icdiss.org looks, at first glance, like your run-of-the-mill think tank website. Two recent articles, one in The Economist and another on economist.com, say that the International Council for Democratic Institutions and State Sovereignty is, in reality, geopolitical astroturf for the Kremlin and the rulers of Transdniestria. Both of these articles are by journalist Edward Lucas (his blog).

The organization even has a wikipedia entry. The entry has a fascinating talk page, with Edward Lucas contributing additional research he's done since the articles were published.

So... want to become a member? Before deciding, maybe you want to read an interview with the program director. It's in the Transdniestrian English-language publication The Tiraspol Times & Weekly Review (slogans: "daily news, independent and objective" and "Get the Facts!").
posted by Kattullus on Aug 11, 2006 - 10 comments