Russian roulette’: Russian diplomat describes working in Middle East in crises

MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/. Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov had shared his insights about working in Middle Eastern countries when they plunge into crises, comparing it to playing "Russian roulette". "It gets scary sometimes in a region such as the Middle East where everything is burning bright, where certain military and political conflicts are happening all the time. There are no certain guaranteed even though the foreign ministry, government and leadership take comprehensive measures to ensure security of our diplomatic and consular missions in the Middle East where I have worked my whole life," Bogdanov said Monday in an open interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman. The history of Russian diplomacy had tragic events when people were kidnapped and killed, he added. "Both in Beirut and Baghdad. Investigations are still ongoing to study real facts of who masterminded [the crimes] and who committed [them]. It is sometimes very hard to get to the bottom of things even though expedient and seemingly effective measures are taken," the senior diplomat noted. Lebanon civil war Bogdanov underlined that he also felt "a feeling of fear and uncertainty" in Middle Eastern countries. He recalled his work in Beirut in the late 1970s when the country was gripped by the civil war. "I remember the case when we needed to head for a meeting to the city, when shelling began. <…> There was sometimes gunfire between the western and the eastern parts of the city. There was a frontline that was very dangerous to cross, because there were snipers on both sides that could kill anyone," he said. "Squares were shelled, artillery shells were fired blindly anywhere. When you drive through the city and squares are being attacked, while neighboring cities are seeing shells exploding, this is just like Russian roulette. It is definitely not a very pleasant experience." Arab Spring in Egypt Bogdanov also recalled the Arab Spring events in Egypt in 2011 when he headed the diplomatic mission there, "Hundreds of thousands of people are marching along the embassy, and their intentions are not the kindest. They are heading to Tahrir Square to protests and oppose someone, a color revolution of some sorts. When people are walking by the embassy armed with sticks and knives, you don’t know whether they will turn your way or not. We even stepped out on balconies, there was a Russian flag hanging. Thank God, they welcomed [Russia] as a friendly country." Terror attack in Israel The diplomat branded the events of June 2001 in Tel Aviv as a "very tense moment" for him, when a terror attack, known as Dolphinarium discotheque massacre, killed 21 people. "We had a graduation ceremony at the [Russian embassy] school that day. As the [Russian] Ambassador [to Israel], I went to the school to congratulate graduates with the end of school year. In the evening, they were discussing where to go to celebrate the end of the academic year. One person said, ‘Let’s go to the Dolphinarium discotheque’. It is a good thing that someone said, ‘No, let’s do it among ourselves," he recalled. "That evening, Dolphinarium was hit in a major terrorist attack. <…> This was a terrible tragedy," the diplomat added. "Had our schoolchildren gone there that evening, it would have been a colossal tragedy for us. Read more