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 Jordans 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 countrys 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.
Putins 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 Fleets 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 Russias 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.
Well...this makes Putey look good in the international press. I doubt if any Russian really cares about Iraq. And certainly, this all adds up to nothing.
I don't recall the US giving timetables to many countries. They usually don't work and act more like media bullets.
You mean Bush's buddy? Hmmmmm...
" I know you well"
and suggested the withdrawal will encourage insurgents to abandon violence in favor of contributing to the creation of the state.
Oh yeah, that'll work. What is he smoking?
The day after the last Russian leaves Chechnya.
The correct spelling requires a different alphabet. :-)
and Georgia and Moldova...
No, the Oil For Food program was the UN vehicle for Iraq getting to bypass some UN sanctions, none of which are in place now.
Investigations into the fraud and bribes involved in OFF are on-going, however.
Not only that but he doesn't even have a realistic grasp of how anything works outside of his little box. For a former KGB agent, he sure showed the world how limited his knowledge is when the Russian press was questioned while GWB was there and he said to GWB. (I'm paraphrasing) "Well, your administration fired Dan Rather".
That was telling in that it showed he has no concept of how things work outside of his narrow thinking.
" Russia....the worst occupier in recorded human history"
I guess you do not know history ay all. What about Anglo-Saxon occupation of Indian America. What about spanish conquest of the South america. I'm not talkin about Africa
( i think you should read much more books then one in a year)
"For a Jew-hating KGB agent he sure has a lot of chutzpah!"
You'll be suprised, but a huge part of the KGB agents were jews
Chechnya - is an essential part of Russia.
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.
Putin is suggesting to appease those causing problems and mayhem in Iraq. Wrong.
" Call For Withdrawal Timetable For","......Oh, and Chechnya Too." have a look at post 92
"I have vendetta against you Putin; yes for the children in Beslan"
OH! God! What a hypocrisy?!
Was it Putin who seizured the school?! Was it Putin who shooted senior pupil on the first day?! Was it Putin who hanged out bombs above children's head's?! Was it Putin who didn't promit to give some water for chldren in hot september days, & they had to drink they own urine?! Was it Putin who covered himself with chidren bodies
fire backing?! Was it Putin who shooted on runaway children's backs?!
In a world that is increasingly "flat" as Friedman has put it, Islamofascism makes the better people of Islam essential to the rest of us.
I guess I should have said...the Soviet Union.
All I need to know is the body count since 1918
and the bloody treaty between two predators to destroy and devour Poland, Finland and the tiny nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
I'm surprised a political ideology that equates human beings with insects got so much traction around the planet.
"And as you conjectured, the Democrats and leftwing media have exposed our flank to our enemies."
How many years of this genocidal BS have we had ? 80 years?
When in hades will we wake up?
Starting with the Trotsky huggers and the Durantys, how many hundreds of millions has this killed? 55000 in Viet Nam!
Enough is Enough!
Stop the MSM and Leftists!
""This is nothing more than cheap propaganda coming from Vlad.""
"Agree"
Has the Russophile Spin Machine Run out of Spin?
Were we hoping for Expensive Propaganda?
"RF is just reached economics successes and is trying to compete with US in world matters."
No, Russia is staring at a plummet in prices for its oil - of which it is a leading exporter- and it is trying to salvage customers for its arms industries.
Its amazing what a 10% drop in crude prices does to the bottom line with inefficient producers like Russia.
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