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Bush Switches His View of Putin's Russia
Associated Press ^ | Mon Sep 27 | KEN GUGGENHEIM

Posted on 09/28/2004 8:28:27 AM PDT by presidio9

WASHINGTON - When he first ran for president, George W. Bush talked tough on Russia. He threatened to cut off international aid if Moscow continued "killing women and children, leaving orphans and refugees" in its war in Chechnya.

This year, as president, Bush casts Russia not as an oppressor, but as a victim of terror — even as fighting continues in Chechnya and President Vladimir Putin moves to consolidate power in ways seen as threatening the country's fledgling democracy.

It's a shift that reflects the common cause Bush and Putin found in fighting terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the personal relationship they had developed even before then.

It's also a change that fits neatly into Bush's re-election campaign.

Voters see Bush as the best candidate to deal with terrorism, according to opinion polls. His campaign has stressed that issue, warning that terrorist threats remain.

That point was reinforced by this month's massacre at a school in Beslan, Russia, with its horrific images of dead and wounded children.

Beslan and other attacks make terrorism a greater concern to U.S. voters, especially women, who have traditionally voted for Democrats, said Ross Baker, a Rutgers University political scientist.

"I think almost anything that happens in the realm of terrorism anywhere in the world helps the president," Baker said.

Bush cited Beslan in his speech last Tuesday to the United Nations (news - web sites). "We saw once again how the terrorists measure their success: in the death of the innocent and in the pain of grieving families." Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) on Thursday mentioned Beslan as part of the global war on terror.

But Bush's focus on terrorism has raised questions in Congress about whether Russia's struggling democracy and human rights violations are getting enough attention.

"As much as we value Russia's cooperation in other areas of our bilateral relationship, they will have little meaning if Moscow reverts to its old ways," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said on the Senate floor Tuesday.

Democratic challenger John Kerry has said Bush is "ignoring America's interest in seeing democracy advance in Russia." If he is elected president, the Massachusetts senator said, "we will wage war against terrorists while encouraging renewed progress toward democracy."

Four years ago, it was Republicans accusing President Clinton of "weak and wavering policies toward Russia," as the GOP platform described it.

As a candidate, Bush said he would cut off some aid to Russia if abuses in Chechnya continued. "The Russian government will discover that it cannot build a stable and unified nation on the ruins of human rights," he said in a Nov 19, 1999, speech.

"When the Russian government attacks civilians, killing women and children, leaving orphans and refugees, it can no longer expect aid from international lending institutions," Bush declared.

His approach changed after he met Putin in June 2001 and described him as straightforward and trustworthy. "I was able to get a sense of his soul," Bush said.

That praise produced some short-term dividends, said Michael McFaul of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Putin did not try to block the expansion of NATO or Bush's missile defense plans.

But Bush's comments also signaled to Putin that "I'm not going to be concerned about what you do domestically," McFaul said. "I think that has been Bush's policy ever since."

The Bush-Putin relationship deepened after the Sept. 11 attacks. Russia helped the United States in the fight against Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and against al-Qaida, which is suspected of assisting the predominantly Muslim Chechen rebels seeking independence from Russia.

A year ago, Bush praised what he described as Putin's vision for Russia: "a country in which democracy and freedom and rule of law thrive."

Many would question that description. Putin has cracked down on independent media and political opponents. After the Beslan massacre, he ordered an overhaul of Russia's political system that included ending the direct election of governors and district races for parliament.

Bush responded by expressing concern about decisions "that could undermine democracy in Russia."

Putin has also been at odds with the United States on major international issues. He opposed the war in Iraq (news - web sites), and Russia is helping Iran's nuclear program.

Rep. Tom Lantos of California, the top Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, said "the administration has erred on the side of giving Putin the benefit of the doubt when he no longer deserved it."

It's not clear how Putin would respond to a tougher U.S. approach. The United States has less financial leverage with the Russian economy booming and the surge in the price of oil, a key Russian export.

The basic problem is that U.S. leaders have failed to develop a close relationship that would give the United States more sway over Russia, said Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa.

"Then you have the leverage for our president to go to Putin and say `Vladimir, I need you to listen to me,'" he said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; Russia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2004electionbias; agitprop; apbias; apstillina910world; bush; chechnya; lyingliars; mediabias; neocons; putin; russia; terrorism; waronterror; waronterrorism; wot

1 posted on 09/28/2004 8:28:27 AM PDT by presidio9
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To: presidio9

Bush has been schmoozing Putin since the day he met him. This is not news, except in the puny minds of the leftwing media.


2 posted on 09/28/2004 8:32:56 AM PDT by Brilliant
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To: presidio9

Rep. Tom Lantos of California<<<< You mean Tom "a Hawk" Lantos????....No disrespect to the Indians u understand..Whoops!...I meant native Americans!


3 posted on 09/28/2004 8:37:59 AM PDT by M-cubed
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To: Brilliant
Yeah, and it's the same stupid media and democRAT party that has been saying Bush's arrogance has driven allies away...

Classic "Damned if you do, and damned if you don't"

Leftist are never satisfied unless THEY are in power.

4 posted on 09/28/2004 8:39:05 AM PDT by el_texicano (Liberals are the real Mind-Numbed Robots - No Brains, No Guts, No Character...Just hate)
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To: presidio9

Aaaahhh, can you see the talking points appearing? Just a cursory scan of today's articles posted show the new trend that the opposition is trying to portray Bush as a "flip-flopper" too. I fully expect at least ten more articles from various sources with the same theme to appear today.


5 posted on 09/28/2004 8:40:16 AM PDT by egarvue (Martin Sheen is not my president...)
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To: presidio9
Some surely see capitalism

Now, if Putin would just stop helping the Iranians get nukes...

6 posted on 09/28/2004 8:43:05 AM PDT by JasonC
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To: presidio9

"But Bush's comments also signaled to Putin that "I'm not going to be concerned about what you do domestically," McFaul said. "I think that has been Bush's policy ever since.""

That's funny. I seem to distinctly remember the Pres saying that Putin's anti-democratic moves after Beslan concerned him. That would run counter to the statement above.

I wonder why the article dind't mention that? [/sarc]


7 posted on 09/28/2004 9:08:33 AM PDT by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
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To: egarvue
No joke, the "switching" word is what the media emphasized here.

No mention in the headline that it is in regards to the "Chechen war" which is really "Russia's response to muslim terrorism".

Just a vague reference to "Putin's Russia". 9-11-2001 did a lot to change the world's response to international Islamofascist terrorism.

8 posted on 09/28/2004 9:10:05 AM PDT by weegee (What's the provenance, Kenneth? Where did the forged SeeBS memo come from?)
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To: presidio9
"As much as we value Russia's cooperation in other areas of our bilateral relationship, they will have little meaning if Moscow reverts to its old ways," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said on the Senate floor Tuesday

Ahh, it is always telling when the left carts out McCain, the liberal mole in Republican clothing. Oh, and thank you for the great finance reform packet you helped put togather. John McCaine, who hasn't met an islamic, narco terrorist he hasn't liked. At least not one who's friendship would give McCrazy the opportunity to vote for the killing of Christians. Remember, this mole was the only Republican who voted to give Klintominous the right to freely wage war on Yugoslavia.

9 posted on 09/28/2004 9:10:16 AM PDT by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: presidio9
predominantly Muslim Chechen rebels seeking independence from Russia.

Yes, statistical fluke, predominantly now means 100%, since all the Christians were driven out or murdered from 1991-1999 (except in some parts of the formerly Christian city of Grozny). But why should that stop the left, it's only those damned Christians again.

10 posted on 09/28/2004 9:13:20 AM PDT by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: presidio9
Many would question that description. Putin has cracked down on independent media and political opponents. After the Beslan massacre, he ordered an overhaul of Russia's political system that included ending the direct election of governors and district races for parliament.

While true that media has been cracked down on, which political opponents? The discredited Communists, Agrarians (extreme socialists) and SRS (party of oligarches) that the people voted out freely? Yes, it is democracy in jepardy when the communist/socialist left is out of power, those guardians of freedom. And let us not forget that England, France and Italy, those tyrannic dictatoriships, all appoint their governors and that over half of Europe requires party lists for elections to parliment.

11 posted on 09/28/2004 9:17:43 AM PDT by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: presidio9
Putin has also been at odds with the United States on major international issues. He opposed the war in Iraq (news - web sites), and Russia is helping Iran's nuclear program.

Ignoring aid on Afghanistan. Ignoring waivering of Iraq's debt. Closing a spy station in Cuba, possibility of new commitments to Iraq, exchange of intelligence, etc.

Rep. Tom Lantos of California, the top Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, said "the administration has erred on the side of giving Putin the benefit of the doubt when he no longer deserved it."

Who approved of Clinton and Yeltsin's relationship, while Yeltsin with Clinton's backing massacred a Duma that refused to pass laws giving all of Russia's resources away for 1% market value to the friends of Gore.

12 posted on 09/28/2004 9:20:54 AM PDT by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: presidio9
Real headline: BUSH IS FLIP-FLOPPER!

AP = Abhorrent Pukes

A_R

13 posted on 09/28/2004 9:29:51 AM PDT by arkady_renko
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To: presidio9; Calpernia; Velveeta

Ping


14 posted on 09/28/2004 10:29:28 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny (On this day your Prayers are needed!!!!!!!)
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