But will they say "Ni"?
Posted on 10/28/2004 5:32:42 AM PDT by focusandclarity
"Margelov also tried to explain a secretive recent mission to Baghdad by former Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov. Primakov's trip was meant to apply pressure on Saddam to comply with international inspectors, Margelov said."
Russian Official:Country Will Back Second U.N. Resolution
While Moscow has said it wants more time for inspections to work in Iraq, a Russian lawmaker visiting Capitol Hill Wednesday said that doesn't mean the country would object to a U.S.-backed resolution authorizing force.
Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian Parliament's upper house, defended the need to give weapons inspectors more time, a position France and Germany hold, but he said he doubts the Russian ambassador to the United Nations would cast Russia's veto power in the Security Council. [...]
News of Russia's moderate stance satisfied committee member Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., who said that he was "convinced there will not be a Russian veto" of the U.S.- and U.K.-sponsored resolution.
Lantos returned from Russia on Tuesday, where he met with Russian officials about Russia's veto power, its relationship with Baghdad and its sale of nuclear materials to Iran. [...]
Margelov also tried to explain a secretive recent mission to Baghdad by former Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov. Primakov's trip was meant to apply pressure on Saddam to comply with international inspectors, Margelov said.
He denied that Primakov was offering Saddam a chance to go into exile. [...]
Primakov, a top member of the communist elite in the Soviet Union, went to Baghdad on a similar mission in 1991, before the Persian Gulf War.
Margelov suggested that this time around, Primakov was indicating to both Saddam and Russian communists at home that President Vladimir Putin "has exhausted all peaceful opportunities to resolve this crisis." [...]
That would be preferable to the United States, whose relationship with Russia is being tested by the Iraq standoff.
Russia's Iran and Iraq policies are "major impediments to good relations between our two countries," committee chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., told Margelov.
Too true, Henry! I get the feeling that the relatively new Russian Federation guys are trying very hard to be "good guys," but that old Soviet Kremlin stuff dies hard. Putin and his boys have been wandering way off the reservation these past few months.
Time for President Bush to have a "come to Jesus" meeting with his pal "Pooty Poot."
If they were to use their veto on our resolution and say "No," it would be Cold War Redux or worse.
And someday soon, when we're not so busy, we're going to have to set them straight about this Iranian situation, too."
03:58 PM Permalink TrackBack [0]
Primakov, a top member of the communist elite in the Soviet Union, went to Baghdad on a similar mission in 1991, before the Persian Gulf War.
Margelov suggested that this time around, Primakov was indicating to both Saddam and Russian communists at home that President Vladimir Putin "has exhausted all peaceful opportunities to resolve this crisis."
But will they say "Ni"?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.