Posted on 08/19/2005 4:09:22 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
President Vladimir Putin (file photo) (CTK) Russian President Vladimir Putin called yesterday for a timetable for pulling foreign troops out of Iraq. The Russian leader said many Iraqis view the foreign troops as "occupiers" and suggested the withdrawal will encourage insurgents to abandon violence in favor of contributing to the creation of the state. The United States was quick to reject his call, saying it is still too early for a pullout.
Moscow, 19 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Speaking to reporters in the Black Sea resort of Sochi after a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah, Putin first reiterated his call for an international conference on Iraq.
Putin disapproves of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and insists such a conference might help bring peace to the strife-torn country.
Then the Russian president went one step further. He said it is imperative to draw up a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq.
“We deem it necessary to work out a timetable for the gradual withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq," Putin said. "Many Iraqis, we know this well, still consider these forces to be occupiers."
Encouraging Iraqi insurgents to take part in their country’s political process, he added, is another argument in favor of a swift pullout.
“Resolving this task will enable a significant part of the armed Iraqi resistance to be brought into the process of creating a state," Putin said.
President George W. Bush has consistently rebuffed international calls to set a schedule for withdrawing the 138,000 U.S. troops from Iraq. Putin's plea was no exception.
A few hours after the Russian president's statement, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told a news briefing in Washington that Iraq was not yet ready for a withdrawal of foreign troops.
"I think [U.S.] President [George W.] Bush has spoken very clearly on our views on the issue of security assistance to the Iraqis," McCormack said. "As Iraqis stand up [increase] their capabilities, we and the multinational forces will be able to stand down [withdraw]."
McCormack also suggested the United States had little intention to hold an international conference on Iraq by the end of the year, as Putin proposed.
"We did, recently, have an international conference that was organized in Brussels, which had great attendance from around the world, from around the region, from Europe -- there was a delegation from Russia there, I believe, as well -- in which countries came together to express support for Iraq," McCormack said.
Putin has openly opposed the Iraq war. But this is the first time he has made such a clear-cut statement on the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq.
Putin’s statement comes just days after Russia carried out military exercises in the Barents Sea during which new intercontinental ballistic missiles were tested.
Yevgenii Volk, a political analyst and the director of Moscow's Heritage Foundation think thank, said both events indicate Putin might be trying to gain more influence in world affairs by flexing his country's military muscle.
“It is significant that the declaration was made directly after the Northern Fleet’s military exercises where, whatever people might say, scenarios of an atomic war with the U.S. were developed," Volk said. "This [declaration] is clearly a display of strength, and Putin is showing that Russia’s military power must and can translate into the strengthening of its political influence, no matter where the area of conflict is located.”
Russia and China also launched unprecedented joint military exercises yesterday amid U.S. concerns that the two giants might form a military alliance.
Why not, when the majority of them still support what this governement did, and are proud of it? Opinion polls show that clearly. See my posts no. 125 and 136. To large extent it is because the current bosses of Russia did nothing to change that opinion themselves: obviously because they are proud of their commie and KGB past too.
Even before the revolution in Russia there were different brands of communists: Karl Kautsky criticized Lenin, and was called renegade in return. After the Bolshevik coup the word "communist" slightly changed its meaning, and after Salin it changed it completely. After WWII there were "real" communists in the original sense of the word in the West, but certainly not in Russia. (BTW Stalin murdered most of them, but does it imply that he himself was not a communist?) In those times "communist" came to mean a person who supports the Kremlin policy. And according to this definition most Russians are communists even now.;)
No, she is very much like yourself in that both of you are national racists determined to classify all Russians evil because of the sins of a few. You can bet your church would condemn that as a sin, it's evil.
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Ten gosciu nigdy nie zrozumie kilku pojec zycia. Nie ma sensu nawet sie wto wtracac. Trzymta sie
"I am a veteran and fought the communists in Nam, did you?"
And why did you stop fighting communists? (3rd request)
Also, stop sending me intimidating emails - say it here or don't say it at all. If you wife worked for Putin and you confirm on FR, how dare you impugn me for referencing it.
"When asked how they would like their country to be perceived by other nations, 48 percent of Russians said "mighty, unbeatable, indestructible, a great world power" Only 22 percent wanted Russia to be seen as "affluent and thriving"; 6 percent as "educated, civilized, and cultured"; 3 percent as "peace-loving and friendly"; and a mere 1 percent as "law-abiding and democratic" (13). These findings help explain why so many Russians -- 74 percent in one poll -- regret the Soviet Union's passing."
Worth repeating
"you do need a good history lesson, because the Russians fought against communism"
ROTFLMAO Earth to Gary - the vast majority of Russians do not want democracy - they want a powerful dictatorship!
Very well said, it would be interesting to see how Russia, China and France would vote on such a resolution if it were presented to the Security Council.
"Let us put it to the differentiating test by the historical facts. Armenia - the country which was occupied at the same time by Russia and Turkey.
Which part fared better?"
Your right - every Armenian I know is very thankfull that the Russians did not exterminate them like they did the Ukrianians.
"How perfectly evil of you to attack a man based on work his wife did"
I did not attack your wife - but your attack on me is theresult of your inability to debate logically.
If your wife worked directly for Putin, it is moot to the discussion. All I did was suggest you recuse yourself.
"Which would be as silly as us giving him a time table for our withdrawl from Arizona."
Arizona applied for statehood - your comparison is absurd and is designed only to impugn the USA (again)
"Then they butchered another 30 million Russians and Ukrainians"
"Yes, like the 36 or so million Russians who were butchered by the communists."
Well which is it jb6
Note to All : Classic Kremlin obfuscation of "martyrdon" statistics. As in WWII, Russians lament their "great" losses, but in reality it is the Poles and Ukrainians that lost30% of their population - the Russians lost only few percent and far less in absolute numbers, too.
"Kid, you don't know enough about being a soldier to talk to me"
Your Nam piety makes it all the more important to know how, when, and why, you stopped fighting communism
"There goes your credibility."
With retorts like that, your opposition is grabbing for straws.
Keep up the good work.
"Russia weakened by WWI was the first country taken over by the Communists. And Communists were very angry about that. They wanted to start in Western Europe where they were much stronger.
Do you blame Cambodian nation and culture for Pol Pot? "
Are you daft - the soviet Union was run by hundreds of thousands of RUSSIANS. Not Ukes, Georgians, or Poles, but RUSSIANS.
Take your Orwellian doublespeak elsewhere.
And no we don't blame the Cambodians - obviously the first movers were the Russians and their spawn China that led to the genocides of SE Asia - but our Nam expert GarySpfc can tell you much more about that
Back off - Poland obviously did conduct a revolution - Hungary was an urban riot by comparison. You don't know what your takling about
""This old, fat, balding Russian general, sitting on the stairway of the Royal Residence in Bucharest""
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"So you think this is a justifiable excuse for you to hate ALL Russians?"
There are tens of millions of stories of Russian Genocide.
My dad was scarred for life by seeing a father sneak a piece of bread to eat so his children could not see him. He had to gain strength to find food that day for the rest and while he had the pain of hunger, he also had the pain of guilt.
This was the direct result of RUSSIANS ripping off all the grain from the Breadbasket of Europe to build chandeliered Subways in Mosocw and to wine and dine Duranty.
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