Hijinks at the G-8 Summit....Putin vs. Bush

With all the news coming out of the Middle East, the fencing going on at the G-8 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia has sort of disappeared under the wire. It shouldn't. It ties into things in a major way.

To start, remember that Bush had a few things to say in Budapest when he was there three weeks ago to commemorate the 1956 uprising that were meant,IMO, as a veiled message to the Russian despot um, president.

Remember that fro his part, Putin wants in to the G-8, and has made a number of subtle threats if he doesn't get his way.

The Fit hit the shan with Dubbya essentially snubbing Putin by meeting with Russian opposition groups first from non-governmental organisations who say the Kremlin has tried to curtail civil liberties.

Bush was quoted as having warned Putin yesterday that he intended to raise the issue of freedoms in Russia during the summit, and that he had spent a lot of time listening to the groups' concerns.

After the meetings Bush said: "The foreign policy of my administration is that we will work with Russia to solve common problems and at the same time be in a position where you can have private exchange of ideas."

Hmmm. Lessee how the Russians reacted to those lofty sentiments.

For a start, the London Times goes on to say that in an interview with Izvestia newspaper, Segei Ivanov, the Russian Defence Minister, (you know, Ahmadinejad's buddy) warned the west to keep its nose out of Russia's business, saying it would use "military might" to ensure its sovereignty!

And Putin was even more outspoken. In a New York Post article entitled PUTIN TO AMERICA: NO DICE , writer Amir Taheri quotes Putin as saying that Russia, was seeking a "multipolar" world in which the United States would no longer be "the sole superpower that tries to dictate to the world how to behave." (!)

This isn't the first time ol' Vlad has popped off like this...


Putin also said that the rogue regime of North Korea, since Pyongyang was not "party to international agreements which limit activities in those spheres" (building nuclear warheads and missiles to deliver them) there are no grounds for sanctions. "They are right whether we like it or not," Putin said. I'm sure Japan loved that.

On Iran, the Russian dictator president was even more outspoken, putting the skids to `liberal' columnists like David Ignatius who for some reason thought Putin would stand with the West.

Putin said Russia's ally Iran had full legal right to "all aspects of nuclear technology." He also dismissed U.S. and European calls for Iran to respond before the G-8 summit to the latest offer by the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany. Instead, he said he'd wait for Tehran's answer until August 22nd , just like Russia's ally Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has demanded.

Further, Putin also said he would oppose referring the issue to the Security Council even if Iran doesn't accept the latest offer. Instead, he wants the dossier to be returned to the International Atomic Energy Agency - thus paving the way for more delays to allow Iran to complete its nuclear weapons program and more diplomatic masturbation while the mullahs prepare for war.

Putin at the least by hosting the G-8 is expecting the US to back Russia's entry into the WTO, which sets global trade rules. Agreement on membership would be a major cookie for Mr Putin. I think we should block it...the Russians are no friends of the West.

Dubbya has wasted a great deal of valuable time in a `multi-lateral approach' which has gotten nowhere, ironic in terms of the criticism he's recieved for `cowboy diplomacy.'

In the last analysis, it's going to be up to America and its few remaining friends to save the world from tyranny again.

About time we realized that and acted accordingly.