Putin Suggests U.S. Role in Georgia Conflict MOSCOW -- Vladimir V. Putin, Russia's prime minister, mused in a televised interview on Thursday that the United States might have helped provoke the war between Russia and Georgia to benefit one of the candidates in the American presidential election. (...) In an interview with CNN in the Black Sea beach resort town of Sochi, Mr. Putin said he suspected that American citizens were in the conflict area supporting Georgia's military action in South Ossetia, which Russia says prompted its offensive. The United States denies such support. Mr. Putin went on to say he was contemplating another possibility. "The suspicion would arise that someone in the United States created this conflict on purpose," he told CNN. He said the purpose was to "stir up the situation and to create an advantage for one of the candidates in the competitive race for the presidency in the United States." He added, "They needed a small victorious war.
MOSCOW -- Vladimir V. Putin, Russia's prime minister, mused in a televised interview on Thursday that the United States might have helped provoke the war between Russia and Georgia to benefit one of the candidates in the American presidential election.
(...)
In an interview with CNN in the Black Sea beach resort town of Sochi, Mr. Putin said he suspected that American citizens were in the conflict area supporting Georgia's military action in South Ossetia, which Russia says prompted its offensive. The United States denies such support.
Mr. Putin went on to say he was contemplating another possibility.
"The suspicion would arise that someone in the United States created this conflict on purpose," he told CNN.
He said the purpose was to "stir up the situation and to create an advantage for one of the candidates in the competitive race for the presidency in the United States." He added, "They needed a small victorious war.
He will be dismissed again for being unserious.
Yep:
In Washington, the White House spokeswoman, Dana M. Perino, dismissed Mr. Putin's remarks. "To suggest that the United States orchestrated this on behalf of a political candidate just sounds not rational," she said, according to a transcript.
A U.S. passport was found in a building in South Ossetia occupied by Georgian troops, a Russian military spokesperson revealed on Thursday. After Russian peacekeepers cleared the heavily defended building, a passport belonging to a Texan named Michael Lee White was discovered inside.
My analysis of your comment leads me to believe that a fact vector was missing or is not providing enough weight when you made your calculations.
Quoting AP - Georgia, US start military exercises despite tensions with Russia The US and Israeli military were both in Georgia on a joint training exercize with the Georgian military for 3 weeks, beginning no later than the 12th of July...it seems they finished less than a week before Saakashvili got his war on during the Olympics' Opening Ceremony on 7 August.
Israel has sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of arms to Georgia. US donates billions to Israel, much in arms, though it seems a lot is in cement these days.
Was it a coincidence that the Russian forces were at the gates of the problem in Georgia, ready for action? No; as reported here at ET at the time, the Russians decided on their own war games on the other side of the border.
The first that I read of the war was a Stratfor piece the following day where they mentioned that they had assets on the ground, giving reports back, on that Friday night. My guess is that if these assets were Georgian, they spoke with a Southern Drawl more common to Atlanta.
You'll remember also, reported in ET, that during the Georgian retreat, American voices were heard on the radios. The Russians have been claiming US involvement since that time, not just today's mention of found US Passports. 5$ on the found passport belonging to someone in Blackwater's employ.
Intercontinental ballistic missile tests, telling the US that 900,000 tons of yearly poultry and pork meat imports are not going to be on Russian menus (good news for the EU suppliers, no?)...the US better be very serious about using all the military hardware they have in those humanitarian boxes they're unpacking over there now. This is no longer Soros, et al, buying a pretty colored revolution. And the Georgians turning tail and running the last time...how soon until all those arms are in Russian hands?
We're seeing the equivalence of Russia having warships on The Great Lakes and unloading goods on the Canadian side of the Saint Laurent Seaway in support of the break-away province of Quebec. What would the US be doing in that situation?
Last point: to the spineless democrats who thought it would be impolite to impeach Cheney and Bush, the stain for any and all death and mayhem from these events is on your hands. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
Bringing such things up during an election in the US can be problematic. I do think that it could be effective to challenge McCain's judgement in relying on a known lobbyist for foreign governments including Georgia and who was a supporter of Ahmed Chalabi and a conduit for his lies. As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
Last I checked neither Georgia nor Turkey were Russian allies. Ukraine has also tended to be rather pro-Georgian in this crisis.
I am only willing to concede that it is the river (fleuve) I was talking about, not the seaway.
And, whether Turkey is equivalent to Minnesota or New Brunswick, Russian War Ships on the St Laurent would be a challenge. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
I acknowledge that it doesn't quite work. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
