U.S. calls for diplomacy with Chechens(State Department)

AP ^ | 09/07/04 | BARRY SCHWEID

[Pikamax]

WASHINGTON AP) - The Bush administration differed Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that only a political settlement could end the crisis between Russia and the breakaway region of Chechnya.

The administration also left open the possibility of U.S. meetings with Chechens who are not linked to terrorists.

Secretary of State Colin Powell and Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage signed a book of condolences at the Russian Embassy over the deaths of at least 330 people, most of them children, during a hostage-taking last week at a school in the southern city of Beslan.

[nyconse]

No, the article is still there.

[MineralMan]

The article was not removed. It's still there at the Fresno Bee site, and on numerous other news outlets. What you're seeing is the registration screen from the Bee, for some reason.

Google "chechens" in the News section. It's popping up all over the place.

[itsahoot]

I'm not a military strategist, nor a political one.

Your kidding?

[PaleoPal]

Ditto. Most of these morons think "conservative" means "bloodthirsty". People like this enable a clown like Michael Savage to make million$$$.

[MineralMan]

"Ditto. Most of these morons think "conservative" means "bloodthirsty". People like this enable a clown like Michael Savage to make million$$$."

I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if some of the "kill 'em all" folks aren't here trying to stir up trouble and cause dissension.

I mean, they're always threatening not to vote for Bush or something like that. It happens over and over again. I just wonder.

[monday]

"If we allow Iraq to become an Islamic state then we have indeed lost...the situation will be worse than it was when saddam was in power."

Yes and no. Yes, Iraq would probably become a state sponsor of terrorism, but if you notice, the actual terrorists come from countries which are US allies, not Islamic theocracies. There have been no, as far as I know, international terrorists from Afghanistan, or Iran.

Once people have a Islamic theocracy, either they are satisfied or, more likely, they hate it and can't imagine killing themselves in order to bring such suffering and misery to others.

[MineralMan]

"Yes, Iraq would probably become a state sponsor of terrorism, but if you notice, the actual terrorists come from countries which are US allies, not Islamic theocracies"

That's an interesting idea. I hadn't looked at it that way.

[nyconse]

Hey, as aggravated as I am about this article...and I am a kill the terrorists kind of person, I'm still voting for Pres. Bush...it makes me want to stay home, but I know Bush is better than Kerry so I will vote. I really can not bring myself to believe Pres. Bush really wants Russia to negotiate with Chechnya-murderers.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

There have been no, as far as I know, international terrorists from Afghanistan, or Iran.

Well the ones from Iran are organizers, the ones from Afghanistan moved back across the border into Pakistan.

[nyconse]

Iran is one of the leading sponsors of terror, and it is a theocracy.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

He is wrong!

[MineralMan]

"Iran is one of the leading sponsors of terror, and it is a theocracy.

"

OK. Weren't a bunch of the 9/11 terrorists Saudis?

[q_an_a]

so now you can see why Putin would side with Iraq or France when we take the side of people who want to create the next Afganistan.

Powell must not be thinking if he thinks Chechyna(sp) will not become a terror country trying to kill Christians and take over other countries that are their neighbors.

[nyconse]

This is completely misguided. Bin Ladan used Afghanistan as a safe haven from which to launch the worst attack on America in the history of this country. May I remind you...the Taliban government was a theocracy? Iran has ties to the 9-11 hijackers as well-also a theocracy.

[itsahoot]

For Pete's sake, we can't just blast the whole region to smithereens.

Maybe not, but that is certainly their intention for our part of the world.

[MineralMan]

OK, I've gotta go for the day. Interesting thread.

[nyconse]

They were not sent to kill Americans by the Saudi government. They were Bin Laden followers. Most were trained in Taliban Afghanistan. Get real. These Saudis were member of Al Quada...they want to destroy the government of Saudi Arabia as well as us.

[Tempest]

This is to say thank you to Putin for supproting us for our war on terror.

[Brilliant]

Probably what Powell is thinking is that there are only two solutions to this: The Russians give in, or the Russians exterminate the rebel ethnic groups. He wants to engineer the former result. If it were not for the fact that Islam has set itself against the entire world, I might have some sympathy for that viewpoint. However, this is a world war, and if we want to win it, we have to do the same thing that we did to defeat Hitler, ie. ally ourselves with the Russians.

[fly_so_free]

What a stupid thing to do. Did the State department go to the ACME School of Diplomacy? Uggghhhhh. No wonder Putin said what he said. The world should send this message to the practitioners of the religion of peace:

If you want diplomacy:
CONTROL YOUR EFN LUNATICS!!
(Then we'll talk about you and your needs.)