Where contract killers are the ultimate censors.

As the murders of Russian journalists go unsolved, there are increasing signs that the impunity of Russia's contract killers is not accidental. One reason for the lack of progress may be that the law enforcement organs that are responsible for investigating the murders of Russian journalists are actually involved in carrying them out.

On Dec. 5, at the trial of three men accused in the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, Russia's best known investigative reporter, Sergei Sokolov, the deputy editor of Politkovskaya's newspaper Novaya Gazeta, told a packed courtroom that he had information showing that Dzhabrail Makhmudov, one of the accused, was an agent of the FSB, Russia's Federal Security Service, and that the FSB was shadowing Politkovskaya up until her death in October 2006. Novaya Gazeta is carrying out an independent investigation of the case.

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In 2008 the Federal Security Service managed to prevent 97 terrorist attacks, and kill 200 militants and leaders of armed gangs. FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov recounted this during a meeting with journalists on the 'Security Service Officer Day' holiday, reported RIA 'Novosti'. Bortnikov said that nearly 900 persons had been convicted of the crimes of terrorism and extremism. 23 members of the international terrorist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir were sentenced to various prison terms, and 5 activists from the Islamic Party of Turkestan radical group where detained and extradited.

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The investigation department of the investigative committee at the Moscow prosecutor's office has launched an inquiry into looting that occurred during the rescue of hostages at Dubrovka. The hostages had been captured while viewing the musical 'Nord-Ost' in October of 2002. Igor Trunov, the lawyer representing the interests of the victims, told 'Gazeta' that on November 20th a criminal case was opened in accordance with Article 158 of the Criminal Code (Theft).

Relatives of the victims, and survivors, began pursuit of criminal charges six years ago. The main suspect was FSB investigator Lilyukhin, but no charges were brought against him as he had died in a car accident in March of 2005. Relatives of the victims asked for the return of personal belongings and money, but investigators ignored the appeals.

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In Mumbai there was a series of terrorist attacks, unprecedented in scale and number

The financial capital and largest city of India, Mumbai (formerly Bombay) became the target of unprecedented terrorist attacks. As a result of a series of bombings and shootings, more than a hundred were killed, and the number of victims is likely to be much higher. The Indian media has dubbed the event «India's September 11th,» and this is obviously not without justification: the attack on November 26th was the largest of 2008.

Most of the attacks were carried out in the south of Mumbai. Terrorists attacked hotels and cafes, as well as a police headquarters and a hospital.

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A certain Russian politician ordered the murder of ‘Novaya Gazeta’ correspondent Anna Politkovskaya. This was declared by Murad Musaev, lawyer for the men accused in the death of the journalist. According to the attorney, the indictment also indicates that the motive for the murder were “Politkovskaya’s critically incriminating materials.” This was reported by Russian Information Agency ‘Novosti'’

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