Putin Accuses West, Chechen Rebel Vows More Attacks

Reuters via Yahoo! ^ | Jonathan Thatcher

[Teacher317]

Go Putin, go!

[DannyTN]

I hope by "West", Putin's referring to "Old Europe" and not us.

[Truth666]

September 17, 2004 MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia is "seriously preparing" for pre-emptive strikes against terrorists, while Chechen insurgent leader Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for a school hostage-taking and other attacks that have claimed more than 430 lives. Speaking to a meeting of world mayors in Moscow, Putin also made a veiled attack on the West, saying that double standards in dealing with terrorism are "disastrous for global security." Putin didn't name any specific countries, but his comments appeared aimed at European and U.S. officials who have urged Moscow to conduct peace talks with Chechen rebels. "There continue to be attempts to divide terrorists into ours and others, into moderates and radicals," Putin said in televised remarks. "All this is a condescending, justifying attitude to murderers, which amounts to being an accomplice to terrorism." Putin firmly ruled out any "bargaining" with the Chechen rebels. "Every concession leads to aggression, a widening of their demands and multiplies the losses," he said. The president said that "now in Russia, we are seriously preparing to act preventively against terrorists," adding such action would be "in strict accordance with the law and norms of the constitution, norms of international law." Putin didn't elaborate, and it wasn't immediately clear whether he was referring to action against terrorists only at home or abroad as well. Other Russian officials, including Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov, have said that Russia could conduct pre-emptive strikes against terrorists abroad, saying such action could involve any weapons except nuclear. The main Chechen rebel website, Kavkaz-Centre, posted on Friday what it said was an e-mail from Basayev, claiming his Riyadus Salikhin Martyrs' Brigade was responsible for the bombings of two Russian passenger jets last month, a suicide bombing outside a Moscow subway station and the school siege in the southern city of Beslan. More than 430 people were killed in the attacks, including 338 at the school, where the Sept. 1-3 hostage standoff ended in a hail of gunfire and explosions. The lengthy e-mail, signed with Basayev's nom de guerre, Abdallakh Shamil, defended the attacks as part of the Chechen war for independence against Russia. It also sought to shift blame for the massacre to Russian forces. Putin and other officials have said they had not planned to storm the school, where the attackers had rigged bombs amid the 1,200 hostages, many of them children. According to Russian officials and witnesses, after explosions rocked the school and armed volunteers started shooting, Russian special forces opened fire, too.

[Voltage]

So why is he selling nuclear technology to Iran?

[Lexington Green]

"Moreover, we faced double standards in the attitude toward terrorism," he said

Yeah, Putin, we recall your many faces when we needed your support in Iraq.

[jbstrick]

"A patronizing and indulgent attitude to the murderers amounts to complicity in terror"

I dont think I disagree.

[DAC22]

So why is he selling nuclear technology to Iran?


$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[BobCNY]

So why does he support Hamas and other Arab terrorists?

[danneskjold]

I hope by "West", Putin's referring to "Old Europe" and not us.

I guess it depends on which he's facing...

[MindBender26]

Le Frogs and Der Krauts

[Truth666]

So why is he selling nuclear technology to Iran?

Facts available to anyone

Putin hasn't let any other country get the bomb.
Islam has now the bomb (Pakistan) thanks to Clinton.

Facts - classified

The only reason Russia didn't strike Pakistan yet is the opposition of the West.
Russia lauched a pre-emptive strike against North Korea.

[StrictTime]

aimed at European and U.S. officials who have urged Moscow to conduct peace talks with Chechen rebels.

Our State Dept. SUCKS....

[JPJones]

I hope by "West", Putin's referring to "Old Europe" and not us.

I hope so too, but our state department should be cooperative with Russia, we help them in Chechnya they help us in Iraq.

[Pyro7480]

I don't think they are going to help us in Iraq. Putin is being hypocritical. He criticizes us for going to war with Iraq, and he expects us to support him in Chechnya? He wants to go after the Islamists there, but supports Iran with nuclear technology? Sorry, Crazy Vlad, we don't work that way, particularly when the Chechyns have real grievances against Russia (doesn't justify the killing of hundreds of children, but thousands of civilians have died in Chechnya since the days of Stalin)

[ZULU]

The individuals who populate our state department consist of political hacks getting lucrative posts in countries they know nothing about, and the ignorant toadies and lackies who become servants of the nations in which they are stationed, rather than the agents of America.

The entire State Department, from Powell on down stinks and has done a miserable job in negotiating with the thugs in the U.N. pre-Invasion, and in supporting our fighting troops in field in the Middle East.

The Chechens are professional theifs, Islamic mafiosi and terrorists. Chechnya and the Chechnyans should be wiped out.

[ZULU]

Exactly.

But don't count on the Cretins in the U.S. State Department to see the logic of this themselves.

Intelligence is a virtue they lack. They must be ORDERED to do this, and removed if they interfere.

[Truth666]

He wants to go after the Islamists there, but supports Iran with nuclear technology?
Putin doesn't sell any technology that could lead Iran to the bomb.
Just think about this :
Israel is NOW the main ally of Russia in the region. Do you think that would be possible if Russia was jeopardizing Israel's security ?

[Pyro7480]

I forgot about that. It's a rather recent development though.

[StrictTime]

Here's to Bush winning a second term and perhaps doing a little housecleaning...

/wishful thinking

[BurbankKarl]

The train blast? or the dam project?

>>Russia lauched a pre-emptive strike against North Korea.