Ok-- so why was Putin against the U.S. invading Iraq

[CatWoman]

after HE tipped us off that Saddam was planning to attack us?

Anyone want to take a crack at it?

[Cleita]

1. He's lying for Bush?

Funny there was no connection between Putin and Bush prior to his meeting with Bush at G8 conference.

[caledesi]

15. Exactly what I was thinking. nt

[nose pin]

2. I'd like to take a crack.....

But I don't want to get my face all scratched up.

[CatWoman]

8. Oh, Nose pin

I'm actually a sweetheart once you get to know me }(

[nose pin]

12. OK then, here goes

Loonman alludes to part of it (billion dollar oil deal).

Add to that that Russia figured prominently in the oil for food scam.

Add to that a possible deal with shrub to help Russia out with said oil for food scam.

A combination of financial interest and saving face.

[CatWoman]

14. good points

however, since Chalabi won't release the details of the "Food for Oil Scam", I'll have to reserve judgment on that.

[Loonman]

3. I think that report is bullshit

Putin had a billion dollar oil deal about to go through with Iraq until Bush invaded.

[JHBowden]

4. Where's the evidence?

During the Cuban missile crisis, we showed the world our evidence. I'd change my position and support the war *if* I had knowledge and not hearsay Iraq was coordinating terror attacks against us.

[freetobegay]

5. Why do you have to use logic?

You know that we are not suppose to understand this.

[CatWoman]

6. LOL

:D

My bad!!!!

[neverforget]

7. I wonder if Bush didn't promise Putin something in return for taking

some of the heat off of Bush? Oil deal maybe? Look for clues over the next few days/weeks.

[Lex]

9. At least one of Putin's cabinet members dispute him it seems.

From UPI article from March 2003:

Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said he was astonished by a U.S. request to freeze Iraqi bank assets.

"Under our legislation, we can freeze accounts if they are used to finance terrorism or money laundering activities," Kudrin said. "As far as I am aware, there are no facts linking Saddam Hussein's accounts in Russia to such activities."

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030321-022040-6046r

------------------------

So Russia was resisting, in March 2003, shutting down Saddam Hussein's accounts held there because they didn't believe he was financing terrorism.

'Splain that, Pooty Poot.

[JHBowden]

10. Damn, you're on the ball!

:yourock:

[Lex]

13. If I can google it up, why can't the press?

Oh wait, I forgot . . . because they are effing WORTHLESS.

[nose pin]

16. You know they'll counter this one

In a post-KGB government (highly compartmentalized intelligence), would a finance minister be privvy to such intelligence?

Wouldn't locking these accounts stop the flow of legitimate and illegitimate funds into Russia?

You can expect those two at least to be the response. We have to find a counter-counter argument to fill those holes.

[Lex]

19. Actually why would the Finance Minister be out of the loop?

Wouldn't you want your finance minister to know which countries might be financing international terrorism with monies held in the country?

It seems grossly stupid for them to try to say they weren't keeping their Finance Minister informed of possible accounts for terrorist funding!

The Finance Minister said there was no evidence of such ties. Not even a "well, we've been keeping our eye on that."

[nose pin]

21. good point (n/t)

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. $$$ He was afraid that if we had control of the reigns

Iraq's debt to the Russia would be forgiven.

[Sugarbleus]

17. Aha, this is why I signed on today..ole Pooty Poot is

back peddling???????????????????????? I'm going to read all your posts to see what ya'll have to say. I'm thinking this isn't a good thing.

My first thought this morning, what with a beheading in SA, then Putin's statement, is that bush might win.

The whole area over there is falling apart and there's kidnappers whacking all sorts of people outside of the battle arena...if you look at this through the eyes of the general public, you might find that folks are saying 'omg, they're coming to get us--now even Putin says so' 'we've got to stay the course and go kick some ass'...stuff like that. I'm worried.

Somebody, puh lease, disabuse me of this idea lest I never sleep again. :hangover:

[Sugarbleus]

18. Kick

[TexasSissy]

20. He'll be getting paid for saying this. Payment in the form of

contracts in Iraq? Follow the money.

[Capt_Nemo]

22. 1. There was never a tip-off. This was made up now

2. Putin opposes PNAC's objectives. He knows way down the line they would eventualy come after Russia.

3. Putin discovered in the last 2 years that not only PNAC is not
feasible but is counterproductive: it is speeding up the demise
of the superpower. The war in Iraq exposed the limits of US military
power, and no one is watching this more closely than Russia and China.

4. Putin discovered in the last 2 years that while the unholy alliance
of PNACers and Xian fundies holds the reins of the administration,
Russia's influence on the world stage (specialy in Western Europe
and Asia) will rise, for the countries that feel threatened by
PNAC (France, Germany, China, among others) find reassurance against
any crazy neocon action in Russia's strategic deterrent.
Joseph Nye would say that the presence of the bushies in the WH
boosts Russia's "soft power".

5. Putin is afraid that "regime change" this comming November would
mean Chirac and Schroeder cozying up to Kerry leaving him in the
cold and resurecting NATO. Putin is afraid of Brzezinsky again crawling up and down the Caucasus and Central Asia - Putin knows that
Democrats are COMPETENT imperialists. Putin is afraid of a less anxious China
slowing down the transfer of russian military technology and the
acquisition of russian weapons (= cash).

5. Putin doesn't give a shit about the so-called "oil for food scam".
Even if there was something to it (I have my doubts) such an affair
would only be a scandal in a country like France where the UN is
seen as all about the rule of international law. In Russia the UN
is seen as a mean to exert russian influence in world affairs. If
some shady deals were exposed the russian people most probably would
cheer on the way they fooled the US and the UK and made a load of
bucks in the process.

6. The WH must be scared shitless by the sudden questioning of the
war rationale all over the mainstream media since the 911 commission
report. They needed support from someone other than the usual
suspects. So they asked Putin to "rescue" them, most likely in
exchange for some Iraqi oil concession, to which he most gladly
responded, for he knows that propping up bush will most likely
deliver him his most cherished geopolitical goal:
The colapse of american power under its own weight.

[Branjor]

23. Didn't Poppy visit

Putin a few months back? They must have made some sort of a deal.

[Capt_Nemo]

24. bump!

[Emboldened Chimp]

25. I think he's doing Smirk a solid

A one hand washes the other scenario.