion with the Moscow Patriarchate, signed 17 May 2007 that restored relations between the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia after the 80-year schism.[167] Sony VGP-BPL20 battery

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Putin and United Russia enjoy high electoral support in the national republics of Russia, in particular in the Muslim-majority republics of Povolzhye and the North Caucasus. Sony PCG-31111M battery

 

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Under Putin, the Hasidic FJCR became increasingly influential within the Jewish community, partly due to the influence of Federation-supporting businessmen mediated through their alliances with Putin, notably Lev Leviev and Roman Abramovich.[168][1

Sony PCG-31113M battery68][169] According to the JTA, Putin is popular amongst the Russian Jewish community, who see him as a force for stability. Russia's chief rabbi, Berel Lazar, said Putin "paid great attention to the needs of our community and related to us with a deep respect."[170] Sony PCG-31112M battery

 

Sports development

Main article: Sport in Russia

 

 

Vladimir Putin addressing the International Olympic Committee in Guatemala City in 2007, on behalf of the successful bid of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

On 4 July 2007 Putin addressed the delegates at the 119th International Olympic Committee Session in Guatemala City on behalf of the successful bid of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2014 Winter Paralympics,[1Sony PCG-41212M battery

 

Sony PCG-41218M battery71] the first Winter Olympic Games in Russia. In 2008, the city of Kazan won the bid for the 2013 Summer Universiade, and on 2 December 2010 Russia won the right to host the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup, also for the first time in Russia.

 

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Other major tournaments which the country has been chosen to host include the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow and the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan (both events never held in Russia so far), Sony PCG-41215M battery

Sony PCG-41216M batterythe Russian Grand Prix (a new race of the Formula One since 2014, to be held in Sochi) and the 2016 IIHF World Championship.

Military development

Main article: Russian military reform

The resumption of long-distance flights of Russia's strategic bombers was followed by the announcement by Russian Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov during his meeting with Putin on 5 December 2007, that 11 ships, including the aircraft carrier Kuznetsov, would take part in the first major navy sortie into the Mediterranean since Soviet times. Sony PCG-41311M battery

 

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 [172] The sortie was to be backed up by 47 aircraft, including strategic bombers.[173]

 

 

Putin in the cockpit of a Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber before the flight, August 2005.

While from the early 2000s (decade) Russia started pumping more money into its military and defence industry, Sony PCG-41313M battery

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Sony VPCZ12Z9E/X batteryit was only in 2008 that the full-scale Russian military reform began, aimed to modernize Russian Armed Forces and made them significantly more effective. The reform was largely carried by Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov during Medvedev's Presidency, under supervision of both Putin, Sony PCG-41212M battery

 

Sony PCG-31114M battery as the Head of Government, and Medvedev, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces.

Key elements of the reform included reducing the armed forces to a strength of one million; reducing the number of officers; centralising officer training from 65 military schools into 10 'systemic' military training centres; creating a professional NCO corps; Sony PCG-41315M battery

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reducing the size of the central command; introducing more civilian logistics and auxiliary staff; elimination of cadre-strength formations; reorganising the reserves; reorganising the army into a brigade system; reorganising air forces into an air base system instead of regiments.[174]

The number of Russia's military districts was reduced to just 4. The term of draft service was reduced from two years to one, which put an end to the old harassment traditions in the army, since all conscripts became very close by draft age. Sony PCG-41215M battery

 

Sony PCG-31113M batteryThe gradual transition to the majority professional army by the late 2010s was announced, and a large programme of supplying the Armed Forces with new military equipment and ships was started. The Russian Space Forces were replaced on 1 December 2011 with the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces.

In spite of Putin's call for major investments in strategic nuclear weapons, these will fall well below the New START limits due to the retirement of aging systems.[175]

Foreign policy

Main articles: Foreign policy of Russia, Foreign policy of Vladimir Putin, and List of presidential trips made by Vladimir Putin

Relations with NATO and the West

 

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U.S. President George W. Bush and Putin at the 33rd G8 summit, June 2007.

Main articles: NATO–Russia relations and Russia–United States relations

Putin's Russia relationships with NATO and the U.S. have passed several stages. When Putin first became President, the relations were cautious. After the 9/11 attacks when Putin quickly supported U.S. in the War on Terror, the opportunity for partnership appeared.[17Sony PCG-41216M battery

6] However, the U.S. responded by further expansion of NATO to Russia's borders and by unilateral withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.[17Sony PCG-4R2M battery

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Sony VPCZ12Z9E/B battery6] Since 2003, when Russia did not support the Iraq War and when Putin became ever more distant from the West in his internal and external policies, the relations continued to deteriorate. Sony PCG-6Z4M battery

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Sony VPCZ12X9E/B batteryAccording to Russia scholar Stephen F. Cohen, the narrative of the mainstream U.S. media, following that of the White House, became profoundly anti-Putin, Sony PCG-41217M battery

full of accusations that Putin had caused problems which actually stem from the 1990s, and assertions that Putin was personally responsible for any murders of his Russian political opponents, such as the journalist Anna Politkovskaya and the supposed KGB defector in London, Aleksandr Litvinenko.[1Sony PCG-6121M battery

 

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Sony VPCZ12V9E/B battery76] In an interview with Michael Stürmer, Putin was quoted saying that there were three questions which most concerned Russia and Eastern Europe; namely the status of Kosovo, the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty and American plans to build missile defence sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, and suggested that all three were some way linked.[17Sony PCG-6122M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12M9E battery7] In Putin's view, concessions on one of these questions on the Western side might be met with concessions from Russia on another.[177Sony PCG-41218M battery

 

 

 

Putin with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in 2008.

In February 2007, at the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy, Putin openly criticized what he called the United States' monopolistic dominance in global relations, and "almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations". Sony PCG-6123M battery

 

Sony VPCZ12C7E/B batteryHe said the result of it is that "no one feels safe! Because no one can feel that international law is like a stone wall that will protect them. Of course such a policy stimulates an arms race."[17Sony PCG-31111M battery]8] In this speech, which became known as Munich Speech, Putin called for a "fair and democratic world order that would ensure security and prosperity not only for a select few, but for all".[178] His remarks however were met with criticism by some delegates[179] such as former NATO secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who called his speech, "disappointing and not helpful."[180] Previously, in a January 2007 interview Putin said Russia is in favor of a democratic multipolar world and of strengthening the systems of international law.[181] The months following Putin's Munich speech[17Sony PCG-6124M battery

 

Sony VPCZ11Z9E/B battery8] were marked by tension and a surge in rhetoric on both sides of the Atlantic. Both Russian and American officials, however, denied the idea of a new Cold War.[182]

Putin publicly opposed plans for the U.S. missile shield in Europe, Sony VPCZ13 battery

 

Sony VPCZ11Z9E batteryand presented President George W. Bush with a counterproposal on 7 June 2007 of modernising and sharing the use of the Soviet-era Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan rather than building a new system in the Czech Republic[Sony VPCZ13M9E/B battery

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177] Putin proposed it would not be necessary to place interceptor missiles in Poland then, but interceptors could be placed in NATO member Turkey or Iraq. Putin suggested also equal involvement of interested European countries in the project.[1Sony VPCZ13Z9E/X battery

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Sony VPCZ11X9E/B battery83] The proposal was declined. Russia suspended its participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe on 11 December 2007.[184]

Vladimir Putin strongly opposes the secession of Kosovo from Serbia. He called any support for this act "immoral" and "illegal".[18Sony VPCZ23K9E battery

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Sony VPCZ11X9E battery5] He described Kosovo's declaration of independence a "terrible precedent" that will come back to hit the West "in the face".[186] He stated that the Kosovo precedent will de facto destroy the whole system of international relations, developed over centuries.[187]

 

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Putin's relations with former American President George W. Bush, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, former French President Jacques Chirac, and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi are reported to be personally friendly. Sony VGP-BPS20/B battery

Sony VGP-BPS20/S batteryPutin's "cooler" and "more business-like" relationship with Germany's new Chancellor, Angela Merkel is often attributed to Merkel's upbringing in the former DDR, where Putin was stationed when he was a KGB agent.[188] Sony VGP-BPL14 battery

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Relations with the U.K.

Main article: Russia–United Kingdom relations

 

 

Putin, Koni and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2005

By mid-2000s (decade), the relations between Russia and the United Kingdom deteriorated when the United Kingdom granted political asylum to Putin's former patron, oligarch Boris Berezovsky in 2003.[189] Berezovsky, located in London, Sony VGP-BPL14/S battery

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often called for the overthrow of Putin[189] and allegedly directed anti-Putin activities in Russia. The United Kingdom also granted asylum to the Chechen rebel leader Akhmed Zakayev and other people who fled from Russia. Sony VGP-BPS14/S battery

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In 2006 it became known that Britain spied on Russia using a fake rock, which was located on a street and contained electronic equipment that allowed British diplomats to receive and transmit information.[19Sony VGN-Z11WN/B battery

 

Sony VGN-Z51WG/B battery0] The Russian security service FSB linked the rock with allegations that British were making secret payments to pro-democracy and human rights groups, and the same year President Putin introduced a law which restricted non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Sony VGN-Z11XN/X battery

 

Sony VGN-Z51MG/B batteryfrom getting funding from foreign governments. This resulted in many NGOs closing.[190] In 2006, the Russian liberal opposition met the media reports on "spy rock" with contempt, alleging that it was made-up by FSB,[191Sony VGN-Z21 battery

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Sony VGN-Z51XTG/B battery] but in 2012 Jonathan Powell, ex-chief of staff of the U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, confessed that the story with the rock was true.[190]

The end of 2006 brought very strained relations in the wake of the death by polonium poisoning[192][1Sony VGN-Z21WN/B battery

 

Sony VGN-Z31XN/B battery93] of Alexander Litvinenko in London. Litvinenko's friends Andrei Nekrasov and Alex Goldfarb claimed that Litvinenko had made a statement, in which Putin was accused of directing the assassination.[194][1Sony VGN-Z21XN battery

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Sony VGN-Z41WD/B battery95][196] Critics have doubted that Litvinenko is the true author of the released statement.[197][198][199] When asked about the Litvinenko accusations, Putin said that a statement released after death of its author "naturally deserves no comment", and stated his belief it was being used for political purposes.[200Sony VGN-Z31 battery

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Sony VGP-BPS12 battery] In 2012, when Litvinenko's widow admitted that her husband had worked for British intelligence services, Litvinenko's father said that the Russian secret services had a right to kill traitors,[192] and regretted "his participation in the smear campaign against Russia in general and [current] Prime Minister Putin in particular".[192] Sony VGN-Z31VN/X battery

 

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In 2007, the crisis in relations involved expelling four Russian envoys over Russia's refusal to extradite a former KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoi to face charges on the alleged murder of Litvinenko,[189]

 

Sony VGN-Z battery since the Russian constitution prohibits the extradition of Russian nationals to third countries. Mirroring the British actions, Russia expelled UK diplomats and announced that it would suspend issuing visas to UK officials and froze cooperation on counterterrorism in response to Britain suspending contacts with their Federal Security Service.[1Sony VGN-Z31WN/B battery

 

Sony VGN-Z51XG battery89] Lugovoi subsequently became an MP in the Russian Duma, giving him immunity from prosecution within Russia. On 10 December 2007, the British Ambassador in Moscow, Tony Brenton, reacted by saying: "It is a pity that a man wanted for murder gains political recognition.

 

Sony VGN-Z51WG battery It does Russia no good at all to have Lugovoy there in the parliament. It continues the suspicion."[201] The same day, Russia ordered the British Council to halt work at its regional offices in the country.[202] Sony VGN-Z31ZN/B battery

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Relations with India

Main article: India–Russia relations

 

 

India's Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with Russia's president Vladimir Putin in November 2001.

During his first and second term in office, bilateral trade turnover between India and Russia was modest and stood at US$ 3 billion, of which Indian exports to Russia were valued at US$ 908 million. The major Indian exports to Russia are pharmaceuticals; tea, coffee and spices; apparel and clothing; edible preparations; Sony PCG-4121DL Battery

 

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and engineering goods. Main Indian imports from Russia are iron and steel; fertilisers; non-ferrous metals; paper products; coal, coke & briquettes; cereals; and rubber. Indo-Russian trade is expected to reach US$10 billion by 2010. Putin wrote in an article in the Hindu, Sony PCG-4121EL Battery

 

sony PCG-6Z3L battery"The Declaration on Strategic Partnership between India and Russia signed in October 2000 became a truly historic step".[203][204] Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also agreed with his counterpart by stated in speech given during President Putin's 2012 visit to India, Sony PCG-4121FL Battery

 

sony PCG-6Z2L battery"President Putin is a valued friend of India and the original architect of the India-Russia strategic partnership".[205Sony PCG-4121GL Battery

 

sony PCG-6Z1L battery] Both countries closely collaborate on matters of shared national interest these include at the UN, BRICS, G20 and SCO where India has observer status and has been asked by Russia to become a full member.[206Sony PCG-41211L Battery

 

sony PCG-6XBL battery] Russia also strongly supports India receiving a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. In addition, Russia has vocally backed India joining the NSG[207] and APEC.[208] Moreover, it has also expressed interest in joining SAARC with observer status in which India is a founding member.[209][210] Sony PCG-41212L Battery

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Russia currently is one of only two countries in the world (the other being Japan) that has a mechanism for annual ministerial-level defence reviews with India.[211] The Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission (IRIGC), Sony PCG-41215L Battery

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sony PCG-6X8L battery which is one of the largest and comprehensive governmental mechanisms that India has had with any country internationally. Almost every department from the Government of India attends it.[211] Sony PCG-41217L Battery

 

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Relations with China and SCO

Main articles: People's Republic of China-Russia relations and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

 

 

Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao at the 2003 APEC Summit in Thailand

Putin's Russia maintains strong and positive relations with other BRIC countries. The country has sought to strengthen ties especially with the People's Republic of China by signing the Treaty of Friendship as well as building the Trans-Siberian oil pipeline geared toward growing Chinese energy needs.[21Sony PCG-41218L Battery

 

sony PCG-6X6L battery2] The mutual-security cooperation of the two countries and their central Asian neighbours is facilitated by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Sony PCG-41411L Battery

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The announcement made during the SCO summit that Russia resumes on a permanent basis the long-distance patrol flights of its strategic bombers (suspended in 1992)[213][214] in the light of joint Russian-Chinese military exercises, first-ever in history held on Russian territory,[215] made some experts believe that Putin is inclined to set up an anti-NATO bloc or the Asian version of OPEC.[21Sony PCG-41413L Battery

 

sony PCG-6X2L battery6] When presented with the suggestion that "Western observers are already likening the SCO to a military organisation that would stand in opposition to NATO", Putin answered that "this kind of comparison is inappropriate in both form and substance".[213]

Relations with Iran Sony PCG-41414L Battery

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Main article: Iran-Russia relations

 

 

Putin with Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 2007

On 16 October 2007 Putin visited Iran to participate in the Second Caspian Summit in Tehran,[217][218] sony PCG-4R1L battery

 

sony PCG-4Q1L batterywhere he met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[219] Other participants were leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.[220] This is the first visit of a Soviet or Russian leader to Iran since Joseph Stalin's participation in the Tehran Conference in 1943.[2sony PCG-4Q4L battery

sony PCG-4Q3L battery21] At a press conference after the summit Putin said that "all our (Caspian) states have the right to develop their peaceful nuclear programmes without any restrictions".[222] Sony PCG-61A11L Battery

 

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Subsequently, under Medvedev's presidency, Iran-Russia relations were uneven: Russia did not fulfill the contract of selling to Iran the S-300, one of the most potent anti-aircraft missile systems currently existing. However, Sony PCG-61A13L Battery

 

Sony PCG-91211L Battery Russian specialists completed the construction of Iran and the Middle East's first civilian nuclear power facility, the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, and Russia has continuously opposed the imposition of economic sanctions on Iran by the U.S. and the EU, as well as warning against a military attack on Iran. Sony PCG-61A14L Battery

 

Sony PCG-71914L Battery Putin was quoted as describing Iran as a "partner",[177] though he expressed concerns over the Iranian nuclear programme.[177]

Relations with Australasia, Latin America and others

Main articles: Australia–Russia relations, Russia–Venezuela relations, Cuba–Russia relations, and Brazil–Russia relations

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Putin with Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

 

 

Putin with Fidel Castro in 2000, re-establishing close ties between Russia and Cuba.

Putin and his successor Medvedev have enjoyed warm relations with Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Much of this has been through the sale of military equipment; since 2005, Venezuela has purchased more than $4 billion worth of arms from Russia.[22Sony PCG-71C12L Battery

 

Sony PCG-71913L Battery3] In September 2008, Russia sent Tupolev Tu-160 bombers to Venezuela to carry out training flights.[224] In November 2008, both countries held a joint naval exercise in the Caribbean.[225] Earlier in 2000, Putin had re-established stronger ties with Fidel Castro's Cuba.

 

 

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In September 2007, Putin visited Indonesia and in doing so became the first Russian leader to visit the country in more than 50 years.[226] Sony PCG-61714L Battery

 

Sony PCG-71911L Battery In the same month, Putin also attended the APEC meeting held in Sydney, Australia where he met with Australian Prime Minister John Howard and signed a uranium trade deal. This was the first visit by a Russian president to Australia. Sony PCG-61813L Battery

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Libya

 

 

Putin meeting with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2008.

In April 2008, Putin visited Libya where he met the leader Muammar Gaddafi, the country welcomed the idea of creating an OPEC-like group of gas-exporting countries, Putin became first Russian President who visited Libya, Sony PCG-61913L Battery

 

Sony PCG-71811L Batteryhe remarked the visit as "We are satisfied about the way in which we resolved this problem. I am absolutely convinced that the solution we have found will help the Russian and Libyan economies."[22Sony PCG-71614L Battery

Sony PCG-71713L Battery7] Putin condemned the foreign military intervention of Libya, he called UN resolution as "defective and flawed," and added "It allows everything. It resembles medieval calls for crusades.",[22Sony PCG-91111L Battery

 

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8] During the whole event, Putin condemned other steps taken by NATO.[229] Upon the death of Muammar Gaddafi, Putin called it as "planned murder" by US, he asked "They showed to the whole world how he (Gaddafi) was killed," and "There was blood all over. Is that what they call a democracy?"[230][231]

Syria

Dmitri Trenin reports in the New York Times that from 2000 to 2010 Russia sold around $1.5 billion worth of arms to Syria, making Damascus Moscow’s seventh-largest client.[232] During the 2011-3 Syrian civil war, Russia threatened to veto any sanctions against the Syrian government,[233] and continued to supply arms to the regime. Sony PCG-6X4M battery

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Putin opposed any foreign intervention. On 1 June 1, 2012, in Paris, he rejected the statement of French President Francois Hollande who called on Bashar Al-Assad to step down. Putin echoed the argument of the Assad regime that anti-regime Sony PCG-91112L Battery

 

Sony PCG-61316L Battery’’militants’’ were responsible for much of the bloodshed, rather than the shelling by Syrian forces and the civilian killings attributed by survivors and Western governments toregime supporters. He asked "But how many of peaceful people (sic) were killed by so-called militants? Did you count? Sony PCG-71312L Battery

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Sony PCG-61315L BatteryThere are also hundreds of victims." He also talked about previous NATO interventions and their results, and asked "What is happening in Libya, in Iraq? Did they become safer? Where are they heading? Nobody has an answer."[234] Sony PCG-71218L Battery

 

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Relations with post-Soviet states

Main articles: Color revolutions, Russia–Ukraine gas disputes, Russia–Ukraine relations, Belarus–Russia relations, Georgia–Russia relations, and Kyrgyzstan–Russia relations

A series of the so-called color revolutions in the post-Soviet states, namely the Rose Revolution in Georgia in 2003, Sony PCG-71217L Battery

 

Sony PCG-61311L Battery the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004 and the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan in 2005, led to frictions in the relations of those countries with Russia. In December 2004, Putin criticised the Rose and Orange Revolution, Sony PCG-71313L Battery

 

Sony PCG-61215L Batteryaccording to him: "If you have permanent revolutions you risk plunging the post-Soviet space into endless conflict".[235] During the protests following the 2011 Russian elections (in December 2011) Putin named the Orange Revolution an infamous foreknowledge for Russia.[236]

 

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Apart from a clash of nationalist rhetorics[clarification needed] with the common historical legacies of the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire[citation needed], a number of economic disputes erupted between Russia and some neighbours, Sony PCG-71315L Battery

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such as the Russian import ban of Georgian wine. And in some cases, such as the Russia–Ukraine gas disputes, the economic conflicts affected other European countries, for example when a January 2009 gas dispute with Ukraine led state-controlled Russian company Gazprom to halt its deliveries of natural gas to Ukraine,[23Sony PCG-71317L Battery

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Sony PCG-71216L Battery7] which left a number of European states, to which Ukraine transits Russian gas, to have serious shortages of natural gas in January 2009.[23Sony PCG-6X2M battery,

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7] In an interview with the German historian Michael Stürmer about the Russian shut-down of gas to Ukraine in early 2005, Putin linked the shut-down to the Orange revolution, saying: "This has a price [the Orange revolution]. Sony PCG-71211L Battery

In spite of so much frustration we have stablizied the situation. In old days we concluded agreements with Ukraine year after year, and then included transit fees. The West Europeans had no idea that their energy security was a cliffhanger. Sony PCG-71212L Battery

Sony PCG-71215L BatteryBy now we have a five-year agreement for transit to the E.U. This is an important step in the direction of European energy security".[177]

 

 

Meeting with Mikheil Saakashvili in 2008

The disputes typically arose because of inabilities of Ukraine to pay higher prices for natural gas and pay debts in time. In 2009, the Russia–Ukraine dispute was resolved by a long-term agreement on price formula, agreed by Prime Ministers Vladimir Putin of Russia and Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko[237][2Sony PCG-9Z1L Battery

 

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38] (later, when the rising global oil prices prompted the rising gas prizes[239] the agreement turned very unfavourable for Ukraine; in October 2011 Tymoshenko was found guilty of abuse of office when brokering the 2009 deal and was sentenced to seven years in prison).[240] Sony PCG-9Z2L Battery

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The plans of Georgia and Ukraine to become members of NATO have caused some tensions between Russia and those states. In 2010, Ukraine did abandon these plans.[24Sony PCG-7142L Battery

 

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1] Putin allegedly declared at a NATO-Russia summit in 2008 that if Ukraine joined NATO Russia could contend to annex the Ukrainian East and Crimea.[242] In public Putin has stated that Russia has no intention of annexing any country.[235] Sony PCG-4R1M battery

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Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin in 2002. Despite a number of economic disputes in mid-2000s (decade), Belarus has remained one of Russia's closest allies.

In August 2008, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili attempted to restore control over the breakaway South Ossetia, Sony PCG-7151L Battery

 

Sony PCG-7185L Battery claiming this action was in response to Ossetian border attacks on Georgians and to alleged buildups of Russian non-peacekeeping forces. Russian peacekeepers stationed there came under attack during the invasion and fought alongside the South Ossetians as Georgian troops pushed into the province and seized most of the capital of Tskhinvali. Sony PCG-7152L Battery

 

Sony PCG-7184L Battery However, the Georgian military was soon defeated in the resulting 2008 South Ossetia War after regular Russian forces entered South Ossetia and then Georgia proper, and also opened a second front in the other Georgian breakaway province of Abkhazia together with Abkhazian forces.[243] Sony PCG-7153L Battery

 

Sony PCG-7183L Battery [244] During this conflict, according to high level French diplomat Jean-David Levitte, Putin intended to depose the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and declared: "I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls".[245] Sony PCG-71C11M battery

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Putin blamed the 2008 war and the bad relations between Russia and Georgia as "the result of the policy that the Georgian authorities conducted back then and still attempt to conduct now"; he stated that Georgia is a Sony PCG-7154L Battery

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Sony PCG-7182L Battery"brotherly nation that hopefully will finally understand that Russia is not an enemy, but is a friend and the relations will be restored"[246] (one month before Georgian President Saakashvili had stated "Putin has a problem with Georgian people, but not with Georgian government").[Sony PCG-7162L Battery

 

Sony PCG-7181L Battery247] Putin stated in 2009 Georgia could have kept Abkhazia and South Ossetia "within its territory" if it had treated the residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia "with respect" (he claims they did "the opposite").[248] Sony PCG-7171L Battery

 

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The President of Ukraine elected during the Orange Revolution, Viktor Yushchenko, was succeeded in 2010 by Viktor Yanukovych, that led to improved relations with Russia.[249] Russia was able to expand the lease for the base for its Black Sea Fleet base in the Ukrainian city Sevastopol in exchange for lower gas prices for Ukraine Sony PCG-7172L Battery

Sony PCG-7173L Battery  (the 2010 Ukrainian–Russian Naval Base for Natural Gas treaty).[250] The President of Kyrgyzstan since 2009, Almazbek Atambayev, wants to guide Kyrgyzstan towards the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia and has stated his country has a "common future" with its neighbours and Russia.[251] Sony PCG-71111L Battery

 

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Eurasian policy

Main article: Eurasian Union

 

 

The proposed Eurasian Union with the most likely immediate members: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Despite existing or past tensions between Russia and most of the post-Soviet states, Putin has followed the policy of Eurasian integration. Sony PCG-81111L Battery

 

Sony PCG-81314L BatteryThe Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia has already brought partial economic unity between the three states, and the proposed Eurasian Union is said to be a continuation of this customs union. Sony PCG-81112L Battery

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A number of other regional organizations also provide the basis for further integration: the Union State of Russia and Belarus, the Eurasian Economic Community of Russia, Sony PCG-71D14M battery

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Belarus and Kazakhstan, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, consisting of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and the Commonwealth of Independent States comprising most of the post-Soviet countries. Sony PCG-81114L Battery

 

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On 18 November 2011, the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia signed an agreement, setting a target of establishing the Eurasian Union by 2015.[2Sony PCG-81214L Battery

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Sony PCG-81312L Battery52] The agreement included the roadmap for the future integration and established the Eurasian Commission (modelled on the European Commission) and the Eurasian Economic Space, which started work on 1 January 2012.[252][253] Sony PCG-61611M battery

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Programmes

 

Long-term strategies

 

 

Putin presents the "Strategy 2020" to the Extended Meeting of the State Council of Russia on 8 February 2008.

The 2007 election campaign of the United Russia party went under the slogan "Putin's Plan: Russia's Victory". When asked on the "Putin's Plan", Vladimir Putin said that his last five Addresses to the Federal Assembly contained some key parts "devoted to the state's medium-term development",Dell Latitude E4200 battery
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 and "if all these key ideas were put together to build a coherent system, it can become the country's development plan in the medium-term."[254] Dell Latitude E5410 battery
 

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Later the "Putin's Plan" was transformed into the Strategy 2020, which set the key goals and target figures for Russia's development until 2020. The "Strategy 2020" was first presented by Putin on the Extended Meeting of the State Council on 8 February 2008.[2Dell Latitude E5510 battery
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55] It is the second long-term development strategy adopted by the Russian Federation, following the Strategy 2010, which had been made the basis for Russian government programmes in June 2000 and was largely fulfilled by 2010.[256] Sony PCG-61813M battery

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Programme articles

Putin has published articles in the Russian press on a number of occasions, in particularly before and during his 2012 presidential campaign. Soon after the announcement that he would run for another Presidency on 24 September 2011, in his article called "New Integration Project for Eurasia – A Future That Is Being Born Today"[2Dell Latitude E6400 battery
 

Dell Latitude E5220 battery57] (Новый интеграционный проект для Евразии – будущее, которое рождается сегодня[258]), published by Izvestiya on 3 October, he brought to attention the idea of the Eurasian Union, composed of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and possibly other post-Soviet states[259][260] Dell Latitude E6400 ATG battery
 

(the concept was first proposed by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, during a 1994 speech at a Moscow university).[261] This publication was soon followed by the presidents of Belarus, Dell Latitude E6500 battery
 

Dell Latitude E6430s batteryKazakhstan and Russia signing an agreement on 18 November 2011 which established the Eurasian Commission (modeled on the European Commission) from 1 January 2012 and set a target of establishing the Eurasian Union (modeled on the European Union) by 2015.[253] Dell Latitude E4300 battery
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         Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Vladimir Putin/Articles

In the course of the 2012 presidential campaign, in order to present his election program, Putin published 7 articles in different Russian editions. In those articles, he presented his vision of the problems which Russia successfully solved in the last decade and the goals yet to be achieved. The topics of the articles were as follows: the general overview, the ethnicity issue, economic tasks, democracy and government efficiency, social policy, military, foreign policy.[262]

Speeches and catch phrases

 

Addresses to the Federal Assembly

During his terms in office Putin has made eight annual addresses to the Federal Assembly of Russia,[263] speaking on the situation in Russia and on guidelines of the internal and foreign policy of the State (as prescribed in Article 84 of the Constitution[264]). Dell Latitude E4320 battery
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Speeches abroad

 

 

Putin making his Munich speech in 2007.

One of the most important and widely publicized speeches of Putin made abroad was made on 10 February 2007 on the Munich Conference on Security Policy, and hence became known as the Munich speech.
Dell Latitude E6330 batteryIt was dubbed by the press to be "the turning point of the Russian foreign policy", and western observers called it the most tough speech from a leader of Russia since the time of the Cold War.[26Dell Latitude E6410 battery
5] The speech was also seen as been made by Putin to openly assert the new (old) role of Russia in the international politics, the role close to that of the Soviet Union and the return to which role is seen as one of the achievements of Putin's Presidency.[265] Dell Latitude E6410 ATG battery
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In the Munich speech Putin called to uphold the principle "security for everyone is security for all", criticized the policies of the United States and NATO, condemned the unipolar model of international relations as flawed and lacking moral basis, Dell Latitude E6510 battery

Dell Latitude E6320 battery condemned the hypocrisy of countries trying to teach democracy to Russia, condemned the domination of hard power and enforcement by the U.S. of the Western norms and laws to other countries bypassing the international law and substituting the United Nations by NATO or the EU.[ Sony PCG-71511M battery

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265] Putin also called to stop the militarization of space and questioned the plans to deploy American missile defense in Europe as threatening strategic nuclear balance and spurring new arms race (that's when the countries dubbed as rogue states by the West are in fact lacking any rocket weapons capable to threaten Europe or the U.S. Dell Latitude E6120 battery

Dell Latitude E6230 battery and being unable to develop such weapons any time soon).[265] His speech was criticized by some attendant delegates at the conference, including former NATO secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who called it "disappointing and not helpful."[180] Dell Latitude E6210 battery
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On 4 July 2007 Putin made a full fluent English speech while addressing delegates at the 119th International Olympic Committee Session in Guatemala City on behalf of the successful bid of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympic Games in Russia.[171] Sony VGN-TT1RLN/B battery

 

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Outdoor speeches

 

 

Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev on 2 March 2008, the day of Russian presidential election. The soundtrack while they walk is Lubeh, Putin's favourite band.[266] Sony PCG-91112M battery

 

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Notable Putin's outdoor speeches include his addresses during the Victory Day Moscow Military Parades one every 9 May in the years between 2000 and 2007. Under Putin's presidency and premiership, the old Soviet tradition of 9 May Parades, Sony VGN-TT1RVN/X battery

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Sony VGN-TT46MG/W battery which had been in decline in 1990s, was gradually restored in full grandeur. Since the 2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade the armoured fighting vehicles resumed regular taking part in the Red Square parades. Sony VGN-TT11LN/B battery

 

Sony VGN-TT46GG/W battery Putin often used the Victory Day occasion to discuss Russia's military development and Russia's security and foreign affairs. For example, he said on 9 May 2007 that "threats are not becoming fewer but are only transforming and changing their appearance. Sony VGN-TT11M/N battery

 

Sony VGN-TT21WN/B batteryThese new threats, just as under the Third Reich, show the same contempt for human life and the same aspiration to establish an exclusive dictate over the world."[267] Sony PCG-91311M battery

 

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During his 2012 presidential campaign Putin made a single outdoor public speech at the 100,000-strong rally of his supporters in the Luzhniki Stadium on 23 February, Russia's Defender of the Fatherland Day.[103Sony VGN-TT11RM/N battery

 

Sony VGN-TT21VN/X battery] In the speech he called not to betray the Motherland, but to love her, to unite around Russia and to work together for the good, to overcome the existing problems.[268] He said that the foreign interference into Russian affairs should not be allowed, that Russia has its own free will.

 

Sony VGN-TT21JN/B batteryHe compared the political situation at the moment (when fears were spread in the Russian society that 2011–2012 Russian protests could instigate a color revolution directed from abroad) with the First Fatherland War of 1812, Sony PCG-71315M battery

 

Sony PCG-61611M batteryreminding that its 200th anniversary and the anniversary of the Battle of Borodino would be celebrated in 2012.Putin cited Lermontov's poem Borodino and ended the speech with Vyacheslav Molotov's famous Great Patriotic War slogan "The Victory Shall Be Ours!" ("Победа будет за нами!").[103][268] Sony VGN-TT11RM/R battery

 

On the post-election celebration rally, while making an acceptance speech, Putin was for the first time ever seen with tears in his eyes (later he explained that "it was windy"). He said to a 110,000-strong audience: "I told you we would win and we won!"[102][269] Sony VGN-TT11VN/X battery

 

Putinisms

 

 

Alluding to Rudyard Kipling's python Kaa, Putin addresses the Russian non-systemic opposition, who, according to him, work for foreign interests: Come to me, Bandar-logs![270] Sony VGN-TT11WN/B battery

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Putin has produced a large number of popular aphorisms and catch-phrases, known as putinisms.[271] Many of them were first made during his annual Q&A conferences, where Putin answered questions from journalists and other people in the studio, Sony PCG-71316M battery

 

Sony PCG-61511M battery as well as from Russians throughout the country, who either phoned in or spoke from studios and outdoor sites across Russia. Putin is known for his often tough and sharp language.[271] The examples of most popular putinisms include:[272] Dell Latitude E6120 Battery

Мочить в сортире – To bump off in a toilet. One of the earliest "putinisms", made in September 1999, when he promised to destroy terrorists wherever they were found, including in toilets.[272] In 2010, Putin also promised to pluck out the remaining terrorists from the bottom of a sewer (выковырять со дна канализации).[2Dell Latitude E6210 Battery

Она утонула – She sank. Putin's short answer to a question from Larry King in September 2000 asking what happened to the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk.[2 Dell Latitude E6220 Battery  73]

72] Many criticized Putin for the cynicism perceived in this answer. This curt reply also spawned a new kind of joke based on giving one short, self-evident answer (including a verb in past tense) to a "What has happened with..?" question.[citation needed] Sony PCG-71318M battery

 

Пахал, как раб на галерах – literally, Ploughed like a slave on a galley (the Russian verb пахать also has the general meaning of "to do hard work"). This is how Putin described his work as President of Russia from 2000 to 2008 during a Q&A conference in February 2008.[2Dell Latitude E6520 Battery  71] Not only did the phrase itself became popular, but a wrong reading of it—как раб ("like a slave") in Russian sounds almost identical to как краб ("like a crab")—led to the appearance of a popular Internet nickname for Putin, "Crabbe" (Russian: Крабе), while Dmitry Medvedev was (for some reason) similarly nicknamed Shmele (Russian: Шмеле, a non-existent vocative form of шмель, meaning "bumblebee").[27Dell Latitude E6520N Battery  4]

 

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Putin during one of his annual Q&A conferences, indicating with his pen.

От мертвого осла уши – Ears of a dead ass. According to Putin, that was what Latvia would receive instead of the western Pytalovsky District of Russia claimed by Latvia in a territorial dispute stemming from the Soviet border redrawing.[27Dell Inspiron 13R Battery] On 27 March 2007 Russia and Latvia signed the treaty on state border, in which Latvia renounced its territorial claims.[275] Dell Inspiron 13z Battery1

Шакалить у иностранных посольств – Jackaling at foreign embassies. Putin's view of the Russian "non-systemic opposition": characterising them as having minimal support among the population, he says that they turn to asking for money and support from foreign governments.[276] Dell Inspiron 1410 Battery

 

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Как минимум государственный деятель должен иметь голову. – At the very least, a state leader should have a head. Putin's response to Hillary Clinton's claim that Putin has no soul. He also recommended that international relations be built without emotion and instead on the basis of the fundamental interests of the states involved.[272] Dell Inspiron 1420 BatteryРучку верните – Return my pen. A phrase said by Putin to the industrial oligarch Oleg Deripaska, after Deripaska was forced by Putin to sign, using Putin's pen, an agreement aimed at resolving a socio-economic crisis in the monograd of Pikalyovo on 4 June 2009, Dell inspiron 1425 Battery

 which had escalated after the different owners of the aluminum oxide plant and connected enterprises in the town did not pay their workers' salaries and were unable to negotiate the terms on which the local industrial complex would work. Putin came to the scene personally to conduct the negotiations.[277] Dell inspiron 1427 Battery

Shearing a pig- On 25 June 2013,  Vladimir Putin revealed the surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden is indeed in a Moscow airport, ending a global guessing game over the US fugitive's whereabouts. Dell Inspiron 1440 Battery Putin lashed out at US accusations that the Russia was harbouring a fugitive, saying "I'd rather not deal with such questions, because anyway it's like shearing a pig – lots of screams but little wool". [278] Sony PCG-6Z2M battery,

 

Public image

 

Ratings and polls

 

 

Putin's approval (blue) and disapproval (red) ratings during his eight-year presidency.

According to public opinion surveys conducted by NGO Levada Center, Putin's approval rating was 81% in June 2007, and the highest of any leader in the world.[279] His popularity rose from 31% in August 1999 to 80% in November 1999, Dell Inspiron 1470 BatteryDell Inspiron 1470n Batterynever dropping below 65% during his first Presidency.[280] In January 2013, his approval rating fell to 62%, the lowest point since 2000 and a ten-point drop over two years.[281] Observers see Putin's high approval ratings as a consequence of the significant improvements in living standards and Russia's reassertion of itself on the world scene that occurred during his tenure as President.[2Dell Inspiron 14R Battery82][283][dead link] One analysis attributed Putin's popularity, in part, to state-owned or state-controlled television.[284]

A joint poll by World Public Opinion in the US and Levada Center [285Sony PCG-6X4M battery,

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Sony PCG-4Q1M battery] in Russia around June–July 2006 stated that "neither the Russian nor the American publics are convinced Russia is headed in an anti-democratic direction" and "Russians generally support Putin's concentration of political power and strongly support the re-nationalization of Russia's oil and gas industry. Dell Inspiron 14z Battery" Russians generally support the political course of Putin and his team.[286] A 2005 survey showed that three times as many Russians felt the country was "more democratic" Dell Inspiron 1501 Batteryunder Putin than it was during the Yeltsin or Gorbachev years, and the same proportion thought human rights were better under Putin than Yeltsin.[284]

Assessments

Putin was Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2007.[287] In April 2008, Putin was put on the Time 100 most influential people in the world list.[288] Sony PCG-4Q2M battery

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Vodka Putinka. Some vodkas in Russia are named after politicians.

On 4 December 2007, at Harvard University, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev credited Putin with having "pulled Russia out of chaos" and said he was "assured a place in history", despite Gorbachev's claim that the news media have been suppressed and that election rules run counter to the democratic ideals he has promoted".Dell Inspiron 1520 Battery [289] In December 2011, amid the protests following the 2011 Russian elections Gorbachev criticized Putin for a decision to seek the third term in the presidential elections and advised Putin to leave politics. Putin's press spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on Gorbachev's expressions as following: Dell Inspiron 1521 BatteryDell Inspiron 17R Battery "A former leader, who was basically responsible for the dissolution of his country, gives advice to the person, who could prevented Russia from a similar destiny".[290]

Criticism of Putin has been spread especially over the Runet.[291] It is said that the Russian youth organisations finance a full "network" of pro-government bloggers.[292] Dell Inspiron 1525 Battery

In the U.S. embassy cables, published by WikiLeaks in late 2010, Putin was called "alpha dog" and compared with Batman (while Dmitry Medvedev was compared with Batman's crime-fighting partner Robin). Dell Inspiron 1526 BatteryAmerican diplomats said Putin's Russia had become "a corrupt, autocratic kleptocracy centred on the leadership of Vladimir Putin, in which officials, oligarchs and organised crime are bound together to create a "virtual mafia state."[293][294] Putin called it "slanderous".[295] Dell Inspiron 1570 BatteryBy western commentators and the Russian opposition, Putin has been described as a dictator.[8][296] Putin biographer Masha Gessen has stated that "Putin is a dictator," comparing him to Alexander Lukashenko.[9][297] Former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has described Putin as a "ruthless dictator" whose "days are numbered."[10] U.S. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney called Putin "a real threat to the stability and peace of the world."[298] Dell Inspiron 1570n Battery

 

In the fall of 2011, the anti-Putin opposition movement in Russia became more visible, with street protests against allegedly falsified parliamentary elections (in favor of Putin's party, United Russia) cropping up across major Russian cities. Following Putin's re-election in March 2012, the movement struggled to redefine its new course of action.[299]

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Putin's name and image are widely used in advertisement and product branding.[300] Among the Putin-branded products are Putinka vodka, the PuTin brand of canned food, the Gorbusha Putina caviar and a collection of T-shirts with his image.[301Dell Inspiron 15z BatteryImage

Putin tries to create an outdoor, sporty, tough guy image in the media, demonstrating his physical capabilities and taking part in unusual or dangerous acts, such as extreme sports and interaction with wild animals.[302] For example, in 2007, the tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda published a huge photograph of a bare-chested Putin vacationing in the Siberian mountains under the headline: "Be Like Putin."[303] Dell Inspiron 1720 Battery

 Such photo ops are part of a public relations approach that, according to Wired, "deliberately cultivates the macho, take-charge superhero image".[3Dell Inspiron 1721 Battery

00] Some of the activities have been criticised for involving deception or being completely staged. Notable examples of Putin's macho adventures include:[304] Dell Inspiron 1750 Battery]

 

 

 

Vladimir Putin in Tuva, fishing in 2007. Putin often supports a tough guy image in the media.

Flying military jets. Putin flew a Sukhoi Su-27 fighter over Chechnya in 2000 and a Tu-160 supersonic heavy bomber on 16 August 2005 at MAKS Airshow.[304] Dell Latitude E6230 Battery  Dell Inspiron N7110 Battery

Martial arts. Putin demonstrated his martial art skills on a tatami at the Kodokan Institute in Tokyo on 5 September 2000 and has subsequently made further demonstrations.[304]

Adventures in the wild. On his trip to Tuva in August 2007, Putin was riding horses, rafting, fishing and swimming in a cold Siberian river (doing all that mostly bare-chested).[303] In August 2009 Putin repeated the experience.[305] Dell Latitude E6320 Battery  Descending in a deepwater submersible. On 1 August 2009 Putin descended 1395 m to the bottom of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake, on a MIR submersible accompanied by deepwater explorer Anatoly Sagalevich (who had been among the team which had reached the bottom at the North Pole in the Arktika 2007 expedition). From the bottom of Baikal Putin spoke to journalists via hydrophone.[306] Dell Latitude E6420 Battery  Dell Inspiron N7010D BatteryDell Inspiron N7010R Battery

 

Tranquilizing tigers. In 2008 Putin visited the Ussuri national park, where he sedated an Amur tiger with a tranquiliser gun and then helped measure its teeth and fit it with a tracker.[303] Claims were made later that the tiger was actually from the Khabarovsk Zoo and that it died soon after the stunt, but the suspected tiger named by the Khabarovsk Zoo workers[307] was found in late 2009 in Zelenogorsk,[308] while the claims of a stunt were denied by the scientists who organized the "safari".[309] Dell Latitude E6420 ATG Battery

Tranquilizing polar bears. In April 2010 Putin traveled to Franz Josef Land in the Russian Arctic, where he tranquilized a polar bear and attached a satellite tag to him.[310]

Riding a motorbike. In July 2010 Putin appeared at a Bikers festival in Sevastopol riding a Harley-Davidson tricycle; the high council of Russian bikers movements unanimously voted him into a Hells Angel rank with the nickname of Abaddon.[3Dell Latitude E6420M Battery  04][311] Putin's associations with motorcycle gangs led to him being accidentally placed on a blacklist of banned people in Finland.[312]

Firefighting from the air. In August 2010, Russian TV broadcasted video of Putin co-piloting a firefighting plane Beriev Be-200 to dump water on a raging fire during the 2010 Russian wildfires.[300][304] Dell Latitude E6420 XFR Battery

 

 

Putin driving a Formula 1 car, 2010 (see the video).

Shooting darts at whales. In late August 2010 Putin shot darts from a crossbow at a gray whale off Kamchatka Peninsula coast as part of an eco-tracking effort, while balancing on a rubber boat in the sea.[304][313] Dell Inspiron M301ZD BatteryDell Inspiron N5110 BatteryDell Inspiron N7010 Battery

Driving a race car. Putin tested a Formula 1 car on 7 November 2010 in Saint Petersburg, reaching a maximum speed of 240 km per hour.[304][314]

Scuba diving. Putin took part in scuba diving at the archaeological site of the ancient Greek colony of Phanagoria in the Taman Bay on 11 August 2011.[31Dell Inspiron M301ZR Battery5] During the dive he "discovered" two amphorae and emerged from the sea exclaiming to television cameras "Treasure!" In October 2011, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told media: "Putin did not find the amphorae on the sea bed that had been lying there for thousands of years [Dell Inspiron M4110 BatteryDell Inspiron N5010R Battery...] They were found during an [archaeological] expedition several weeks or days beforehand. Of course they were then left there [for him to find] or placed there. It is a completely normal thing to do."[316] Dell Inspiron M501 BatteryDell Inspiron N5010D Battery

Leading endangered cranes. Putin attempted to help endangered Siberian cranes begin their migration routes by leading them through the air in a motorized hang glider. Initially, the birds did not follow him. Putin blamed this outcome on strong winds.[317]

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Catching big fish. In July 2013 Putin was pictured in Tuva, Siberia, holding up a large pike that he 'caught' and which the Kremlin claimed weighed 21kg, a very large amount for that species. Many media outlets and internet users questioned whether the fish could have weighed that much.[318] Dell Inspiron M5010D BatteryDell Inspiron N4050 BatteryDell Inspiron N4110 BatteryDell Inspiron N5010 Battery Some bloggers also pointed out that Putin's fishing trip wasn't on the official schedule and that he was photographed wearing clothing identical to that worn during a previous trip to the region.[319]

Singing and painting

 

 

Putin playing and then singing Blueberry Hill at a charity concert. Dell Inspiron M5010R Battery

On 11 December 2010, at a concert organized for a children's charity in Saint Petersburg, Putin sang Blueberry Hill accompanying himself on the piano. The concert was attended by various Hollywood and European stars such as Kevin Costner, Dell Inspiron M501D BatterySharon Stone, Alain Delon, and Gerard Depardieu.[320][321] At the same event Putin played "С чего начинается Родина?" (From What the Motherland Begins?, a patriotic song from Putin's favourite spy movie "Щит и меч", The Shield and the Sword).[3Dell Inspiron M5110 Battery21] Putin also played or sang that song on a number of other occasions,[322] such as a meeting with the Russian spies deported from the U.S., including Anna Chapman.[323Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Battery] Another melody which Putin is known to play on the piano is the Anthem of Saint Petersburg, his native city.[324]

Putin's painting "Узор на заиндевевшем окне" (A Pattern on a Hoarfrost-Encrusted Window), which he had painted during the Christmas Fair on 26 December 2008, became the top lot at the charity auction in Saint Petersburg and sold for 37 million rubles.[325Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Battery] The picture was made for a series of other paintings by famous Russians. The painters were required to illustrate one of the letters of the Russian alphabet with a subject connected to Nikolay Gogol's novel Christmas Eve Dell Inspiron Mini 10 BatteryDell Inspiron N4010R Battery (the 200th anniversary from Gogol's birth was celebrated in 2008). Putin's picture depicted a hoarfrost pattern (Russian: Узор, illustrating the Cyrillic letter У) on a window with curtains sewn with traditional Ukrainian ornaments.[325Dell Inspiron Mini 1011 Battery] The creation of the painting coincided with the 2009 Russia-Ukraine gas dispute, which left a number of European states without Russian gas and amid January frosts.[237] Dell Inspiron Mini 1012 BatteryDell Inspiron N4010 BatteryDell Inspiron N4010D Battery

In popular culture

 

 

A scene from the Superputin comics

A Russian movie called A Kiss not for Press was premiered in 2008 on DVD. The movie is said to be based on biography of Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila.[326] Dobby, a house elf from Harry Potter film series, has been found to look like Putin,[327] and so was also Daniel Craig in his role of James Bond (he was the first blond actor to play James Bond).[328] Dell Inspiron mini 1018 Battery

There are a large number of songs about Putin.[329] Some of the more popular include:

Такого, как Путин – "[I Want] A Man Like Putin" by Singing Together[330]

Гороскоп (Путин, не ссы!) – "Horoscope (Putin, Don't Piss!)" by Uma2rman[331]

ВВП – "VVP" by a Tajik singer Tolibjon Kurbankhanov (Толибджон Курбанханов)[332][333]

Our Madhouse is Voting for Putin by Working Faculty. Dell Inspiron Mini 10v BatteryDell Inspiron N3110 Battery

Putin also is a subject of Russian jokes and chastushki, such as the popular "[Before Putin] There Was No Orgasm" featured in the comedy film The Day of Elections.[334] There is a meta-joke, that since the coming of Putin to power, all the classic jokes about a smart yet rude boy called Вовочка (Vovochka, diminutive from Vladimir) have suddenly become political jokes. Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Battery

Putin features in the colouring book for children Vova and Dima (presented on his 59th birthday),[335] where he and Dmitry Medvedev are drawn as good-behaving little boys, and in the Superputin online comics series, where Putin and Medvedev are portrayed first as superheroes,[300] and then as a troll and an orc in the World of Warcraft.[336] Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Battery

Vladimir Putin was portrayed by internet personality Nice Peter in his Youtube series Epic Rap Battles of History, in Season 2's finale episode, "Rasputin vs. Stalin" (aired on April 22, 2013).[337]

Personal life Dell Inspiron Mini 9N Battery

Family

See also: Lyudmila Putina

 

 

Lyudmila Putina in 2007

On 28 July 1983 Putin married Kaliningrad-born Lyudmila Shkrebneva, at that time an undergraduate student of the Spanish branch of the Philology Department of the Leningrad State University and a former Aeroflot flight attendant. Dell Inspiron N301 Battery

 They lived together in Germany from 1985 to 1990. During this time, according to BND archives, a German spy befriended Putina, who said that Putin beat her and had love affairs.[338] When the couple left Germany in 1990 it was rumoured that Putin left behind an illegitimate child.[338] Putina is now rarely seen with Putin[339][340Dell Latitude E6330 Battery

] and there have been rumours, according to the Daily Mail and other newspapers, that the couple have separated.[339][340][341] Putin has been linked by newspapers with other women, including gymnast Alina Kabayeva[339Dell Latitude E6430 Battery

][340] and ex-spy Anna Chapman.[341][342] These rumours have been denied.[343][344] Vladimir Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, announced on June 6, 2013 that their marriage is over, ending years of speculation about their relationship. Dell Latitude E6430s Battery  Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no official divorce had been drawn up yet, and he did not know when it would be, but he attached little importance to the formality.[345] Dell Latitude E5220 Battery

Putin and his wife have two daughters, Mariya Putina (born 28 April 1985 in Leningrad, Soviet Union) and Yekaterina Putina (born 31 August 1986 in Dresden, East Germany). The daughters grew up in East Germany[346] and attended the German School in Moscow until his appointment as Prime Minister. Dell Latitude E5420 Battery  After that they studied international economics at the Finance Academy in Moscow, although it was not officially reported due to security reasons.[citation needed] According to the Daily Mail, Dell Latitude E5520 Batterytheir photographs have never been published by the Russian media, and no family portrait has ever been issued.[341] According to an article in the newspaper De Pers Mariya is married to the Dutchman Jorrit Faassen.[347][348] Today they live in Voorschoten, Netherlands.[349] Dell Inspiron N3010 Battery

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Personal wealth and residences

Figures released during the legislative election of 2007 put Putin's wealth at approximately 3.7 million rubles ($150,000) in bank accounts, a private 77.4-square-meter (833 sq ft) apartment in Saint Petersburg, 260 shares of Bank Saint Petersburg (with a December 2007 market price $5.36 per share[3Dell Inspiron N3010D Battery50]) and two 1960s-era Volga M21 cars that he inherited from his father and does not register for on-road use. In 2012 Putin reported an income of 3.6 million rubles ($113,000). This has led opponents, such as politician Boris Nemtsov, to question how Putin can afford certain possessions, such as his 11 luxury watches worth an estimated $700,000.[351] Dell Inspiron N3010R Battery

 

An Italianate palace on Russia's southern Black Sea coast allegedly built for Vladimir Putin's personal use.[352]

Putin's purported 2006 income totalled 2 million rubles (approximately $80,000).[353] According to the data Putin did not make it into the 100 wealthiest Duma candidates of his own United Russia party.[354] Dell Inspiron N301Z Battery

Unconfirmed claims by some Russian opposition politicians and journalists allege that Putin secretly possesses a large fortune (as much as $40 billion) via successive ownership of stakes in a number of Russian companies.[355][3Dell Inspiron N301ZD Battery

 

56] Asked at a press conference on 14 February 2008 whether he was the richest person in Europe, as some newspapers claimed; and if so, to state the source of his wealth, Putin said "This is plain chatter, not worthy discussion, plain bosh. They have picked this in their noses and have smeared this across their pieces of paper. This is how I view this."[357] Dell Studio 1436 Battery

As President and then Prime-Minister, apart from the Moscow Kremlin and the White House, Putin has used numerous official residences throughout the country. In August 2012 Nemtsov listed 20 villas and palaces, 9 of which were built during Putin's 12 years in power. This compares to the President of the United States' 2 official residences.[3Dell Studio 1440 BatteryDell Studio 17 Battery58] Some of the residences include: Gorki-9 near Moscow, Bocharov Ruchey in Sochi, Dolgiye Borody in Novgorod Oblast, Novo-Ogaryovo in Moscow Oblast and Riviera in Sochi (the latter two were left for Putin when he was Prime-Minister in 2008-2012, others were used by Dmitry Medvedev at that period).[359] Dell Studio 1440n Battery Furthermore, a massive Italianate-style mansion costing an alleged USD 1 billion[352] and dubbed "Putin's Palace" is under construction near the Black Sea village of Praskoveevka. The mansion, built on government land and sporting 3 helipads, Dell Studio 1440z Battery a private road paid for from state funds and guarded by officials wearing uniforms of the official Kremlin guard service, is said to have been built for Putin's private use. In 2012 Sergei Kolesnikov, a former business associate of Putin's, told the BBC's Newsnight programme, that he had been ordered by deputy prime minister, Igor Sechin, to oversee the building of it.[360] Dell Studio 1450 Battery

Languages

Apart from Russian, Putin speaks fluent German. His family used to speak German at home as well.[361] After becoming President he was reported to be taking English lessons and could be seen conversing directly with Bush and native speakers of English in informal situations, but he continues to use interpreters for formal talks. Dell Studio 1450n Battery Putin spoke English in public for the first time during the state dinner in Buckingham Palace in 2003 saying but a few phrases while delivering his condolences to Queen Elizabeth II on the death of her mother.[362] He made a full fluent English speech while addressing delegates at the 119th International Olympic Committee Session in Guatemala City on behalf of the successful bid of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics.[171] Dell Studio 1457 BatteryReligion

 

 

Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, attending a commemoration service for the victims of the September 11 attacks in St. Nicholas Cathedral, New York, 16 November 2001.

Putin's father was "a model communist, genuinely believing in its ideals while trying to put them into practice in his own life". Dell Studio 1458 Battery

With this dedication he became secretary of the Party cell in his workshop and then after taking night classes joined the factory's Party bureau.[363] Though his father was a "militant atheist",[364] Putin's mother "was a devoted Orthodox believer".Dell Studio 14z BatteryDell Studio 1558R Battery Though she kept no icons at home, she attended church regularly, despite the government's persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church at that time. She ensured that Putin was secretly christened as a baby and she regularly took him to services. His father knew of this but turned a blind eye.[363] Dell Studio 14zn BatteryDell Studio 15 BatteryDell Studio 1557 Battery

According to Putin's own statements, his religious awakening followed the serious car crash of his wife in 1993, and was deepened by a life-threatening fire that burned down their dacha in August 1996.[364] Right before an official visit to Israel his mother gave him his baptismal cross telling him to get it blessed "I did as she said and then put the cross around my neck. I have never taken it off since."[363Dell Studio 1535 Battery] When asked whether he believes in God during his interview with Time, he responded saying: "...There are things I believe, which should not in my position, at least, be shared with the public at large for everybody's consumption because that would look like self-advertising or a political striptease."[365] Dell Studio 1536 BatteryMartial arts

Vladimir Putin

 

Putin on a tatami at the Kodokan Institute in Tokyo on 5 September 2000.

Teacher(s)        Anatoly Rahlin, Hatsuo Royama

Rank         Sambo:

Master of Sports,

     Champion of Leningrad

Judo:

         6th degree black belt,

     Champion of Leningrad

Kyokushin kaikan:

         6th dan black belt

Years active     1966–present

Occupation       President of Russia

One of Putin's favorite sports is the martial art of judo. Putin began training in sambo (a martial art that originated in the Soviet Union) at the age of 14, before switching to judo, which he continues to practice today.[366] Putin won competitions in his hometown of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), including the senior championships of Leningrad in both sambo and judo. He is the President of the Yawara Dojo, Dell Studio 1537 Battery

 the same Saint Petersburg dojo he practiced at when young. Putin co-authored a book on his favorite sport, published in Russian as Judo with Vladimir Putin and in English under the title Judo: History, Theory, Practice (2004).[367] Dell Studio 1555 Battery

 

Though he is not the first world leader to practice judo, Putin is the first leader to move forward into the advanced levels. Currently, Putin holds a 6th dan (red/white belt)[36Dell XPS M1530 Battery8] and is best known for his Harai Goshi (sweeping hip throw). Putin earned Master of Sports (Soviet and Russian sport title) in judo in 1975 and in sambo in 1973. At a state visit to Japan, Putin was invited to the Kodokan Institute, the judo headquarters, where he showed different judo techniques to the students and Japanese officials. Dell XPS M1730 BatteryDell XPS M2010 Battery

Putin also holds a 6th dan black belt in Kyokushin kaikan karate. He was presented the black belt in December 2009 by Japanese champion Kyokushin Karate-Do master Hatsuo Royama.[369]

In 2013, Putin re-introduced the GTO physical fitness program to Russia[370] with the support of

Read more

 

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Пу́тин, IPA: [vɫɐˈdʲimʲɪr vɫɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪt͡ɕ ˈputʲɪn] ( listen); born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician who has been the President of Russia since 7 May 2012. Putin previously served as President from 2000 to 2008, Sony VPCCA3 battery

Sony SVE1511S1EW batteryand as Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012. Putin was also previously the Chairman of the United Russia political party.

For sixteen years Putin was an officer in the KGB, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, before he retired to enter politics in his native Saint Petersburg in 1991. Sony VPCCB2 battery

Sony SVE1511G1EB batteryHe moved to Moscow in 1996 and joined President Boris Yeltsin's administration where he rose quickly, becoming Acting President on 31 December 1999 when Yeltsin resigned unexpectedly. Sony VPCCB2M0E battery
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Sony SVE1511G1ESI batteryPutin won the subsequent 2000 presidential election and was re-elected in 2004. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits, Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term in 2008. Sony VPCCB2S1E battery

Sony SVE1711X1EB batteryDmitry Medvedev won the 2008 presidential election and appointed Putin as Prime Minister, beginning a period of so-called "tandemocracy".[1] In September 2011, following a change in the law, Putin announced that he would seek a third, non-consecutive term as President in the 2012 presidential election, Sony VPCCB3 battery

Sony SVE1711V1EB batteryan announcement which led to large-scale protests in many Russian cities. He won the election in March 2012 and is serving an increased, six-year term.[2][3]

Many of Putin's actions are regarded by the domestic opposition and foreign observers as undemocratic.[4] VPCCB3P1E battery

Sony SVE1711K1EW battery The 2011 Democracy Index stated that Russia has been in "a long process of regression culminated in a move from a hybrid to an authoritarian regime" under Putin,[5] and American diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks allege that Russia has become a "virtual mafia state."[6][7] Some critics describe him as a dictator,[8][9][10] allegations which Putin adamantly denies.
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20][21]

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Putin was born on 7 October 1952, in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (modern day Saint Petersburg, Russia),[25] to parents Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin (1911–1999) and Maria Ivanovna Putina (née Shelomova; 1911–1998). His mother was a factory worker, and his father was a conscript in the Soviet Navy, where he served in the submarine fleet in the early 1930s, and later served in the NKVD during World War II.[26][27Sony PCG-41313M battery

 

Sony VGP-BPL20 battery][28][29] Two elder brothers were born in the mid-1930s; one died within a few months of birth, while the second succumbed to diphtheria during the siege of Leningrad in World War II.

 

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Putin with his mother, Maria Ivanovna, in July 1958

Vladimir Putin's paternal grandfather, Spiridon Ivanovich Putin (1879–1965), was employed at Vladimir Lenin's dacha at Gorki as a cook, and after Lenin's death in 1924, he continued to work for Lenin's wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya. Sony PCG-41314M battery

 

Sony VPCZ21Q9E batteryHe would later cook for Joseph Stalin when the Soviet leader visited one of his dachas in the Moscow region. Spiridon later was employed at a dacha belonging to the Moscow City Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, at which the young Putin would visit him.[30] Sony PCG-41315M battery

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The ancestry of Vladimir Putin has been described as a mystery with no records surviving of any ancestors of any people with the surname "Putin" beyond his grandfather Spiridon Ivanovich.

His autobiography, Ot Pervogo Litsa (English: In the First Person),[26] Sony PCG-4R2M battery

 

Sony VPCZ13Z9E/X batterywhich is based on Putin's interviews, speaks of humble beginnings, including early years in a communal apartment in Leningrad. On 1 September 1960, he started at School No. 193 at Baskov Lane, Sony PCG-4U2M battery

 

Sony VPCZ13V9E battery just across from his house. By fifth grade he was one of a few in a class of more than 45 pupils who was not yet a member of the Pioneers, largely because of his rowdy behavior. In sixth grade he started taking sport seriously in the form of sambo and then judo. Sony PCG-6Z4M battery

 

Sony VPCZ13M9E/B battery In his youth, Putin was eager to emulate the intelligence officer characters played on the Soviet screen by actors such as Vyacheslav Tikhonov and Georgiy Zhzhonov.[31]

Putin graduated from the International Law branch of the Law Department of the Leningrad State University in 1975, writing his final thesis on international law.[ Sony PCG-6112M battery

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32] His PhD thesis was titled "The Strategic Planning of Regional Resources Under the Formation of Market Relations" and it argued that Russian economic success would depend on creating national energy champions.[33Sony PCG-6122M battery

 

Sony VPCZ13 battery] While at university he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and remained a member until the party was dissolved in December 1991.[34] Also at the University he met Anatoly Sobchak who later played an important role in Putin's career. Sony PCG-6123M battery

Sony PCG-6124M battery Anatoly Sobchak was at the time an Assistant Professor and lectured Putin's class on Business Law (khozyaystvennoye pravo).[35]

KGB career

 

 

 

Putin in KGB uniform

Putin joined the KGB in 1975 upon graduation, and underwent a year's training at the 401st KGB school in Okhta[disambiguation needed], Leningrad. He then went on to work briefly in the Second Chief Directorate (counter-intelligence) Sony VPCZ11 battery

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before he was transferred to the First Chief Directorate, where among his duties was the monitoring of foreigners and consular officials in Leningrad.[36][37]

From 1985 to 1990, the KGB stationed Putin in Dresden, East Germany.[38] Following the collapse of the East German government, Putin was recalled to the Soviet Union and returned to Leningrad, where in June 1991 he assumed a position with the International Affairs section of Leningrad State University, reporting to Vice-Rector Yuriy Molchanov.[ Sony VPCZ11X9E/B battery

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37] In his new position, Putin maintained surveillance on the student body and kept an eye out for recruits. It was during his stint at the university that Putin grew reacquainted with his former professor Anatoly Sobchak, then mayor of Leningrad.[39] Sony VPCZ11Z9E/B battery

 

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Putin finally resigned from the active state security services with the rank of Lieutenant colonel on 20 August 1991 (with some attempts to resign made earlier),[39] on the second day of the KGB-supported abortive putsch against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.[40] Putin later explained his decision: "As soon as the coup began, Sony VPCZ12C7E/B battery

 

Sony VPCZ12Z9E/B batteryI immediately decided which side I was on", though he also noted that the choice was hard because he had spent the best part of his life with "the organs".[41]

Early political career

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Saint Petersburg administration

In May 1990, Putin was appointed Mayor Sobchak's advisor on international affairs. On 28 June 1991, he was appointed head of the Committee for External Relations of the Saint Petersburg Mayor's Office, Sony VPCZ12M9E/B battery

 

Sony VPCZ12X9E/B battery with responsibility for promoting international relations and foreign investments. The Committee also registered business ventures in Saint Petersburg. Less than one year later, Putin was investigated by a commission of the city legislative council. Commission deputies Marina Salye and Yury Gladkov concluded that Putin understated prices and permitted the export of metals valued at $93 million, in exchange for foreign food aid that never arrived.[42][ Sony VPCZ12V9E battery

Sony VPCZ12V9E/B battery43] Despite the commission's recommendation that Putin be fired, Putin remained head of the Committee for External Relations until 1996.[44][45] Sony VGN-TT battery

 

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From 1994 to 1997, Putin was appointed to other positions in Saint Petersburg. In March 1994, he became first deputy head of the city administration. From 1995 through June 1997, he led the Saint Petersburg branch of the pro-government Our Home Is Russia political party.[46

 

Sony VGN-Z51XG/B battery] From 1995 through June 1997 he was also the head of the Advisory Board of the JSC Newspaper Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti.[46]

Moscow career

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Putin as FSB director, 1998

In 1996, Anatoly Sobchak lost the Saint Petersburg mayoral election to Vladimir Yakovlev. Putin was called to Moscow and in June 1996 became a Deputy Chief of the Presidential Property Management Department headed by Pavel Borodin. Sony VGP-BPL14/B battery

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Sony VGN-Z51MG/B batteryHe occupied this position until March 1997. During his tenure Putin was responsible for the foreign property of the state and organized transfer of the former assets of the Soviet Union and Communist Party to the Russian Federation.[35] Sony VGP-BPS14 battery

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On 26 March 1997, President Boris Yeltsin appointed Putin deputy chief of Presidential Staff, which he remained until May 1998, and chief of the Main Control Directorate of the Presidential Property Management Department (until June 1998). His predecessor on this position was Alexei Kudrin and the successor was Nikolai Patrushev, both future prominent politicians and Putin's associates.[35]

On 27 June 1997, at the Saint Petersburg Mining Institute, guided by rector Vladimir Litvinenko, Putin defended his Candidate of Science dissertation in economics, titled "The Strategic Planning of Regional Resources Under the Formation of Market Relations".[47] When Putin later became president, the dissertation became a target of plagiarism accusations by fellows at the Brookings Institution; though the allegedly plagiarised study was referenced to[48][49] the authors of the allegation felt sure it constituted plagiarism, though they were unsure as to whether it was "intentional";[48][50] the dissertation committee denied the accusations.[49] In his dissertation,[citation needed] and in a later article published in 1999, Putin advocated the idea of so-called National champions, a concept that would later become central to his political thinking.

On 25 May 1998, Putin was appointed First Deputy Chief of Presidential Staff for regions, replacing Viktoriya Mitina; and, on 15 July, the Head of the Commission for the preparation of agreements on the delimitation of power of regions and the federal center attached to the President, replacing Sergey Shakhray. Sony VGP-BPS14/S battery

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Sony VGN-Z51XTG/B batteryAfter Putin's appointment, the commission completed no such agreements, although during Shakhray's term as the Head of the Commission there were 46 agreements signed.[51Sony VGN-Z11WN/B battery

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Sony VGN-Z31XN/B battery] Later, after becoming President Putin canceled all those agreements.[35]

On 25 July 1998, Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin head of the FSB (one of the successor agencies to the KGB), the position Putin occupied until August 1999. Sony VGN-Z21MN/B battery

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Sony VGP-BPS12/Q batteryHe became a permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on 1 October 1998 and its Secretary on 29 March 1999. Sony VGN-Z21 battery

 

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First Premiership (1999)

 

On 9 August 1999, Vladimir Putin was appointed one of three First Deputy Prime Ministers, which enabled him later on that day, as the previous government led by Sergei Stepashin had been sacked, to be appointed acting Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation by President Boris Yeltsin.[5Sony VGN-Z21XN battery

2] Yeltsin also announced that he wanted to see Putin as his successor. Later, that same day, Putin agreed to run for the presidency.[5Sony VGN-Z21ZN/X battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS12 battery3] On 16 August, the State Duma approved his appointment as Prime Minister with 233 votes in favour (vs. 84 against, 17 abstained),[54] while a simple majority of 226 was required, making him Russia's fifth PM in fewer than eighteen months. Sony VGN-Z31 battery

 

Sony VGP-BPL12 batteryOn his appointment, few expected Putin, virtually unknown to the general public, to last any longer than his predecessors. He was initially regarded as a Yeltsin loyalist; like other prime ministers of Boris Yeltsin, Putin did not choose ministers himself, his cabinet being determined by the presidential administration.[55] Sony VGN-Z31MN/B battery

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Yeltsin's main opponents and would-be successors, Moscow Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov and former Chairman of the Russian Government Yevgeniy Primakov, were already campaigning to replace the ailing president, and they fought hard to prevent Putin's emergence as a potential successor. Sony VGN-Z31WN/B battery

Putin's law-and-order image and his unrelenting approach to the renewed crisis in the North Caucasus, which started when the Islamic International Brigade based in Chechnya invaded a neighboring region starting the War in Dagestan, soon combined to raise Putin's popularity and allowed him to overtake all rivals. Sony VGN-Z31ZN/B battery

 

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While not formally associated with any party, Putin pledged his support to the newly formed Unity Party,[56] which won the second largest percentage of the popular vote (23.3%) in the December 1999 Duma elections, and in turn he was supported by it. Sony VGN-Z51 battery

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Acting Presidency

 

 

Putin landing in Grozny in a Su-27 fighter jet (20 March 2000)

On 31 December 1999, Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned and, according to the constitution, Putin became Acting President of the Russian Federation. On assuming this role, Putin went on a previously scheduled visit to Russian troops in Chechnya.[citation needed] Sony SVE1511A1EW battery
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The first Presidential Decree that Putin signed, on 31 December 1999, was titled "On guarantees for former president of the Russian Federation and members of his family".[57][58] This ensured that "corruption charges against the outgoing President and his relatives" Sony SVE1511K1E battery

Sony SVE1513Q1E batterywould not be pursued, although this claim is not strictly verifiable.[clarification needed][59] Later, on 12 February 2001, Putin signed a federal law on guarantees for former presidents and their families, which replaced the similar decree. Sony SVE1511L1E battery

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While his opponents had been preparing for an election in June 2000, Yeltsin's resignation resulted in the Presidential elections being held within three months, on 26 March 2000; Putin won in the first round with 53% of the vote.[60] Sony SVE1511M1E battery

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First Presidential term (2000–2004)

 

Vladimir Putin was inaugurated president on 7 May 2000. He appointed Minister of Finance Mikhail Kasyanov as his Prime minister. Having announced his intention to consolidate power in the country into a strict vertical, Sony SVE1511P1E battery

Sony SVE1513D1E battery in May 2000 he issued a decree dividing 89 federal subjects of Russia between 7 federal districts overseen by representatives of his in order to facilitate federal administration.

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Putin taking the presidential oath with Boris Yeltsin looking on (7 May 2000)

During his first term in office, he moved to curb the political ambitions of some of the Yeltsin-era oligarchs such as former Kremlin insider Boris Berezovsky, who had "helped Mr. Putin enter the family, and funded the party that formed Mr. Putin's parliamentary base", according to BBC profile.[61] Sony SVE1511V1E battery

Sony SVE1513C5E battery [62] At the same time, according to Vladimir Solovyev, it was Alexey Kudrin who was instrumental in Putin's assignment to the Presidential Administration of Russia to work with Pavel Borodin,[63] and according to Solovyev, Berezovsky was proposing Igor Ivanov rather than Putin as a new president.[64][65] Sony SVE1511W1E battery
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Between 2000 and 2004, and ending following the Yukos-affair, Putin apparently won a power-struggle with the oligarchs, reaching a 'grand-bargain' with them. This bargain allowed the oligarchs to maintain most of their powers, in exchange for their explicit support - and alignment with - his government.[66][67] Sony SVE1512C6E battery
 

A new group of business magnates, such as Gennady Timchenko, Vladimir Yakunin, Yuriy Kovalchuk, Sergey Chemezov, with close personal ties to Putin, also emerged.

Russia's legal reform continued productively during Putin's first term. In particular, Putin succeeded in the codification of land law and tax law, Sony SVE1512J1E battery
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Sony SVE1512M1E battery where progress had been slow during Yeltsin's administration, because of Communist and oligarch opposition, respectively. Other legal reforms included new codes on labour, administrative, criminal, commercial and civil procedural law, as well as a major statute on the Bar.[22] Sony SVE1711R1E battery

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The first major challenge to Putin's popularity came in August 2000, when he was criticised for his alleged mishandling of the Kursk submarine disaster.[68]

In December 2000, Putin sanctioned the law to change the National Anthem of Russia. At the time the Anthem had music by Glinka and no words. Sony SVE1711F1E battery
The change was to restore (with a minor modification) the music of the post-1944 Soviet anthem by Alexandrov, while the new text was composed by Sergey Mikhalkov, who previously had authored the lyrics of the two versions of the Soviet anthem.[69][70] Sony SVE1711X1E battery
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Putin with John Paul II in the Vatican City (5 June 2000)

Many in the Russian press and in the international media warned that the death of some 130 hostages in the special forces' rescue operation during the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis would severely damage President Putin's popularity. However, Sony SVE1712Z1E battery

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 shortly after the siege had ended, the Russian president was enjoying record public approval ratings – 83% of Russians declared themselves satisfied with Putin and his handling of the siege.[71] Sony SVE1713C5E battery

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A few months before the elections, Putin fired Kasyanov's cabinet and appointed Mikhail Fradkov to his place. Sergey Ivanov became the first civilian in Russia to take Defense Minister position.

In 2003, a referendum was held in Chechnya adopting a new constitution which declares the Republic as a part of Russia. Sony SVE1713S1E battery
Chechnya has been gradually stabilized with the establishment of the parliamentary elections and a regional government.[72][73] Throughout the war Russia has severely disabled the Chechen rebel movement, although sporadic violence continued to occur throughout the North Caucasus.[74] Sony SVE1511A1EB battery

Sony SVE1511W1ESI batterySecond Presidential term (2004–2008)

 

 

 

Putin speaking at the 2005 Victory Day Parade on Red Square. Saint Basil's Cathedral is on the background.

On 14 March 2004, Putin was elected to the presidency for a second term, receiving 71% of the vote.[60] Sony SVE14A1S1EB battery

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The Beslan school hostage crisis took place in September 2004, in which hundreds died. Among the administrative measures taken after that terrorist act, Putin launched an initiative to replace the direct election of the Governors and Presidents of the Federal subjects of Russia with a system whereby they would be nominated by the President and approved or disapproved by regional legislatures.[75][7Sony SVE14A1S1EP battery
6] In 2005 Putin created the Public Chamber of Russia.

In 2005, the National Priority Projects were launched to improve Russia's health care, education, housing and agriculture. Sony SVE1511Q1EB battery
Sony SVE1511R9ESI battery The most high-profile change within the national priority project frameworks was probably the 2006 across-the-board increase in wages in healthcare and education, as well as the decision to modernise equipment in both sectors in 2006 and 2007.[77] Sony SVE1511A1E battery

Sony SVS13A1S9E battery In his May 2006 annual speech, Putin announced increasing maternity benefits and state support of prenatal care for women. By 2012 the demographic programmes of the government led to a 45% increase in second child births by women, and a 60% increase in third, fourth etc. births.[78] Sony SVE1511R9E battery
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Putin with Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel in March 2008

The continued criminal prosecution of Russia's then richest man, President of YUKOS company Mikhail Khodorkovsky, for fraud and tax evasion was seen by the international press as a retaliation for Khodorkovsky's donations to both liberal and communist opponents of the Kremlin. Sony SVE1513A4E battery
 

 

The government said that Khodorkovsky was corrupting a large segment of the Duma to prevent tax code changes such as taxes on windfall profits and closing offshore tax evasion vehicles. Khodorkovsky was arrested, Sony SVE1513B1E battery

Sony VPCCA3E1E battery Yukos was bunkrupted and the company's assets were auctioned at below-market value, with the largest share acquired by the state company Rosneft.[79] The fate of Yukos was seen in the West as a sign of a broader shift of Russia towards a system of state capitalism.[80][81] Sony SVE1513B4E battery
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A study by Bank of Finland's Institute for Economies in Transition (BOFIT) in 2008 found that state intervention had made a positive impact on the corporate governance of many companies in Russia: the governance was better in companies with state control or with a stake held by the government.[82] Sony SVE1513V1E battery

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George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin take a sunset walk on a pier along the Black Sea, 5 April 2008

Putin was criticized in the West and also by Russian liberals for what many observers considered a wide-scale crackdown on media freedom in Russia. On 7 October 2006, Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist who exposed corruption in the Russian army and its conduct in Chechnya, was shot in the lobby of her apartment building. Sony SVE1713Z1E battery

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Sony VPCCB3 battery The death of Politkovskaya triggered an outcry in Western media, with accusations that, at best, Putin has failed to protect the country's new independent media.[83][84] When asked about the Politkovskaya murder in his interview with the German TV channel ARD, Putin said that her murder brings much more harm to the Russian authorities than her writing.[8Sony SVE17 battery

Sony VPCCB2M0E battery5] By 2012 the performers of the murder were arrested and named Boris Berezovsky and Akhmed Zakayev as a possible clients.[86] Sony VPCCA1C5E battery
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In 2007, "Dissenters' Marches" were organized by the opposition group The Other Russia,[87] led by former chess champion Garry Kasparov and national-Bolshevist leader Eduard Limonov. Following prior warnings, demonstrations in several Russian cities were met by police action, Sony VPCCA2 battery
which included interfering with the travel of the protesters and the arrests of as many as 150 people who attempted to break through police lines.[88] The Dissenters' Marches have received little support among the Russian general public, according to polls.[89] Sony VPCCA2S0E battery

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On 12 September 2007, Putin dissolved the government upon the request of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Fradkov commented that it was to give the President a "free hand" in the run-up to the parliamentary election. Viktor Zubkov was appointed the new prime minister.[90]

In December 2007, Sony VPCCA2Z0E battery
Sony VPCCA3 battery United Russia won 64.24% of the popular vote in their run for State Duma according to election preliminary results.[91] United Russia's victory in December 2007 elections was seen by many as an indication of strong popular support of the then Russian leadership and its policies.[92][93] Sony SVS13A1X9E battery
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On 8 February 2008, Putin delivered a speech before the expanded session of the State Council headlined "On the Strategy of Russia's Development until 2020".[94] In his last days in office Putin was reported to have taken a series of steps to re-align the regional bureaucracy to make the governors report to the prime minister rather than the president.[95Sony SVS1312P9E battery

Sony VPCSB1X9E battery][96] The presidential site explained that "the changes... bear a refining nature and do not affect the essential positions of the system. The key role in estimating the effectiveness of activity of regional authority still belongs to President of the Russian Federation."

Second Premiership (2008–2012) Sony SVS1312S9E battery
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Main article: Vladimir Putin's Second Cabinet

 

 

Vladimir Putin with Dmitry Medvedev

Putin was barred from a third term by the Constitution. First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was elected his successor. On 8 May 2008, only a day after handing the presidency to Medvedev, Putin was appointed Prime Minister of Russia, maintaining his political dominance.[97] Sony SVS1313S9E battery

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The 2008-2009 world crisis hit the Russian economy especially hard, interrupting the flow of cheap Western credit and investments. This coincided with tension in relationships with the EU and the U.S. following the 2008 South Ossetia war, in which Russia defeated the U.S. and NATO ally Georgia.
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However, the large financial reserves, accumulated in the Stabilization Fund of Russia in the previous period of high oil prices, alongside the strong management helped the country to cope with the crisis and resume economic growth since mid-2009. Sony SVS1511S9E battery
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Sony SVS13 batteryThe Russian government's anti-crisis measures have been praised by the World Bank, which said in its Russia Economic Report from November 2008: "prudent fiscal management and substantial financial reserves have protected Russia from deeper consequences of this external shock. The government's policy response so far—swift, comprehensive, and coordinated—has helped limit the impact."[ Sony VPCSB battery
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98] Putin himself named the overcoming of consequences of the world economic crisis one of the two main achievements of his 2nd Premiership[78] (the other named achievement being the stabilisation of the size of Russia's population between 2008-2011 following the long period of demographic collapse started in the 1990s).[78] Sony SVS13A1Y9E battery
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At the United Russia Congress in Moscow on 24 September 2011, Medvedev officially proposed that Putin stand for the Presidency in 2012; an offer which Putin accepted. Given United Russia's near-total dominance of Russian politics, Sony SVS1311F3E battery
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Sony SVS15 batterymany observers believed that Putin was all but assured of a third term. The move was expected to see Medvedev stand on the United Russia ticket in the parliamentary elections in December, with a goal of becoming Prime Minister at the end of his presidential term.[99Sony SVS1311K9E battery
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After the parliamentary elections on 4 December 2011, tens of thousands Russians engaged in protests against alleged electoral fraud, the largest protests in Putin's time; protesters criticized Putin and United Russia and demanded annulment of the election results.[100] However, those protests, organized by the leaders of the Russian "non-systemic opposition", sparked the fear of a colour revolution in society, and a number of "anti-Orange" counter-protests (the name alludes to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine) and rallies of Putin supporters were carried out, surpassing in scale the opposition protests.[101][102][103]

Third Presidential term (2012–present)

 

 

 

Putin taking the presidential oath at his 3rd inauguration ceremony (7 May 2012)

On 4 March 2012, Putin won the 2012 Russian presidential elections in the first round, with 63.6% of the vote.[60] Sony SVS1311N9E battery
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While extraordinary measures were taken to make the elections transparent, including the usage of webcams on the vast majority of polling stations, the vote was criticized by Russian opposition and some international bodies for perceived irregularities.[citation needed]. Several heads of states around the world congratulated Putin on winning elections. Sony SVS1311S9E battery

Sony vgp-bps24 batteryChinese Premier Hu Jintao congratulated Vladimir Putin on taking office as Russian president, and wished the Russian people greater achievements in developing their country under Putin's leadership.[1Sony SVS1313P9E battery
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Sony VPCSE2E1E battery04] The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh said "Your success in these elections is an affirmation by the Russian people of your vision of a strong, prosperous and democratic Russia," Sony SVS1511Q9E battery

Sony VPCSE2C5E batteryand added that he "deeply appreciated the personal commitment and attention that you have brought to nurturing the India-Russia strategic partnership over the last 12 years".[105] The President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari called the election results a "resounding victory".[1
Sony VPCSE1X9E battery06] Venezuela President Hugo Chavez personally congratulated Putin on his victory, calling Putin "a driving force behind strategic ties of cooperation between Venezuela and Russia."[107]
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Anti-Putin protests took place during and directly after the presidential campaign. The most notorious protest was the 21 February Pussy Riot performance, and subsequent trial.[108] As well, an estimated 8,000-20,000 protesters gathered in Moscow on 6 May.[109][110] On 6 May, eighty people were injured in confrontations with police,[111] Sony SVS1511S2C battery
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Sony SVS1511V9E battery 450 were arrested, with another 120 arrests taking place the following day.[112]

Putin was inaugurated in the Kremlin on 7 May 2012. On his first day as President, Putin issued 14 Presidential decrees, including a lengthy one stating wide-ranging goals for the Russian economy. Other decrees concerned education, housing, skilled-labor training, Sony SVE171A11M battery

Sony SVS1511W9EB battery relations with the European Union, the defense industry, inter-ethnic relations, and other policy areas dealt with in Putin's programme articles issued during the Presidential campaign.[113][114] Sony SVE151C11M battery

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In 2012 and 2013, Putin and the United Russia backed stricter legislation against the rights of the LGBT community in Russia, first in Saint Petersburg, Archangelsk and Novosibirsk, but a law against "homosexual propaganda"Sony SVE1711T1EB battery

Sony SVS1511V9EB battery (which prohibits such symbols as the rainbow flag as well as published works containing homosexual content) was adopted by State Duma in June 2013.[115][116][117][118][119]

In June 2013 Putin attended a televised rally of the All-Russia People's Front where he was elected head of the movement,[120Sony SVE1711K1EW battery

Sony SVS1511T9ES battery] which was set up in 2011.[121] According to journalist Steve Rosenberg, the movement is intended to "reconnect the Kremlin to the Russian people" and one day, if necessary, replace the increasingly unpopular United Russia party that currently backs Putin.[122] Sony SVE1711V1EB battery
 

Policies

 

Domestic policies

See also: Sovereign democracy and Putinism

Putin's domestic policies, especially early in his first presidency, were aimed at creating a strict "vertical of power". On 13 May 2000, Sony SVE1711X1EB battery
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he issued a decree dividing the 89 federal subjects of Russia between 7 federal districts overseen by representatives named by himself in order to facilitate federal administration. Putin also pursued a policy of enlargement of federal subjects: Sony SVE1511G1ESI battery
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Sony SVS1511N3ES batterytheir number was reduced from 89 in 2000 to the present 83 after the autonomous okrugs of Russia were merged with their parent subjects.

 

 

On 13 May 2000, Putin divided Russia into 7 federal districts. On 19 January 2010, the new 8th North Caucasian Federal District (shown here in purple) was split from Southern Federal District.

According to Stephen White, Russia under the presidency of Putin made it clear that it had no intention of establishing a "second edition" Sony SVE1511S1EW battery
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of the American or British political system, but rather a system that was closer to Russia's own traditions and circumstances.[123] Putin's administration has often been described as a "sovereign democracy".[124Sony SVE1511S1EB battery
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Sony SVS1511M3EW battery] First proposed by Vladislav Surkov in February 2006, the term quickly gained currency within Russia and arguably unified various political elites around it. According to its proponents, the government's actions and policies ought above all to enjoy popular support within Russia itself and not be determined from outside the country.[125][ Sony SVE1511H1EW battery
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Sony SVS1511L3ES battery126]

In July 2000, according to a law proposed by him and approved by the Federal Assembly of Russia, Putin gained the right to dismiss heads of the federal subjects. In 2004, the direct election of governors by popular vote was ended. This was seen by Putin as a necessary move to stop separatist tendencies and get rid of those governors who were connected with organised crime.[127Sony SVE1511J1EW battery

Sony SVS1311P9EB battery] The measure proved to be temporary: in 2012, as proposed by Putin's successor Dmitry Medvedev, the direct election of governors was re-introduced.[128] Along with the return of elected governors, Medvedev's reforms also simplified the registration of political parties and reduced the number of signatures required by non-parliamentary parties and independent candidates to participate in elections,[128Sony VPCCA4S1E battery

Sony SVS1311E3EW battery] thus reverting or further loosening the restrictions imposed by previous Putin-endorsed legislation. Notably, the tough electoral legislation has been among the government actions effected under Putin's presidency that have been criticised by many independent Russian media outlets and Western commentators as anti-democratic.[129
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During his first term in office, Putin moved to curb the political ambitions of some of the Yeltsin-era oligarchs, resulting in the exile or imprisonment of such people as Boris Berezovsky, Vladimir Gusinsky, Mikhail Khodorkovsky; other oligarchs soon joined Putin's camp.[citation needed]
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Putin presided over an intensified fight with organised crime and terrorism that resulted in two times lower murder rates by 2011,[131] as well as significant reduction in the numbers of terrorist acts by the late 2000s (decade).[132] Sony VPCCB3M1E battery
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Putin succeeded in codifying land law and tax law and promulgated new codes on labour, administrative, criminal, commercial and civil procedural law.[22] Under Medvedev's presidency, Putin's government implemented some key reforms in the area of state security, the Russian police reform and the Russian military reform. Sony VPCCA2S1E battery
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Economic policy

See also: Economy of Russia

 

 

Russian GDP since the end of the Soviet Union. The Russian term for GDP is ВВП (VVP) which coincides with the initials of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and is often used as a shortcut when writing or speaking about him. Sony SVS13AA11M battery
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Under the Putin administration the economy made real gains of an average 7% per year (2000: 10%, 2001: 5.1%, 2002: 4.7%, 2003: 7.3%, 2004: 7.2%, 2005: 6.4%, 2006: 8.2%, 2007: 8.5%),[133] making it the 7th largest economy in the world in purchasing power. Russia's nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Sony VPCSA3Q9E battery

Sony PCG-4121GM battery increased 6 fold, climbing from 22nd to 10th largest in the world. In 2007, Russia's GDP exceeded that of Russian SFSR in 1990, meaning it has overcome the devastating consequences of the 1998 financial crisis and preceding recession in the 1990s.[16] Sony VPCSB4S9E battery
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During Putin's eight years in office, industry grew by 76%, investments increased by 125%,[16] and agricultural production and construction increased as well. Real incomes more than doubled and the average monthly salary increased sevenfold from $80 to $640.[14][17] From 2000 to 2006 the volume of consumer credit increased 45 times[134]

Sony PCG-41414M battery [135] and the middle class grew from 8 million to 55 million. The number of people living below the poverty line decreased from 30% in 2000 to 14% in 2008.[16][136]

In 2001, Putin, who has advocated liberal economic policies, introduced a flat tax rate of 13%;[137][13
Sony PCG-41218M battery8] the corporate rate of tax was also reduced from 35 percent to 24 percent;[137] Small businesses also get better treatment. The old system with high tax rates has been replaced by a new system where companies can choose either a 6-percent tax on gross revenue or a 15-percent tax on profits.[13Sony VPCSE2F1E battery

Sony PCG-41213M battery7] The overall tax burden is lower in Russia than in most European countries.[139]

A central concept in Putin's economic thinking was the creation of so-called National champions, vertically integrated companies in strategic sectors that are expected not only to seek profit, but also to "advance the interests of the nation". Examples of such companies include Gazprom, Rosneft and United Aircraft Corporation.[140] Sony VPCSE2V9E battery
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Before the Putin era, in 1998, over 60% of industrial turnover in Russia was based on barter and various monetary surrogates. The use of such alternatives to money has now fallen out of favour, boosting economic productivity significantly. Besides raising wages and consumption, Putin's government has received broad praise also for eliminating this problem.[141] Sony PCG-4121EM battery
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Some oil revenue went to the stabilization fund established in 2004. The fund accumulated oil revenue, allowing Russia to repay all of the Soviet Union's debts by 2005. In early 2008, it was split into the Reserve Fund (designed to protect Russia from possible global financial shocks) and the National Welfare Fund, whose revenues will be used for a pension reform.[16] Dell XPS 14 battery
 

Inflation remained a problem however, as between 1999–2007 it was kept at the forecast ceiling only twice, and in 2007 the inflation exceeded that of 2006, continuing an upward trend at the beginning of 2008.[ Dell XPS 15 battery
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Dell XPS M2010 battery16] The Russian economy is still commodity-driven despite its growth. Payments from the fuel and energy sector in the form of customs duties and taxes accounted for nearly half of the federal budget's revenues. The large majority of Russia's exports are made up of raw materials and fertilizers,[16Dell XPS L401X battery

Dell XPS M1730 battery] although exports as a whole accounted for only 8.7% of the GDP in 2007, compared to 20% in 2000.[142]

In December 2011, after 15 years of negotiations, Russia finally joined the World Trade Organisation. The accession to WTO was expected to be ratified by Russian Parliament in the spring of 2012. Dell XPS L501X battery
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Industrial development

See also: Automotive industry in Russia, Petroleum industry in Russia, Aircraft industry of Russia, and Shipbuilding in Russia

 

 

Putin promotes the Lada Kalina brand driving through the recently opened Amur Highway in 2010.

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To boost the market share of locally produced vehicles and support the Russia's automotive industry, the government under Putin implemented several protectionist measures and launched programs to attract foreign producers into the country. In late 2005, the government enacted legislation to create special economic zones Dell XPS L701X battery

Dell XPS M140 battery (SEZ) with the aim of encouraging investments by foreign automotive companies. The benefits of operating in the special economic zones include tax allowances, abolishment of asset and land taxes and protection against changes in the tax regime. Some regions also provide extensive support for large investors (over $100 million.) These include Saint Petersburg/Leningrad Oblast, Dell XPS L702X battery
Kaluga Oblast and Kaliningrad Oblast.[143] Under Putin as President and Premier, most of the world's largest automotive companies opened plants in Russia, including Ford Motor Company, Toyota, General Motors, Nissan, Hyundai Motor, Suzuki, Magna International, Scania and MAN SE.

Read more

 

Barack Hussein Obama and Vladimir Putin

Barack Hussein Obama II (i/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States, the first African American to hold the office. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. Sony SVS13AA11L Battery
 

He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.
Sony PCG-41414L BatteryHe served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004, running unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives in 2000.
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In 2004, Obama received national attention during his campaign to represent Illinois in the United States Senate with his victory in the March Democratic Party primary, his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July, and his election to the Senate in November. He began his presidential campaign in 2007, Sony SVS131A11L Battery

Sony PCG-41412L Batteryand in 2008, after a close primary campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won sufficient delegates in the Democratic Party primaries to receive the presidential nomination. Sony PCG-41218L Battery
Sony PCG-41411L BatteryHe then defeated Republican nominee John McCain in the general election, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He was re-elected president in November 2012,
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 defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney, and was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2013.

Early in his first term in office, Obama signed into law economic stimulus legislation in response to the Great Recession in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, Sony SVS131B11L Battery
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Sony PCG-41216L Batteryand Job Creation Act of 2010. Other major domestic initiatives in his presidency include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as "Obamacare"; the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010; Sony SVS151A11L Battery
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the Budget Control Act of 2011; and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. In May 2012, he became the first sitting U.S. president to publicly support same-sex marriage and in 2013 his administration filed briefs which urged the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 and California's Proposition 8 as unconstitutional. In foreign policy, Sony SVS151B11L Battery

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Obama ended U.S. military involvement in the Iraq War, increased troop levels in Afghanistan, signed the New START arms control treaty with Russia, ordered U.S. military involvement in Libya, and ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Sony SVS151G1GL Battery
 

Main articles: Family of Barack Obama and Early life and career of Barack Obama

Obama was born on August 4, 1961,[1] at Kapiʻolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital (now Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children) in Honolulu, Hawaii,[2][3][4] and is the first President to have been born in Hawaii.[5] Sony PCG-4121DL Battery

Sony PCG-41212L Battery His mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was born in Wichita, Kansas, and was of mostly English ancestry.[6] His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was a Luo from Nyang’oma Kogelo, Kenya. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian class at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where his father was a foreign student on scholarship. Sony PCG-4121EL Battery
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[7][8] The couple married in Wailuku on Maui on February 2, 1961,[9][10] and separated when Obama's mother moved with their newborn son to Seattle, Washington, in late August 1961, to attend the University of Washington for one year. In the meantime, Obama, Sr. completed his undergraduate economics degree in Hawaii in June 1962, Sony PCG-4121GL Battery
Sony PCG-41211L Batterythen left to attend graduate school at Harvard University on a scholarship. Obama's parents divorced in March 1964.[11] Obama Sr. returned to Kenya in 1964 where he remarried; he visited Barack in Hawaii only once, in 1971.[1sony PCG-4R2L battery

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sony PCG-6Z4L battery2] He died in an automobile accident in 1982.[13]

In 1963, Dunham met Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian East–West Center graduate student in geography at the University of Hawaii, and the couple were married on Molokai on March 15, 1965.[14]

 

sony PCG-6Z3L battery After two one-year extensions of his J-1 visa, Lolo returned to Indonesia in 1966, followed sixteen months later by his wife and stepson in 1967, with the family initially living in a Menteng Dalam neighborhood in the Tebet subdistrict of south Jakarta, then from 1970 in a wealthier neighborhood in the Menteng subdistrict of central Jakarta.[ sony PCG-4Q4L battery

 

sony PCG-6Z2L battery15] From ages six to ten, Obama attended local Indonesian-language schools: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School for two years and Besuki Public School for one and a half years, supplemented by English-language Calvert School homeschooling by his mother.[16]

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Obama with his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, mother Ann Dunham and grandfather Stanley Dunham, in Honolulu, Hawaii

In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, and with the aid of a scholarship attended Punahou School, a private college preparatory school, from fifth grade until his graduation from high school in 1979.[17] Obama lived with his mother and sister in Hawaii for three years from 1972 to 1975 while his mother was a graduate student in anthropology at the University of Hawaii.[18sony PCG-4Q1L battery

 

sony PCG-6Z1L battery] Obama chose to stay in Hawaii with his grandparents for high school at Punahou when his mother and sister returned to Indonesia in 1975 to begin anthropology field work.[19]

 

sony PCG-6XBL batteryHis mother spent most of the next two decades in Indonesia, divorcing Lolo in 1980 and earning a PhD in 1992, before dying in 1995 in Hawaii following treatment for ovarian cancer and uterine cancer.[20] sony PCG-6X1L battery

 

Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind."[8] He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage.[21

 

sony PCG-6XAL battery] Reflecting later on his years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered—to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect—became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear."[22] Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, sony PCG-6X2L battery

 

sony PCG-6X8L batterymarijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind".[23] Obama was also a member of the "choom gang", a self-named group of friends that spent time together and occasionally smoked marijuana.[24][25] sony PCG-6X6L battery

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Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend Occidental College. In February 1981, he made his first public speech, calling for Occidental to divest from South Africa in response to its policy of apartheid.[26] Sony SVS13AB1GL Battery

Sony PCG-61911L Battery
Sony PCG-61913L Battery In mid-1981, Obama traveled to Indonesia to visit his mother and half-sister Maya, and visited the families of college friends in Pakistan and India for three weeks.[26] Later in 1981, he transferred to Columbia College, Sony SVS131C1DL Battery
Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations[27] and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation,[28] then at the New York Public Interest Research Group.[29][30] Sony SVS131C24L Battery
 

Chicago community organizer and Harvard Law School

Two years after graduating, Obama was hired in Chicago as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Roseland, Sony SVS131E1DL Battery

Sony PCG-61813L BatteryWest Pullman, and Riverdale on Chicago's South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988.[30][31] He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens.[32]
Sony PCG-61714L Battery Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute.[33] In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time.[3Sony SVS131G1DL Battery

Sony PCG-71C12L Battery4][35] He returned to Kenya in 1992 with his fiancée Michelle and his half-sister Auma.[34][36] He returned to Kenya in August 2006 for a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya.[37] Sony SVS151C1GL Battery

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In late 1988, Obama entered Harvard Law School. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year,[ Sony SVS151C2DL Battery

Sony PCG-61A14L Battery38] and president of the journal in his second year.[32][39] During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as an associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990.[4Sony SVS151E1GL Battery
0] After graduating with a J.D. magna cum laude[41] from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago.[38] Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention[32][39] Sony PCG-61A11L Battery
Sony PCG-61A13L Battery and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations,[42] which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father.[42] Sony PCG-71614L Battery

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University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney

In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book.[42][43] Sony PCG-71713L Battery
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He then taught at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years—as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004—teaching constitutional law.[44]

From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration campaign with ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars; Sony PCG-71911L Battery
Sony SVE171E11L Battery it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, leading Crain's Chicago Business to name Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.[45] Sony PCG-71912L Battery

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In 1993, he joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 13-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004. His law license became inactive in 2007.[46][47]
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From 1994 to 2002, Obama served on the boards of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project; and of the Joyce Foundation.[30] Sony PCG-71913L Battery
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Sony SVE151G13L Battery He served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999.[30]

Legislative career: 1997–2008

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State Senator: 1997–2004

Main article: Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama

Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, succeeding State Senator Alice Palmer as Senator from Illinois's 13th District, which at that time spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park – Kenwood south to South Shore and west to Chicago Lawn.[48] Once elected,
Sony SVE151E11L Battery Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation that reformed ethics and health care laws.[49] He sponsored a law that increased tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, Sony PCG-91211L Battery

Sony SVE141L11L Batteryand promoted increased subsidies for childcare.[50] In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures.[51] Sony PCG-91311L Battery
 

Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was reelected again in 2002.[52] In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary race for Illinois's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one.[53] Sony SVE141C11L Battery
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In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority.[54] He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained, Sony PCG-61713L Battery

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and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations.[50][55] During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms.[56] Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.[57] Sony PCG-91111L Battery
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U.S. Senate campaign

Main article: United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004

 

 

County results of the 2004 U.S. Senate race in Illinois. Counties in blue were won by Obama.

In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race; he created a campaign committee, began raising funds, and lined up political media consultant David Axelrod by August 2002. Obama formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.[58] Sony PCG-71312L Battery
 

Obama was an early opponent of the George W. Bush administration's 2003 invasion of Iraq.[59] On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the joint resolution authorizing the Iraq War,[60Sony PCG-71311L Battery

Sony PCG-61315L Battery] Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago anti-Iraq War rally,[61] and spoke out against the war.[62] He addressed another anti-war rally in March 2003 and told the crowd that "it's not too late" to stop the war.[63] Sony PCG-71218L Battery

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Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun to not participate in the election resulted in wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates.[6Sony PCG-71217L Battery

Sony PCG-61311L Battery4] In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the national Democratic Party, started speculation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, Dreams from My Father.[65] Sony PCG-71313L Battery

Sony PCG-61215L Battery In July 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention,[66] seen by 9.1 million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party.[67] Sony PCG-71315L Battery

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Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004.[68] Six weeks later, Alan Keyes accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan.[69] In the November 2004 general election, Obama won with 70 percent of the vote.[70] Sony PCG-71316L Battery
 

U.S. Senator: 2005–2008

Main article: United States Senate career of Barack Obama

 

 

Obama in his official portrait as a member of the United States Senate

Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005,[71] becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus.[72] Sony PCG-71317L Battery

Sony PCG-71216L Battery CQ Weekly characterized him as a "loyal Democrat" based on analysis of all Senate votes in 2005–2007. Obama announced on November 13, 2008, that he would resign his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, before the start of the lame-duck session, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.[73] Sony PCG-71318L Battery
 

Legislation

See also: List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate

Obama cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.[74] He introduced two initiatives that bore his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction concept to conventional weapons;[75Sony PCG-71211L Battery
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Sony PCG-71215L Battery] and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.[76] On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama—along with Senators Tom Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain—introduced follow-up legislation: Sony PCG-3B1L Battery
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Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.[77]

Obama sponsored legislation that would have required nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks, but the bill failed to pass in the full Senate after being heavily modified in committee. Sony PCG-3B3L Battery

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Sony PCG-3H3L Battery [78] Regarding tort reform, Obama voted for the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which grants immunity from civil liability to telecommunications companies complicit with NSA warrantless wiretapping operations.[79]

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Obama and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) visit a Russian facility for dismantling mobile missiles (August 2005).[80]

In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.[81] In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.[8Sony PCG-3B4L Battery
2] Obama also introduced Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections,[83] and the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007,[84] neither of which was signed into law. Sony PCG-3C2L Battery
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Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to add safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges.[85] This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008.[86] Sony PCG-3D3L Battery
He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which has not passed committee; and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.[8Sony PCG-3D4L Battery
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7] Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.[88]
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Committees

Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works and Veterans' Affairs through December 2006.[89] In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additionalSony PCG-3F1L Battery

Sony PCG-3B1L Battery assignments with Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.[90] He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs.[91Sony PCG-3F4L Battery] As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He met with Mahmoud Abbas before Abbas became President of the Palestinian National Authority, and gave a speech at the University of Nairobi in which he condemned corruption within the Kenyan government.[92] Sony PCG-3F2L Battery
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Presidential campaigns

 

2008 presidential campaign

Main articles: United States presidential election, 2008, Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008, and Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008

 

 

Obama stands on stage with his wife and daughters just before announcing his presidential candidacy in Springfield, Illinois, February 10, 2007 Sony PCG-9Z1L Battery
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President George W. Bush meets with President-elect Obama in the Oval Office on November 10, 2008

On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois.[93][94] The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic because it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858.[93][9Sony PCG-7142L Battery

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5] Obama emphasized issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care,[96] in a campaign that projected themes of "hope" and "change".[97] Sony PCG-7151L Battery
 

A large number of candidates entered the Democratic Party presidential primaries. The field narrowed to a duel between Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton after early contests, with the race remaining close throughout the primary process but with Obama gaining a steady
Sony PCG-8141L Batterylead in pledged delegates due to better long-range planning, superior fundraising, dominant organizing in caucus states, and better exploitation of delegate allocation rules.[98] On June 7, 2008, Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama.[99] Sony PCG-7152L Battery
 

On August 23, Obama announced his selection of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate.[10Sony PCG-7153L Battery
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0] Obama selected Biden from a field speculated to include former Indiana Governor and Senator Evan Bayh and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.[101] At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Hillary Clinton called for her supporters to endorse Obama, and she and Bill Clinton gave convention speeches in his support.[102Sony PCG-7161L Battery
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Sony PCG-8131L Battery] Obama delivered his acceptance speech, not at the center where the Democratic National Convention was held, but at Invesco Field at Mile High to a crowd of over 75,000; the speech was viewed by over 38 million people worldwide.[103][104] Sony PCG-7171L Battery

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During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the quantity of small donations.[105] On June 19, 2008, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976.[106] Sony PCG-7172L Battery
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John McCain was nominated as the Republican candidate and the two engaged in three presidential debates in September and October 2008.[107] On November 4, Obama won the presidency with 365 electoral votes to 173 received by McCain.[108] Obama won 52.9% of the popular vote to McCain's 45.7%.[Sony PCG-7174L Battery
109] He became the first African American to be elected president.[110] Obama delivered his victory speech before hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago's Grant Park.[111]

2012 presidential campaign

Main articles: United States presidential election, 2012 and Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2012 Sony PCG-7181L Battery

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Following the typical TV news voter map color scheme, the Empire State Building lit blue when CNN projected Obama as the winner of the 2012 election; had Romney won it would have been lit red.[112]

On April 4, 2011, Obama announced his re-election campaign for 2012 in a video titled "It Begins with Us" that he posted on his website and filed election papers with the Federal Election Commission.[113][114Sony PCG-7182L Battery
Sony PCG-7183L Battery][115] As the incumbent president he ran virtually unopposed in the Democratic Party presidential primaries,[116] and on April 3, 2012, Obama had secured the 2778 convention delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination.[117]

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Mitt Romney and President Obama shake hands in the Oval Office on November 29, 2012, following their first meeting since President Obama's re-election.

At the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, former President Bill Clinton formally nominated Obama and Joe Biden as the Democratic Party candidates for president and vice president in the general election, Sony PCG-51412L Battery
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Sony VPCF119HX battery in which their main opponents were Republicans Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, and Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.[118]

On November 6, 2012, Obama won 332 electoral votes, exceeding the 270 required for him to be re-elected as president.[119][120][1Sony PCG-61412L Battery
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Sony VPCF114FX battery21] With 51% of the popular vote, Obama became the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to twice win the majority of the popular vote.[122][123] President Obama addressed supporters and volunteers at Chicago's McCormick Place after his reelection and said: Sony PCG-81112L Battery
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"Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties."[124][125] Sony PCG-81114L Battery
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Presidency

 

Main article: Presidency of Barack Obama

See also: Confirmations of Barack Obama's Cabinet and List of presidential trips made by Barack Obama

First days

 

 

Barack Obama takes the oath of office administered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. at the Capitol, January 20, 2009

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President took place on January 20, 2009. In his first few days in office, Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq.[126] He ordered the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp,[1Sony PCG-81312L Battery

Sony VPCF11PFX battery27] but Congress prevented the closure by refusing to appropriate the required funds[128][129][130] and preventing moving any Guantanamo detainee into the U.S. or to other countries.[131] Sony PCG-81313L Battery
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Obama reduced the secrecy given to presidential records.[132] He also revoked President George W. Bush's restoration of President Ronald Reagan's Mexico City Policy prohibiting federal aid to international family planning organizations that perform or provide counseling about abortion.[133] Sony PCG-81411L Battery
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omestic policy

Main article: Barack Obama social policy

The first bill signed into law by Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, relaxing the statute of limitations for equal-pay lawsuits.[134] Five days later, he signed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover an additional 4 million uninsured children.[135] In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy which had limited funding of embryonic stem cell research and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.[136]

 

 

Obama delivering a speech at joint session of Congress with Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on February 24, 2009

Obama appointed two women to serve on the Supreme Court in the first two years of his Presidency. Sonia Sotomayor, nominated by Obama on May 26, 2009, to replace retiring Associate Justice David Souter, was confirmed on August 6, 2009,[137] becoming the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.[138] Elena Kagan, Sony VPCF11JFX battery
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D nominated by Obama on May 10, 2010, to replace retiring Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, was confirmed on August 5, 2010, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three, for the first time in American history.[139] Sony VPCF11FGX battery
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On September 30, 2009, the Obama administration proposed new regulations on power plants, factories and oil refineries in an attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to curb global warming.[140][141] Sony VPCF11LFX battery
 

On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a measure that expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.[142][143] Sony VPCF11DGX battery

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On March 30, 2010, Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, a reconciliation bill which ends the process of the federal government giving subsidies to private banks to give out federally insured loans, increases the Pell Grant scholarship award, and makes changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[144][145] Sony VPCF117FX battery
 

In a major space policy speech in April 2010, Obama announced a planned change in direction at NASA, the U.S. space agency. He ended plans for a return of human spaceflight to the moon and development of the Ares I rocket, Sony VPCF112FX battery
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Sony VPCF1190X batteryAres V rocket and Constellation program, in favor of funding Earth science projects, a new rocket type, and research and development for an eventual manned mission to Mars, and ongoing missions to the International Space Station.[146]

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Obama meets with the Cabinet, November 23, 2009.

On December 22, 2010, Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, fulfilling a key promise made in the 2008 presidential campaign[147][148] to end the Don't ask, don't tell policy of 1993 that had prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces.[149] Sony VPCF116FX battery
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President Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address focused on themes of education and innovation, stressing the importance of innovation economics to make the United States more competitive globally. Sony VPCF11GGX battery
He spoke of a five-year freeze in domestic spending, eliminating tax breaks for oil companies and reversing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, banning congressional earmarks, and reducing healthcare costs. He promised that the United States would have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015 and would be 80% reliant on "clean" electricity.[150] Sony VPCF11NFX battery
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As a candidate for the Illinois state senate Obama had said in 1996 that he favored legalizing same-sex marriage;[152] but by the time of his run for the U.S. senate in 2004, he said that while he supported civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex partners, for strategic reasons he opposed same-sex marriages.[15Dell XPS 14 Battery

 

3] On May 9, 2012, shortly after the official launch of his campaign for re-election as president, Obama said his views had evolved, and he publicly affirmed his personal support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, Dell XPS 14D Battery

 

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Dell XPS L701X Batterybecoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.[154][155]

During his second inaugural address on January 21, 2013,[125] Obama called for full equality for gay Americans: "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law — for if we are truly created equal, Dell XPS 14D-L401X Battery

then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well." This was a historic moment, being the first time that a president mentioned gay rights or the word "gay" in an inaugural address.[156][1Dell XPS 15 Battery

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Dell XPS L501X Battery57] In 2013 the Obama administration filed briefs which urged the Supreme Court to rule in favor of same-sex couples in the cases of Hollingsworth v. Perry (regarding same-sex marriage)[158] and United States v. Windsor (regarding the Defense of Marriage Act).[159]

 

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Economic policy

Main article: Economic policy of Barack Obama

 

 

Obama presents his first weekly address as President of the United States on January 24, 2009, discussing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

On February 17, 2009, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion economic stimulus package aimed at helping the economy recover from the deepening worldwide recession.[160] Dell XPS 15-L501X Battery

 

Dell XPS 17-L701X BatteryThe act includes increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and incentives, and direct assistance to individuals,[161] which is being distributed over the course of several years. Dell XPS 15-L502X Battery

 

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In March, Obama's Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, took further steps to manage the financial crisis, including introducing the Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets, which contains provisions for buying up to two trillion dollars in depreciated real estate assets.[162] Dell XPS 15Z Battery

Dell XPS 17 BatteryObama intervened in the troubled automotive industry[163] in March 2009, renewing loans for General Motors and Chrysler to continue operations while reorganizing. Over the following months the White House set terms for both firms' bankruptcies, including the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat[1Dell Latitude E4300 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6530 Battery64] and a reorganization of GM giving the U.S. government a temporary 60% equity stake in the company, with the Canadian government taking a 12% stake.[165] In June 2009, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, Obama called on his cabinet to accelerate the investment.[166] Dell Latitude E4310 Battery

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Dell Latitude E6520N Battery He signed into law the Car Allowance Rebate System, known colloquially as "Cash for Clunkers", that temporarily boosted the economy.[167][168][169]

Although spending and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department authorized by the Bush and Obama administrations totaled about $11.5 trillion, only $3 trillion had been spent by the end of November 2009.[1Dell Latitude E5420 Battery

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Dell Latitude E6430S XFR Battery70] However, Obama and the Congressional Budget Office predicted that the 2010 budget deficit will be $1.5 trillion or 10.6% of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) compared to the 2009 deficit of $1.4 trillion or 9.9% of GDP.[171][172] For 2011, the administration predicted the deficit will slightly shrink to $1.34 trillion, Dell Latitude E5520 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6430 ATG Battery while the 10-year deficit will increase to $8.53 trillion or 90% of GDP.[173] The most recent increase in the U.S. debt ceiling to $16.4 trillion was signed into law on January 26, 2012.[174] On August 2, 2011, after a lengthy congressional debate over whether to raise the nation's debt limit, Dell Latitude E6120 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6430 Battery Obama signed the bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011. The legislation enforces limits on discretionary spending until 2021, establishes a procedure to increase the debt limit, creates a Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to propose further deficit reduction with a stated goal of achieving at least $1.5 trillion in budgetary savings over 10 years, Dell Latitude E6220 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E5530 Batteryand establishes automatic procedures for reducing spending by as much as $1.2 trillion if legislation originating with the new joint select committee does not achieve such savings.[175] By passing the legislation, Congress was able to prevent a U.S. government default on its obligations.[176] Dell Latitude E6320 Battery

 

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Employment statistics (changes in unemployment rate and net jobs per month) during Obama's tenure as U.S. President[177][178]

As it did throughout 2008, the unemployment rate rose in 2009, reaching a peak in October at 10.0% and averaging 10.0% in the fourth quarter. Following a decrease to 9.7% in the first quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate fell to 9.6% in the second quarter, Dell Latitude E6400 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E5420M Batterywhere it remained for the rest of the year.[179] Between February and December 2010, employment rose by 0.8%, which was less than the average of 1.9% experienced during comparable periods in the past four employment recoveries.[180] By November 2012, the unemployment rate fell to 7.7%,[18Dell Latitude E6410 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E5520 Battery1] changing little in April 2013 to 7.5%.[182] GDP growth returned in the third quarter of 2009, expanding at a rate of 1.6%, followed by a 5.0% increase in the fourth quarter.[183] Growth continued in 2010, Dell Latitude E6420 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6330 Batteryposting an increase of 3.7% in the first quarter, with lesser gains throughout the rest of the year.[183] In July 2010, the Federal Reserve expressed that although economic activity continued to increase, Dell Latitude E6420 ATG Battery

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its pace had slowed, and chairman Ben Bernanke stated that the economic outlook was "unusually uncertain".[184] Overall, the economy expanded at a rate of 2.9% in 2010.[185]

The Congressional Budget Office and a broad range of economists credit Obama's stimulus plan for economic growth.[186][187] Dell Latitude E6510 Battery

 

Dell Latitude E6230 Battery The CBO released a report stating that the stimulus bill increased employment by 1–2.1 million,[187][188][189][190] while conceding that "It is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package."[1

 

Dell Latitude E6210 Battery86] Although an April 2010 survey of members of the National Association for Business Economics showed an increase in job creation (over a similar January survey) for the first time in two years, 73% of 68 respondents believed that the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment.[191] Dell Latitude E6520 Battery

 

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Within a month of the 2010 midterm elections, Obama announced a compromise deal with the Congressional Republican leadership that included a temporary, two-year extension of the 2001 and 2003 income tax rates, Dell Latitude E6400 ATG Battery

Dell Latitude E6400 XFR Battery a one-year payroll tax reduction, continuation of unemployment benefits, and a new rate and exemption amount for estate taxes.[19Sony VGP-BPL13 Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS21A/B Battery2] The compromise overcame opposition from some in both parties, and the resulting $858 billion Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress before Obama signed it on December 17, 2010.[193] Sony VGP-BPL14/B Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS21/S BatteryHealth care reform

Main article: Health care reform in the United States

 

 

Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the White House, March 23, 2010

Obama called for Congress to pass legislation reforming health care in the United States, a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal.[194Sony VGP-BPL14/S Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS21B Battery] He proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured, to cap premium increases, and to allow people to retain their coverage when they leave or change jobs. His proposal was to spend $900 billion over 10 years and include a government insurance plan, Sony VGP-BPS8 Battery

 

Sony VGP-BPS21 Batteryalso known as the public option, to compete with the corporate insurance sector as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality of health care. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for pre-existing conditions, and require every American to carry health coverage. Sony VGP-BPS9 Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS15/S BatteryThe plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.[195][196]

On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017-page plan for overhauling the U.S. health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009.[194] After much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Sony VGP-BPS11 Battery

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Sony VGP-BPS15/B Battery Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9 where he addressed concerns over the proposals.[197] In March 2009, Obama lifted a ban on using federal funds for stem cell research.[198] Sony VGP-BPS13 Battery

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