Posted on 12/03/2004 9:24:30 AM PST by Jimmyclyde
Russia's Putin Calls U.S. Policy 'Dictatorial'
By Douglas Busvine
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) accused the United States on Friday of pursuing a dictatorial foreign policy and said mounting violence could derail progress toward bringing peace and democracy to Iraq (news - web sites).
Putin also criticized the West for setting double-standards on terrorism, pursuing Islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq while giving refuge to "terrorists" demanding Chechnya (news - web sites)'s independence from Russia.
The Kremlin leader's tough remarks came on a visit to former Cold War ally India, where he and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a joint call for greater cooperation in stabilizing and rebuilding Iraq.
Unilateralism increased risks that weapons of mass destruction might fall into the hands of terrorists, and would stoke regional conflicts, Putin said in a hard-hitting speech to an invited audience.
"Even if dictatorship is packaged in beautiful pseudo-democratic phraseology, it will not be able to solve systemic problems," Putin said. "It may even make them worse."
Putin did not name the United States, but clearly had the administration of President Bush (news - web sites) in mind when he said policies "based on the barrack-room principles of a unipolar world appear to be extremely dangerous."
Russia was a vocal opponent of the U.S.-led war to oust Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), but has since joined efforts to rebuild Iraq's war-hit infrastructure. Moscow's assent was key to a recent Paris Club deal to write off most of Iraq's foreign debts.
MOUNTING VIOLENCE
Putin said he was worried by mounting violence and loss of life linked to operations by U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq, and said these may disrupt plans to hold elections now scheduled for Jan. 30, 2005.
Again the Russian leader was not specific, but he appeared to be referring to the U.S. operation to crush die-hard insurgents in the Iraqi city of Falluja.
"This may put a question mark over holding of fair and democratic elections in Iraq early next year," he said.
Putin's speech echoed comments he made earlier to an Indian newspaper in which he said the war had turned Iraq into a breeding ground for terrorists.
"As had been the case with Afghanistan, Iraq turned into a major hotbed of a terrorist threat, a firing ground and incubator for militants," he told the Hindu newspaper.
He rounded on Britain for giving asylum to Akhmed Zakayev and the United States for giving refuge to Ilyas Akhmadov, spokesmen for Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov.
"Providing safe haven and support to terrorists, their accomplices and sponsors actually serves as a justification and, indeed, an encouragement of their crimes," Putin said.
Both men deny being terrorists. Maskhadov, regarded in the West as a moderate, led Chechnya to brief de facto independence during the 1990s before Putin ordered Russian troops to retake the turbulent North Caucasus province.
Putin, who backed India's bid for a United Nations (news - web sites) Security Council seat, said he had found in India a strong ally against terrorism.
"Terrorists benefit from the conflict of civilizations and religions," he told the hand-picked New Delhi audience. "Let it be known that our multi-confessional and multi-ethnic states will not be broken up."
sounds like Putin is trying to deflect attention away from the OIL-FOR-FOOD scandal he's so deep in! What a shmuck...
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Yes, a typical "red herring" just like Kofi tried. These thugs are under the microscope now, and really feeling the heat --- GWB's recent statement on the matter has them puckered-up as they should be.....expose the maggots for all the world to see....
Putin is just saying what the French tell him to say; he's nothing more than a stooge for Chirac.
The only reason Iran is close to getting the bomb is because of Russian help and Technology.
IMO, Russia will do nothing to stop Iran.
That's the exact same thing as Iran calling Israel the great Satan.
He's kind of right you know. We shouldn't be aiding or supporting the little Chechen "rebels" in anyway.
Very Interesting......
/sarcasm
Excuse me while I laugh in Putzin's face - BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
When have we done this?
Putin to President Bush: " I know you are but what am I?"
Putin, who recently announced there would be no more elected regional leaders in Russia but rather leaders placed there by Moscow, is calling us dictatorial? Please.
Eff EWE!
Putin, you Communist Totalitarian POS...may you ROT!
Sorry, but he has a point.
Vodka is really useful. You can disinfect wounds with it, clean equipment and optics with it, and I'm told you can even drink it :)
Upon 2nd reading, Putin is a classless mafia thug who not only lies, cheats and murders - he expects to be taken seriously!
What a bag of camel dung...
He didn't call the USA a dictatorship. He said the US acts like a dictatorship, referring to the way we treat other nations. I think Bush shouldn't interfere with the Russkies turning Chechnya into glass, if that's what it takes. We are benign despots on the world stage, and I fully support our right to be so, since Democracy is absurd at the global level. But we are despots, making our own global policies without the input of anyone else. (For good reason: most of the world's nations are kleptocracies.)
Yeah, that's rich isn't it?
Pulls democracy in his own nation and then rigs it in the Ukraine...
POS
Colin Powell had mentioned something awile back do a search on this board. I'm sure you'll find a few articles on it.
One shot for the disinfecting. One for the drinking.
Two shots for the disinfecting. One, two for the drinking.
Three shots for the disinfecting. One, two, three for the drinking.
Seriesly, I had to use some Jack Daniel's for disinfecting a wound once.
Heck, when I was reeeeeeaaallly poor, Vodka could make anything into a cocktail. (Teenie juices,...)
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