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Putin Blasts U.S. on Iraq, Defends Russia's Iran Ties

Thomas Ricks | Munich | Feb 10

Washington Post - Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted the United States today for acting in a unilateral, militaristic fashion that he said "overstepped" its role and made the world a more dangerous place than during the Cold War.

"Nobody feels secure anymore, because nobody can take safety behind the stone wall of international law," he told an international security conference here

He said Russia would pursue an independent foreign policy, and defended his country's arms sales to Iran as a way of reaching out to that Middle Eastern power, which is under pressure from the U.S. and Europe to curtail its nuclear program. Russia has supplied some air defense weapons to Tehran, he said, because "we don't want Iran to feel cornered," he said.

He also told the West to back off on pushing Russia to be more democratic and more respectful of human rights. "Russia is constantly being taught democracy, and the people who try to teach it don't want to learn it themselves." more after the jump

More on Putin/Iran: Putin denies passing missile technology to Iran

The Russian leader criticized the expansion of NATO, saying the alliance is placing military forces on Russia's borders, "reducing the level of mutual trust."

Putin ended his critique of the post-Cold War world by attacking the West's view of international relations. Stability and economic justice, he said, should be "not only for the chosen ones, but for everybody."

After his 32-minute speech, Putin fielded questions from the audience, elaborating on several of his points but backing down from none. Explaining his view that the world is now more dangerous than it was during the Cold War, he said that back then, "It was a fragile peace, a scary peace, but it was fairly reliable, as it turns out. Today it is less reliable."

His one peace offering was to describe President Bush as "my friend." He added, "He is a decent man, and one can do business with him."

The response of the U.S. delegation to the annual security conference was sharply negative. During the speech, several frowned, and Gates, a professional Sovietologist, stared at the notes he was writing. Asked for comment afterward, Gates smiled and shook his head.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) said he found much of the address to have been "Cold War rhetoric," and Putin's comments about Iran "outrageous."

"If you're waiting for Russia to be constructive on Iraq, forget it," commented Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.). He added that he didn't think the speech was a smart move.

"He did more in a single speech to unite Europe and America than anything we could have done in a decade," Graham said, referring to tensions between the U.S. and several European nations arising from disagreements primarily over the war in Iraq.


nymole February 10, 2007 - 1:04am
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( categories: AgonistWire | Global Politics and Culture | Iran | Iraq | Russian Federation | USA )

Putin Rebukes U.S. for Its Use of Force

MUNICH, Germany (AP, Feb 10) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Saturday that the United States' increased use of military force is creating a new arms race, with smaller nations turning toward developing nuclear weapons.

Speaking at a conference of the world's top security officials, including the Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, Putin said nations ''are witnessing an almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations.''

''One state, the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way,'' he told the 250 officials, including more than 40 defense and foreign ministers.

''This is nourishing an arms race with the desire of countries to get nuclear weapons,'' Putin said, but did not elaborate on specifics and did not mention the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

[...]

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates had little to say about Putin's remarks, noting only that ''he was very candid.''

Sen. Joseph Lieberman said Putin's charge that the U.S. ''aspired to get unipolar power or acted unilaterally is just not borne out by the facts.''

''Even our involvement in Iraq, certainly Afghanistan, is pursuant to United Nations resolutions,'' said Lieberman, I-Conn. ''So that was provocative and wrong.''

[...]

Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tehran needs to accept demands made by the U.N. and the International Atomic Energy Agency on its nuclear program. The United States and several of its Western allies believe that Iran is using the nuclear program to produce an atomic weapon.

''There is no way around this,'' Merkel said. ''What we are talking about here is a very, very sensitive technology, and for that reason we need a high degree of transparency -- which Iran has failed to provide -- and if Iran does not do so, then the alternative for Iran is to slip further into isolation.''

[...]

Merkel, whose country holds the rotating European Union presidency, emphasized the international community's support for Israel and said there was a unified resolve to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

[More]

Raja February 10, 2007 - 1:37pm
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Gates calls for partnership with Russia in security matters

MUNICH, Germany (AP, Feb 11) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in his first speech as Pentagon chief, made an urgent call Sunday for NATO allies to live up to their promises to supply military and economic aid for Afghanistan, saying that failing to do so would be shameful.

And in a carefully worded rebuke, he used both humor and some pointed jabs to blunt Russia's sharp attack against U.S. foreign policy a day earlier.

In remarks before a prestigious security forum, Gates dismissed as dated Cold War rhetoric Russian President Vladimir Putin's charge Saturday that the United States is seeding a new arms race.

A day after Putin blamed U.S. policy for inciting other countries to seek nuclear weapons to defend themselves, Gates responded: "As an old Cold Warrior, one of yesterday's speeches almost filled me with nostalgia for a less complex time. Almost."

Then, as the audience chuckled, he added, however, that he has accepted Putin's invitation to visit Russia.

"We all face many common problems and challenges that must be addressed in partnership with other countries, including Russia," said Gates. "One Cold War was quite enough."

Raja February 11, 2007 - 8:26am
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