Putin pledges to help Palestinians

CNN ^ | 29 April 05 | AP

[Red6]

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would give equipment and training to Palestinian security forces and he offered to help rebuild the Palestinians' crumbling infrastructure in Gaza, which Israel is withdrawing from this summer.

Putin met for about two hours with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah on the third day of his historic visit to the region. The two leaders focused on the Middle East peace process and aid from the Russians to the Palestinians.

Putin was greeted Friday morning at the Palestinian headquarters here, known as the muqata, by an honor guard of Palestinian security forces. A military band played a halting version of Russia's national anthem and the Palestinian anthem as Putin and Abbas stood side by side.

[Americanexpat]

Putin is going to give equipment and supplies to the Palestinian security forces? That means he is going to arm them. What is this Russian SOB thinking?

We finally got the two sides in this Middle East conflict to talk and this a**hole steps in out of nowhere and is going to arm one of them. HEY, GWB Putin is not your friend!!!

[JZelle]

And just last night GWB was saying how his bud Vladimur was a big fan of democracy. Who does he think believes this?

[dennisw]

About 15,000 Palestinians -- including Abbas -- studied in Russian universities.

Abbas went to Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow

The Russian leader told a joint news conference he would provide the Palestinians, whose infrastructure was badly damaged in more than four years of fighting with the Israelis, with helicopters and training for their security services.

[hunter112]

I found it interesting that Putin stepped into the Israeli-Palistinian thing. Who else are the Pali's going to listen to, when someone tells them that they have to make peace with Israel, or be crushed? They hate the US, they laugh at western Europe, the only nation on earth they like is Russia. When Putin lays down the terms of a peace negotiation, they either listen, or they've blown their last chance at survival.

Putin needs this to get Russia back on the world stage. He also needs Islamunists to cool down, and being part of a solution to the Palestinian problem is a way to get there. I'm not saying that it's going to work, just that Putin really has a big stake in this, and it gets him right where Bush wants him. If it fails, we still have the "nuke Gaza" option.

[jb6]

Ok, now that's plain stupid. Now we're playing on the stupid level of equiping these guys in the 90s. Just stupid.

[jb6]

Interesting. I was just looking from the point of giving anything to the idjit Palies, but it's a good point you make.

[Americanexpat]

"Abbas went to the Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow."


Yep, where Russia trained most of the terrorists that killed Americans and Europeans in the 60s and 70s. Gee I wonder if some of these same guys are coming back to haunt them?

[SJackson]

We finally got the two sides in this Middle East conflict to talk and this a**hole steps in out of nowhere and is going to arm one of them

IMO it's an exageration to say there are two sides willing to talk, presuming talk is accompanied by actions, but you're right in that arming the terrorists puts that day off.

[SJackson]

I found it interesting that Putin stepped into the Israeli-Palistinian thing.

We invited him, by including him in the "quartet"

[funkywbr]

Well at least we know know why he is historically in Israel as Israel is the gate keeper!~}

[SJackson]

"Abbas went to the Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow."...Yep, where Russia trained most of the terrorists that killed Americans and Europeans in the 60s and 70s. Gee I wonder if some of these same guys are coming back to haunt them?

As well as the Orientalism Institute in Moscow where he received his PhD for a dissertation in holocaust denial, published as a book, The Other Side: The Secret Relations Between Nazism and the Leadership of the Zionist Movement. Presumably he'd potentially face criminal charges in Germany, but he get to visit the White House anyway. It would be reasonable if he brought his security chief along, that's the top topic on the table. Does the US allow entry to a known terrorist who's served 17 years in Israeli jails? The webs we weave dealing with terrorists.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[jb6]

where Russia trained

Soviets, the last leader of whom lives in America: Gorbachov. You can find his office in the Presidio and he owns two houses.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Putin pledges to help Palestinians...in their indigenous struggle against Zionist Imperialism.

[Marguerite]

"Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would give equipment and training to Palestinian security forces"

Only if Israel allows him to do it....which I strongly doubt.