Putin Orders Agents to Eliminate Killers of Russians in Iraq

[GAP]

Putin Orders Agents to Eliminate Killers of Russians in Iraq
June 28 (Bloomberg) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin told his country's security services to find and kill the people responsible for the deaths of four Russian diplomats in Iraq.

Putin's order will be posted on the presidential Web site later today, an official in the Kremlin's press service said by telephone in Moscow, declining to be named.

The diplomats were kidnapped in Baghdad on June 3 and a group linked to the al-Qaeda in Iraq organization posted a video on a Web site over the weekend purporting to show the killing of three of them, the Associated Press reported. In an accompanying statement, the Mujahedeen Shura Council, a collection of insurgent groups which includes al-Qaeda in Iraq, said the fourth man also was killed.

The deaths confirm ``the view of Russia's leadership and parliament that the forceful action of the U.S. and its allies in Iraq three years ago was a mistake,'' Konstantin Kosachev, head of the International Relations Committee in the lower house of parliament, said yesterday on the Web site of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aqp71SI4lI3Y&refer=europe

To contact the reporter on this story:
Todd Prince in Moscow at  tprince2@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: June 28, 2006 08:25 EDT

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Canada would just write a nasty letter, scolding them.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I like Putin again! ;D

 

[enfield]

Putin and the Russians need to get a grip.

How exactly is Russia going to track down and kill the assassins? Why does Russia feel it can or should do this - in another nation that is, officially at least, sovereign?

Given their record in Chechnya, I don't see how they plan to operate secret hit teams in Iraq, where they have no presence and are not Coalition members.


Then again, their heart is in the right place.

 

[Genetk44]

Exactly the response i would expect from the Russians.....remember Lebanon.
Gene

 

[Michael Dorosh]

GAME ON

I think...read between the lines. Putin wants to get the people responsible for the deaths of the Russians there. A couple paras later the article talks about Putin claiming US invasion was a mistake.

2+2=4....They want to play Cold War again.  Putin's coming after the POTUS...Harper just pledged 20 Gazillion dollars on defence...Good thing we kept those Leopards...

 

[paracowboy]

How exactly is Russia going to track down and kill the assassins?

same way they've done it before? In '73 or '74 an Aeroflot plane was skyjacked and exploded over Sibera. The families of the skyjackers died.

Why does Russia feel it can or should do this - in another nation that is, officially at least, sovereign?

when has that ever bothered Russia before? They're the BAD GUYS. Always have been, always will be.

However, in this case, I cheerfully egg them on.

 

[probum non poenitet]

How exactly is Russia going to track down and kill the assassins?

Easy, tell them they're friendly hostages and send in their special forces to rescue them.  >

(OK, bad taste ... mea culpa)

 

[The_Falcon]

Go Russia!

 

[1feral1]

Canada would just write a nasty letter, scolding them.

No, mate they'd invite them to Toronto, and give them assylum.

 

[1feral1]

Putin and the Russians need to get a grip.

Enfield, never EVER under-estimate the Bear.

I hope he gets in and mauls a few of these cowards.

+1 for Ivan!

 

[Zell_Dietrich]

same way they've done it before? In '73 or '74 an Aeroflot plane was skyjacked and exploded over Sibera. The families of the skyjackers died.
when has that ever bothered Russia before? They're the BAD GUYS. Always have been, always will be.

Just because they take a cold calculating approach in systematically destroying those who've harmed them, it doesn't make them evil;  it makes them fall into the trap of escalation. (where a groups of warmongers on both sides take radical steps that force war) Now if they took gleefull delight in forcing the terrorists to watch a video tape of the terrorist' families slowly and painfully being killed, (ended of course by say by cutting their heads off) then that would be a little cold.  If they go in and 40+ bodies are found with Russian bullets in them DT Bagdad,  the other groups would see "Leave the Russians alone or else".  If you can't convince a person to act rationally,  you often to can convince them to act out of fear.  (oops but I think I just made allusion to the scare-tactics of our leaders)

 

[paracowboy]

Just because they take a cold calculating approach in systematically destroying those who've harmed them, it doesn't make them evil; 

thanks ever so! Russia are the Bad Guys. Always have been, always will be. They have not changed from the times of Ivan the Terrible. They are still an autocracy, and are still intent on conquest. Look at their actions since the fall of the Curtain: nuthin's changed.

 

[GAP]

If you can't convince a person to act rationally,  you often to can convince them to act out of fear.  (oops but I think I just made allusion to the scare-tactics of our leaders)

And the Russians are very good at it. They can afford to be brutal, they don't have to pay for it in the polls.

 

[enfield]

Where was this vaunted Russian security and military juggernaut when the Kursk sank? When Chechnya was turning into a bloodbath? When the Beslan hostage crisis was going on? If they can't rescue 300 school children on their own soil, tracking down killers in Iraq seems a little tricky, especially when the US has had great difficulty finding previous murderers. I see Putin talking tough, but not much bite.

But, along with paracowboy, I shall cheerfully egg them on and hope their is still some Old School Russia left.  8)

 

[couchcommander]

This service, only a few months ago, managed to blow up (figuratively) a British operation. It's one of the few well functioning operations left in Russia.

As for exactly how they'd track them down - given Russia's involvement with the Saddam government, I'd assume they have more than enough contacts they could become reacquainted with - possibly even a functioning structure already in place.

If I was even remotely involved with this, I'd be staying real low.

 

[Koenigsegg]

I want Russia to get involved.  Maybe they will show that they are still a force not to be messed with.  Sure, they are sloppy, but that sloppyness helps to keep potential enemies from attacking.  They hit heavy-handedly, and anything that is under their fist gets crushed.  Hopefully that scares the guys in Iraq so much, they will think twice about pulling anything.  I know that would scare the crap outta me. 

 

[tamouh]

Hopefully that scares the guys in Iraq so much, they will think twice about pulling anything.  I know that would scare the crap outta me. 

It didn't work in Afghanistan in the 70s, didn't work in Chechneya and doubt it will work in Iraq (if they decide to jump in). I also believe if they jump into Iraq, they'll cause a major concern to the US and its allies.

 

[couchcommander]

didn't work in Chechneya

????

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4349765.stm

Their counter insurgency isn't going quite as well as they planned, but as for the topic at hand...

 

[paracowboy]

They hit heavy-handedly, and anything that is under their fist gets crushed.   

see, now, that's why they're the Bad Guys.

Hopefully that scares the guys in Iraq so much, they will think twice about pulling anything.

doubtful

I know that would scare the crap outta me.

you just ain't motivated enough, is all.