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| quote: | Originally posted by DrUg_Tit0
Do you have a link or a transcript for that? I missed the interview and I've only been seeing cut outs and headlines. They bragged about it non stop, but played the whole interview only once. |
Its in Russian, so if you can understand it or know someone who does - well, then its good.
http://www.vesti.ru/videos?vid=1471...s&doc_id=204729
In the first half of the interview, Putin said that he talked to Bush while they both were in Beijing and asked him to stop the conflict and tell Georgian government, his staunch ally and receipient of much of US/NATO weaponry and training, to halt the bloodshed. In return Putin says in the video that Bush only said "Noone wants a conflict". Putin said that Bush could not tell Georgia to stop the attack. He said the relations are not strained between USA and Russia as a result of American failure to stop Georgia from continuing the conflict in the early stages, but they were strained because NATO and USA armed Georgia and had significant American military presence in the country, which was the direct factor for this Georgian attack on South Ossetia. He doubts that American intelligence wasnt aware about the upcoming conflict.
He asked, and I am quoting this one from the video: "... Why for many years carry on peace talks and try to achieve difficult compromise and solutions to problems in ethnic issues? Its easier to arm one side on the conflict, and push it to kill the other side, and its solved. It would appear to be an easy solution, wouldnt it? But in reality, its not always like that." [he is talking about NATO arming Georgia to "fix" its ethnic squabbles by force, and then its failure].
Then he immediately follows it up with this big one:
"I also have other line of thinking - things I am about to say are only assumptions/suspicions, which need to be carefully formulated and looked into, but something to think about nevertheless. Even during the hardest times of the Cold War, during the tightest confrontation between USA and Soviet Union, we have always avoided direct conflict against American civlians and more importantly American military personnel. We have strong suspicion that there may have been American citizens who might have fought on the battlefields or were in the conflict zone. If so, if this indeed be confirmed, then it will be very bad. It is very dangerous, and it is a mistaken political approach. And if it was so, this conflict can have a wider implication on current American political situation. If my guesses will be confirmed, then suspicious arise that someone in USA started this conflict on purpose, intentionally to deteriorate the situation, and create an upper hand for election campaign for one of the American candidates for President. And if this is so, this is nothing else but using a respectable position for achieving political means in the most negative and bloody way."
As the reporter continues, the reporter just takes the response as a serious view and follows up on the next question from that Putin's statement. The reporter asked the same question again, pretty much, and asks if Putin has any proof to back his point. And Putin responds:
"As I said already, IF presence of American citizens in the immediate conflict zone are going to be confirmed, it will only mean one thing - the only way they could be there is if they were given direct orders from their commanders. And if this is so, then it means that American citizens were present and carrying out their military duty and can only do it under order from a commander, not by their own initiative. Normal specialists/advisors, even if they are teaching their skills to other troops, are supposed to do it not in the conflict zone, but on training areas such as bases. I would like to reiterate that all this will require confirmation. I am only saying this from what I've heard from some of my troops, and of course I will look to obtain any supporting documentation. Whats is surprising you so much about my discussion?"
Then he goes on saying that there's conflict in Middle East, how USA and NATO having issues in Iraq, Afghanistan, lots of problems, peace is hard to achieve, dozens of NATO troops are getting killed by Taliban who is reorganizing, "at home in USA there are numerous problems with enocomy and housing defaults, and that someone needs a victory story for a war in spite of all these military and economic failures, and if it fails then someone can put the blame on Russia, and make Russia look like evil, and in patriotic form gather public support around a leader. And thats why I a surprised because of that that you are shocked to hear what I have to say. While all these things are just on the surface, quite obvious." (Putin's talk)
Reporter: is it true that some American troops were captured in the conflict zone?
Putin: "I dont think so, I dont have that proof, but I certainly hope this isnt true. But I would like to repeat that I will ask my generals to provide me with reports and evidence to clear up all these things."
eetc. etc. etc. = I dont feel like translating the whole friggin video. Whats the point, anyway?
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