Russia's Espiocrats

[David Morris]

http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2007/09/russias-espiocr.html

Russian political life has been usurped by "siloviki" -- ex-spies --
who have apparently seized power from the small network of hyper-rich
plutocratic "bankers" who rose to power after the Wall came down. The
siloviki are a tight mafiyeh whose methods include high-profile
international assassination of defectors (the assassins walk free and
then run for high office).