Without a doubt, the best vodka I've ever had. I wouldn't waste a drop on my wounds if I had some.
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."
The State Dept. has been pro-KLA, pro-Chechen, pro-'pali', etc. for far too long.
I pray it's cleansed soon...
(For good reason: most of the world's nations are kleptocracies.)
>>>
Another great reason to disengage from the viper's nest known as the UN and disband it...
Putin is just saying what the French tell him to say; he's nothing more than a stooge for Chirac.
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I would agree that Chirac and Putin have a common goal -- to cover their complicit butts, hide their weapons dealings they had with SH, and build world opinion against the U.S., the only force in the world with the power to blatantly expose these despots for what they are. They fear that as well. Putin is financially strapped...he cannot deliver a democracy (he does not want to) that could become self-sufficient so he is working for absolute power again --- sadly pushing Russia back into the dark era of hard communism. He is not a nice guy....
Chirac of course, is a power-hungry fool who wants to be emperor of the EU, and challenge the US in any way he can. Worse than that, he will slip between the sheets with ANY scumbag country or ruler who has money he can get at....
I disagree.
100% agreement.
He has derailed democracy there...he has withdrawn representation and appointed his Communist buddies.
Putin is lower than whalesh*t...
"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."
He can kill as many Chechnyans as he wants - as long as he keeps his fingers out of Ukraine.
"The US (and the rest of the world for that matter - helloooo Putin!) has come out on the side of Democracy in the Ukraine..."
The "rest of the world" wouldn't know what "Democracy" was if it bit 'em in the ass!
You can take the man out of the KGB, but you can't take the KGB out of the man.
And the new 'Cold War' begins.
Look on the bright side Putin, you still have cuba.
hahahahahaha!
You've said as well as anybody could; I totally agree.
"Russia's Putin Calls U.S. Policy 'Dictatorial'"
Stalin...er...Putin is joking...right?
I see your point...
I know. I started to like Putin until I realized he was no different from the other dictators/communists in Russian history. We can never trust Russia, never.
yeah, on his head!
However we must never forget that Putin, likable or not, is CEO of the restructured, downsized Soviet Corporation, which will never be exactly like us, and will never be completely trustworthy. 'Trust but verify'.
bump
EXACTLY!
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