Putin criticizes U.S. plans for Iraq and Missile Defense Systems

By Lindsey Brady
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America Desk

WASHINGTON, DC - President Vladimir Putin of Russia called the U.S. presence in Iraq "pointless" and described the situation as "they've learned to shoot there but they are not managing to bring order" according to CNN.  The article cites this recent quote as another example of Putin's numerous confrontational statements against Washington.  The New York Times reported Putin's confrontational behavior in a meeting between Condoleezza Rice and  Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates last week in Moscow.  The weekend apparently had a sarcastic overtone and achieved far less than the U.S. officials had hoped for.

Rice and Gates were in Moscow to discuss, among other things, missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic.  BBC News cites the missile defense system is important to the U.S. objective of anticipating the missile actions of "rogue states" such as Iran and North Korea.  Support for the U.S. missile program is unlikely considering Putin's recent visit to Iran where he appeared more than friendly with the Iranian president.  The Telegraph stated, "if Washington had entertained even vague hopes that President Putin would press the Iranian government into abandoning its nuclear ambitions, it was to be disappointed.  Not only was President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad able to portray the visit as conferring international legitimacy on his isolated regime, Mr. Putin seemed eager to offer his counterpart unconditional support..."  The New York Times stated Putin viewed the U.S.'s missile plans for Eastern Europe as a possible strain on the U.S.-Russian diplomatic relationship.

Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov asked that the United States halt its plans to create missile defense locations in Eastern Europe while the two countries continued to negotiate stated the New York Times.  In response, the New York Times article quoted Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates as saying "we remain eager to be full and open partners with Russia on missile defense."  Russia has still begun threatening to leave the Treaty on Conventional armed Forces unless more NATO countries sign on to it.  BBC News says Russian defense analyst Alexander Goltz theorized that President Putin most likely preferred the talks about the U.S. military agenda because he wanted to redirect the focus away from U.S. criticism from topics such as human rights violations and suppression of democracy in Russia.

For more information; please see:

New York Times - Putin Criticizes U.S. Officials on Missile Defense - 12 October 2007

BBC News - Russia Urges U.S. Missile 'Freeze' - 12 October 2007

The Telegraph - Putin Favours Iran with Military Warning to U.S. - 18 October 2007

CNN - Putin:  U.S. in Iraq is 'Pointless' - 18 October 2007