[Mr. Mojo]

Dubya should've told Putin long ago that we'll be turning a blind eye to Chechnya, but who knows, perhaps he already has. I see a few issues at play in the Russians' unwillingness to approve an effective Iraqi resolution:

1) They're are afraid they won't get their $40 billion in debt owed them (by Iraq).
2) They're struggling to regain some legitimacy on the world stage, and wielding their veto power in the UN security council is one way to do it (in their minds).
3) They're concerned that we'll annex Iraq's oil fields and thus decrease our future dependence on Russian (Caspian Sea) crude.

[newsperson999]

I'm hearing rumours that 130 dead is incorrect, should be 30..Rueters may correct the story soon..still unconformed at this point