Think Tanks in Democratic Countries
Adel Bashqawi
March 20, 2023
A respected researcher contacted me, inquiring about some points related to natural matters that researchers, scholars, and those interested deal with when researching or writing on certain issues. That includes dealing with propaganda, accusations, misleading and gossip attempts that aim, among other aims, to divert attention away from the essence of the subject, to cling to trivial matters that they are good for nothing, which in result cannot change the tangible facts. Accordingly, I responded to the inquiries as appropriate. This interaction prompted me to present the facts online in two articles so that the general public can have access to them, too. The first was published under the title “Haphazard Accusations: Circassians Do not Beg for a Certificate of Good Conduct from Russia.” And the second article is published here, for whomever it may be of interest, under the title of “Think Tanks in Democratic Countries”:
• Reason and common sense dictate constancy on firm ground, together with increased awareness be commensurate with the importance of the problem to be dealt with, so that everyone concerned can distinguish between right and wrong and between good and bad. Accordingly, the article, study or publication is written and published in simplified and detailed ways and means. In the normal condition, an integrated comprehensive approach will be followed and accomplished, in order to serve the purpose. This requires making a reasonable degree of realistic study according to the scientific method of research by referring to unbiased data and facts, documents, quotations extracted from references, including audio, images and video, which may be sources in themselves, or they need other references and sources to be completed.
• Concerning Jamestown Foundation, according to its Website (https://jamestown.org/programs/ncw/), it is one of hundreds of ‘Think Tanks’ in the United States and the West that is carrying out its activities according to the goals for which it was founded.
• The Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO), like many other institutions. It shows on its website that it operates in accordance with the goals and principles for which it was established and are all mentioned on its website.
• It does not have employees that exceed the number of fingers of one hand, while there are prominent writers and analysts who write articles and researches that will be published on its website.
• Following its activities, there are many activities, such as Terrorism (https://jamestown.org/programs/tm/), China (https://jamestown.org/programs/cb/), Eurasia (https://jamestown.org/programs/edm/), Militant leadership (https://jamestown.org/programs/mlm/), Hot Issues (https://jamestown.org/program-name/hot-issues/), and Special Projects, in addition to other activities.
• Russia oppresses the world by banishing everything that might affect its reputation. Intimidation and character assassination is utilized by accusing others of what is not in them.
• Russia has remotely controlled governmental organizations that carry out all the tasks of studies and research. The results of which necessarily come in line with its colonial interests and policies, and are sometimes tainted with accusations, lies and war propaganda.
• While research and study centers in the United States, Europe and the democratic countries instead conduct studies, research, conferences, meetings and seminars in a spontaneous and academic manner. They are professionally operating and funded by civil society organizations and entities. They produce balanced results that are free from cheap publicity, misinformation and propaganda.
• Russian propaganda proxies tend to lie and mislead about the “Window on Eurasia” blog that is established and run by the famous writer and analyst Paul Goble. The Russian sources and agents declare that “Window on Eurasia” (http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/) blog belongs to Jamestown Foundation, confused between “Window on Eurasia” blog and the Jamestown Foundation “Eurasia Daily Monitor” (https://jamestown.org/programs/edm/) regular publication. Given the fact that Paul Goble writes sometimes in Eurasian Daily Monitor, given the proxies are unable to distinguish between the two.
• “Paul Goble is a longtime specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia. Most recently, he was director of research and publications at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Earlier, he served as vice dean for the social sciences and humanities at Audentes University in Tallinn and a senior research associate at the EuroCollege of the University of Tartu in Estonia. While there, he launched the {Window on Eurasia} series. Prior to joining the faculty there in 2004, he served in various capacities in the U.S. State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency and the International Broadcasting Bureau as well as at the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He writes frequently on ethnic and religious issues and has edited five volumes on ethnicity and religion in the former Soviet space. Trained at Miami University in Ohio and the University of Chicago, he has been decorated by the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for his work in promoting Baltic independence and the withdrawal of Russian forces from those formerly occupied lands.” https://jamestown.org/analyst/paul-goble/
• In addition, he “trained at Miami University and the University of Chicago, he has been decorated by the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for his work in promoting Baltic independence.” https://www.blogger.com/profile/03022474466621922917
• The Russian propaganda sings out that Jamestown for an example is “an arm for the CIA.” The Russian proxies tend to spread rumors about people who write and analyze situations around the world. Not for anything, but because what is published is not issued by their colonial policy-oriented research.
• They operate within the framework of a policy of taming dozens of peoples and nations for the intention of controlling their destinies and future against their will.
• While those with a stable mindset who are dedicated to use their previous service, expertise and practical experience, they gained during their career path in all aspects of life. They employ a special character to these analyzes, studies and articles, and give them closeness to reality.
• However, it’s not shameful to have experienced people who worked in the government, or senior officers in any branch of the army and security services to share their experience by writing and publishing articles and studies that analyze certain criteria and cases.
• For example, if senior officials after retirement invest their knowledge in explaining certain phenomena, or if they work in the government and public service, it will be a great asset of knowledge in certain frameworks and intellectual institutions.
• Many world leaders and heads of states assumed the role of administrators and executives in different political, military and security circles during their professional duty or before retirement. It is normal for some ambitious officials to offer their services to their countries and world peace at large. They might have assumed different responsibilities in their countries by conducting studies and research for providing advice that assist in the decision making process.
• It is well known that President George H.W. Bush had been working in public service since after leaving the military service. He graduated from the university, and started his industrial and business career, followed by the diplomatic sector, where he became a member of the Republican Party, then director of the CIA. he became vice president of the United States, and after that he was elected as the forty-first president of the United States in 1989.
• The present Russian president Vladimir Putin himself graduated from the KGB Academy. He was a member of the Soviet Communist Party and made a career in intelligence, where he served as an officer in the Soviet KGB and later in its successor the Russian FSB, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He presided over the FSB before he was transferred to work as one of the chief staff members of the Kremlin. Later on he was appointed as a Prime Minister, which made him take the advantage of becoming a president in May 2000.
• Last but not least example is the close links of Putin’s cook (chef) Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was assisted to establish a multi purpose paramilitary and mercenary group called Wagner. https://wagner-pmc.com/ For camouflage, no information was disclosed regarding the place of its founding or its leaders. Its operations took place in many countries and intervened in several international crises such as Syria, Libya and others. Eventually, it has been operating in Ukraine since the occupation and annexation of the Crimea in 2014 until the present time, as its more than 50,000 armed forces are fighting fierce battles in eastern Ukraine. It has been operating in Ukraine since the occupation and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, until the ‘present time’ fierce battles in Eastern Ukraine.
• The influence of Wagner’s leader made him criticize whoever he wanted. He went so far as to verbally assault the army, other branches of the Russian military forces, the Ministry of Defense, and even politicians at the top of the pyramid of power by accusing them of not providing the ammunition and military equipment needed to fight in eastern Ukraine. For camouflage, no information has been revealed regarding where it was founded or the names of its leaders until recently. It became blacklisted and even considered a terrorist group in many countries such as the European Union, the United States and others.
• “The United States earlier in January have stepped up sanctions against the Wagner Group, labelling the Russian mercenary company fighting in Ukraine as a transnational criminal organization responsible for widespread human rights abuses.” https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/eu-court-removes-mother-of-russias-wagner-group-chief-from-sanctions-list/
• A quote by O.Z.: “Wisdom is not measured by age, Intelligence is not measured by grades, Personality is not measured by what others say.”