Putin's Russia

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Russians will head to the polls Sunday, where they're expected to hand a landslide victory to President Vladimir Putin. Though less than a year ago Putin spoke eloquently about his vision of Russia taking its place among the world-s great democracies, recently the former KGB agent has been acting a lot more like one of Russia-s old authoritarian leaders than a champion of democracy. How has he consolidated power? Why is he so popular with Russians? What-s become of the political opposition? What impact does Putin-s behavior domestically have on his relations with the West? Guest host Sara Terry speaks with a journalist in Moscow, experts from the Carnegie Institute and Heritage Foundation, and former cabinet officials from Presidents Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin. Making News: New Interim Prime Minister in Haiti In Haiti today, an interim prime minister was named to organize elections and build a new government. G-rard Latortue joins interim President Boniface Alexandre in trying to shape a new future for a country torn apart by a month-long insurgency that drove former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power. Lydia Polgreen is in Port-au-Prince where she's following the story for the New York Times. Reporter's Notebook: Greece May Ask NATO for Help with Olympics' Security With the Olympics just a few months away, Greek voters this week gave a big win to Greece-s Conservative Party, sweeping out the socialists who-d been in power for a decade. Bruce Clark, Europe correspondent for the Economist magazine, looks at Costas Karamanlis' new government and its upcoming challenges, which run the gamut from security at the Olympic Games to the reunification of Cyprus.
Russians will head to the polls Sunday, where they're expected to hand a landslide victory to President Vladimir Putin. Though less than a year ago Putin spoke eloquently about his vision of Russia taking its place among the world-s great democracies, recently the former KGB agent has been acting a lot more like one of Russia-s old authoritarian leaders than a champion of democracy. How has he consolidated power? Why is he so popular with Russians? What-s become of the political opposition? What impact does Putin-s behavior domestically have on his relations with the West? Guest host Sara Terry speaks with a journalist in Moscow, experts from the Carnegie Institute and Heritage Foundation, and former cabinet officials from Presidents Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin.
  • Making News: New Interim Prime Minister in Haiti
    In Haiti today, an interim prime minister was named to organize elections and build a new government. G-rard Latortue joins interim President Boniface Alexandre in trying to shape a new future for a country torn apart by a month-long insurgency that drove former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power. Lydia Polgreen is in Port-au-Prince where she's following the story for the New York Times.
  • Reporter's Notebook: Greece May Ask NATO for Help with Olympics' Security
    With the Olympics just a few months away, Greek voters this week gave a big win to Greece-s Conservative Party, sweeping out the socialists who-d been in power for a decade. Bruce Clark, Europe correspondent for the Economist magazine, looks at Costas Karamanlis' new government and its upcoming challenges, which run the gamut from security at the Olympic Games to the reunification of Cyprus.
Guest host Sara Terry is an award-winning writer and photographer, who has written for the Christian Science Monitor, the New York Times, Fast Company, Rolling Stone and the Boston Globe. Her current photo-documentary project is Aftermath: Bosnia's Long Road to Peace.

Reuters' article on PM Latortue's challenge ahead

President Vladimir Putin

Lipman's article on proving loyalty in Putin's Russia

Economist article on new Greek government

Athens 2004 Olympics

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on security at 2004 Olympics

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney