Posted on 09/07/2004 5:27:47 AM PDT by marshmallow
BESLAN, Russia (CNN) -- Vladimir Putin has criticized Western leaders in the wake of the school siege tragedy for urging Russia to negotiate with Chechen rebels, whom he likened to al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
The Russian president was reacting to criticism by some foreign leaders of the handling of the crisis in the North Ossettian town of Beslan in which at least 338 died -- half of them children.
Speaking on behalf of the EU, Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot had said it was "very difficult to judge from a distance whether the right decision was taken" when special forces stormed the school, in which militants had seized hundreds of children and adults.
Putin likened demands by Washington that Moscow negotiate with the separatists in Chechnya -- where rebels are believed to have planned the school siege -- to the U.S. talking to the terrorists behind the September 11, 2001 attacks.
These are not "freedom fighters," Putin said. "Would you talk with Osama Bin Laden?" he asked. Putin said the Chechen separatists are trying to ignite ethnic tensions in the former Soviet Union and it could have severe repercussions. (Full story)
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
"Putin should be drafted to be our Secretary of State."
Former head of Secret Police foe SecState???
he is right though, the US public stance on this stuff is absurd. I wonder how much is just posturing..
"Putin mismanaged this situation horribly and his people are justifiably outraged at him."
Once the hostages were taken, he was in a terrible situation. I am not sure how he could have pulled this off without a decent % of the russian pop. thinking he had not done well. Can you imagine if this had dragged out and bodies of dehydrated children were brought out?
mid-level = Clinton moles
Since when did mid-level officials speak for State?
They still have a job at State?
Agreed.
There is only ONE way to "negotiate" with terrorists.
It involves your knee in their guts, and your knife at their throat...
What idiot in the Bush Admin. urged negotiation?
Some days I LIKE Putin ... He has it correct when he states that there is NO TALKING to the murderers of children!
Do you hear that abortionist doctors, lawyers, clergy, and others who advocate the murder of innocent babies??
The reason we succeeded in Afghanistan and the Russians didn't is that the Russians had nothing to offer the Afghanis but more repression and misery under some cheap greasy little commissar and centralized bureacracy applied with firepower. Ties to a collapsing communist hellhole.
The U.S. offered freedom.
Same with Chechnya. Putin has nothing to offer the Chechnyans but the above, don't want to repeat myself.
No wonder they're fighting Russia. They are choosing to stick with the ugly warlords they know, rather than others they know aught of. Or whatever is the proper wording of the quote.
That said, Chechnya seems a perfectly gruesome place with no ability to imagine something better than drugs, kidnappings, Sharia law and/or Iron Age warfare.
The reason we succeeded in Afghanistan and the Russians didn't is that the Russians had nothing to offer the Afghanis but more repression and misery under some cheap greasy little commissar and centralized bureacracy applied with firepower. Ties to a collapsing communist hellhole.
The U.S. offered freedom.
Same with Chechnya. Putin has nothing to offer the Chechnyans but the above, don't want to repeat myself.
No wonder they're fighting Russia. They are choosing to stick with the ugly warlords they know, rather than others they know aught of. Or whatever is the proper wording of the quote.
That said, Chechnya seems a perfectly gruesome place with no ability to imagine something better than drugs, kidnappings, Sharia law and/or Iron Age warfare.
I hope I didn't just reply twice....
Yikes, I did. Please excuse hiccup.
One would almost suspect that it was Kerry who said this. Someone please tell me it wasn't the President.
"Deal with this as you see fit and teach the "Western nations" how best to respond to terrorists."
My gut says that is exactly what Putin is going to do. My fear is Kerry is going to latch onto Putin's response and shout from the mountain tops that THAT - Putin's way - is how he would deal with the terrorists. Unless, of course, Putin's attempts blow up in his face. Then Kerry will say, Putin and Bush are both handling the WOT incorrectly.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that mid-level officials in the U.S. government were undermining his country's war on terrorism by supporting Chechen separatists, whom he compared to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Clinton holdovers??
I agree, and another reason not to grant assylum to Chechyans is that they're closely allied with Bin Laden. What lunacy.
Yes, that is an important point. Do they realize they're helping to arm terrorists who one day might threaten Russia? Do they think that if they make nice with scorpions, they won't sting?
The correct title here is:
"Russia rallies against terrorism"
We are going thave some duplicates
Probably the remanants from the klintoon hold-overs. Fire them and no benefits.
You mean... Clinton holdovers. (period)
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