Text 3755, 70 rader
Skriven 2004-10-18 18:19:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: Putin
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Everyone knows this, except Kerry.  The terrorists don't want Bush 
reelected.  

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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041018/ap_on_re_eu/russia_
us_election_1


Putin: Terror Attacks Aimed at Bush 

Mon Oct 18,11:16 AM ET   Europe - AP 
 


DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web 
sites) said Monday that terrorists are aiming to derail U.S. President 
George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s chances at re-election through their 
attacks in Iraq (news - web sites). 


"I consider the activities of terrorists in Iraq are not as much aimed 
at coalition forces but more personally against President Bush (news - 
web sites)," Putin said at a news conference after a regional summit in 
the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. 


"International terrorism has as its goal to prevent the election of 
President Bush to a second term," he said. "If they achieve that goal, 
then that will give international terrorism a new impulse and extra 
power." 


Still, Putin didn't say which candidate he favored in the Nov. 2 U.S. 
presidential election. 


"We unconditionally respect any choice of the American people," he said. 
"I don't want to spoil relations with either candidate." 


Putin also noted his continuing disagreement with Bush on Washington's 
invasion of Iraq, which Russia strongly opposed as a permanent member of 
the U.N. Security Council. 


"Russia was always against the military operations in Iraq," he said. 


Despite their differences, Bush and Putin have cooperated closely in the 
international war on terror, with Russia assenting to the deployment of 
U.S. forces in former Soviet Central Asia for operations in neighboring 
Afghanistan (news - web sites). In exchange, Washington has mostly 
looked the other way on Moscow's continuing war in breakaway Chechnya 
(news - web sites), which Russia alleges is being fueled by 
international terror groups. 


On his last visit to Central Asia in June, Putin appeared to be backing 
Bush's assertion that Iraq was a threat, saying at a summit in 
Kazakhstan that Russia had notified Washington about intelligence that 
Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime was preparing attacks in the 
United States and its interests abroad. 


No further details were given, and Putin also said then that the warning 
didn't change Moscow's opposition to the Iraq war.

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