Russians and Chechens vs US diplomacy

[Jon Ford]

Susan: You have a right to your view, but I'd say the US is right that 
Russia should try to negociate with Chechen  separatists, terrorists or not 
. Putin's comment about Osama is witty, but , ironically, the US might be 
better off to try to have some rapprochement with terrorists rather than to 
always demonize them. I'd say that same would apply to Israel and the 
Palestinians. Negociation is always better than bombing!

The thing about the US pronouncements  that is annoying, and I'm sure you 
would agree in some sense, is that our diplomatic corps makes such 
"idealistic" comments  all the time, often in response to Israeili 
retaliations against Palestinian suicide attacks-- but we never follow up on 
them. Thus the view that many countires have of us-- we're basically full of 
hot air, meddlesome in a minor key, ineffectual way. Perhaps the current 
pronouncement to Russia is directed more at the domestic market, to  show 
that Bush's regime is concerned about peace in the region. Hypocrisy? 
welllll...

Jon



>From: susan gilbert <ssg@efn.org>
>Reply-To: austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net
>To: <austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net>
>Subject: Re: Russians and Chechens vs US diplomacy
>Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 14:27:07 -0700
>
>on 9/7/04 12:59 PM, Jon Ford at jonmfordster@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>Here's a New York Times/AP  article about US diplomatic response to the
>recent slaughter of school children in Russia by Chechen seperatists. 
The
>Russian response is a classic-- shows the respect other countires have 
for
>us right now. Putin's comments on Osama are classic in their nastiness :
>
>jon, i must say that i had the exact opposite  feeling from the article,
>more like it shows how little regard the usa has for other nations 
policies
>,and how
>our meeting with chechens is not so diplomatic to putin.
>
>U.S. Calls for Diplomacy With Chechens
>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
>
>Published: September 7, 2004
>
>
>Filed at 1:49 p.m. ET
>
>WASHINGTON AP) -- The Bush administration differed Tuesday with Russian
>President Vladimir Putin and said that only a political settlement could 
end
>the crisis between Russia and the breakaway region of Chechnya.
>
>The administration also left open the possibility of U.S. meetings with
>Chechens who are not linked to terrorists.
>
>Secretary of State Colin Powell and Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage 
signed
>a book of condolences at the Russian Embassy over the deaths of at least 
330
>people, most of them children, during a hostage-taking last week at a 
school
>in the southern city of Beslan.
>
>Advertisement
>
>
>And, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that in response to 
a
>request from the Russian government, two C-130 cargo planes had flown
>medical supplies worth about $580,000, which were stockpiled in Germany, 
to
>Russia and planned an additional flight from Italy.
>
>Also, U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow released in Moscow $50,000 in
>emergency assistance, Boucher said.
>
>In an interview Monday with a group of foreign journalists and 
academics,
>Putin rejected Western calls for negotiations with Chechen rebel
>representatives, Britain's Guardian and Independent newspapers reported.
>
>``Why don't you meet Osama bin Laden, invite him to Brussels or to the 
White
>House and engage in talks, ask him what he wants and give it to him so 
he
>leaves you in peace?'' the Guardian quoted Putin as saying 
sarcastically.
>
>``You find it possible to set some limitations in your dealings with 
these
>bastards, so why should we talk to people who are child-killers?''
>
>Putin said foreigners should have ``no more questions about our policy 
in
>Chechnya'' after the attackers shot children in the back, and said the
>Chechen cause was aimed at undermining all of southern Russia and
>majority-Muslim regions of the country.
>
>Boucher, the State Department spokesman, said Tuesday that ``our view on 
the
>overall situation has not changed.'' That is, he said, ultimately 
``there
>must be a political settlement'' over Chechnya.
>
>He said U.S. officials had met with Chechens with a variety of views in 
the
>past, although ``we do not meet with terrorists.'' There may be 
additional
>meetings in the future, though none are planned, he said.
>
>Responding to Russian suspicions that the terrorist group that seized 
the
>school in Beslan included Arabs with ties to the al-Qaida terror 
network,
>Boucher said the Bush administration did not have any definitive
>information.
>
>
>
>
>On the road to retirement? Check out MSN Life Events for advice on how 
to
>get there! <http://g.msn.com/8HMAENUS/2749??PS=47575>
>
>

_________________________________________________________________
Don’t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! 
http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/