On Feb. 29, 2012, at the height of the attempted White Revolution destabilization of Russia, and days before the country’s Presidential election, then-Presidential candidate and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned that a scenario had been reported for assassinating a well-known opposition figure and blaming it on the Kremlin. What Putin said then, closely matches the murder of former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, an extra-parliamentary opposition leader, on the night of Feb. 27, 2015.
The following is an edited excerpt of the EIRNS dispatch of March 2, 2012:
“Russian Prime Minister and Presidential candidate Vladimir Putin has continued a busy schedule of activity throughout this week’s run-up to Sunday’s vote, including stern statements about the strategic situation in an interview with foreign editors and a warning on Feb. 29 against possible drastic provocations around the election.
“During a Feb. 29 campaign meeting with leaders of the Russian National Front, Putin responded to a question by a professor from the North Caucasus about the presence of provocateurs among those attending mass rallies. He said, ‘Concerning provocations at rallies, and so forth, I have talked about this. I hope nobody will go that far, and things will remain within what is allowed under the Constitution, so that provocations against law enforcement won’t achieve their goal. The people you mentioned really want some kind of clashes; they are pushing for that, and are even prepared to sacrifice somebody and blame the authorities. I know this method and these tactics. For a decade there have been attempts to use them, especially abroad. This is true, and I know about it. They are even looking for a so-called sacrificial lamb, somebody famous. They would off him — excuse me for the expression — and then blame the authorities. People over there are capable of anything. I’m not exaggerating. I hope that those who sincerely want to see improvements in the situation in the country and are exercising their right to criticize and demonstrate, will not fall for this, but everybody should be aware of it.'”