Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Accused by USA of Helping ISIS

[Nigel Hanrahan]

2016 will be the Year of US Chess. Your move, uncle Sam.

It is interesting to note that Russian media provide slightly different wording for Ilyumzinov's announcement. They state that he will withdraw from any legal, financial and business operations of FIDE in the US and with US citizens. He also states that remains FIDE President.

The US government, which is in the hegemon's habit of trying to apply US law on the territory of other, sovereign countries, can and does use threats to enforce their pirate jurisprudence. Just ask Canadian Marc Emery who was the "beneficiary" of this Yanqui brigandage.

Kirsan is still mocking them, by announcing, with his usual "showmanship" that

"Today at the Presidential Board we also gave a gift to the USA: FIDE will declare 2016 the Year of US Chess. Next year in the USA we’ll hold the Men’s World Championship match, the World Rapid Championship and also an international children’s tournament."

Ilyumzhinov steps down ... sort of.

Except for the most belligerent and bellicose Russophobes, whose opinions never change anyway, I think Kirsan seems to be playing the long game here ... and I think he's doing pretty well so far. This isn't some high school drop out from Brooklyn who's an easy target. If the US government wants to play Scrooge, or the grinch, right before Christmas next year, they're going to take a hammering from their own chess public.

It should be one hell of a match. Get your popcorn.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: 2016 will be the Year of US Chess. Your move, uncle Sam.

For now it appears that Kirsan has stepped down until such time as the situation with the U.S. sanctions can be resolved. Georgios Makropoulos will be acting president until such time as Kirsan can overcome his difficulties in the U.S.

[Sid Belzberg]

The CFC Disgraced Chess in Canada -- Will Vlad Resign?

For now it appears that Kirsan has stepped down until such time as the situation with the U.S. sanctions can be resolved. Georgios Makropoulos will be acting president until such time as Kirsan can overcome his difficulties in the U.S.

Vlad 15,100 have been sanctioned in the USA as Specially Designated Nationals with zero judicial reversals. Only 2 cases out of 15,100 have ever even been heard in a US court. Kirsan is an agent who has been finally exposed and burnt. Game over for Kirsan. CHECKMATE! No resolution forthcoming soon -- or ever. The CFC supported Kirsan knowing full well that he is a criminal. Kirsan's record was made clear to the CFC on this forum. Whatever your opinion is of Garry, nothing could be as disgraceful for the CFC as supporting a FIDE President who enables ISIS terrorists and is well known as Putin's puppet.

Here is Garry's statement about the whole sordid matter.

Crashing Down to Earth

Even in the act of leaving after 20 catastrophic years as FIDE president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov had to lie about it. His presidential board announced he was stepping down, Kirsan said he wasn’t really. FIDE then announced FIDE Deputy President Makropoulos would be taking over official business for Kirsan, who then said this only applied to the United States, the source of sanctions against him for helping the terrorist army of ISIS sell oil to murderous Syrian dictator and long-time Ilyumzhinov friend Bashar al-Assad. Kirsan’s subsequent claims he would sue the US for $50 billion while making the 2016 “the year of chess in the United States” are as laughable as his fantasies about aliens, but no one should be laughing anymore. What’s happening now isn’t about his false promises and delusional bluster. This is real.

Ilyumzhinov has lied consistently, constantly, since taking over FIDE 20 years ago and doesn’t see any reason to stop now since it has served him well. Nothing in FIDE will change until Ilyumzhinov and his entire lot are thrown out. Even then it may be too little, too late, as the organization has been so transformed in his corrupt image, with personal gain paramount over the federations, players, and the game of chess itself.

It’s not a surprise that Ilyumzhinov was finally caught for his KGB activities while obeying his masters and turning attention toward the United States just when the US is paying more attention to Russian conduct in Syria. He was clearly under instructions to do more in the US after years of FIDE being increasingly trapped behind the borders of the former USSR nations friendly to Putin’s Russia. US and European sanctions have made it harder for the KGB to move money to its assets and FIDE has proven to be a useful conduit. Just how valuable it is to Putin was made obvious by how mobilized the Russian diplomatic and foreign security services became in the 2014 presidential election, when I ran against Ilyumzhinov.

And what of the many members of the chess community who sided with Ilyumzhinov in before and during those elections in Tromsø? They cannot feign shock now and should not be let off the hook. Kirsan’s activities were hardly subtle, with a history of well-publicized meetings with Moammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, and Assad. It was only a matter of time before he crossed the wrong line at the wrong time and got exposed. Now he is a burned agent trying to spin his way back into the good graces of his KGB superiors.

Of course, no one who cares at all for the game of chess could support Ilyumzhinov even without this long-coming comeuppance. It says everything that his punishment came from outside of the chess world, not inside FIDE or from the federations, who have sold their souls and sold out the game of chess for a chance to sit closer to Kirsan’s knee and beg for scraps. Will the dogs now turn on their master and demand his ouster or will they defend him still? Where is the media demanding accountability from the federations who supported Kirsan? Where is the voice of the allegedly reform-minded European federations, or are they waiting for EU sanctions to follow? Waiting to see if some of the money Kirsan’s bank handled for ISIS made its way into accounts in Paris?

Unfortunately, I think we know the answer. It’s a tragedy for chess, made more tragic by the fact it could have been avoided 17 months ago in Tromsø. But they knew exactly what they were voting for and they got it. Thank the stars that I have been banned by FIDE so it is very clear I have nothing to do with this mess!

Already, some chess officials are optimistically stating the crisis for FIDE begins and ends with Ilyumzhinov. This is very unlikely. He did not just abuse his position, but the organization itself, and he could not do this alone. As with the FIFA corruption scandal, it will continue to develop as the investigation digs deeper and the rats try to save themselves on the backs of their brothers.

Ilyumzhinov’s “suspension” or “withdrawal” or whatever he wants to call it will not save him or FIDE because he and his gang will not go willingly. One can only hope that there is something worth saving in FIDE when eventually they are gone.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

SDN can be defeated and Kirsan may be the one to do it.

For now it appears that Kirsan has stepped down until such time as the situation with the U.S. sanctions can be resolved. Georgios Makropoulos will be acting president until such time as Kirsan can overcome his difficulties in the U.S.

Previous examples of getting off the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) is rather well documented. But let's dispel 3 myths that some others here on Chesstalk seem to want to keep alive for their own, nefarious reasons:

Dispelling the Myths.

Myth #1: It Is Not Possible to be Removed of the OFAC SDN List

Wrong. I hear this from other lawyers and from potential clients who have spoken to other lawyers all the time. This is absolutely not true. For example, in the past year alone, our firm has removed three individuals and one company from the OFAC SDN List. Three of those clients were designated pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act ("Kingpin Act") and one of them was designated under the Liberia Sanctions program. So it is very possible to do and a simple look at OFAC's Recent Actions Page on their website will prove that to be true.

That said, OFAC removals often times do require a request for reconsideration to be filed through the appropriate channels. Those reconsiderations should address the basis of the designation from a perspective of either a case of mistaken designation or a change in circumstances warranting a removal.

Myth #2: It Only Takes a Few Months to be Removed From the OFAC SDN List
On the other end of the spectrum from Myth #1 is the notion that an SDN removal is possible and will occur very quickly. I have had discussions with prospective clients in the past where they were told by other lawyers that it only takes a couple of months to be removed. This stood in stark contrast to my projected 2-3 year time range estimate for removal.

The Center for Economic Sanctions and Reform (CESAR) is currently working on a project to track and analyze the number of removals and the duration of SDN designations. While the project is still in the works the numbers concerning proliferators of weapons of mass destruction designations under Executive Order 13382 are available, and those numbers are telling. For example, the average length of a designation of a party who has been removed from the SDN List for an EO 13382 designation is 874 days, or approximately 2 years and 3 months.

Not so good for Kirsan but that's well before the next scheduled FIDE elections. Oh, yes, and three ...

Myth #3: Once OFAC Makes a Decision That's It.
Again, not true. Once OFAC renders a decision on an SDN reconsideration request, it does not necessarily mean that's the end of the road. There are two alternatives. Alternative #1 involves the submission of a new administrative reconsideration request, which claims a change in circumstances or provides newly acquired evidence in support of reconsideration.

Alternative #2 is a lawsuit against OFAC in U.S. District Court in Washington, DC under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). That alternative requires a showing to the court that OFAC's decision on the reconsideration request was arbitrary and capricious, a fairly high standard to meet, but nonetheless an alternative forum in which to protest an OFAC SDN designation.

Like I noted earlier. Get your popcorn. More to follow.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: SDN can be defeated and Kirsan may be the one to do it.

OK, so what about the successful examples? Easily noted.

A Law Suit is all it took to give Treasury the thrashing they deserved.

At the beginning of January, we reported on a lawsuit filed by Ante Gotovina, an alleged war criminal, who sued the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) seeking removal from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (the “SDN List”). Gotovina claimed that he should be removed based on the 3-2 reversal by an Appeals Panel of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (“ICTY”) of his conviction for war crimes. Earlier this week OFAC quietly removed Gotovina from the SDN list, announcing the removal in this Federal Register notice and stating that “circumstances no longer warrant inclusion” of Gotovina on the SDN List.

Getting removed from the SDN List is normally no easy task. Requests for removal normally languish for months or years at Treasury without response even though during that period the designated individual is unable to conduct financial transactions with U.S persons or firms. Indeed, a listed individually technically can’t even buy a hot dog on a street corner in New York while designated, although I personally have never seen any NYC hot-dog vendors card their customers and run their names against the SDN List. The Gotovina case suggests that the best way to get OFAC’s attention is to force the issue in court where, like it or not, OFAC will have to respond one way or the other on the court’s schedule, not its own.

Gotevina’s lawyer said that OFAC did not even bother to call him with the news of Gotovina’s removal.

That was for a war criminal, mind you. Kirsan should have an easier time of it, whatever the frothing Russophobes have to say.

Next.

On September 5, 2012, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, plaintiff Muhammad Salah, a U.S. citizen residing in Illinois, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner and Director of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Adam J. Szubin in their official capacities. The suit challenges Mr. Salah’s designation as a “Specially Designated Terrorist,” which was imposed without notice or an opportunity to be heard and which is unreasonably onerous, as a violation of his basic constitutional rights. Salah is the only United States resident citizen designated as a Specially Designated Terrorist, and his designation represents an unprecedented embargo on a U.S. citizen’s daily activities, prohibiting even the most basic transaction without the licensing or advance approval of OFAC.

The lawsuit stems from Mr. Salah’s classification as a terrorist under the authority of Executive Order 12947 (E.O. 12947), pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). On January 23, 1995, then President Clinton issued the order declaring a national emergency to deal with violent acts by foreign terrorists who were considered to be interfering with the Middle East peace process. Six months after Clinton signed E.O. 12947, the Treasury designated Salah as a Specially Designated Terrorist. The U.S. government appears to have targeted him for designation because of alleged connections to Hamas during an earlier period when support to Hamas was not yet prohibited by U.S. law. However, the designation notice, which the Treasury never sent to Salah, simply announced that Salah had been designated and provided no factual or legal basis for the decision. Mr. Salah and his family only learned of the imposition of the designation when Salah’s wife, Maryam, attempted to withdraw funds from her bank account and was told that the account was frozen. To this day, the U.S. government has not informed Salah as to why it designated him as a terrorist.

Defendants imposed the designation’s restrictions on Salah indefinitely without a criminal or civil trial, administrative hearing, or even notice. This deprivation of Salah’s liberty and property interests without notice or a meaningful opportunity to respond effectively denied him due process in violation of the Fifth Amendment. In these circumstances, OFAC’s imposition of such severe sanctions over almost two decades amounts to criminal punishment. Yet, Salah suffered under these punitive measures without first having the opportunity to face a trial by jury with the assistance of counsel or the chance to confront witnesses against him, as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. Furthermore, nothing in the statutes, executive order or regulations requires defendants to review or reconsider Salah’s status on any regular basis, or to justify his treatment to a court, leaving Salah in an unbearable limbo for the past 17 years.

The case is also brought on behalf of plaintiffs American Friends Services Committee (AFSC) and American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) under the First Amendment because Salah’s designation prevents them from meaningfully advocating in coordination with Salah against the unfairness of that very designation. Defendants have taken the position that any “coordinated advocacy” by U.S. entities or persons with and on behalf of a designated entity or person is barred. AFSC, ADC, and ADC’s members are afraid that, if they engage in coordinated advocacy around Salah’s treatment, they may be subject to enforcement action by defendants, including but not limited to designation and civil and criminal penalties.

As a result of the designation, Salah has lived under incredibly onerous restrictions, which bar virtually all economic transactions, even those necessary for survival: Mr. Salah is not permitted to get a job, pay rent, obtain medical care, or even buy a loaf of bread -- without first obtaining approval from the Treasury Department, which has unfettered discretion to impose these harsh sanctions. In April 1998, OFAC granted Salah a limited license requiring that: any employment income must be deposited in a licensed bank account; funds must be withdrawn from the account only for specific, limited purposes; and both Salah and the bank must submit regular reports and documentation. For over two years, Salah approached banks in an effort to open a licensed account, but each bank refused because of the burdensome licensing and reporting requirements demanded by OFAC. Salah also made many attempts to find employment, but the fact that he had to inform prospective employers that he was a "Specially Designated Terrorist" made obtaining a job extremely difficult.

In 2009, OFAC issued a second license that further limited his daily life with requirements so sweeping that they are for all practical purposes impossible to comply with. The license directed that, even for authorized types of expenses, payment could not “originate from a source in the United States,” and therefore Salah’s family and friends were forbidden from helping him to make ends meet. In addition, the license required him to keep records demonstrating that each and every transaction fell within vague criteria of “basic maintenance,” prohibiting him from buying items as simple as a book or newspaper, a ticket to a concert or sporting event, or flowers for his wife. Moreover, the Treasury blocks Salah from donating to a political campaign or volunteering for a political candidate absent prior approval from OFAC, effectively violating his rights to freedom of speech and association. The Treasury also bars Salah from fulfilling his religious obligation to make regular donations to charity, called zakat in Islam, and from making the pilgrimage to Mecca (haj), as prescribed in the Muslim faith, thus imposing a substantial burden on the exercise of his religion and violating his rights under both the First Amendment of the Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

This case is part of CCR’s continuing work to limit the government’s ability to punish, control, and malign Muslims on the basis of vague associational allegations that would not stand up in a court of law. Salah’s OFAC designation is part and parcel of a pattern of sub-legal mechanisms that the government has used increasingly to repress and stigmatize members of Muslim communities.

The Complaint seeks: a declaration that defendants’ designation of Salah as a “Specially Designated Terrorist” has violated multiple constitutional and statutory rights; an injunction requiring defendants to lift the designation and to remove the restrictions upon him; a declaration that the restrictions on the ability of the AFSC and ADC to engage in advocacy in coordination with Salah to challenge his treatment violates their First Amendment rights; and an injunction barring enforcement of restrictions on plaintiffs’ coordinated advocacy.

Salah’s co-plaintiffs are the American Friends Service Committee, a national Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service, and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, a civil rights organization committed to defending the rights of people of Arab descent and promoting their rich cultural heritage.

and so on, and so on.

Salah v. U.S. Department of Treasury or "I fought the law and ... I won."

50 billion (the number Kirsan is suing Treasury for) should just about cover the legal fees. lol. Now if anyone really believes all this isn't blatant political grandstanding, I have some land in Florida I'd like to sell you ...

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: Nigel the Neo Fascist and his Propaganda

OK, so what about the successful examples? Easily noted.

A Law Suit is all it took to give Treasury the thrashing they deserved.



That was for a war criminal, mind you. Kirsan should have an easier time of it, whatever the frothing Russophobes have to say.

Next.



and so on, and so on.

Salah v. U.S. Department of Treasury or "I fought the law and ... I won."

50 billion (the number Kirsan is suing Treasury for) should just about cover the legal fees. lol. Now if anyone really believes all this isn't blatant political grandstanding, I have some land in Florida I'd like to sell you ...

As usual your references are as laughable as you are. The reference I used in another thread are directly from the White & Case Legal website. White & Case is a leading law firm in the area of international law that represents individuals, corporations as well sovereign nations. Here is the link from White & Case that gives the stats i have already provided.
http://www.whitecase.com/publication...iciary-collide

The article clearly states that no Judicial reversal has ever happened for a Specially Designated National on the OFAC list, the list that happens to be the one Kirsan is on. Sorry but your darling Kirsan is burned. You are better off going to the movies if you would like to enjoy popcorn sooner rather then later...or even later if you are planning to wait for a Kirsan trail.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: Nigel the Neo Fascist and his Propoganda

blah blah

Hey Sid, you misspelled propaganda. But I'm touched that you'd acknowledge my contribution ... even if only through a personal attack. In any case, nothing says "you lost the argument" better than a blatant personal attack.

Cheers and have a nice day.

[Steve Douglas]

Re: Nigel the Neo Fascist and his Propoganda

Hey Sid, you misspelled propaganda. But I'm touched that you'd acknowledge my contribution ... even if only through a personal attack. In any case, nothing says "you lost the argument" better than a blatant personal attack.

Cheers and have a nice day.

Sid's spelling foibles aside, he's not the first to change the subject of a thread to try to further their argument (you're both guilty of bad netiquette). And if the best you can offer as a riposte is "he called me a bad name!", what does that say about your argument? As for personal attacks, ummm, I think you have Sid trumped when it comes to over-the-top comments.

Steve

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: Nigel the Neo Fascist and his Propoganda

Hey Sid, you misspelled propaganda. But I'm touched that you'd acknowledge my contribution ... even if only through a personal attack. In any case, nothing says "you lost the argument" better than a blatant personal attack.

Cheers and have a nice day.

Actually you did not win the argument, case 1 involved a reversal at the International Crimminal Court level that prompted OFAC to remove the individual from the list. It was not a Judicial Reversal in a US court where OFAC was forced to reverse on account of a US court ruling. I will concede that it took going to the US court that brought to OFAC's attention that this perosn was vindicated at the ICC. However the result was not on account of a US court forcing a reversal of OFAC's designation.

Case 2 did not involve a Specially designated National. It involved a US citizen who was a Specially Designated Terrorist. OFAC's actions in this case were not on account of a forced court ruling that they had to reverse their designation.

In short Whitehall's statement that there are known recorded US Judicial reversals of an OFAC Specially Designated National is correct.

Incidentally out of 15,100 Specially Designated Nationals the number of cases that have even been challenged in a US court are so rare that Kirsan's chances are very close to zero of getting a reversal. When OFAC designates someone it is very rare that it done without overwhelming evidence hence their near flawless track record.

Sorry if the facts about Kirsan's sorry state do not match the way you would like to see things.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Sid dissembles

Vlad 15,100 have been sanctioned in the USA as Specially Designated Nationals with zero judicial reversals. Only 2 cases out of 15,100 have ever even been heard in a US court. Kirsan is an agent who has been finally exposed and burnt. Game over for Kirsan. CHECKMATE! No resolution forthcoming soon -- or ever. The CFC supported Kirsan knowing full well that he is a criminal.

That is simply nonsense. Instead of lashing out over a long lost election, perhaps you should reflect on the things that Garry and his campaign team -including you- did which allowed Garry to lose the vote not only in Canada but around the world by such a decisive margin against a candidate with challenges like a self reported alien abduction. This is simply an extension of the bullying strategy which came down from the top and will be unsuccessful every time you roll it out again. If Kirsan is guilty of the things that he is accused of, that is a shame. If he is not guilty then that is even a bigger shame against his accusers. FIDE will continue for a time with Georgios Makropoulos in charge. I think that the CFC enjoys a good working relationship with him.

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: The CFC Disgraced Chess in Canada -- Will Vlad Resign?

That is simply nonsense. Instead of lashing out over a long lost election, perhaps you should reflect on the things that Garry and his campaign team -including you- did which allowed Garry to lose the vote not only in Canada but around the world by such a decisive margin against a candidate with challenges like a self reported alien abduction. This is simply an extension of the bullying strategy which came down from the top and will be unsuccessful every time you roll it out again. If Kirsan is guilty of the things that he is accused of, that is a shame. If he is not guilty then that is even a bigger shame against his accusers. FIDE will continue for a time with Georgios Makropoulos in charge. I think that the CFC enjoys a good working relationship with him.

Who lost the election does not figure into it. What matters is that many federations in the EU and the CFC were corrupted in how they voted. The cost of this is that chess gets a bad name. In the CFC's case the Globe and Mail published an article that stated that the CFC endorsed "Putin's choice". The Globe happened to be exactly correct in their summation. This alone gave chess a bad name in Canada. Now that Kirsan has been exposed entirely it is much worst. Kirsan being designated a Specially Designated National is now officially an enemy in the United States war on terror. This is not an accusation, it is a fact in the same way a convict is considered convicted,not "accused". George Makropoulos is part of the same old wretched infrastructure.

[Steve Douglas]

Re: The CFC Disgraced Chess in Canada -- Will Vlad Resign?

This is not an accusation, it is a fact in the same way a convict is considered convicted,not "accused".

Well except for those little pesky concepts in British Common Law such as "innocent until proven guilty" and "due process". This is condemnation by fiat. The U.S. has the right to do that. And I'm in no way trying to defend KI. But let's not pretend he has been found guilty in a court of justice with his rights being respected and having been granted due process.

Steve

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: The CFC Disgraced Chess in Canada -- Will Vlad Resign?

Well except for those little pesky concepts in British Common Law such as "innocent until proven guilty" and "due process". This is condemnation by fiat. The U.S. has the right to do that. And I'm in no way trying to defend KI. But let's not pretend he has been found guilty in a court of justice with his rights being respected and having been granted due process.

Steve

Exactly right....except the USA is at war. During war entirely different rules apply. One thing that is interesting to note is that no "announced" judicial reversals are known. Some day i will explain. Kirsan can now get a taste of his own medicine of what it is like when rights and due process are ignored for people like the murdered journalist Larisa Yudina. https://wikileaks.org/wiki/Larisa_Yudina.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Will Sid run for the CFC presidency?

Who lost the election does not figure into it. What matters is that many federations in the EU and the CFC were corrupted in how they voted. The cost of this is that chess gets a bad name. In the CFC's case the Globe and Mail published an article that stated that the CFC endorsed "Putin's choice". The Globe happened to be exactly correct in their summation. This alone gave chess a bad name in Canada. Now that Kirsan has been exposed entirely it is much worst. Kirsan being designated a Specially Designated National is now officially an enemy in the United States war on terror. This is not an accusation, it is a fact in the same way a convict is considered convicted,not "accused". George Makropoulos is part of the same old wretched infrastructure.

Sid, you are full of it. Kasparov did not offer any alternative and if the first hand stories are to be believed regarding the GMA, he would have offered an amped up version of everything that has been wrong at FIDE. If you want to pretend to be an alternative to the existing order well then you should stay in character as a reformer, at least for just a moment and avoid old behaviours and side deals with the likes of Leong. The Globe and Mail article title was changed after the fact when you or someone in the Kasparov campaign contacted them after being upset that they toned down their article after talking to me. I don't take issue with anything but the changed headline. Anyway, it hardly matters.

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: The CFC Disgraced Chess in Canada -- Will Vlad Resign?

Sid, you are full of it. Kasparov did not offer any alternative and if the first hand stories are to be believed regarding the GMA, he would have offered an amped up version of everything that has been wrong at FIDE. If you want to pretend to be an alternative to the existing order well then you should stay in character as a reformer, at least for just a moment and avoid old behaviours and side deals with the likes of Leong. The Globe and Mail article title was changed after the fact when you or someone in the Kasparov campaign contacted them after being upset that they toned down their article after talking to me. I don't take issue with anything but the changed headline. Anyway, it hardly matters.

Vlad, I have never heard of anyone contacting the Globe and Mail or in any way being upset with them. You have only yourself to blame with respect to the headline that represents the truth. The CFC publically endorsed the candidate that was and is very close with Putin and not surprisingly the Globe and Mail reported that in the headline. At the time on these forums you simply denied what was historical fact. For whatever reason you don't like Garry...no problem you vote for the other candidate, however....when you go the extra step and publicly endorse a candidate with a long history of being close to Putin, running a dictatorship where under his regime journalists "disappeared", was being investigated as a potential candidate for the sanctions list, claims he was abducted by aliens, consorts with all the worst dictators in the world, suspected self dealing with FIDE (AGON) etc etc etc don't expect glowing headlines. Yes, no doubt, you have disgraced chess in Canada so stop trying to blame others for the bad name you brought to chess in this country. I agree, it hardly matters, the deed is done and probably there will not be much left of FIDE or the CFC by the time the whole lot of you leave the chess scene.