Putin suggests circumcision and Islam to French journalist

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin, in an extraordinary outburst, suggested that a French reporter who questioned the Kremlin’s policy in Chechnya convert to Islam and come to Moscow for circumcision.

Mr Putin’s remarks - made at a press conference in Paris on Monday, of which a full translation only became available yesterday - came after he accused Chechen rebels of wanting to kill all non-Muslims.

A reporter for the French newspaper, Le Monde, had asked him about reports that Russia used heavy weapons against Chechen civilians.

Mr Putin’s political rise rested partly on his hard line on Chechen separatists. He responded: "If you want to become an Islamic radical and have yourself circumcised, I invite you to come to Moscow.

"Our nation is multi-confessional, we have experts in the field. I would recommend that he who does the surgery does it so you’ll have nothing growing back afterward."

Mr Putin was in Brussels for talks with leaders of the European Union, at which Russia’s long military campaign in Chechnya was one of the chief subjects for discussion.

The Russian president’s interpreters gave only intermittent translation during Mr Putin’s remarks, which were apparently delivered rapidly and with agitation.

The exact meaning of what he said was not widely understood among the 450 journalists, and only became clear yesterday when translated from an audiotape of the news conference.

The Russian president, once a high-ranking KGB official, spoke at great length about the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism and the war in Chechnya. He said Chechen Muslims want a Caliphate, or Muslim state, "on Russian soil".

Islamic "radicals have much more ambitious goals. They talk about setting up a worldwide Caliphate and the need to kill Americans and their allies," Mr Putin said.

"They talk about the need to kill all ... non-Muslims, or ‘crusaders’, as they put it. If you are a Christian, you are in danger.

"If you decided to abandon your faith and become an atheist, you also are to be liquidated according to their concept. You are in danger if you decide to become a Muslim. It is not going to save you anyway because they believe traditional Islam is hostile to their goals."

In Moscow yesterday, the daily newspaper Kommersant said the summit "ended in a serious scandal" because of Mr Putin’s comments, which it said followed a "provocative question".

Gazeta.ru, a leading on-line publication, quoted unidentified aides as saying the president was tired and angry from being peppered with Chechnya questions.

EU spokesman Jonathan Faull said the remarks by Mr Putin, if correctly reported, were "entirely inappropriate". Gunnar Wiegand, another EU spokesman, said Mr Putin used "decidedly less robust" language during meetings with EU leaders.

On Monday, Mr Putin and the EU leaders had failed to agree on a common statement about the war when the Russian president objected to references about human rights and the rule of law.

Mr Putin said he was fighting "religious extremists and international terrorists" in Chechnya, not an independence movement. He pointed to last month’s hostage-taking in a Moscow theatre by Chechen rebels. At least 128 of the approximately 750 hostages died when Russian special forces ended the siege with a knock-out gas.

Putin praised Russian handling of the crisis and said other nations must adopt a similarly tough stand against terrorism to prevent further incidents like it and the recent bombing of tourist night-clubs in Bali where about 200 people died.

Western press heavily edits his statements, with reporter interpretations of sentence fragments. Here's some fuller quotes:

Putin Offers Reporter a Circumcision

In response to a Le Monde reporter, who questioned Russia's use of anti-personnel land mines and fragmentation bombs in Chechnya, Putin began, rather calmly, by saying that Chechnya was a "complex conglomeration of problems." He reiterated that the separatist movement in the republic had been overtaken by radical Muslims and terrorists who filled the vacuum of power.

"No one can accuse Russia of suppressing freedom," Putin said. "Russia de facto gave full independence to the Chechen republic [in 1996]. In 1999 we had to pay for it. Wide-scale aggression against Russia, the republic of Dagestan, took place under the slogan of creating a caliphate [Muslim theocracy] ... by tearing apart territories of the Russian Federation. What does that have to do with Chechnya's independence?"

People who inspire and finance Chechen fighters are "religious extremists and international terrorists," he continued. But Russia is only the first line of defense, he said, because "the radicals" have wide ambitions and "speak about the creation of a global caliphate."

As he became increasingly impassioned, he began to go through the categories of all those who are under threat from radical Muslims.

"They speak about the necessity to kill Americans and their allies. I think you come from a country that happens to be an ally of the United States -- you are in danger," Putin said in addressing the French reporter.

"They are talking about the need to kill all kaffirs [infidels], all non-Moslems, or Crusaders, as they say. If you are a Christian, you are in danger!

"But if you decide to reject your faith and become an atheist, you are also subject to liquidation according to their way of thinking. ... You are in danger!

"If you decide to become a Muslim, even that won't save you. Because they consider traditional Islam also to be hostile to the goals they put forward. Even in that case you are in danger!"....

Monday was not the first time Putin had used strong language to express his belief that the Chechen war is part of a global offensive by Islamic fundamentalism. ...

"If the so-called freedom-fighters terrorize us and threaten to take over nuclear and other vital facilities ... we will either have a common interpretation of such activity or we will have a problem," Putin said. "I only want to warn you that you should not create any loopholes for these people. Anything, even the smallest trifle that's to their advantage, is perceived by them as a weakness and will be used by them against those who demonstrate this weakness."

They speak about the necessity to kill Americans and their allies. I think you come from a country that happens to be an ally of the United States -- you are in danger," Putin said in addressing the French reporter.
"They are talking about the need to kill all kaffirs [infidels], all non-Moslems, or Crusaders, as they say. If you are a Christian, you are in danger!
"But if you decide to reject your faith and become an atheist, you are also subject to liquidation according to their way of thinking. ... You are in danger!
"If you decide to become a Muslim, even that won't save you. Because they consider traditional Islam also to be hostile to the goals they put forward. Even in that case you are in danger!"....

"If you decide to become a Muslim, even that won't save you. Because they consider traditional Islam also to be hostile to the goals they put forward. Even in that case you are in danger!"....

"I only want to warn you that you should not create any loopholes for these people. Anything, even the smallest trifle that's to their advantage, is perceived by them as a weakness and will be used by them against those who demonstrate this weakness."

Oooooh, this is good stuff. If the truth fits, wear it.

Wish I could have seen the reporter's face

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