Posted on 10/18/2004 9:22:53 AM PDT by Pfesser
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that terrorists are aiming to derail U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s chances at re-election through their attacks in Iraq .
"I consider the activities of terrorists in Iraq are not as much aimed at coalition forces but more personally against President Bush " Putin said at a news conference after a regional summit in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.
"International terrorism has as its goal to prevent the election of President Bush to a second term," he said. "If they achieve that goal, then that will give international terrorism a new impulse and extra power."
Still, Putin didn't say which candidate he favored in the Nov. 2 U.S. presidential election.
"We unconditionally respect any choice of the American people," he said. "I don't want to spoil relations with either candidate."
Putin also noted his continuing disagreement with Bush on Washington's invasion of Iraq, which Russia strongly opposed as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.
"Russia was always against the military operations in Iraq," he said.
Despite their differences, Bush and Putin have cooperated closely in the international war on terror, with Russia assenting to the deployment of U.S. forces in former Soviet Central Asia for operations in neighboring Afghanistan (news - web sites). In exchange, Washington has mostly looked the other way on Moscow's continuing war in breakaway Chechnya (news - web sites), which Russia alleges is being fueled by international terror groups.
On his last visit to Central Asia in June, Putin appeared to be backing Bush's assertion that Iraq was a threat, saying at a summit in Kazakhstan that Russia had notified Washington about intelligence that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime was preparing attacks in the United States and its interests abroad.
No further details were given, and Putin also said then that the warning didn't change Moscow's opposition to the Iraq war.
BTTT
The terrorists were successful in effecting the outcome of elections in Spain, but the America isn't Spain.
"International terrorism has as its goal to prevent the election of President Bush to a second term,"
Why do so many Americans fail to understand this? And more importantly, WHY international terrorism wants Kerry to win.
Putin now sees the problems with appeasement versus pre-emption... He is now more hawkish than ever at taking out terrorist after Beslan...
In a way I can not fault Putin for opposing Iraq, after all, the Iraqi regime was a Russian ally/satellite state...
Only if we defeat the leftists November 2.
This is the Bush Doctrine on how to battle terrorism's effect on a free country. You find somewhere else, preferably in their own back yard to take the fight to them. Outside America you can wage a war without a 10,000 standing army of lawyers fighting you simultaneously. The ACLU has the year off in it. And special interests can't coordinate much.
It's unfortunate for the nice people of Iraq to have to serve as the mecca of terrorists, but it need not be here.
The Americans who are voting for Kerry are still bleeding hearts from the 2000 election. Their revenge is to replace Bush, no matter the candidate.
The Iraq operations would not have happened without the green light from Russia. Iraq, and Iran for that matter, are in the Russian sphere just as N Kor is in the Chinese sphere. We can't make a move without at least tacit approval.
Yep.
Terrorists now rule Spain. All they have to do is blow something up, and Spain surrenders.
No, really? The terrorists don't want GWB in office again? That kind of reminds me of someone...
I make a prediction: When GWB is reelected, terror/insurgent activity will drop within a few months. They will realize they are on the losing side REAL quick.
Oh, brilliant, Vladimir. I guess they didn't make you head of the KGB for nothing.
You're either with us or with the Old Media.
Yes, but you don't hear anyone saying out loud anywhere in the MSM that the terrorists prefer Kerry, do you?
By Putin saying it, they have to print it and maybe a few people will actually think about that, before voting.
It's good that Putin came out and made that statement.
He also said a while ago, which was quickly buried by the MSM, that after 9-11, Russian intel agents found out that Saddam was preparing to send terrorists to the US to attack us.
And the leftist idiots are still harping on "no connection between Saddam and terrorism".
This headline and accompanying story is somewhat erroneous. Putin, in fact, "urged" Americans to vote for Bush. Yahoo clearly watered down the story and made Putin appear lukewarm or neutral . Putin was resolute in his most recent statements for Bush. Just for the record.
So Putin also agrees the terrorists want Kerry for President.
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