Posted on 05/10/2006 4:02:46 AM PDT by familyop
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday issued a veiled warning to the United States not to take any military action against Iran over its nuclear ambitions.
Speaking in his address to the nation, Putin said Russia stood "unambiguously" for preventing the spread of nuclear weapons in the world.
But, in an apparent reference to mounting tension between the United States and Iran, though without mentioning either by name, he said: "Methods of force rarely give the desired result and often their consequences are even more terrible than the original threat."
Russia agrees with the West that Iran should not have nuclear weapons. But it disagrees on two main points: whether Iran is actively seeking a bomb and whether sanctions would be effective in persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear work.
Russia holds a veto in the United Nations Security Council, which would vote on any international action against Iran. A draft resolution urging Iran to stop enriching uranium was submitted last week. Moscow said it needed changes.
Playing to the dems.
Very related:
Global arms race reaches new level - Putin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1629703/posts
Russia to modernize strategic nuclear forces in 5 years - Putin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1629704/posts
The BS Meter is pegged.
Interesting how your two posts go so well together.
This, from a KGB man? Get serious.
Shouldn't he be "warning" them, and not us? Ooops, this is Russia, guess not.
Careful, Putin, your going to get a letter.
The game is getting interesting. Russia is worried about instability on her southern border. That and I have to wonder if Iran doesn't already have a nuke, but not the means to deliver it.
It is funny that Russia is giving us a warning about doing something that they agree must be stopped. If Russia really wanted to stop Iran, they would be showing a united front with us.
So where the vieled threat? disagreeing?
I'm wondering whether the actual story is that they know Iran has nukes now, they are intimidated by it and are hoping to stay on Iran's good side (such as it is) until they feel they have developed sufficient deterrent powers. I don't think Iran is rationally deterrable, in any case, but that might account for the stranged mixed messages issuing from Moscow.
Putin would rather see us nuked, and is selling advanced anti-aircraft, anti-missile weapon systems to the Mullahs, who have promised to destroy us.
Putin and Russia can go F themselves.
We need to go in and soon. Bush is playing games with our lives.
I didn't take Putin's comments to be a "veiled warning" in the sense that he was threatening the US with actions if we were to attack Iran.
I took it more as a "Watch out for unintended consequences if you attack Iran militarily," which is totally different in my book.
In fact, there is some logic to his warning, although I believe that the threat of violence is bigger if we do nothing.
If Iran were to get a bomb or the material with which to make one, I have no doubt they would begin with economic blackmail (oil blackmail) and it would quickly escalate to all out MidEast war with Israel the main target of Iran's lunacy.
I just think Moscow sees the financial benefit of keeping good relations with the middle east. Russia makes good money sending weapons and technology to those countries.
Actually, I could'nt agree with you more. It's a self-induced sense of non-existant social malaise and it's being feed by the MSM.
It's astounding that a Nation that's economy compromises about 60% of the world GNP, has a 5% quarterly growth, with 16 Carrier Groups and a standing million man military can possibly have a "negative" outlook.
I also don't understand why Republicans are "discouraged" and "shattered".
What the hell is with the American people??
Just remember Poot, that you can never be certain that the United States won't consider ANY attack launched from Iranian soil upon American vital interests to be the same as if it were launched from Soviet (errr, 'oops', RUSSIAN) soil, and your bottom line Comrade is to bear in mind that America's remaining ICBMs plus our SLBMs will always have enough nuclear firepower to turn Iran AND Russia into nothing but a smoldering wasteland of radioactive rubble.
Think carefully Pooty-Poot, and choose wisely.
If you can.
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