Putin: It's all America's fault!

[General Zod]

Someone should tell him to stop drinking the spiked kool-aid.

In an exclusive interview with CNN's Matthew Chance in the Black Sea city of Sochi Thursday, Putin said the U.S. had encouraged Georgia to attack the autonomous region of South Ossetia.

Putin told CNN his defense officials had told him it was done to benefit a presidential candidate -- Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are competing to succeed George W. Bush -- although he presented no evidence to back it up.

"U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict," Putin said. "They were acting in implementing those orders doing as they were ordered, and the only one who can give such orders is their leader." Video Watch Putin accuse the United States

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino blasted Putin's statements, saying they were "patently false."

"To suggest that the United States orchestrated this on behalf of a political candidate just sounds not rational," she said.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood concurred, and labeled Putin's statements as "ludicrous."

"Russia is responsible for the crisis," Wood said in an off-camera meeting with reporters in Washington on Thursday. "For the Russians to say they are not responsible for what happened in Georgia is ludicrous. ... Russia is to blame for this crisis and the world is responding to what Russia has done."

When told that many diplomats in the United States and Europe blame Russia for provoking the conflict and for invading Georgia, Putin said Russia had no choice but to invade Georgia after dozens of its peacekeepers in South Ossetia were killed. He told Chance it was to avert a human calamity. iReport.com: First-person accounts from the center of the conflict

The former Russian president, still considered the most powerful man in the country, said he was disappointed the U.S. had not done more to stop Georgia's attack.

Putin recalled he was watching the situation in Georgia and South Ossetia unfold when he was at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on August 8.

He said he spoke to U.S. President George W. Bush, also attending, who told the Russian prime minister he didn't want war -- but Putin spoke to CNN of his disappointment that the U.S. administration didn't do more to stop Georgia early in the conflict.

Also Thursday Putin announced economic measures which he said were unrelated to the fighting with Georgia. Nineteen U.S. poultry meat companies would be banned from exporting their products to Russia because they had failed health and safety tests, and 29 other companies had been warned to improve their standards or face the same ban, Putin said.

Putin said Russia's health and agricultural ministries had randomly tested the poultry products and found them to be full of antibiotics and arsenic.

While Putin repeated that the bans were not related to the Georgian conflict, they indicate the measures some Western countries -- particularly in Europe -- fear if Russia goes on a diplomatic offensive.

Russia is trying to counterbalance mounting pressure from the West over its military action in Georgia and its recognition of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

But Russia's hopes of winning international support for its actions in Georgia were dashed Thursday, when China and other Asian nations expressed concern about tension in the region.

The joint declaration from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which includes China, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, said the countries hoped any further conflict could be resolved peacefully. Video Watch more on rising tensions between Russia and the West. »

"The presidents reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of respect for historic and cultural traditions of every country and efforts aimed at preserving the unity of a state and its territorial integrity," the declaration said, The Associated Press reported.

"Placing the emphasis exclusively on the use of force has no prospects and hinders a comprehensive settlement of local conflicts," AP reported the group as saying.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had appealed to the SCO at a summit in Tajikistan Thursday to support its actions, saying it would serve as a "serious signal for those who are trying to justify the aggression."
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On Wednesday a U.S. ship carrying aid docked in Georgia, while Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband traveled to the Ukraine, which is worried about Russia's intentions in the region, to offer the UK's support.

Miliband equated Moscow's offensive in Georgia with the Soviet tanks that invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the Prague Spring democratic reforms in 1968, and demanded Russia "change course," AP reported.

Hooray for tinfoil douchebaggery. It almost sounds like Putin's looking for an excuse to escalate tensions.

[Stark]

Now where have I seen this reasoning before?

I'm becoming convinced Putin just has a GWB phrasebook he's going through one step at a time. He might be crazy, but he's the funny kind of crazy.

[The Original Nex]

Didn't Medvedev come out and say Russia's simply doing the same thing the US did after 9/11? I'm unable to find the article though...

It seems that Russia is blowing the neo-cons rhetoric from the past eight years right back in their faces in a nearly comical manner.

[Pelranius]

Putin might just be saying this to scare up the oil prices.

[Col. Crackpot]

Didn't Medvedev come out and say Russia's simply doing the same thing the US did after 9/11? I'm unable to find the article though...

It seems that Russia is blowing the neo-cons rhetoric from the past eight years right back in their faces in a nearly comical manner.

because bombing cities and killing people is a real fucking knee slapper. You're a turd.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Well, it's true, or seems to be from the Russian perspective. We had American military personnel in the country and Saakasvilli seemed absolutely convinced that America would come to his aide. Why wouldn't Putin tend to assume that Saakasvilli was encouraged by the US when the alternative is accepting that the man (Saakasvilli) is motherfucking batshit insane?

[Terralthra]

Well, it's true, or seems to be from the Russian perspective. We had American military personnel in the country and Saakasvilli seemed absolutely convinced that America would come to his aide. Why wouldn't Putin tend to assume that Saakasvilli was encouraged by the US when the alternative is accepting that the man (Saakasvilli) is motherfucking batshit insane?

The man chewing on his tie might be a good reason to go for the latter.

[The Original Nex]

Didn't Medvedev come out and say Russia's simply doing the same thing the US did after 9/11? I'm unable to find the article though...

It seems that Russia is blowing the neo-cons rhetoric from the past eight years right back in their faces in a nearly comical manner.

because bombing cities and killing people is a real fucking knee slapper. You're a turd.

NEARLY comical you asshat.

[Punarbhava]

Here's an article which suggests the possibility of such, back from 8/13.

Is it possible that this time the October surprise was tried in August, and that the garbage issue of brave little Georgia struggling for its survival from the grasp of the Russian bear was stoked to influence the U.S. presidential election?

Before you dismiss that possibility, consider the role of one Randy Scheunemann, for four years a paid lobbyist for the Georgian government who ended his official lobbying connection only in March, months after he became Republican presidential candidate John McCain's senior foreign policy adviser.

I know on the surface it sounds tinfoil hattish, but in this case it seems a little more plausible.

[Pelranius]

Here's an article which suggests the possibility of such, back from 8/13.

Is it possible that this time the October surprise was tried in August, and that the garbage issue of brave little Georgia struggling for its survival from the grasp of the Russian bear was stoked to influence the U.S. presidential election?

Before you dismiss that possibility, consider the role of one Randy Scheunemann, for four years a paid lobbyist for the Georgian government who ended his official lobbying connection only in March, months after he became Republican presidential candidate John McCain's senior foreign policy adviser.

I know on the surface it sounds tinfoil hattish, but in this case it seems a little more plausible.

It's not quite on the level of CIA involvement in the coup that threw out Mossadegh, but it still is something considered, even if the guy was only a mere lobbyist. Didn't help matters that Saakashvili is a few marbles short as well.

[K. A. Pital]

Putin accuses the US of encouraging Georgia's fuckup. What's so new?

As for the US and "tensions", please. We went on a fullscale "fuck the US" course with official recognition of Abkhazia and SO and the breakoff with NATO.

Putin is playing this card for the Russians, who, for the most part, loathe America and think the US is to blame. By saying the same thing on-air, Putin gets PR boosts and support from the people.

[K. A. Pital]

CNN: You have always maintained close relations with the US President. Do you think that his failure to constrain Georgia from the attack damaged your relations?

Putin: That damaged our state's relations most of all.

But it is not just that the US Administration could not hold Georgia from this criminal act - America de-facto armed and trained the Georgian Army.

Why struggle with negotiations for long years and look for compromise solutions in ethnic conflicts? it's easier to arm one side and push it to kill the other, and the deed is done. That seemed a light decision. But in fact it's not like that at all, always.

I have other thoughts. What I will say now, are just extrapolations, only guesses, and there's a lot to figure out still. But I think there's something to think about.

Even during Cold War times, when the USSR and US antagonized each other, we always avoided a direct confrontation between our civilians and more than that, soldiers, military servicemen.

We have serious grounds to presume that US Citizens were acting in the battle zone. If that is confirmed, it's very bad. It's dangerous. It's a faulty political act.

But if it's so, these events could have an impact on internal American politics.

If my guesses are confirmed, then suspicions rise that someone in the United States orchestrated this conflict with the goal of escalating the situation, and creating a competitive advantage for one of the candidates in the US Presidential elections. And if it's so, that's nothing but using the so-called administrative resource in internal political struggle, in the worst - bloody way.

CNN: But this is a very serious accusation. I want to make certain, do you think that some persons in the US really provoked this conflict, for the sake of one candidate's victory in debates, to score points?

Putin: I will explain.

CNN: And if you really make such guesses, do you have any proof?

Putin: I have said that if facts of US citizens in the combat zone are confirmed, this could mean one thing only - they were there on the orders of their commanders. And if that's so, this means US citizens who were commanded to the battle zone are in the war. They can only be there on their superior's orders, not on their own initiative.

Mere specialists, even if they are military trainers, must not do it in the war zone, but on poligons, in training centers.

I repeat, that requires additional confirmation. I am saying so far what I learned from our military. Of course I will demand additional material.

Why are you amazed by my guess, I don't understand? There are problems brewing in the Middle East, reconciliation fails. Afghanistan doesn't get any better. More than that, the talibs went into their autmn offensive, killing NATO soldiers by dozens.

In Iraq, after the euphoria of first victories, only problems rise and there are more than 4 thousand casualties.

The economy is in trouble, and we know it well. Finance is in trouble. Housing sector crisis. We are worried by that too, and we want it to end, but it's there.

Now you need a "little victorious war". And if that fails, you could put all the blame on us, make us the enemy again, and on this hurra-patriotism you could force the society together around certain political forces.

I wonder why are you amazed. It's easily-seen.

CNN: What you say seems like a fantasy in some ways. At least, I was in Georgia during the conflict. I heard many rumors, that, some US military servicemen were captured in the war zone. Is that true?

Putin: I have no such information. I think it is false.

I repeat, i will ask our military about further information, which would confirm the presence of US citizens in the war zone.

[Sidewinder]

I don't think the US encouraged Georgia to invade and (make an unsuccessful attempt to) occupy South Ossetia. Of course, the US didn't encourage the Kurds to launch attacks on Turkey from bases in Iraq. If anything, the US can be blamed for not telling regional allies, "Knock it off!" i.e., don't think American support is a blank check to let you piss off VERY IMPORTANT regional powers (and in Turkey's case, a VERY IMPORTANT ally).

Now where have I seen this reasoning before?

I'm becoming convinced Putin just has a GWB phrasebook he's going through one step at a time. He might be crazy, but he's the funny kind of crazy.

Russia too? Truly, this is a sign of the End Times.

[Axis Kast]

The United States did warn Georgia against provocative action, according to various articles cited in the original thread on South Ossetia.

The problem was that Sakhasvili apparently believed that ruminations about expanding NATO and his personal friendship with George Bush were better indicators than State Department communiques. It is highly ironic. The one time that the United States does manage to try and apply the muzzle very directly, it backfires for reasons essentially out of our control. The Georgians never should have been able to do math that got them a happy outcome here.

[The Big I]

It's not just the US if you go by what some conspiracy sites say that it was also the evil joooos

[The Big I]

The United States did warn Georgia against provocative action, according to various articles cited in the original thread on South Ossetia.

The problem was that Sakhasvili apparently believed that ruminations about expanding NATO and his personal friendship with George Bush were better indicators than State Department communiques. It is highly ironic. The one time that the United States does manage to try and apply the muzzle very directly, it backfires for reasons essentially out of our control. The Georgians never should have been able to do math that got them a happy outcome here.

Do ypu have a scource for that????

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

The United States did warn Georgia against provocative action, according to various articles cited in the original thread on South Ossetia.

The problem was that Sakhasvili apparently believed that ruminations about expanding NATO and his personal friendship with George Bush were better indicators than State Department communiques. It is highly ironic. The one time that the United States does manage to try and apply the muzzle very directly, it backfires for reasons essentially out of our control. The Georgians never should have been able to do math that got them a happy outcome here.

Do ypu have a scource for that????

There are a number of news reports on your side that claim that. Go dig for them.

[Sidewinder]

The United States did warn Georgia against provocative action, according to various articles cited in the original thread on South Ossetia.

The problem was that Sakhasvili apparently believed that ruminations about expanding NATO and his personal friendship with George Bush were better indicators than State Department communiques. It is highly ironic.

The August 25, 2008 issue of Newsweek said, "The U.S. warned its ally not to be drawn into a Russian trap. When the fighting started, Georgia didn't stand a chance." It's VERY fucking DEPRESSING to learn that there are government leaders more stupid and impulsive than George W. Bush, running nations VERY fucking CLOSE to major nuclear powers.

[The Yosemite Bear]

if we hear that B H2O is involved with this I'll have a fit....

[Sidewinder]

if we hear that B H2O is involved with this I'll have a fit....

What's B H2O?

[The Yosemite Bear]

Blackwater (the we're not really mercinaries) that seem to be involved with everything bad these days....