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Gold9472
02-11-2007, 06:04 PM
U.S. domination threatens globe, Putin claims in harsh speech

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003566755_putin11.html

By THOM SHANKER and MARK LANDLER
The New York Times
2/11/2007

MUNICH, Germany — Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Saturday of provoking a new nuclear-arms race by developing ballistic-missile defenses, undermining international institutions, making the Middle East more unstable through its clumsy handling of the Iraq war and trying to divide modern Europe.

In an address to an international security conference, Putin dropped all diplomatic gloss to recite a long list of complaints about U.S. domination of global affairs, included many themes that have strained relations between the Kremlin and the United States during his seven-year administration. Among them were the expansion of NATO into the Baltics and the perception in Russia that the West has supported groups that have toppled other governments in Moscow's former sphere of influence.

"The process of NATO expansion has nothing to do with modernization of the alliance," Putin said. "We have the right to ask, against whom is this expansion directed."

He said the United States had turned the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which sends international monitors to elections in the former Soviet sphere, "into a vulgar instrument of ensuring the foreign-policy interests of one country."

The comments were the sternest yet from Putin, who long has bristled over U.S. criticism as he and his cadre of former Soviet intelligence officials have consolidated their hold on Russia's government, energy reserves and arms-manufacturing and trading complexes. The speech may have been directed at least in part to audiences in Russia, where Putin long has enjoyed high public-approval ratings, in part for standing up to the West.

Rubble from the Berlin Wall was "hauled away as souvenirs" to countries that praise openness and personal freedom, he said, but "now there are attempts to impose new dividing lines and rules, maybe virtual, but still dividing our mutual continent."

The world, Putin said, is now unipolar: "One single center of power. One single center of force. One single center of decision making. This is the world of one master, one sovereign."

With German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and a U.S. congressional delegation sitting stone-faced, Putin warned that power amassed by any nation that assumes this ultimate global role "destroys it from within. It has nothing in common with democracy, of course."

"Today we are witnessing an almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations — military force," Putin said.

"Primarily the United States has overstepped its national borders, and in every area," Putin said, accusing Washington of political and economic offenses. But most of his critique centered on U.S. national-security policy.

U.S. military actions, which he termed "unilateral" and "illegitimate," also "have not been able to resolve any matters at all," and have created only more instability and danger. "They bring us to the abyss of one conflict after another," he said. "Political solutions are becoming impossible."

In Washington, Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman, said: "We are surprised and disappointed with President Putin's comments. His accusations are wrong. We expect to continue cooperation with Russia in areas important to the international community such as counterterrorism and reducing the spread and threat of weapons of mass destruction."

A friendship gone sour
The back-and-forth underscored the recent stark changes in U.S.-Russian relations. The friendship that was struck when President Bush met Putin and said he had looked into the former KGB colonel's soul in 2001 has soured as the Kremlin suppressed political opposition at home, used its energy resources to pressure its neighbors and split with the White House over Iraq, Iran and other issues.

Russia has faced criticism from the United States and other Western countries that believe it has used energy reserves and transport pipelines to reward friendly countries and to punish those seeking to distance themselves from Kremlin control. Some analysts saw the tone of the speech as evidence of just how strong oil and mineral revenues have made Putin.

The occasion of the speech was the 43rd Munich Conference on Security Policy — an event begun deep in the Cold War, when Germany was divided and hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops were stationed in Western Europe as a bulwark against communist Warsaw Pact forces.

Putin opened with an apology for the tough talk to come. But during a lively question-and-answer period full of challenges and rebukes, the Russian president indicated that he relished provoking the international audience of legislators, government leaders, political analysts and human-rights advocates. "I love it," Putin said as he reviewed a long list of questions.

He did offer at least two significant and conciliatory statements to the United States.

President Bush "is a decent man, and one can do business with him," he said. From their meetings and discussions, Putin said, he has heard the U.S. president say, "I assume Russia and the United States will never be enemies, and I agree."

And while Putin denied that Russia had assisted the Iranian military with significant arms transfers, he also criticized that country's government for not cooperating more with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency or responding to questions about its nuclear program.

Congressmen take issue
U.S. legislators offered measured criticism after the speech.

"He's done more to bring Europe and the U.S. together than any single event in the last several years," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "It was seen as unnecessary bravado."

Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., described the speech as "confrontational," saying "some of the rhetoric takes us back to the Cold War."

Putin joked that he worried the United States was "hiding extra warheads under the pillow," despite treaties with Moscow to reduce strategic nuclear stockpiles. And he indicated obliquely that the new Russian ballistic missile, known as the Topol-M, was being developed at least in part in response to U.S. efforts to field missile defenses.

He expressed alarm that an effective anti-missile shield over the United States would upset a system of mutual fear that kept the nuclear peace throughout the Cold War. "That means the balance will be upset, completely upset," Putin said.

Addressing tensions between Europe and Russia over energy exports, Putin noted that 26 percent of Russian oil was extracted by foreign companies. While Russia is open to outside investment, he said, it has found its businessmen blocked from deals abroad.

Gold9472
02-11-2007, 06:08 PM
Gates rebukes Putin 'cold war' talk

http://mwcnews.net/content/view/12492&Itemid=1

By Agencies
2/11/2007 ^^

Robert Gates, the US secretary of defence, has dismissed anti-US remarks made recently by Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, as "old spy business".

On Saturday Putin had criticised the US for what he said was an attempt to force its will on the rest of the world and incite a new global arms race.
^
Gates said to a Munich security policy conference on Sunday: "Many of you have backgrounds in diplomacy or politics.

"I have, like your second speaker yesterday [Putin], a starkly different background – a career in the spy business. And, I guess, old spies have a habit of blunt speaking."
^
'One Cold War enough'
The former US intelligence director said: "We all face many common problems and challenges that must be addressed in partnership with other countries, including Russia."

He went onto say he had accepted an invitation from Putin - a former employee of the KGB during the Soviet era - to visit Russia.

Putin offered some of his harshest comments against the US during his seven years in power, on Saturday, attacking the concept of a "unipolar" world, dominated by Washington.

His remarks came amid continuing disagreement between Russia and the US over the Iraq war and the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea.

Gates, who studied the Soviet Union and Russia as a career CIA analyst, also raised concerns on Sunday about Russia's arms transfers and "its temptation to use energy resources for political coercion" - policies he said could threaten international stability.

"One Cold War was quite enough," he said.

Russian intervention
Aleksandr Pikaev, from the Moscow-based committee of scientists for global security, said Russia is reacting to US deeds.

"His [Putin's] speech was not a sickness, it was a symptom of a disease that already exists.

"There are disagreements between the US and Russia, and there are many areas in which they overlap.

"The Americans need to realise there is no free breakfast. As long as they ignore Russian interests, Russia will intervene. Iran is one issue for instance.

"I expect Russia will take more steps the US won't like."

'Public relations offensive'
John McCain, a US senator, said to the conference: "I remain concerned about the long term possibilities of Moscow's foreign police and energy policies."

"Today's world is not unipolar."

Aleksandr Nekrassov, former adviser to president Boris Yeltsin said that Putin is on a "public relations offensive" because of the ensuing 2008 presidential elections in which many think he will stay on for a third term.

"I suspect he will stay on and for that reason he needs to project himself as a hard-line man, protecting Russia's interest."

PhilosophyGenius
02-11-2007, 06:10 PM
Notice how Gates or anyone else in the Bush administration didn't hit back with there usual tough talk rhetoric.

Nor did they try to give a rebuttal as to where Putin was wrong.

Gold9472
02-11-2007, 06:23 PM
"One single center of power. One single center of force. One single center of decision making. This is the world of one master, one sovereign."

Sounds a little "New World Orderish" to me.

PhilosophyGenius
02-11-2007, 06:33 PM
"One single center of power. One single center of force. One single center of decision making. This is the world of one master, one sovereign."

Sounds a little "New World Orderish" to me.

If he's an NWO guy then I don't understand why he's bashing US forieng policy so much since it's gonna acheive that goal.

Gold9472
02-11-2007, 06:47 PM
I don't know that Putin is part of the NWO team.

PhilosophyGenius
02-11-2007, 07:05 PM
Doesn't seem like he would be.

Gold9472
02-11-2007, 07:16 PM
Doesn't seem like he would be.

What do you think?

August 2001: Russia Warns US of Suicide Pilots
Russian President Vladimir Putin warns the US that suicide pilots are training for attacks on US targets. [Fox News, 5/17/2002] The head of Russian intelligence also later states, “We had clearly warned them” on several occasions, but they “did not pay the necessary attention.” [Agence France-Presse, 9/16/2001] A Russian newspaper on September 12, 2001, will claim, “Russian Intelligence agents know the organizers and executors of these terrorist attacks. More than that, Moscow warned Washington about preparation to these actions a couple of weeks before they happened.” Interestingly, the article will claim that at least two of the militants were Muslim radicals from Uzbekistan. [Izvestia, 9/12/2001]

PhilosophyGenius
02-11-2007, 07:25 PM
Ok. I see.