Putin Warns US Over War On Terror & Against Military Action Against Iraq

Financial Times ^

[Asmodeus]

December 16 2001
Putin Warns US Over War On Terror
By Andrew Gowers, Robert Cottrell and Andrew Jack in Moscow and Richard McGregor in Tora Bora

Russia expects the US to consult it before taking the "war against terrorism" anywhere beyond Afghanistan, President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with the Financial Times.

The US-led war against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan appeared to be drawing to a close on Sunday. Some White House officials are pressing to shift the fight against terrorism to other rogue states.

But the Russian president warned specifically against military action in Iraq. The next priority for the anti-terrorist coalition should be to "block the financing of terrorist activities", he said. "And so far I have no confirmation, no evidence that Iraq is financing the terrorists that we are fighting against."

Mujahideen commanders declared victory in the battle against al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan on Sunday, as Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary, made a surprise visit to the US Bagram Airbase in the country.

But after coming down from the Tora Bora mountains at the end of the battle to drive al-Qaeda from its final stronghold, the Mujahideen said they had not found Mr bin Laden.

"He is not here," said Haji Zaman, one of the commanders of the three Mujahideen forces fighting with the US. "Osama is not in my pocket. I cannot show him to you."

Mr Zaman said he had seen the cave where Mr bin Laden was thought to be hiding, and that his body was not among the many left there after Sunday's fighting.

But he and other commanders will continue to search the mountain "metre by metre" on Monday to hunt for the scores of al-Qaeda members who had fled the battlefield.

Mr Rumsfeld, the first top US official to visit Afghanistan since the war began, met Hamid Karzai, who will head the interim government that takes power in Kabul on Saturday.

Mr Putin, interviewed at the end of last week, criticised past bombing of Iraq by US and UK warplanes.

The main concern of the international community, he said, was to prevent Iraq developing weapons of mass destruction. Bombing did not seem to advance this aim.

Russia wanted Iraq to re-admit UN weapons inspectors in exchange for a full lifting of sanctions, Mr Putin said. But he admitted this idea had "not met with understanding on the part of Iraq's leadership".

US officials said on Sunday that it may still be difficult to get precise information on Mr bin Laden's fate.

Tommy Franks, the general in charge of US forces, told ABC News the US had picked up radio transmissions from Tora Bora last week that appear to be from Mr bin Laden.

But with US air strikes methodically destroying the bunkers and cave complexes that shelter the remaining al-Qaeda forces, he said it may be impossible to determine who had been killed.

About 200 al-Qaeda members were killed in fighting and 25 taken prisoner on Sunday. A dozen Mujahideen have also died in the past two days.

US B52 and F18 aircraft conducted another intense round of bombing on Saturday night and Sunday morning, over a wider area than usual as Al-Qaeda members tried to flee.

Additional reporting by Edward Alden in Washington and Reuters at Bagram Airbase

[RoseofTexas]

So much for FRIENDSHIP!

[Defender2]

Financial Times. I really take this report with a grain of salt!

[KQQL]

don't worry mr.putin, powell is with you.

[oldtimer]

I wonder how our "friend" Putin would feel if the al-Qeada had taken one into the heart of mother Russia.

[nocommies]

mr putin should shut his damned mouth. he has forgotten he is the leader of a bankrupt, split, defunct nation with so much less relevande on the world stage than in the past. youre with us, or your against us, mr putin. our business is no business of yours, to hell with our detractors. TO HELL WITH ALL OF THEM!!

[NetValue]

While I think we should finish the job in Iraq, I also realize how the rest of the world sees it. They do not see PROOF or even EVIDENCE that Iraq has actually attacked the US in such a way as to warrant punishment from US military forces. If we have such proof of Iraqi participation in any attack on the US, we must present it directly so we do not look like an aggressor nation.

[Miss Marple]

I do not see any evidence that this is as sinister as the Financial Times has portrayed it. The next step SHOULD be finanacial interdiction, which is what we are doing. The reporter is reading into this what he wishes.

Besides, I do not believe that Iraq was ever intended to be next, despite Bill Kristol's harrangues. We will go into Indonesia and The Phillippines (at the invitation of their governments) and also Somalia. We are tightening the noose, as the President has said.

[Salman]

I think Putin just wants a piece of the action. Let's not forget that Iraq is a commercial rival of Russia now.

[nocommies]

screw the rest of the world, we dont owe anybody a damned thing after all of this. there is evidence linking iraq to the wtc bombing in 1993, and every attack on us since then. clinton just set the tone for passivity, and the world has been spoiled by it. its time to fight, and fight like hell, with EVERYTHING weve got. bin laden wants WWIII, and he sure as smokin has more support than just his little boy al qaedas. he's just an arm and a distraction, helped by and working for iraq, syria, lebanon, the plo, pakistan, and the rest of the haters of the west. he isnt some bored jerk just hanging out in caves deciding on his own he's going to sail a couple jumbo birds into a couple buildings. he and those who support and harbor him are the scum of the earth. wouldnt surprise me if he was in iraq, iran, or pakistan. anyone who questions our actions is, by default, siding with osama, the anti christ himself.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Financial Times. I really take this report with a grain of salt!

Yep. It is short but very disjointed and it seems every writer around contributed to it.

Bush told Putin we were going to abandon the 1972 AMB treaty and Putin said no. Bush abandoned it. He will do the same with Iraq. If he decides to take Saddam out, Saddam had better get busy makes reservations elsewhere because he will be gone, Putin or no. This administration is not run by polls, committees or coalitions.

[nocommies]

it says putin "warned specifically against military action in iraq." that's butting in to our business if you ask me.

[nocommies]

it sure IS refreshing that the white house is no longer occupied by spineless worms and jellyfish.

[angry beaver norbert]

Well,sc#@^^w his sorry butt,too! Roll on!!

[Lent]

What "warning"? I saw no "warning" here. In fact, Putin himself criticizes Iraq for its non-compliance with demands with respect to weapons inspection,"Russia wanted Iraq to re-admit UN weapons inspectors in exchange for a full lifting of sanctions, Mr Putin said. But he admitted this idea had "not met with understanding on the part of Iraq's leadership"."

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

OK HOW MANY OF US KNEW THIS WAS COMMING? all of us you would have to be blind or stupid not to!

[mathurine]

Consultation script: hey, Russia, it is in our mutual interest to kick ____ 's butt. and actually, it usually is.

[blondee123]

if iraq was not building weapons of mass destruction, then why ban the UN inspectors? they have already broken the agreement with the UN to have inspections there, seems to me that's reason enough for taking a closer look at them. putin needs to butt out, his country wasn't the one attacked & russia couldn't win the war in afghanistan when they were there. obviously, the U.S. knows what it's doing!!

[horsewhispersc]

Unfortunately, Putin thinks Iraq is his business, and a side note, what about China? I see this creating a major dilemma for us.