Has Putin just been looking out for number one?
Published June 18, 2004
The President of the Russian Federation has recently said that late in 2001 his nation's intelligence services passed on info to their American counterparts regarding Saddam Hussein's intent to launch terror on U.S. soil.
"Indeed, after Sept. 11, 2001, and before the start of the military operation in Iraq, the Russian special services … received information that officials from Saddam's regime were preparing terrorist attacks in the United States and outside it against the U.S. military and other interests," Putin declared.
Well, we all knew where Russia's interests were during the Iraq War. Oil for food, anyone?
Putin was perhaps second only to Tony Blair in standing behind Bush just after Sept. 11. Russia contributed to Afghanistan - not really a "Bush" war since it was multilateral and received U.N. backing, you see. But the "unilateral" action - the military services of Poland, Italy, Estonia, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, pre-March 11 Spain and others apparently do not figure into the equation - against Iraq was condemned widely by Putin.
Putin risked the wrath of the world by refusing to ratify the Kyoto Treaty, backing up America's own stance on the junk science treaty, but he couldn't bring himself to help in dispatching his buddy Saddam - who he knew was planning attacks against America - from power in Iraq.
"Despite that information about terrorist attacks being prepared by Saddam's regime, Russia's position on Iraq remains unchanged," says Putin. Still crying over lost bloodstained revenue, eh, Vladdy?
Truthfully, I don't blame Russia entirely. Every nation has ulterior motives for the policies and decisions they make, and all have their own interests at heart. The U.K. loves to pretend otherwise, but nations like France make absolutely no bones about it.
Yet, the United States is the only nation to come under fire for looking out for itself, the only nation with self-interested motives.
In light of Putin's behavior, someone please tell me why that's fair.
Mark Edward Manning grew up in Boston, MA and now lives in London, England. He wrote commentaries for The Boston Herald in the mid 1990s.
- Has Putin just been looking out for number one?
- Published: June 18, 2004
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- Section: Politics
- Writer: Mark Edward Manning
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Comments on this articleComments
If this was credible information, why didn't the Bush Administration mention it? They weren't shy about using even speculative intelligence to make their case for war, we know that. I suspect there's a very good reason we're just hearing about it now. It's crap. But I could be wrong.
(PS - I think your Kyoto line is out of date; the latest indications are that they'll sign
http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/368/13114_KyotoProtocol.html .)
And Putin is credible why? Hes basically a dictator but its okay because people like him.
Hmmm, if Putin helps Bush win the election, do you suppose the U.S. will be asking any tough questions about the less-than-democratic stuff going on in Russia?
Putin is certainly looking out for number one; I'm not so sure about numbers two through 143,782,338.
Ms Tek and JR, I agree totally that Putin is a dictator of sorts. Russia is not a true democracy as I made clear in this entry that I wrote some time ago. Russia is still at a crossroads in its democratic development, and it'll take even more time for it to evolve into a stable republic while former KGB members like Putin are in charge.
I'm wondering what angle Putin is playing by bringing this information out now. Why not six months ago or a year ago or a year from now? I'm sure Putin wouldn't volunteer this information if he didn't have something to gain from it. He's too much of a political operative not to be playing an angle. I'm just not enough of a russophile to see the angle.
Whether Putin is scum or not (I believe he mostly is), this bit of info is very helpful to Bush.
See, it wasn't just those evil neo-cons who felt Saddam was a threat. And it wasn't just those manipulative Jews in Israel, or those toadies Blair and Howard.
Nope, even Iraq war opponent Putin believed that Saddam posed a threat to the US.
Because, you know, Saddam WAS a threat.
Bush right. Left wrong. Too bad. So sad.
Putin is a vampire.
http://www.cyberspaceorbit.com/text/aaaz61x.htm
http://english.pravda.ru/main/2001/02/24/2695.html
Funny... Putin didn't offer this information up back when the US went in front of the UN.
Funny... It only now comes to life.
Funny.
Funny.
Funny.
QUESTION: I also watched the Putin video admission. Where can we find the official transcript or video clip????
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but he couldn't bring himself to help in dispatching his buddy Saddam - who he knew was planning attacks against America - from power in Iraq.
I also can understand why Putin was very hesitant to back the ouster of Saddam. Russia's economy is still very fragile and he was concerned over relations with other Middle East countries. This news is HUGE, though, and will certainly boost Bush's statements regarding Saddam's ties to terror.
David