I just read your page... Could you tell me who Putin was addressing when he made these remarks? Thanks!
I think it was a French reporter who was critical of the Russian war on chechnya.
Hard to say, apparently. In this version it was a Danish reporter.
"The Kommersant business daily reports Mr Putin was asked (by) a Danish reporter why Russia was using mine warfare in the separatist North Caucasus republic and exterminating Chechen civilians."
CBS reports it was a French reporter.
" A French reporter who questioned the Kremlin's war in Chechnya provoked an angry outburst from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who challenged him to convert to Islam and come to Moscow for circumcision."
this link says it was a French reporter from Le Monde.
What I thought was really funny was that apparently the translator left out some of it and it was only later, in Russia and because of those who spoke Russian and understood Putin, that it came out what he had said.