What do you make of this regarding the tragedy in Russia

[Onlooker]

"On Monday, Putin said that midlevel officials in the U.S. government were undermining his country's war on terrorism by contacting Chechen separatists, whom he compared to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

"Asked about Putin's comment, U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: 'There have not been any recent meetings between department officials and Chechen political figures, separatists or political figures.

"'The United States has met with people from Chechnya who had differing points of view, including points of view that differ from the Russian government. But we don't meet with terrorists. We don't meet with people who are involved in violence or fomenting violence.'"

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/09/07/russia.video/index.html

Do you think we are still fighting terrorists with one hand while helping them with the other? The Bush administration seems more and more out of control.

[hlthe2b]

1. Well, if we are,, it is little wonder the Chechens feel so emboldened....

Sort of like our wink wink nod nod message to Sadam Hussein before his invasion of Kuwait.....

[billbuckhead]

5. Cheney wants their oil

[jumpstart33]

12. Cheney wants their oil and they want their independence.

So where do we go from here. Anybody aware of how many Chechens have been killed by Russians within the past 12 years? They were being murdered routinely just for being alive. One has to know that it is not long before oppressed people rise up and perform the same bloody acts as their oppressors. Only the former slaves in America never took up arms against their oppressors. I guess they knew they would be slaughtered in a blink of an eye. But I have often wondered why they were so docile? Someone said that it is the nature of the black races to be peaceful but looking at Dafur and thinking about other areas of Africa, that seems to be another tall historical tale. And who was the guy Hannibal? (spelling).

[newyawker99]

19. Hi jumpstart33!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[prodigal_green]

2. Why not, they met with the Taliban

This country has such a convoluted non-policy when it comes to terrorists it is no wonder they have admitted we can't win.

[Parche]

3. putin

As I think this is a tragedy

But Russia did invade chechnya, so what did they expect?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. The fact Putin even suggested this

shows what a 'uniter' Bush is.
The subterfuge no doubt involves Yukos and other energy interests.

[sangh0]

7. He didn't "suggest it. He stated it and......IT'S TRUE

Putin is referring to the fact that we had a representative of the Chechen fighters meet with Bush*. Putin is absolutely right. What would Bush, or anyone else for that matter, say if Musharref met with OBL?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. Where and when?

this sounds pretty bad for Bushler.

[sangh0]

14. I don't know the dates

I don't have any links either, but I remember reading about it

[arbusto_baboso]

6. Neocon definiton of "Terrorist" : those who don't kill who we tell them to

kill. If they kill who we tell them to kill, then by Neocon definition, they are not terrorists but "Freedom Fighters".

[ItsMyParty]

8. If we are playing one of our usual dirty games (we loved bin Laden

before we hated him)----then we have the horrid captivity and horror they put those kids through and then their horrid deaths on our lovely Christian hands. I've got to tell you....it was something about this attack that has so gotten to me that I would not deny anyone trying to kill in answer. Some things are THAT bad. Kill adults. Kill military if you have to make a statement. But don't do that to kids. That is the earmark of evil.

[Lefty48197]

9. So Bush thinks these nuts should have their own country? With an army?

what the hell was he thinking?

[acmavm]

10. This is just a point blank warning from Putin telling them to keep their

noses out of the situation in Chechnya. He's also warned them that Russia is a nuclear power. Now that ought to scare the socks of anyone with any mental capacities whatsoever.

This administration is chock full of crazies and nutcases willing to put the entire planet in jeopardy just to fulfill their wild and sick ambitions to rule the world. They are so damn certain that they know what is best for the world that they won't hesitate to meddle in a very dangerous situation, one that they are no more fit to deal with than they were attacking Iraq.

[TexasSissy]

13. Has Bush alienated ANOTHER ally?

[kentuck]

15. It appears so.....Putin is pissed !

What are we meeting with Chechnen rebels for? Are we going ot arm them? Is it all part of the Iranian game? Because we know Russia is giving the nuclear technology ot Iran? It could get very serious very quickly, with George and Dick in charge...

[library_max]

16. It's the age-old problem with declaring war on terrorists.

One person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter. Terrorism is just war on a poor man's budget.

[displacedtexan]

17. It is really pitiful when I trust Putin more...

than our own State Department!

[LowerManhattanite]

18. "Linkage"...

...a little term I learned about in collegiate Political Science—the back-channeled self-interested deal-making that happens every day in order to keep the wheels of governments the world over gliding along smoothly. A cache of arms sold here, a U.N. veto rescinded there, an appearance of "action" that hides a benign allowance of certain status quos here and finally, harsh verbal venom (for show) directed at the occasional disaffected ally there.

We've backed Marcos.

We've backed Pinochet.

We backed Savimbi.

We STILL back Duvalier supporters.

The U.S. double-dealing on Putin is unsurprising to say the least. Trouble is, he's enough of a red-*ss to call it out when it happens.

[Carni]

20. OMG! WTF? The two terror groups are DEFINITELY connected!

Like a week after 911 I found a website called "Jihad in Chechnya"
(I believe it was azzam.com at that time then it was shut down and was changed numerous times)

Azzam publications was responsible for the site and it was named after one of UBL's main men (I believe Azzam was killed years ago)

To get to the point the Chechnyan's that pulled this Russian school atrocity are TOTALLY tied to UBL.

bush co is in bed with THEM now? WTF???? WTF? WTF??