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.

[Caipirabob]

This can't be repeated enough:

WTF?

[NavyCanDo]

THE AP STORY IS A LIE. The response that this story got from us is exactly the response that liar, AP writer Barry Schweid wanted. This story is completely bogus. The AP story is designed to get you to vote for Kerry or not at all... Just look at the reaction it got from us. I was so fuming mad and before I left work I was contemplating peeling off my Bush sticker on the car. No kidding.
I did some digging last night. This was bothering me real bad. The source for the story was the statement bellow from the State Department. The liar AP writer took so much of it out of context and added his own words it's hard to recognize the original source. For example where do you see in this story the quote from the State Department, "The administration also left open the possibility of U.S. meetings with Chechens who are not linked to terrorists."?

This morning I am sending the correction to anyone I sent the bogus story to yesterday. If you forwarded the original story to anyone, please do the same.


STATE DEPARTMENT NEWS RELEASE
US Reaffirms 'Absolute Solidarity' With Moscow in Terror Fight
David Gollust
State Department
07 Sep 2004, 20:09 UTC


The United States Tuesday reaffirmed its "absolute solidarity" with Russia in its fight against terrorism, but also reiterated its support for a political solution to the Chechnya conflict. The comments followed charges by Russian President Vladimir Putin that U.S. meetings with Chechen separatists undermine Russia's efforts against terror.

Officials here are defending past U.S. contacts with Chechen separatists in the face of sharp criticism by Mr. Putin following the terrorist attack last week that killed hundreds of children and others in North Ossetia.

The State Department acknowledges having working-level meetings with Chechen separatist politicians, though it says there have been none since 2002 and none with members of factions associated with acts of terror. excerpt...

[nyconse]

Exactly, since the war on terror began this has not been the case-f'ing liar. AP is so discredited

[nyconse]

This happened in 2001-2002...AP acts like this is current. This is a hit piece written to try to soften up Pres. Bush's numbers on the war on terror...AP reporters are liars.

[nyconse]

Also, bless you...I found the truth also...I have been trying to get posters on this thread to get out and correct this story...all hell broke loose on conservative websites yesterday. Thank you!

[nyconse]

Read the article I posted. None of this crap is true. This is a hit piece on the President. Don't be idiotic enough to play into the Dem hands. All state depts under any administration suck-in my opinion. But this is not true. Let's find a way to make the AP pay for their blatant lies.

[Freedom Dignity n Honor]

Well right now if Russia is "occupying" Chechnya it's because around 1997 the Islamic Chechnya started attacking Dagestan.

IIRC, Dagestan asked Russia for help in this invasion.

Someone has to try to stop the Islamic terrorists in Chechnya just like the rest of the world has to try to stop Islamic terrorists in other places.

Btw, just as in Palestine and other places, if the terrorists don't want their children killed they'll stop committing terrorist attacks and killing innocent people and they'll stop using their own women and children as human shields.

[Freedom Dignity n Honor]

To: nyconse

"The Russians would be fools to allow a Chechnayn Islamic state on their borderss-a perfect staging area for more terrorism against the Russian people."

The Russians gave autonomous self rule to Chechnya from 1997 till 1999 and that is exactly what the Chechens did during that time. Kidnapping for ransom became the major Chechen industry and terrorists used Chechnya as a staging area for attacks on hospitals, police stations, apartment buildings, and buses in Russia, Dagestan, and North Osseta.

82 posted on 09/07/2004 2:45:47 PM CDT by monday

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

[Freedom Dignity n Honor]

It's really been bothering me that ever since election night the press reports one thing about Bush or his policies and in a few days we hear that the truth is something completely different.

From the time they pre-emptively called Gore the winner of Florida til today it's been the same M.O.

It's about time to bring back McCarthyism and get the communist propangandists out of our government and the MSM.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Then the Russians will have to kill the rest of them."

And they are efficient at genocide, they killed 25 million since the Bolshevik revolution.

Those are your good guys.

[MarMema]

they killed 25 million since the Bolshevik revolution

DIng a ling. Most of the soviet leaders were not Russians.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Russia was the Soviet Union, it began there, and it died there.

The Soviets (not Russians, not Bolsheviks) murdered 25 million, persecuted both Christians and Jews...but they are YOUR good guys.

[monday]

"Are you aware that nearly half of Chechnya's population has been killed or displaced by the Russian occupation?"

Yes, it has been more than that from time to time. It makes it more difficult for the terrorists to operate when they are deprived of the support of the people.

[Luis Gonzalez]

And most of the terrosist in that school were not Chechens.

Nice double standard you have.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Advocating genocide by the Russians?

Were you also in favor of genocide by the Soviet Union?

[monday]

"The State Department acknowledges having working-level meetings with Chechen separatist politicians, though it says there have been none since 2002 and NONE WITH MEMBERS OF FACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH ACTS OF TERROR."

So exactly what is this supposed to accomplish? How can meeting with people who are not responsible for the terror, end the terror? How can you negotiate a political settlement with people who don't have the power to force compliance on the people who are responsible for the terror?

The answer is that the US state department is less interested in ending Chechen terrorism than in sticking it to Russia. Putin was right in criticizing the US state department. I can't believe that the state dept. met with the Chechens AFTER 9-11. Despicable.

[Destro]

So you are either with us or with the terrorists was just BS, eh?

[monday]

"In order to end this conflict we need to separate the Chechen civilians who would just like to live their life in peace "

There are no such people left in Chechnya, and they were a very small minority even before they left.

[monday]

"You best get your head out of (fill in the blank) and figure out that RUSSIA'S actions have created a terrorist recruitment camp in Chechnya."

I suppose you think that US actions have created "a terrorist recruitment camp" in Falluja? You remind me of the French who insist we "deserve to be terrorized" because we are mean to terrorists. sheesh....it is you who "best get your head out of (blank), and realize exactly who the real enemy is, and it isn't the Russians.

[monday]

"The Russian Army is committing genocide in Chechnya."

The Russians haven't been very nice, it is true, but they are not committing genocide. The thing is, if the Chechens would just quit kidnapping people and cutting off their heads, and quit attacking schools and hospitals and blowing up apartment buildings, the Russians would go home and leave them alone.

They don't want to have an army posted in Chechnya all the time. They can't afford it, but the anarchy and lawlessness of Chechnya means they have to in order to have any security in the area.