TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2010


State of emergency declared in some regions of Russia


Death toll from wildfires now at least 40; forests, crops are devastated


by Isabel Gorst


moscow — Russia declared a state of emergency in seven re- gions Monday as the death toll climbed from wildfires sweeping the European part of the country. The fires have devastated homes, farmland and forests across a huge portion of Euro- pean Russia, which has been left parched by a prolonged heat wave and drought. A fifth of Russia’s grain crop has been destroyed by lack of rain, prompting a surge in world wheat prices and driving many farmers to the brink of bankrupt- cy.


At least 40 people have died in the past few days as high winds fanned flames in forests and peat bogs. Russian President Dmitry


Medvedev signed a decree Mon- day declaring an emergency in the Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Voronezh, Mordovia and Mari El regions, the Kremlin said in a statement. The decree bars Russians from entering forests and peat bogs at risk of fire until the emergency is lifted. It also calls for recruiting


volunteers to help combat the wildfires. Medvedev urged Russians vis- iting the countryside to be vigi- lant. “Much depends on us and on your behavior,” he said. “It is diffi- cult in the city, stuffy and very hot. . . . Everyone wants to go out to the country. Remember, any discarded match can bring about an irrevocable disaster. These are not banal words; it is how things are.” Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called a meeting of regional gov- ernors to discuss the crisis. “Every day, several hundred new fires break out including tens of huge ones. We must do everything pos- sible effectively to battle with this dreadful calamity,” he said. The government has allocated about $217 million to compensate and re-house more than 2,000 people who have been left home- less. Construction must begin by next week and be completed be- fore the onset of winter in Octo- ber, Putin said. Weather forecasters warned on


Monday that there is no hope of respite from the record-breaking heat wave, which has gripped Eu- ropean Russia for more than five weeks. In Moscow, people donned masks as smog from the burning peat bogs cloaked the city. Health officials advised chil- dren and the elderly to stay at home as pharmacies reported a


KLMNO


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The World


A7


Israel to take part in U.N.-led flotilla probe


Backs off initial stance that its own inquiry was enough


by Janine Zacharia ALEXANDER NATRUSKIN/REUTERS


People walk along Moscow’s Red Square through heavy smog caused by peat fires in nearby forests. High winds have fanned the flames.


on washingtonpost.com


To see photos of an unusual Russian holiday,


go to washingtonpost.com/world


rush on oxygen canisters used to ease respiratory problems. Environmentalists have


blamed the authorities for not preventing the fires by watering peat bogs, which frequently ig- nite in hot weather. Avtovaz, Russia’s biggest car-


maker, halted assembly lines Monday because forecast tem- peratures could damage the health of workers. —Financial Times


UAE’s restrictions on BlackBerrys to affect foreign visitors Associated Press


dubai, united arab emir- ates — The United Arab Emir- ates’ crackdown on BlackBerry services will extend to foreign visitors, putting the govern- ment’s concerns over the smart- phones in direct conflict with the country’s ambitions to be a busi- ness and tourism haven. The UAE’s telecommunica-


tions regulator said Monday that travelers to the city-state of Du- bai and the important oil indus- try center of Abu Dhabi will — like 500,000 local subscribers — have to do without BlackBerry e- mail, messaging and Web ser- vices starting Oct. 11, even when they carry phones issued in other countries. The handsets them- selves will still be allowed for phone calls. UAE authorities say the move


is based on security concerns be- cause BlackBerry transmissions are automatically routed to com- pany computers abroad, where it is difficult for local authorities to monitor for illegal activity or abuse.


Critics of the crackdown say it is also a way for the country’s conservative government to fur- ther control content it deems po- litically or morally objectionable. About 100,000 travelers pass


through Dubai’s airport each day, making it the busiest airport in the Middle East. The new re- strictions could leave time- pressed business travelers hurry- ing through, many of them changing planes for other desti- nations, without access to their e-mail or the Web. In Washington, State Depart- ment spokesman P.J. Crowley called the restrictions “a move in the wrong direction.”


jerusalem — Israel agreed Monday to participate in a Unit- ed Nations-led probe of an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship that left nine Turkish activists dead, backing off its original in- sistence that its own internal in- vestigation was sufficient. The May 31 incident at sea prompted widespread condem- nation of Israel and sparked a diplomatic row between Israel and Turkey that U.S. and U.N. diplo- mats have sought to defuse. Israel was origi- nally cool to the idea of a U.N.-led inquiry into the en- counter. But U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in- sisted on appoint- ing his own panel to ensure that a credible investiga- tion was conduct- ed.


On Monday, Israeli Prime Min- ister Binyamin Netanyahu in- formed Ban that Israel would participate in the U.N. probe af- ter having been assured that the panel would be fair. “Israel has nothing to hide.


The opposite is true. It is in the national interest of the state of Israel to ensure that the factual truth of the overall flotilla events comes to light throughout the world,” Netanyahu said in a state- ment.


Susan E. Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the U.N. panel would complement domestic investigations being carried out by Israel and Turkey. In a statement, she expressed hope that the U.N. probe would “enable Israel and Turkey to move beyond the recent strains in their relationship.’’ An Israeli official said Israel’s decision to participate was driv-


en in large part by its desire to re- pair ties with Turkey, an impor- tant Israeli ally in the Middle East. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the issue publicly. A statement issued by the


Netanyahu: “Israel has nothing to hide.”


Turkish Foreign Ministry said Turkey hoped the results of the inquiry would “help entrench the culture of respect for interna- tional law and prevent the recur- rence of similar violations.” The Israeli navy’s dramatic at- tempt to intercept the Turkish ship carrying aid to the blockad- ed Gaza Strip turned deadly after Israeli commandos faced resis- tance from some activists. The U.N. Security Council im- mediately called for a “prompt, impar- tial, credible and transparent investi- gation.” Israel has since loosened restric- tions on what can enter Gaza via land crossings. But it has kept its sea block- ade in place, saying it needs to prevent Gaza’s militant Ha- mas leadership from receiving long-range arms.


The U.N. inquiry will be led by former New Zealand prime min- ister Geoffrey Palmer and out- going Colombian President Álva- ro Uribe. The panel will also have a member from Turkey and from Israel. Israel’s commission, led by a


retired Israeli Supreme Court justice, is set to hear testimony next week from Netanyahu, De- fense Minister Ehud Barak and Israeli military Chief of Staff Ga- bi Ashkenazi. A separate inquiry by the military faulted planners for not having alternative pro- cedures in place and concluded that agencies did not share intel- ligence efficiently before the raid. The U.N. panel will begin its work Aug. 10 and submit a prog- ress report by mid-September. zachariaj@washpost.com


Special correspondent Gul Tuysuz in Turkey contributed to this report.


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