Posted on 10/18/2007 3:57:26 PM PDT by BradtotheBone
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday chastised the United States over its policy in Iraq and Iran, and announced "grandiose" military plans, including development of a new nuclear weapon. Putin, who is to step down at the end of his second term next year, also said he wanted the ruling United Russia party to preserve his policies after December parliamentary elections, confirming that he wants to retain major political influence after leaving office.
In a nationally broadcast link-up with ordinary Russians across the country, Putin called the US intervention in Iraq a "dead end" and called on Washington to set a deadline for the withdrawal of troops.
Putin suggested that Iraq had been invaded because of its oil wealth and assured one caller that energy-rich Russia could not suffer the same fate. To think so, he said, was "political erotica."
The White House quickly rebuffed Putin's comments, insisting there was a "good trend" in Iraq.
The hawkish Russian leader also swiped at Washington's tough stand on Iran's nuclear power programme, saying Moscow's insistence on negotiations was better than "threats, sanctions or even force."
In a video link-up with servicemen at the Plesetsk nuclear missile base, Putin said that Russia would build another nuclear submarine next year and was also planning a "completely new" atomic weapon.
"We have grandiose plans and they are absolutely realistic," Putin said, speaking hours after the military announced the successful test firing of a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile.
Putin's sixth phone-in during eight years in power came in for particular scrutiny for clues to Putin's future political career after December parliamentary and March presidential elections.
Putin, 55, has left the world guessing about what he will do after the March election, in which he is barred by the constitution from seeking a third consecutive term.
The former KGB officer who came to power in 2000 repeated that he will step down, saying "there will be another person here in the Kremlin in 2008."
He confirmed that he would campaign for the United Russia party in the parliamentary election, saying this party's victory would ensure that his policies over the last eight years continued.
"Imagine that people come to power who do not agree with these decisions, it would be easy to reverse them.... It is therefore extremely important that parliament is effective," Putin said.
Putin has previously said he is considering taking up the prime minister's post after leaving the Kremlin, but he appeared to scotch speculation that he wants constitutional changes transfering power from the Kremlin to the government.
He said he was "against cutting the powers of the president of Russia," Interfax said.
On the economy, Putin trumpeted economic growth of 7.7 percent, but conceded that the government was so far unable to control inflation of 8.5 percent and rising beyond "the planned parameters."
There has been a more than doubling of foreign investment, 13.4 percent increase in incomes, and 5.1 percent increase in pensions, he said, while gold and foreign currency reserves are at record levels.
Putin also claimed credit for a slowdown in the country's dramatic population plunge, saying that government benefits to families were having an effect.
Although Putin says he will step down next year, he remains by far the dominant political force in a country where there is almost no outspoken opposition.
Adding to the mystery, no major politician has yet expressed interest in seeking the presidency, while polls indicate the parliamentary election will give Putin's United Russia party an overwhelming majority.
Speculation is mounting that Putin will seek to remain in control even after quitting the presidency. Or he may return to the Kremlin for a third term after a break -- something the constitution does not bar.
Later Thursday Putin was to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Moscow for talks expected to focus on Iran's Russian-backed nuclear programme.
Putin was in Tehran on Tuesday, the first visit to Iran by a Kremlin leader since World War II.
Russia should practice what it preaches.
Bush should have looked into his soul with a geiger counter.
WHAT????
Man you need to move out of the northeast.
We can’t take on Russia alone. And we are alone right now. The EU is to tied to them to do anything, and to be quite frank they would like to see us taken down a notch.
We don’t have the heavy industry to out build them like in the 80’s, and quite frankly they have the resources and money to outspend us.
I fear that we are going into some dark times.
Their GDP is less than $800 billion.
“Their GDP is less than $800 billion.”
Our State Dept says their GDP in 2006 was $986 billion and goes on to say:
“The Russian economy underwent tremendous stress in the 1990s as it moved from a centrally planned economy to a free market system. Difficulties in implementing fiscal reforms aimed at raising government revenues and a dependence on short-term borrowing to finance budget deficits led to a serious financial crisis in 1998. Lower prices for Russia’s major export earners (oil and minerals) and a loss of investor confidence due to the Asian financial crisis exacerbated financial problems. The result was a rapid and steep decline (60%) in the value of the ruble, flight of foreign investment, delayed payments on sovereign and private debts, a breakdown of commercial transactions through the banking system, and the threat of runaway inflation.
Still, Russia weathered the crisis well. In the 8 years following the financial crisis, GDP growth averaged just under 7% due to a devalued ruble, implementation of key economic reforms (tax, banking, labor and land codes), tight fiscal policy, and favorable commodities prices. Household consumption and fixed capital investments have both grown by about 10 percent per year since 1999 and have replaced net exports as the main drivers of demand growth. Inflation and exchange rates have stabilized due to a prudent fiscal policy (Russia has run a budget surplus since 2003). The government created a stabilization/rainy day fund ($127 billion in mid-2007), and has the third-largest foreign exchange reserves in the world (close to $420 billion in mid-2007) which should shelter it from commodity price shocks.
Russia’s balance of payments moves from strength to strength. The current account balance grew from $58.6 billion in 2004 to $95.3 billion in 2006, almost entirely due to oil price increases. The capital account turned positive in 2006, with net inflow of $6.1 billion. In addition, net private capital flows in 2006 increased significantly to $40.9 billion, compared to an inflow of $0.1 billion in 2005 due to liberalization of the capital account in mid-2006. Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows dramatically improved in 2006 to an estimated $31 billion (inflows totaled $15.4 billion and $14.6 billion in 2004 and 2005, respectively). As of July 1, 2006, the ruble is convertible for both current and capital transactions. Russia prepaid its entire Soviet-era Paris Club debt of $22 billion in late 2006, pushing Russia’s sovereign foreign debt down to $45 billion at the end of 2006, or about 5 percent of GDP. Russia’s total public and private foreign debt at the end of 2006 was $310 billion, or 31 percent of GDP. Such a dramatic reversal to the macroeconomic situation is truly remarkable. Russia currently has a sovereign investment-grade rating from Standard and Poor’s of BBB+.”
IMF says that their GDP this year is growing at more than 7%. How are we doing?
Its time for the Russians to get a bloody nose. Best to learn their lesson now, while they are still playing games.
Does anybody know, if Madeleine Albright ever made such statements? If so, what was the context?
I hope you aren’t proposing that we get into some kind of skirmish or indirect skirmish with Russia? That’s just plain dumb.
IMF says that their GDP this year is growing at more than 7%.
If we grow at 2% this year, we'll add over $260 billion to GDP. That's about a third of their entire GDP. If they grow at 7%, that's about $50 billion.
How are we doing?
We're doing okay. Some of us need some help with their math. LOL!
Times and people change.
Get over it.
“We’re doing okay. Some of us need some help with their math. LOL!”
Indeed, some of us do. You apparently have great faith in the CIA, at least enough to quote partial statistics from their fact book. Why do you have this confidence?
Thank you for putting things in perspective.
If you have a better source, please share with the class.
I do what I can to keep the whiners and America bashers honest.
This is what happens when people like Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, the Hollyweird bunch and their like minded friends diminish our Commander in Chief. BLAME HIM for starting a war instead of the enemy.
This is what happens, when REPUBLICANS do NOTHING to defend him.
They not only diminish him and the Presidency, but our country at large.
It’s dangerous to do so.
It emboldens our enemies and this is what we are left with.
I could go on, but I think you catch my drift.
The catchy little phrase “United we stand, divided we fall”.
Still holds true. And sadly, those who only think of capturing the White House or the Congress for political gain and power, don’t seem to understand that gaining back that which we’ll have lost will take longer than most of us will live.
Not only that, but those same enemies will still want anyone who doesn’t convert to Islam dead. Be they Democrat or Republican. You are either one of them or dead.
He who laughs first, laughs last.
LOL
What would be dumb would be to allow Putin to continue to build a fascist state behind a cloak of bluff and anti-Americanism.
There are many ways to call that bluff, only a few would involve direct military might. Russia needs to be put in a position where they will be too worried about losing face to stand up and fluff their feathers like they've been doing.
In matters of military might, Russia should be put in the position of having to choose escalation to military action or the loss of face. They are the weaker power by far and will soon decide that its best not to be continually poking the tiger if doing so only results in their being made to look weak in front of the world.
What's the downside, that they are going to arm our enemies and do everything they can to thwart us in the UN? We're already there.
Knowing Albright, she probably did make such a stupid comment at some small gathering. Those people were foreign policy idiots. Quite a lot of the trouble we are dealing with today was brushed under the rug or created by them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.