Russia: Putin Calls For Withdrawal Timetable For Iraq

RFE/RL ^ | 19 August 2005 | Claire Bigg

[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.

[Quinotto]

There is no one more void of reality than a national racist.

Another bull's eye on Gary's Rethoric Wall of Shame. You used to amuse me, now I just feel deep pitty for you.

[sergey1973]

Here is pretty good reference found on Volga Germans society website. Scroll down to 1921-1922 section because the website starts with 1891-1892 Volga famine during czarist times. You'll find there a few articles on Volga Famine by the Western Reporters who were allowed in. There is also one on the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933.

http://www.volgagermans.net/volgagermans/Volga%20Famine%20Years.htm


Here is the eyewitness report by Gareth Jones on collectivization in USSR in early 1930's, including Ukrainian Famine. He lumps Ukraine and Russia together when he mentions Russian peasantry, but he was witnessing the Famine in both Ukraine and Russia.

http://colley.co.uk/garethjones/soviet_articles/siezure_of_land.htm

Here is the report Bolsheviks robbed churches during Volga Famine.

http://www.stetson.edu/departments/russian/leninandtikhon.html

[sergey1973]

Again, here is the Gareth Jones who was able to report from USSR during 1930's collectivization. I believe he was the first journalist who broke the Ukrainian Famine. Here he mentions his encounters with Famine in Ukraine, Russia and Central Asia. Ukraine was hit hardest, but nearly entire USSR was affected by Collectivization.

http://www.colley.co.uk/garethjones/overview/article33-7.htm

Famine, far greater than the famine of 1921, is now visiting Russia. The hunger of twelve years ago was only prevalent in the Volga and in some other regions, but today the hunger has attacked the Ukraine, the North Caucasus, the Volga district, Central Asia, Siberia - indeed, every part of Russia. I have spoken to peasants or to eye-witnesses from every one of those districts and their story is the same. There is hardly any bread left, the peasants either exist on potatoes and cattle fodder, or, if they have none of these, die off.

In the three agricultural districts which I visited, namely, the Moscow region, the Central Black Earth district, and North Ukraine, there was no bread left in any village out of the total twenty villages to which I went. In almost every village peasants had died of hunger.

Even twenty miles away from Moscow there was no bread. When I travelled through these Moscow villages the inhabitants said: “It is terrible. We have no bread. We have to go all the way. to Moscow for bread, and then they will only give us four pounds, for which we have to pay three roubles a kilo (i.e., nominally nearly 3s. a pound). How can a poor family live on that?”

[spanalot]

I am not surprised that the Russian priests and the newspaper reporters and the college professor call Ukraine Russia.

We have been fighting this for years just as when we hear about all the "Russian" deaths of WWII.

It was Ukrainians that took the big hit - and we are also reminded that 500,000 germans perished (who had lived there since Czarist times)

[sergey1973]

Yes--but the truth is that Volga Famine was concentrated in Russia proper. Ukrainian Famine was concentrated in Ukraine. However, Collectivization and lesser famines affected areas all over USSR (Russia, Central Asia, Caucasus, etc).

Again, read about Gareth Jones.

http://www.colley.co.uk/garethjones/overview/overview1933.htm

[spanalot]

http://www.faminegenocide.com/resources/famine_map.html

here is the map - compiled from Stalin's own statistics.

The Genocide stops at the Ukraine border to the north and extends into parts of the Caucuses populated by Germsna, Ukes, and Cossacks - no Russians

[sergey1973]

"I am not surprised that the Russian priests and the newspaper reporters and the college professor call Ukraine Russia. "

They call every land under Russian/Soviet Rule as Russia. However, Gareth Jones is mentioning specifically places he visited in 1930's collectivization showing the severe Food Shortages, Ukraine, Volga, Siberia, etc. Ukraine took the hardest hit, but there were a number of other striken regions well beyond Ukraine or strongly Ukrainian areas of Russia (Kuban, North Caucasus).

[TomasUSMC]

Why is it that Russia which has a muslim problem, attack our effort in Iraq. One would expect the Russians to send a couple of divisions to Iraq. Whats up?

[sergey1973]

Volga Famine 1921-22 was largely concentrated in Volga Region and undoubtely Russians were then hit hardest. In 1932-1933 Ukraine was hit hardest. The overall death toll of Peasantry was about 14 million in 1929-1933 according to Robert Conquest, including 5 million in Ukraine, 1 million in Caucasus and Kuban (heavily Ukrainian regions in Russia but at least 1 million people died in Don Region which is ethnically Russian--Don Cossack) The other deaths come elsewhere from Russia and Central Asia.

[spanalot]

"Gareth Jones is mentioning specifically places he visited in 1930's collectivization showing the severe Food Shortages, Ukraine, Volga, Siberia,"

There is a big difference between food shortage and Genocide Famine where the entire country of Ukraine was blockaded for two years and sucked dry.

Most areas had fatality rates approaching 100% in the villages.

Sure people in Moscow were hungry - the system sucked but Genocide occurred only in Ukraine and other target minority (non russian) areas - specifically Ukes, Germans, Cossacks.

[EagleUSA]

Why is it that Russia which has a muslim problem, attack our effort in Iraq.
------
IMHO, Putin is old-line communist. He does not want his peers seeing him as consorting with democracy...so to speak. It will be a long time before Russia shapes up -- the latest crap with China is a classic example of his playing both ends against the middle. I think both China and Russia are playing their political hands right now with all of the revelations about the weakness of the Washington government coming out now --- the whole immmigration issue, ABLE DANGER, all these things show both functional and political weakness....

They are probably really enjoying the show...

[GarySpFc]

The Genocide stops at the Ukraine border to the north and extends into parts of the Caucuses populated by Germsna, Ukes, and Cossacks - no Russians

JB6 previously pointed out to you this map includes much of Russia proper. Rostov and Volgograd are well within Russia proper, and the map shows Ukraine.

[K. Smirnov]

I would recommend a very interesting book on origns of Gypsies. Richard Burton's "The Jew, The Gypsy, and El-Islam".
You can easily find it on Barnes and Noble (www.bn.com)

[Quinotto]

I would recommend a very interesting book on origns of Gypsies. Richard Burton's "The Jew, The Gypsy, and El-Islam". You can easily find it on Barnes and Noble (www.bn.com)

I truly appreciate your recommendation but I am familiar with Burton's writings, I have read them when I was a kid. They were fascinating books portraying Africa and Asia in amazing detail. I did find him a bit racist but then he was a typical British Aristocrat and in his desire to prove himself, he rushed to unusual conclusions a lot of times.

[iva]

"I have spent my life fighting Russian propaganda - why should I start believing it now?"

the link that you gave does not contain any facts or actual basis,so i have more reasons to doubt in your objectivity.

on http://www.pobediteli.ru/ listed names of alive staying veterans ( propoganda of what it is?)

Here is aslo descriptions of the main events in WW2 ( by the way story's are placed on the site of liberal oriention)

http://vip.lenta.ru/topic/victory/blokada.htm
http://vip.lenta.ru/topic/victory/stalingrad.htm
http://vip.lenta.ru/topic/victory/kursk.htm
http://vip.lenta.ru/topic/victory/front.htm
http://vip.lenta.ru/topic/victory/berlin.htm

[iva]

"Would you believe Bandura and all his lieutenants were killed in the Nazi Concentration camps?

Yes, the Bandurists were some Nazis, weren't they."

ask most ukranians what do they think about banderas...

P.S. Why on May 9 ( on 60 anniversary) leaders of the allied countries have gathered in Moscow Russia. Not in Warsaw or in Kiev, but exacly in MOSCOW. It seems like Bush, Shirack, even Kwasnevskiy, Yushenko moved on the Russian propoganda, but not spanolot who waste his all life with " fihgting" with one :-)) LOL

[iva]

"Don't worry - I think gary and his russian wife are sharing the tie stick from Nam."

you menthioned a "russian wife" for several times, maybe you just envy that you don't have one. LOL. & that's why you spent SO MUCH time in the net :-))

[K. Smirnov]

Burton is VERY interesting reading - have u read his book "Pilgrimage to Al Madinah and Meccah?". It reads as a suspense triller or detective story. Burton disguised as an Afghan doctor makes a trip to Muslim Holy places. The first white man ever successfully done that.

[spanalot]

""Don't worry - I think gary and his russian wife are sharing the tie stick from Nam." "

"you menthioned a "russian wife" for several times, maybe you just envy that you don't have one. LOL."

You think thats funny - I'm LOL why Gary did not know what a thai stick was.

[jb6]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a private in the military, afterall they do all the dirty work, but when it comes to Gary I have no doubt it's all embellished just to make the argument using the NAM

In which case you are being a fool and an obvious one, since Gary gave plenty of proof of who he is and what he's done. If you haven't seen it, I advise you do. If you have and are still stating this, then you are just being slanderous.