Bush confronts Putin on Iraq arms

BBC News ^ | March 24, 2003 | Staff

[AntiGuv]

US President George W Bush has complained directly to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that Russian companies have been selling military equipment to Iraq in breach of UN sanctions.

The White House says it has "credible evidence" that Russian companies had sold military equipment such as satellite-jamming devices, anti-tank missiles and night-vision goggles to Iraq, despite Russian denials.

In a phone conversation with Mr Bush, the Russian president said he would look into the allegations immediately, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov denied the claims, saying that relevant agencies had investigated the allegations and found them unwarranted.

"Russia strictly fulfils all its international obligations and has not supplied any equipment, including military, to Iraq in violation of the sanctions regime," he said.

Relations strain

On Sunday the Washington Post newspaper reported, citing sources within the Bush administration, that one Russian company was aiding the Iraqi regime in efforts to jam satellite signals that could guide bombs and military aircraft used by the US-led coalition.

A further two companies, it said, had sold night-vision goggles and anti-tank missiles to the regime in contravention of United Nations sanctions.

Officials within the Bush administration have long been frustrated by Russia's perceived failure to crack down on arms sales to countries the US considers sponsors of terrorism.

However a Russian deputy, Andrei Kokoshin, suggested that Iraq could have obtained Soviet-era weapons through a former Soviet republic such as the Ukraine, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.

BBC Washington correspondent Rob Watson says the incident could worsen relations between the two countries, already soured by Russia's continuing opposition to the war in Iraq.

[Grampa Dave]

Send them to the Chechnians with the loan of a few Spec Ops people.

Putrid is a POS KGB/Russian Mobster Thug! He makes Saddam look honest!

[Teetop]

El Puto is playing ignorant, like Shhhh-Iraq does....

[TLBSHOW]

Russia has never been our friend they are playing us for fools!

[johnfl61]

Putrid-once a commie always a commie.

[Principled]

Gee Vlad, I dunno HOW thosee Chechens got that stuff... must've been via Puerto Rico.

[ruready4eternity]

MARK FIDEL COOLES (AKBAR) The Muslim BAstrd Killed Our BOYS> HOW MANY MORE ARE BEHIND THE PATRIOT MISSLES KILLING OUR TROOPS > SABBATOGE?

THE COMMIES ARE IN THIS ALSO

[Maeve]

We are all watching as the KGB game comes to an end, and Russia and Putin are exposed for the vicious enemies of the USA that they have always been.

[Kay Soze]

Lets start arming Chechens.

Lets give 'em all the stuff we confiscate from Iraq.

[Grampa Dave]

Gee Putrid, you had 150 planes shot down, 1,000 tanks shot up, every rocket your men fired that had GPS came back and killed your thugs. Tough Stinisky, Vlad!

Wait until you see what the mongols east of you have now!

Also Eastern Europe is still poed from what you did to them after WWII, so they some how got some great new war toys.

I guess that you had better call the UN if you can find out where they are after we booted them out of NY City.

[Libertina]

Big shocker

[whadizit]

Once a KGB, always a KGB. GW was a tad naive when he was wrapping is arms around Putrid.

GW should tell him either get your guys out now or they will become charcoal.

[BJClinton]

Hell yeah. Let's meet with them, make some suggestions as to which groups among them are supported by Al-Queda, then let's arm them Mujahadeen style. Oh yeah, and advise them no more of the theatre/hostage episodes. It would be great PR for us in the Muslim world.

[Diddle E. Squat]

No he wasn't. Bush has played it quite smart.

Let's say Bush had done what all the knee-jerk armchair CIC's are screaming he should have done, and restarted a cold war public stance with Russia. It would only have heightened the portrayal of Bush as a belligerant warmonger, which while ridiculous, would have been bought by a larger number of the US public. Instead he did the PR buddy/buddy routine, which helped to reduce the above image to the average Joe. Besides getting us some help in the WOT after 9/11, it now makes him more of a sympathetic figure. He tried to trust Russia, and Russia is now letting him down. If he had taken the cold war position, the aid to Iraq news could be spun as simply common adversaries helping each other. Now it looks like Russia pulling a doublecross.

We would have done little different under a cold war approach. What are we going to do, bomb Russia? A cold war approach wouldn't have prevented it, and in fact the collaboration might have been greater. But this way Bush has called out Russia, just like with Germany, France, and the UN. Don't confuse public stances with letting one's guard down.

Bush has a pattern of dealing with adversaries, and how he has dealt with Russia is just another example of such. I'm surprised how many Freepers continue to miss this.

[skinkinthegrass]

PING :|

[livius]

Too disgusting. But Bush did say that everybody was going to have to show their cards (what he didn't add was "Whether they want to or not").

[monkeywrench]

You are so right!

[the Deejay]

"However a Russian deputy, Andrei Kokoshin, suggested that Iraq could have obtained Soviet-era weapons through a former Soviet republic such as the Ukraine, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted him as saying."

Trying to pass the buck, I'd say.