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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Putin the Pragmatist |
| 2004-10-18 |
| Say what you will about Vladimir but I think Bush was dead-on when he said that this was a guy he could work with. Russian President Vladimir Putin, siding with President Bush two weeks before the U.S. election, said Monday that armed attacks in Iraq were staged by "international terrorism" out to block his re-election. "The attacks of international terrorism in Iraq are directed not only at international coalition forces but at President Bush personally," said Putin, speaking in the Tajik capital. "International terrorism has given itself the goal of causing maximum damage to Bush in the election battle, the goal of blocking the re-election of Bush for a second presidential term," he told a news conference. Putin's comments, ahead of the Nov. 2 election in which Democratic challenger John Kerry and Bush are fighting a close race, seemed a reward to the U.S. President for his personal friendship and valuable support. The strong support he enjoys from Bush since quickly backing the U.S. war on terrorism following the Sept. 11 hijacked plane attacks in the United States has helped him withstand other criticism from the United States and the West over his democratic record at home. Despite making clear he wanted to see Bush returned to the White House, the pragmatic Putin carefully balanced his comments by adding: "We will, of course, respect any choice by the American people." Last June, Putin made clear for the first time he would like to see Bush back in the White House, accusing the Democrats of hypocrisy for attacking the U.S. leader on Iraq, saying the Clinton administration had been responsible for the 1999 air attacks on Yugoslavia. |
| Posted by:AzCat |
| #5 I think the passage could just have easily read like this: "Under these circumstances it will not be wrong that the interests of Russians should meet with the interests of Americans in fighting against the Islamic crusaders. We reject the Islamic crusaders because the the legitimacy of those ideologies has fallen a long time ago. The fighting that is going on or about to come up highly resembles the Russians fighting with the Americans against the Germans in the past. The meeting of interests in not harmful, for the Russians fighting with the Americans intersected with interests of the communists and this did not inconvenience Stalins followers." |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-18 5:09:25 PM |
| #4 Buy off Russia's nuclear industry and get Russia out of Iran's corner. $4B, $6B - whatever, the price is peanuts. And drive greater cooperation with not just Russia but also India. Their cooperation and support re Iran means far more to us than anything France, Germany or even Tony will provide. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-18 12:24:45 PM |
| #3 Let's not forget the game plan drawn up by the Al-Qaeda Jihadi on the day Baghdad fell and which included this quote: "Under these circumstances it will not be wrong that the interests of Muslims should meet with the interests of socialists in fighting against the crusaders though we reject them and say that the socialists are infidels. The legitimacy of those ideologies has fallen a long time ago. The socialists are infidels wherever they may be, in Baghdad or in Eden. The fighting that is going on or about to come up highly resembles the Muslims fighting of the Romans in the past. The meeting of interests in not harmful, for the Muslims fighting with the Romans intersected with interests of the Persians and this did not inconvenience the prophet's followers." |
| Posted by: tipper 2004-10-18 11:18:31 AM |
| #2 Say what you will about Vladimir It is amazing how peoples get the leadership they deserve. Putin does not seem inappropriate for Russia. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-18 10:33:54 AM |
| #1 Say what you will about Vladimir but I think Bush was dead-on when he said that this was a guy he could work with. I agree. |
| Posted by: Atropanthe 2004-10-18 10:12:03 AM |