Putin throws Bush a curve ball
Never a dull day with Vlad.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, bitterly opposed to a U.S. missile shield in Eastern Europe, told President Bush on Thursday that Moscow would drop its objections if the system were installed in Azerbaijan.Putin told Bush he would not seek to retarget Russian missiles on Europe if the United States agreed to put the radar-based system in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic bordering the Caspian Sea.
Bush's reaction to Putin's idea was: "Interesting proposal — let's let our experts have a look at it," according to White House National Security Adviser Steve Hadley. Hadley was in their hourlong meeting on the sidelines of a summit of the world's eight major industrialized democracies — the leaders' first since the dispute erupted earlier this year.
Bush has proposed basing the radar in the Czech Republic and interceptor rockets in Poland, rousing Moscow's suspicions that a system built in its backyard had to be aimed at it. The United States insisted the shield was aimed at any potential nuclear threat from Iran, not Russia, but Moscow declared the explanation "insufficient" as recently as Wednesday night.
With the dispute flaring in recent days into Cold War-style rhetoric and threats from Moscow, Putin's proposal to put the system in Azerbaijan came as a surprise.
U.S. officials were clearly scrambling to react afterward, huddling hurriedly before trying to explain it to the press.
"I think President Putin wanted to de-escalate the tensions a little bit on this issue, and I think it was a useful thing that he did," Hadley told a few reporters.
Putin said the existing radar station, built during Soviet times, is rented by Russia under a continuing agreement between Russia and Azerbaijan.
He argued the benefits of his suggested substitute: An Azerbaijan-based system would cover all of Europe rather than just part of it, and destroyed missile debris would fall in the ocean rather than on land.
The guy is brilliant - the ball is in our court now.
If the US refuses this proposal, expect war.
Appearing together before reporters, Bush spoke before Putin and did not mention the alternative presented by his Russian counterpart, saying only that Putin "made some interesting suggestions."
The two leaders agreed to discuss the issue further during two days of talks beginning July 1 in Kennebunkport, Maine, at the Bush family's oceanfront compound. Lower-level officials in both governments also plan to explore it.
"This will be a serious set of strategic discussions," Bush said. "This is a serious issue, and we want to make sure that we all understand each other's positions very clearly."
The Russian leader said the proposed relocation would alleviate Russia's concerns about a European missile shield. "This will make it unnecessary for us to place our offensive complexes along the border with Europe," Putin said.
He laid out several other conditions, as well:
- Taking Russia's concerns into account.
Giving all sides "equal access" to the system.
Making the development of the system transparent.
"Then we will have no problem," the Russian leader said.
He also warned the United States not to proceed with building the system as planned while negotiations with Moscow take place.
"We hope these consultations will not serve as cover for some unilateral action," Putin said.
Hadley did not rule out the possibility that the end result would be some mix of the Russian and the U.S. proposals.
"We asked the Russians to cooperate with us on missile defense, and I think what we got is a willingness to do so," Hadley said after the Bush-Putin meeting.
U.S. Missile Defense Agency spokesman Rick Lehner said he didn't known whether Putin's proposal would work. "I don't know if there have been any studies done that would consider the geometry on places like Azerbaijan," he said.
The agency looked at all of Europe and "the interceptor and radar sites that met our requirements were Poland and the Czech Republic," Lehner said. The plan for two countries rather than one was considered more effective because it gives more time to track the missile, he said.
Both sides portrayed Putin's idea — far from becoming a reality — as proof that the U.S.-Russia relationship has not fallen so far as people have speculated amid the dispute. The leaders said they agreed Iran is the threat to focus on, not each other.
"We have an understanding about common threats, but we have differences," Putin said.
He declared himself "satisfied with the spirit of openness" he encountered in Bush. The U.S. president said they had demonstrated they share "the desire to work together to allay people's fears."
Spoken like a true diplomat.
But, I have no doubt that if push comes to shove, Putin will shove hard.
We shall see.
I still think the underground elitist, so-called Jew, in fact a khazar or kenite, money fabricating, beast of a whore world banking system perverts run both countries.
"I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it"...Voltaire
The anti-missle system that Bush wants to build is for long range missles. Do the Iranians have any such missles?
They might have some that would travel short distances for battlefield use. But, my understanding is that the Iranians deny having anything that could target Europe.
Then again, why would they want to do that? If it makes no sense to invade or attack Iraq or Iran for their oil, because in any case they would want to sell it to us anyway, then it would equally make no sense for the Iranians to attack Europe because they want to sell their oil to them.
While the United States would be putting in however many billions of dollars of high tech bullshit into eastern Europe, or Azerbaijan, wouldn't that just keep us from being competetive in consumer goods. ...not that the Bushies are interested in economic competetiveness. But, some Republican might be.
And so long as we have all our eggs in the anti-missle system basket, the Iranians or whomever are developing some other kind of ability to get around it, not that they have any desire to develop an anti-anti-missle system. I thought low flying missles or airplanes were not vulnerable to these missle shields.
If the United States were putting together a high tech missle defense systen in some previous part of the soviet union, if I were a Russian military planner, I'd wait until it was finished and immovable, and then take back the country.
I don't see that this missle system makes any sense.
Does anyone else find this proposal odd?
"Giving all sides "equal access" to the system."
How on gods green earth would an all access system like this ever be maintained by "all parties involved"?
Without the worry of having a world ending Nuclear war (via ICBM strikes) out of the way, doesn't that leave the opportunity to have a full out conventional non-ICBM low yield nuke war between "all parties"?
With all due respect to the author, I can't support this comment:
"The guy is brilliant - the ball is in our court now.
If the US refuses this proposal, expect war."
If all sides of a conflict are played (controlled) by the invisible forces of the world (Zionism, Illuminati, et. al.), then why would we determine that Putin is acting in the general interest of the worlds population? He's a puppet, like all of the other G-8 leaders, yes?
Thoughts? Comments?
Regards, bill
Keep up the great site, and everyone keep the discussion alive.
for your incisive comment and the kind words.
honestly, i don't know what to make of Putin. No doubt that he's brilliant. But, I can't tell where his motives lie.
After all, he is very smart and can easily hide his true intentions and allegiances.
All I know is the Bush et al are obviously evil, whereas Putin is apparently not.
I reserve the right to change my opinion.
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"Money" has no value - people do.
interceptor missles are not a reliable technology, the only thing we can count on it being is a huge money embezzlement pit of military industrial corporation thievery.
While we're at it, we could build a colony on the moon! It would be a perfect place to imprison for LiFE all of our treasonous leaders! Really though, the gallows will do.