Putin: Terrorist Aiming to Derail Bush
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that terrorists are aiming to derail President Bush's chances at re-election through their attacks in Iraq.
Putin noted that his government continued to disagree with Bush on Washington's invasion of Iraq, which Russia strongly opposed as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.
``I consider the activities of terrorists in Iraq are not as much aimed at coalition forces but more personally against President Bush,'' Putin said at a news conference after a regional summit in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.
``International terrorism has as its goal to prevent the election of President Bush to a second term,'' he said. ``If they achieve that goal, then that will give international terrorism a new impulse and extra power.''
Still, Putin didn't say which candidate he favored in the Nov. 2 election. ``We unconditionally respect any choice of the American people,'' he said.
Make no mistake about it, I'm no fan of Putin, but, I think I do understand the basis for his statement.
The simple fact is that the Chechynan terrorists are being trained, funded, and supplied by Al Quida (indeed, non-chechynan islamic terrorist are serving with them in their attacks).
Putin figures (rightly I believe), that Kerry would reduce the pressure on Al Queida, allowing them to regroup, which in turn would allow them to provide more aid to the chechynan terrorists in Russia.
Lets face if, the Russians have had two major attacks by the Chechyans (the Moscow theatre and then the school massacre). They have good reason to want to want to defeat them.
Putin (I believe) sees the chechyan/al queida bloc much the same way that Stalin saw the Axis. Also, he sees Bush in much the same light as Stalin saw the US in WW2 (a necessary temporary ally).
