 Oct. 7, 1952 born in Leningrad (St. Petersburg)  1975 earned law degree from Leningrad State University  Joined foreign intelligence directorate of the KGB › Maybe involved in economic espionage OR was low-level domestic spy  1990 retired as colonel from KGB

 Preservation of state power; surveillance of the population › Tsarist Russia = secret police › – Cheka ›  Under Lenin and Stalin responsible for millions of deaths  – added foreign affairs › Functioned as CIA and FBI combined  Responsibilities › Foreign & domestic espionage › Intelligence gathering and analysis › Counterintelligence › Political control over the population › Protecting borders › Covert activities and disinformation  1991 KGB becomes the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Foreign Intelligence Service

 1994 deputy mayor of St. Petersburg  1996 served on Yeltsin’s presidential staff  1998 appointed head of Federal Security Service  March 1999 manages network of all intelligence agencies and ministries  August 1999 appointed prime minister  Dec 31, 1999 Yeltsin resigns position as president

 Jan 2000 appointed acting president › Signs decree granting Yeltsin full criminal immunity and a lifetime pension  March 2000 wins presidential election › First democratically elected president  March 2004 reelected with 70% of popular vote › Allegations that elections were corrupt  May 2008 Putin’s choice Dmitri Medvedev wins election › Putin joins United Russia Party to qualify for PM position › May 7 Putin appointed Prime Minister › Dec. 30, 2008 presidential terms limit extended to 6 years  March 2012 Putin elected President

 Australian News ClipNews Clip  US State Department StatementStatement  Gorbachev’s BBC InterviewInterview