TODAY: Medvedev addresses Davos with anti-terror message; fires ‘lax’ transport officials; Putin denies airport attack connected to Chechnya. START sails through upper house; Medvedev encourages ongoing arms reduction; Putin-Medvedev approval rate falling? Other Russia party registration denied; President emphasizes internet freedom; Mount Putin in jeopardy

‘By targeting citizens of many countries the perpetrators of this evil act wanted to bring Russia on its knees’: Medvedev has used his World Economic Forum address to send out a defiant message to terrorists.  The President has dismissed the official in charge of the Moscow transportation police and the three police officials in charge of security at Domodedovo Airport, after lambasting their lackadaisical approach to surveillance.  Police were too busy extorting bribes from foreigners arriving from Central Asia to be vigilant about security, says one airport worker quoted in this op-ed.  Vladimir Putin has apparently said that the bombing is not connected to Chechnya, but did not elaborate upon this statement.  RFE/RL wonders if Daghestan Jamaat was behind the operation.  According to Ria-Novosti, police have identified the first suspect behind the attack as a Russian resident of the southern Stavropol region, a member of the now supposedly defunct Nogai Jamaat.  Garry Kasparov has added to the deluge of criticism of Putin’s anti-terror policy adding that, alarmingly, many Russians see the airport attack as ‘preparation for the presidential election next year’.   Was a New Year’s Eve attack averted due to the inexperience of Black Widow bomber?  The President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, has told the Independent that the attack was ‘payback’ for Putin’s support of separatists, an issue which he claims to have discussed personally with the Prime Minister.