RUSSIA WILL GIVE AFGHAN OPPOSITION ARMS SUPPLIES AND MILITARY EQUIPMENT -- PUTIN

Reuters | Monday, September 24, 2001

[super175]

You know, these crazies keep on talking about a jihad. What are they going to do? Jihad against everyone?

[hawaiian]

So far they've got to Jihad against us, against the Northern opposition within Afghanistan, against Pakistan, and now against Russia. Good luck, Mohommar!

[Tai_Chung]

Isn't the Northern Alliance already receiving Russian military equipment either directly from Russia or indirectly through Iran?

[hawaiian]

Oh, yeah - and against Britain.

[madison46]

Maybe if they say it long enough often enough we might start shaking. Never know....................next they may say this will be the 'Mother of all jihads' LOL

kill 'em

[StoneColdGOP]

Sweet...

[madison46]

Reported somewhere that Russia, India, Iran talking about working together against the Taliban. Hummm, looks like another enemy has underestimated America and her influence when pissed. I'll be sure to shed a tear while they dance like a cornered animal.

[RLK]

Goodby Taliban.

[DittoJed2]

Wonderful! That's what is needed, get the opposition to follow the Taliban into the mountains. They know the terrain unlike anybody else. They know the nooks and crannies. Good move.

[JohnHuang2]

Hot off the presses:

Putin says will aid Afghan opposition -- lawmaker

MOSCOW, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ruled out sending troops to Afghanistan as part of U.S. operations there, but pledged to help the Northern Alliance opposition, a liberal parliamentarian said.

Putin, speaking to top parliamentarians in the Kremlin, said Russia "will not send our soldiers to Afghanistan, but we shall open corridors and we shall help the Northern Alliance," Boris Nemtsov, head of the liberal SPS, told Interfax news agency.

Putin was laying out his views of impending U.S. strikes, expected in response to the hijacked airliner attacks in the United States.

[537 Votes]

This whole thing is rapidly downsizing . . . from a war against the Islamic world, to a war against Afghanistan, to a war against the Taliban . . . to the possibility that the Taliban may be destroyed by the time the first American troops set foot over there.

For that matter, the Taliban may hand over Osama bin Laden without a fight, just to keep us from getting in the way as they battle the Northern Alliance.

This whole thing may turn out to be anticlimactic. But that's okay. The fewer lives lost, the better.

[JohnHuang2]

This whole thing may turn out to be anticlimactic. But that's okay. The fewer lives lost, the better.

Amen to that.

[VoodooEconomist]

We need to be very careful here. I'd like to think we could truly work with Russia - to have a relationship based on trust. However, I'm a bit concerned with Russia's sudden surge in cooperation. My fear is another Yalta-like betrayal, where we let Russia get involved - only to have them remain behind once this is all over. The last thing we need is a Russian military presence on an eastward trajectory. OTOH, I can understand Russia being concerned with NATO's westward movement. Both countries still are in a "trust, but verify" mode ten years after the Cold War ended.

[ppaul]

RE: The Great Game

The Russians can almost smell the salt water from their dreamed of warm-water port.

[Quilla]

I'd like to think we could truly work with Russia - to have a relationship based on trust.

Remember when President Bush stated he could see a good "heart" in Putin? I believed him then.

[Malcolm]

I don't believe that the Northern Alliance will succeed but it won't hurt to try it.....

[stevem]

This is one thing that has never received the proper explanation in this country. The Russians hate the Taliban worse that the US does. In Chechnya, the Russians are the good guys.

No matter what the Taliban does, from now on, I believe the world will begin to see their influence and territoy on the wane.

It also seems that any Arabs in Afghanistan would be well advised to leave.

[Frohickey]

MOSCOW, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ruled out sending troops to Afghanistan as part of U.S. operations there, but pledged to help the Northern Alliance opposition, a liberal parliamentarian said.

Putin, speaking to top parliamentarians in the Kremlin, said Russia "will not send our soldiers to Afghanistan, but we shall open corridors and we shall help the Northern Alliance," Boris Nemtsov, head of the liberal SPS, told Interfax news agency.

I bet there are quite a few Russian soldiers that would like to go back to Afghanistan for payback.

[patent]

Are you two nuts? Russia had Afghanistan. It didn't work out very well. While I'm sure they would love to see it reduced to rubble (further, anyway) you can't seriously think they want to go through an occupation again.

If they did they could have long ago easily retaken it. Its not conquering that is the problem, its holding it subject to the guerrila attacks.

And ppaul, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe Afghanistan has any ports.

patent