Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Kremlin Fires Back At Bush
The Moscow Times ^ | March 26, 2003 | Simon Saradzhyan and Nabi Abdullaev

Posted on 03/25/2003 6:30:04 PM PST by Mr. Mulliner

Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2003. Page 1

Kremlin Fires Back At Bush


By Simon Saradzhyan and Nabi Abdullaev
Staff Writers

The Kremlin fired a new salvo in the battle of words between Moscow and Washington over Iraq on Tuesday, insisting that it was President Vladimir Putin rather than his U.S. counterpart who had initiated the discussion of alleged sales of Russian defense equipment to Iraq during their last phone conversation.

The U.S. administration fired this week's first shot when White House spokesman Ari Fleischer announced Monday evening that President George Bush had called Putin earlier in the day to complain about alleged sales of Russian-made GPS jamming devices, night-vision goggles and anti-tank missiles to Baghdad in violation of the international arms embargo.

The Kremlin initially responded by posting a three-sentence statement on its web site Monday evening saying that the two leaders had conversed and that Putin had expressed his concern to Bush over the humanitarian consequences of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

On Tuesday morning, however, Putin's press secretary Alexei Gromov issued a separate statement in which he insisted that it was Putin himself who had brought up the allegations during the phone conversation. Putin told Bush that Russian authorities have repeatedly "supplied information on the absence of such supplies," according to Gromov.

After denying the allegations, first reported Sunday in The Washington Post, Putin launched a verbal counteroffensive and expressed his worry to Bush that "the discussion concerns unproved, public declarations that can damage relations between the two countries," Gromov's statement said.

"Moreover, in reply, the American side was addressed with questions on analogous problems, which have not been answered yet," it said.

In his statement, Gromov did not elaborate on what these "analogous problems" were, although just hours earlier, Nuclear Power Minister Alexander Rumyantsev and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov had teamed up to express concern over the alleged sale of nuclear equipment to Iran by a West European company.

Speaking to reporters at Russia's prime nuclear weapons research center in Saratov, Ivanov and Rumyantsev pointed the finger at Urenco, a British-Dutch consortium that reportedly supplied centrifuges to Iran that could be used to produce weapons-grade uranium.

The allegations that three Russian companies had supplied defense equipment to Iraq first appeared in The Post on Sunday. The newspaper quoted Bush administration sources as saying that the Instrument Design Bureau of Tula and Aviakonversia of Moscow have supplied anti-tank missiles and jamming equipment, respectively.

White House spokesman Fleischer added fuel to the fire by repeating these allegations and demanding that Russian authorities put an end to the alleged sales. According to Fleischer's account of Monday's conversation, Bush expressed his concern over the sales to Putin.

After seeing news agencies lead their reports of the conversation with the White House's version, the Kremlin decided to expand on its initial account of the conversation. In an effort to win broader coverage of Gromov's statement, Kremlin spokesmen took the unusual step of calling news agencies Tuesday to dictate Gromov's statement rather than faxing it and posting it on the Kremlin's web site as is usually done, The Associated Press reported.

Even though the two presidents have regularly discussed Iraq in recent weeks, Monday's trading of barbs was the first time that Bush and Putin have allowed their official spokesmen to release details of their talks.

Russian newspapers, which have been critical of the U.S.-led military operation, have portrayed the verbal exchanges between U.S. and Russian officials as a sign that relations are becoming seriously strained. Nezavisimaya Gazeta on Tuesday said it was reminiscent of the Cold War and warned that Russia would suffer more if relations reached the freezing point.

The decision by Bush and Putin to let their differences spill all over the press demonstrates how strained U.S.-Russian relations have become over Iraq, political observers said.

"The mere fact of the publication of the accusations means that the ties have become less honeylike," said Dmitry Trenin, deputy head of the Moscow Carnegie Center.

The airing of the defense sales accusations indicates that the United States is trying to find a scapegoat for its military setbacks in Iraq, according to Alexei Arbatov, deputy head of the State Duma's defense committee and member of the liberal Yabloko faction.

"After five days of war it has become clear that the U.S. is losing the war politically. The more difficulties the U.S. encounters in Iraq the more inclined it will be to look for someone to blame," Arbatov said at a news conference.

"In this situation, the U.S. will be more pressing with its demands for support from Russia and Europe."

Arbatov predicted that U.S.-Russian ties will deteriorate as the war unfolds in Iraq and the conflict may lead to concrete steps, such as suspension of U.S.-funded programs to safely dispose of Russia's excess nuclear materials and to safeguard nuclear weapons.

Should the tensions take an ugly turn Russia may lose a good deal of U.S. support for its domestic reforms, while the United States may lose a key partner in its anti-terrorist coalition, according to Trenin.

The honeymoon in U.S.-Russian relations began after Moscow supported Washington in the aftermath of 9/11 and lasted thanks to friendly relations between Bush and Putin until the Iraqi crisis came to a head, Trenin said.

Interestingly, the Bush administration lodged an official complaint over the alleged sales of GPS jammers, nighttime vision goggles and missiles back in September, according to the Post. Back then, however, relations between Russia and the United States were still constructive, if not rosy, and this was, perhaps, the reason the U.S. side did not leak the complaint to the press.

Once Russia toughened its stance over Iraq, however, the White House decided to "punish" the Kremlin as it punished Ukraine by slapping on sanctions over alleged sales of Kolchuga radar equipment to Iraq, according to Alexander Pikayev of the Carnegie Center.

Indeed, the alleged Kolchuga sales occurred in the summer of 2000, whereas the White House did not go public with the accusations until the fall of 2002 when U.S.-Ukrainian relations were strained. Relations have normalized since then, however, with Ukraine even contributing a chemical warfare protection battalion to the U.S.-led coalition.

Russia's public protests over flights of U.S. U-2 spy planes near Russia's border with Georgia last week could have factored into the White House's decision to publicize the alleged sales of GPS jammers and other equipment.



TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: gpsjammers
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-33 next last

1 posted on 03/25/2003 6:30:04 PM PST by Mr. Mulliner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
Oh sure, Putin called Bush to talk about a Russian company that sold jammers and night goggles to Iraq. What a crock of crap!
2 posted on 03/25/2003 6:33:47 PM PST by teletech (Can we bomb Saddam, NOW!?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
Who thinks Putin could stop the traffic if he wanted to?

Maybe thats the administration's point: reveal just how tenuous is Putin's hold on Russia . Payback for non-support.

He's a 'Deadbeat Vlad'.

3 posted on 03/25/2003 6:34:06 PM PST by dasboot (The U.N. End it; don't mend it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
Oh! But I thought they said the cold war was over!
4 posted on 03/25/2003 6:35:48 PM PST by fellowpatriot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dasboot
I tend to agree. If there's any truth to Putin contacting Bush - and I have my doubts - it would be along the lines of "Don't blame me. I can't do anything about it."
5 posted on 03/25/2003 6:35:55 PM PST by Mr. Mulliner (I am deeply saddened that Tom Daschle is an anti-American turd.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
So first they denied that the sales happened

now they say that they brought it up?
6 posted on 03/25/2003 6:38:58 PM PST by CyberCowboy777 (In those days... Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
Ruck Fussia.
7 posted on 03/25/2003 6:41:03 PM PST by jimbo123
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
The oblique 'slam' would be consistant, too, (I reckon) with the reality that we're stuck with supporting Vlad, 'cause the enroaching alternative, now puhing itself up Vlad's wazoo using Arab mercenaries, is a heckofalot worse.

Damn commies are like dogs**t on Russia's shoes.

8 posted on 03/25/2003 6:45:38 PM PST by dasboot (The U.N. End it; don't mend it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
Why don't these Russians get their sh** together?? They rely way to much on criminal black markets.
9 posted on 03/25/2003 6:47:21 PM PST by Porterville (Screw the grammar, full posting ahead.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
we need to be real careful with this. if there is one country who can and would sell AQ a small, working nuclear weapon, its russia, especially their organized crime establishment. this issue needs to go away. we don't need to make another enemy over some goggles you could buy over the internet, and some jammers that don't work.
10 posted on 03/25/2003 6:51:01 PM PST by oceanview
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: oceanview
Moscow is as much a target for an Islamic nuke as is NYC.
11 posted on 03/25/2003 6:55:00 PM PST by tomahawk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Porterville
Do you have reason to believe that Vlad has any influence or control over the black market?

From what I understand, the BM is operated by crime thugs who use old, out of work commie thugs--and their still-breathing 'business' network--- to move product.

To believe, therefore, that Vlad is part of the BM, is to establish his Communist sympathies. I still don't believe he wants to go back there.

But I'm also shocked and awed by his late alignment with the UN over the US. Bad medicine. Might be what he thinks is necessary to stay alive...and 'alive'. Or he's still on the dark side.

Can you enlighten?

12 posted on 03/25/2003 6:57:11 PM PST by dasboot (The U.N. End it; don't mend it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: tomahawk
not if they cut a deal for their own "protection" as part of the sale
13 posted on 03/25/2003 6:59:50 PM PST by oceanview
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
Stopped reading after the bald face lie, Fleischer never said who called whom.

Note the socialist from Russia, nit-pick over stupid things ignoring the subject matter, rather like the socialist liberals right here. So Clinton like, cry wolf, while stabbing you looking you right in the eye.


14 posted on 03/25/2003 7:02:38 PM PST by Just mythoughts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: teletech
Oh sure, Putin called Bush to talk about a Russian company that sold jammers and night goggles to Iraq.

Actually, it appears the new Russian line is that Putin called Bush out of the blue to tell him about all the illegal weapons he wasn't selling to Iraq.

15 posted on 03/25/2003 7:03:55 PM PST by Dog Gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: oceanview
If these are the commonly available models you can wave byebye to the guy wearing them. These are not passive units they use a illuminator (think flashlight). Our guys will see them a long time before they see us. I'm not to concerned about these items but want to hear about the missiles found with the 2002 date stamp on it and Cyrillic writing.
16 posted on 03/25/2003 7:24:21 PM PST by Kadric
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone
I think Sec. Rumsfeld put at least 6 of the GPS jamming devices "to bed", along with the foolish ones in Iraq who tried to use them. Apparently, such devices send out a signal that our weapons can lock on to...

Sec. Rumsfeld said, "we've taken care of those 6 jamming devices." Somewhere in Iraq there are 6 additional large divits in the turf that wouldn't have been there without someone trying to use the jammers. :-)

(I wonder if there were warning instructions that came with those jammers about the dangers of uses them within 10 miles of high performance jets armed with radar seeking missiles?)
17 posted on 03/25/2003 7:26:15 PM PST by Victor K ("There was a man, who came from God. They called him John." John 1)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mulliner
Putin told Bush that Russian authorities have repeatedly "supplied information on the absence of such supplies," according to Gromov.

Apparently the Russians think we're a bunch of f'ing idiots.

I'm sure they regularly provide info on what they're NOT doing.

18 posted on 03/25/2003 7:26:25 PM PST by ez (Advise and Consent = Debate and VOTE!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: oceanview
...we don't need to make another enemy over some goggles you could buy over the internet, and some jammers that don't work.

I could overlook this stuff, and if that was all that Russia had sold to Iraq, I'd say Bush was overreacting.

Selling Saddam antitank missiles, however, is something else altogether. This needs to be settled, and quick - if Russia's willing to sell him this kind of stuff, what might they be willing to sell him when we're really breathing down his neck?

19 posted on 03/25/2003 7:33:38 PM PST by CFC__VRWC (Note to Tom Dashcle: If I want your opinion, I'll ask Chirac for it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: CFC__VRWC
Night goggles are against the UN sanctions of items of sale to Iraq...
20 posted on 03/25/2003 7:34:32 PM PST by marajade
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-33 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson