Putin Accuses U.S. In Georgia War

Russia PM Suspects War Linked To Presidential Campaign; White House Dismisses Claim As "Patently False"

(CBS/ AP)  Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Thursday of instigating the fighting in Georgia and said he suspects a connection to the U.S. presidential campaign - a contention the White House dismissed as "patently false."

In a decision he said was unrelated to unraveling Russia-U.S. ties, Putin also ordered that 19 American poultry producers be barred from selling their products to Russia. He said the unnamed companies ignored demands that they correct alleged deficiencies.

Putin, the former president and architect of an assertive foreign policy that has stoked East-West tension, suggested in an interview with CNN that there was an American presence amid the combat with a potential domestic U.S. political motive.

"We have serious grounds to think that there were U.S. citizens right in the combat zone" during Russia's war with the U.S.-allied ex-Soviet republic, he said the interview broadcast on state-run Russian television. "And if that's so, if that is confirmed, it's very bad. It's very dangerous."

Putin's acid attack on the United States came as Moscow's bid to redraw Georgia's borders hit an obstacle among its Asian allies who refused to recognize the two Russian-backed breakaway regions of Georgia. France, meanwhile, said the European Union is considering sanctions against Russia for its conduct in the Caucasus.

Putin said that Russia had hoped the U.S. would restrain Georgia, which Moscow accuses of starting the war by attacking South Ossetia on Aug. 7. Instead, he suggested the U.S. encouraged the nation's leadership to try to rein in the separatist region by force.

"The American side in fact armed and trained the Georgian army," Putin said. "Why hold years of difficult talks and seek complex compromise solutions in interethnic conflicts? It's easier to arm one side and push it into the murder of the other side, and it's over.

"It seems like an easy solution. In reality it turns out that it's not always so," he said.

The United States has close ties with the Georgian government and has trained Georgian units. The Pentagon has said that the U.S. had about 130 trainers in Georgia when the fighting erupted earlier this month, including a few dozen civilians who were all working to prepare the Georgian forces for deployment to Iraq.

But Russian officials have made statements aimed to convey the idea that Americans may have directly supported Georgia's offensive.

At a briefing Tuesday, the deputy chief of Russian military general staff, Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, showed off a color copy of what he said was a U.S. passport found in a basement in a village in South Ossetia among items that belonged to Georgian forces.

"We found a passport for Michael Lee White," Nogovitsyn said. "He's a Texan."

The U.S. Embassy in Georgia said it had no information on the matter.

In an interview with France 24 to be aired Friday, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said there were no American "commanders or even advisers" in the conflict zone. He said the conflict had nothing to do with the U.S., but "the aggression of the Russians."

Putin appeared to link claims of an American presence amid the combat with a potential domestic U.S. political motive.

"If my guesses are confirmed, then that raises the suspicion that somebody in the United States purposefully created this conflict with the aim of aggravating the situation and creating an advantage ... for one of the candidates in the battle for the post of U.S. president."

Putin did not name a party or candidate. Some pro-Kremlin Russian politicians have claimed U.S. Republicans hoped the war would help keep Democrat Barack Obama out of the White House by fomenting concern among voters over security, which some of the Russians consider to be a strong-suit of Republican candidate John McCain, a strong Kremlin critic.

White House press secretary Dana Perino called Putin's contentions "patently false." She said "it also sounds like his defense officials who said they believe this to be true are giving him really bad advice."

She added: "To suggest that the United States orchestrated this on behalf of a political candidate just sounds not rational."

Perino said Russia is facing the consequences of a diminished global reputation and that "there will be other" consequences as well. She refused to say what they would be and said there is no timetable.

At the United Nations Thursday, Russia was roundly criticized by member nations of the security council for recognizing the breakaway Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Even China, a frequent Russian ally on the council, joined several Central Asian nations in denouncing the use of violence and calling for the respect of every nation's territorial integrity. It was a blow to Russia's search for international support.

Moscow had appealed to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - whose members are Russia, China, and four Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - for unanimous support of Moscow's response to Georgia's "aggression."

Alexei Malashenko, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said the summit highlighted Russia's isolation.

"The Soviet Union was not so alone even in 1968," he said on Ekho Moskvy radio, referring to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Western leaders have added condemnation of Russian recognition to their accusations that Moscow used disproportionate force in its Georgia offensive and has fallen far short of its withdrawal commitments under an EU cease-fire deal.

The EU is "trying to draw up a strong text signifying our unwillingness to accept" Russia's stance, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Thursday. "Sanctions are being considered ... and many other means as well," Kouchner said.

The Foreign Ministry said later that France was not behind a sanctions proposal.

The Russian leader maintained that the poultry decision was unrelated to the Georgia issue. He said that the 19 producers ignored the demands to correct the problems following inspections. He said another 29 producers would receive warnings.

"We try and keep our industry out of politics and into marketing opportunities, but sometimes it's very difficult to separate the two," said Jim Sumner, president of the U.S.A. Poultry & Egg Export Council. He said Russia is a major market for American producers.

U.S. producers supply nearly 75 percent of the total poultry import quota set by Russia, which stands at 1.2 million tons. Russia represented the largest export market for chicken broilers made by U.S. producers in the first half of this year, Sumner said.

Sumner said he expected the alleged plant deficiencies to be corrected within weeks or a few months and said the stoppage would not have a major impact on U.S. producers.

Russia is an important market for many poultry producers, including the nation's largest chicken producer, Pilgrim's Pride Inc., as well as Sanderson Farms Inc. and Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat company.

Shares of many meat producers, including top hog producer Smithfield Foods Inc., tumbled Thursday on worries about potential cuts by Russia.

"At this point if Russia were to walk back from certain agreements they have made, it would clearly delay any future aspirations they have of joining the World Trade Organization," said Sean Spicer, spokesman for U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.

[jlmcscanner]

Russia....isolated and alone.Total loss of the cold war taught them nothing.More economic devestation awaits Russia once again.

[jmurrieta1]

Wiping the blood of Tibetans off their jackboots, the Chinese condemned Russia.

[rational_1]

For about 15 years Europe''s borders have been clearly demarcated, he said; "new nations have come out of the old Soviet Union, they''ve joined the European Union, and the European countries have enjoyed a period of unprecedented stability."

Gee, now why would they want to do that instead of becoming puppets in a re-organized Soviet Union? It boggles the mind.

[underdogus87]

China is attempting to justify its inevitable invasion of Taiwan with some legal maneuvering %u2013 an anti-secession law.

The free world''s response to this grotesque violation of human rights and militaristic, imperialistic threat should be to recognize Taiwan once and for all as an independent, free and sovereign nation-state.

But don''t hold your breath. Washington doesn''t want any more crises on its plate. The Bush administration has its hands full with the war on Islamo-fascist terrorists and Russia. It doesn''t want any trouble with China right now. Washington would prefer to live in the world of make-believe and wishful-thinking %u2013 pretending that China will forget about its promise to reunite free Taiwan with totalitarian mainland.

[underdogus87]

"We once again urge the Chinese Communist Party authorities not to underestimate the will of the Taiwan people in defending the sovereignty, security and dignity of the Republic of China," said President Chen Shui-bian

[underdogus87]

Taiwan split from the mainland at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, but Beijing still sees the island of 23 million as part of Chinese territory and has pledged to bring it back into the fold, by force if necessary. Beijing means what it says.

[underdogus87]

The No. 1 military objective in China''s strategic planning remains reunification with Taiwan.

[SamThornton]

Major source for this article was the AP report. However, beyond an assertion that SCO "deepened Russia''s international isolation over its military action," the fact is, no facts are presented to support this claim, either by CBS or the AP.

This may be due to the fact that there are no facts to support the claim and that the SCO''s stance -- as reported by numerous other non-US news organizations -- at its most extreme interpretation, merely calls for more negotiation.

I understand CBS and AP are trying to push the Administration position on Georgia, regardless of the facts. I just wonder why it doesn''t do so more directly and why it goes through the charade of trying to appear "objective?"

[underdogus87]

Our old friends Germany and France don''t think China''s military is a threat to anyone %u2013 certainly not them %u2013 and want to sell even more sophisticated, high-tech weaponry to Beijing. There''s good money to be made, they say. Appease the beast, they say.

[donevis-2009]

Still the main stream media is trying to turn this into "The Russian Invasion". It was the Georgia that started this mess and Russia moved in to shore things up, just as any other country would have done. Russia doesn''t need anymore friends. They need to protect their boarders and interests and really don''t give a rats butt about being friendly right now. With NATO spitting and cussing them I,m surprised they have kept their cool and limited the military response.

[kuei12]

Russia did the right thing here. I''ll be Russia''s friend. I sure as hell will never be bush''s friend. I don''t like having stupid friends.

[oneamerican_]

The Neo-Soviet regime in Russia should stop digging - they have already hit bottom - and they may not have noticed that the rest of the free world is starting to bury them.

[pollroller1]

Well, they may have gone into Georgia, but they better not mess with Alabama.

[babooph]

Russia is not worried about a bunch of Eunichs griping.

[oneamerican_]

Russia now threatens to cut off imported food from the west.

Apparently Russia likes the thought of putting its people back into the bread lines and starvation rations.

Vladimir Putin, and his sock puppet Medvedev have completely lost their minds.

[marshall_nee]

Unlike the Russians, I think that China will wait for America to weaken further before they play their hand.

[ioweign]

Russia now threatens to cut off imported food from the west.

Apparently Russia likes the thought of putting its people back into the bread lines and starvation rations.

Vladimir Putin, and his sock puppet Medvedev have completely lost their minds.

Posted by OneAmerican_ at 10:53 AM : Aug 28, 2008

They forgot to mention the Weapons of Mass Destruction...

[antoniof123]

Well, I guess Russia is joining us just like Iraq.

Too funny every time you put a bunch of right wing nuts in charge the rest of the normal people start to hate you.

[amazedd]

Rejection by the International Community has become a must and a symbol that distinguishes the Senior Statesman from the people pleasers and pals.

Who is the International Community, anyway? A handful of loudmouthed, obnoxious cretins living in a world of fantasy, addicted to the Turkish Delights of Akhmet''s Amsterdam Cafe, no doubt.

[checkthepast]

the normal people start to hate you.
Posted by antoniof123

If Putin, Yong-nam and Ahmadinejad are "normal people" to you, it says everything about who you are. Even a mad dog is ''normal'' to another mad dog.

[amazedd]

checkthepast, are YOU an active member of the International Community Underground, pray tell.

[amazedd]

The Empire, with both heads, will chew your International Community and its minions and throw the bones to said mad dogs. If they haven''t blown themselves up before that, in a fit of hysteria.

[secundus2]

Some sort of autonomy within Georgia for Abkhazia and South Ossetia should solve the problem.

The Russians cannot seem to accept the idea that nobody hates them, nobody wants to attack them and that they can be most welcome in Europe and in international organizations, where their oil and gas alone will give them clout.

Their former colonies try to align themselves with the West because of the abuses of the Soviet system. So what do the Russians do in response? Go back to Stalin''s methods! And they are surprised that they can''t find other governments to support them!?

[amazedd]

I''ve heard Akhmet is retrofitting his animals with high explosives. He''s working on a bigger bang for the rupee. Watch it.

[amazedd]

The IC is b*itching about the exact same thing they b*itched about the Chinese, I mean the opposite. But about the same they b*itched about America. So, now that they''ve comprehensively managed to send America, Russia and China into Coventry, will the IC please show itself and stand and be counted; if they can crawl out of Akhmet''s Amsterdam retreat.

[checkthepast]

....Underground, pray tell.

Posted by Amazedd

Underground?

[amazedd]

Underground?
As in the basement of Akhmet of Amsterdam''s joint.

[rwkincaide]

"Russia Finding Few Friends Post-Invasion"

CBS is referring to the neocon-sponsored invasion of South Osettia, of course.

At least Russia is still better off than the US, which is down to one friend: Isreal. And with friends like Israel, who needs enemies?

[rave_on3]

At least Russia is still better off than the US, which is down to one friend: Isreal. And with friends like Israel, who needs enemies?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by rwkincaide at 01:26 PM : Aug 28, 2008

Sounds like you''d be elated with being ruled by with the Soviet iron fist.

Your first Russian lesson Da = Yes.

You don''t need to learn the opposing word; you''re not allowed to speak it anyway.

[amazedd]

V to the left and V to the right. We''re watching YOU Donavan. - W

[yongamerica]

The best part is Putin said the US made him do it for the political gain of one of the presidential candidates.

This means Putin is another one of AMERICA''S PUPPETS

[tbweb]

Using the same excuse as Pres. Bush for invading Iraq, Pres. Medevedev just validated the U.S. invasion of Iraq with the invasion of Georgia! I told you all Mr Medevedev was Russia`s `George Bush`, you all thought I was kidding, watch and see! Mr Medevedev is `bring em on` Part 2 Russian style! There is no difference between the excuses for invading Iraq and Georgia and in fact Mr Medevedev was going to remove the Georgian President too until G.W. starting screaming at the top of his voice! G.W. can relate to Mr Medevedev better than Mr. Putin because G.W. is looking in the mirror!

[kennedy7955]

"At least Russia is still better off than the US, which is down to one friend: Isreal. And with friends like Israel, who needs enemies?"

You do not know what you are talking about. All of Europe has and will always side with the USA over Russia. Russia has economic ties with Europe but no friends. Russia will never have friends in Europe until it accounts for its brutality over the last 75 years. The Baltics, Eastern Europe and most of the Balkans hate Russia.

Yeah, the USA has been really messed up the last 8 years, and there is resentment from all over the world over our stupid policies. But at the end of the day, nobody is going to side with Russia over the USA. The best Russia can hope for is that their threats will have some weight and some countries will ignore US requests but love Russia and hate the USA? That will never, never happen.

[amazedd]

yogiamerica, I think that what he''s trying to say is that since Mrs Merkel wants to punish Russia, she should first cane the US for starting it. Which is bull because America would never start a war with POTUS sitting on the lap of Ming the Merciless.

[amazedd]

Oskar Fischer told Bush to stuff it. Merkel did likewise with the Chinese. Now, they want to beat the Russians. What, with the inmates at Akhmet''s Amsterdam Cafe?

[amazedd]

I''m sure they''re just itching, dying to go to Turkey.

[drinuk]

Why on earth are we meddling and interferring yet again. Like we have no problems of our own, the country is on it''s backside and we go poking our nose into matters that do not concern us. We are now doing a "CUBA" on the Russians by agreeing with the Poles to place missile defence on their soil, how bloody stupid are these cretins running our country ?

They will not be satisfied until the Arms Race is on again. Pathetic !!

[kennedy7955]

Using the same excuse as Pres. Bush for invading Iraq, Pres. Medevedev just validated the U.S. invasion of Iraq with the invasion of Georgia! I told you all Mr Medevedev was Russia`s `George Bush`, you all thought I was kidding, watch and see! Mr Medevedev is `bring em on` Part 2 Russian style! There is no difference between the excuses for invading Iraq and Georgia and in fact Mr Medevedev was going to remove the Georgian President too until G.W. starting screaming at the top of his voice! G.W. can relate to Mr Medevedev better than Mr. Putin because G.W. is looking in the mirror!

The Russian excuse was not the same as the US''s invasion of Iraq. The Russians have attempted to fill these tiny ethnic areas with Rrussians, handed out Russian passports to anyone that would take one - and then claimed that Russians were being attacked. This is a new strategy. It reminds me a little of the Nazi excuse for the invasion of Czechoslovakia in WWII, as the rolled into the Sudetenland.

[haoli25]

Oh yeah, that will work. Let''s all SNUB Russia and ignore their phone calls. If that doesn''t work we can call them in the middle of the night and hang up.

[misands]

Maybe it''s time to bring ''Shock -n- Awe" to Russia if they don''t leave Georgia.

[questionnews]

Maybe it''''s time to bring ''''Shock -n- Awe" to Russia if they don''''t leave Georgia.

Posted by misands at 02:11 PM : Aug 28, 2008

Too bad all we have left is "Awe-Shucks"

[latrocinor-2009]

Population:
---------------------
RUSSIA,140,702,094 (July 2008 est.)
USA, 303,824,646 (July 2008 est.)
Georgia 4,630,841 (July 2008 est.)

***USA STATE OF GEORGIA 9,544,750 (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
---------------------
RUSSIA, $1.286 trillion (2007 est.)
USA, $13.84 trillion (2007 est.)
GEORGIA, $10.29 billion (2007 est.)

USA STATE OF GEORGIA $363,83 billion (2005)

[tbweb]

The Russian excuse was not the same as the US''''s invasion of Iraq. The Russians have attempted to fill these tiny ethnic areas with Rrussians, handed out Russian passports to anyone that would take one - and then claimed that Russians were being attacked. This is a new strategy. It reminds me a little of the Nazi excuse for the invasion of Czechoslovakia in WWII, as the rolled into the Sudetenland.

Posted by kennedy7955 at 02:02 PM : Aug 28, 2008,,,

Sure it was, exactly the same! The U.S. said Saddam was an evil mad man, Russia says Saakashvili is an evil mad man, the U.S. condemned Saddam`s invasion of Kuwait, intervened and kicked Saddam out of Kuwait, Russia condemned Saakashvili`s invasion of South Ossetia, intervened and kicked Saakashvili out of South Ossetia! The reasons leading up to the events are different but the results are the same! Looks the same to me! lol

[alohaone1]

Can''t thank Bush enough for his missle defense system . Once again , we have seen the reason for such a system , yes, we may not be able to contain Russia just yet , but in 10 years , with the evolution of technology , they will not be able to use their nuclear to intimidate others . Bush is truly a great president , from the Surge to the Missle Defense system , he has shown great vision and courage . Blame him for Iraq all you want , but without his gut , the whole thing would have been a mess now and obama will never have a chance to go there in the first place. Also ,Bush has clearly out-foxed the KGB fox Putin , who would have thought 10 years ago that the US would be able to construct a Missle Defense system within 200 mi. of Russia? MIssion Impossible Accomplished!

[alpacaman1]

I''ve been saying this for weeks now.

The neocons will stop at nothing and do ANYTHING to keep from losing the White House.
With Cindy McCain as a dutiful messenger girl
and the Georgian Lobbyist being a member of the McCain Senior Staff,
and the reassurances of Bush/Cheney:

JOHN MCCAIN WOULD RATHER START A WAR THAN LOSE AN ELECTION.

And it appears I may not have been that far off:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080828/pl_nm/georgia_ossetia_putin_dc;_ylt=At2Qt7Ckc4b1GlK_r7UYyq_Cw5R4

[cdfoxtrot2]

Putin was obviously pointing to McBush benefiting from the Bush admin. efforts to provoke tension with Russia. Why CBS has to weigh in with the comment "he offered no evidence on this" shows how un-liberal US media is. How do you prove something like this, other than if you had taped a phone-call from Bush himself? It is obvious to anyone who looks at this objectively that the US encouraged Georgia to start this, and the US continues to escalate tensions, by sending warships to deliver "aid". It was hardly reported in the US that US warships are less than 200 miles apart from Russian warships in the Black Sea. Very, very dangerous situation, and all because the Republicans will say and do ANYTHING to cling to power.

[jmurrieta1]

"he also said: "If my guesses are confirmed, then the suspicion is raised that somebody in the United States purposefully created this conflict with the aim of aggravating the situation and creating an advantage ... for one of the candidates in the battle for the post of U.S. president."
CNN said he provided no evidence, and he apparently did not name a party or candidate. "


It''s regrettably all too likely that John McClone and the Republican Party organized this little adventure as their "fall surprise" (or the first of a series) designed to create a state of fear that will help elect McClone.

Repugs feed on fear, and need it to win elections.

Now, look for a videotape from Osama ben Laden to appear sometime between now and the election.

It''s shameful to think that lives were needlessly sacrificed to keep the U.S. Fascist Party in power.

However, the presidency and control of Congress "is a prize for which one might well play a dangerous game."

Don''t believe it?--then tell us how many lives were sacrified in Vietnam based on the LIE of the "Gulf of Tonkin incident."

[usclimey]

I shudder to think what would have happened if we had an Obama or Jimmy Carter in charge of the US when WW2 broke out.

Posted by AnitaY417 at 12:03 PM

You''d''ve just sat on your ***** and watched for two years. Oh wait - that''s what you did!!!

[jmurrieta1]

"White House press secretary Dana Perino rejected Putin''s contentions.

"I think that those claims, first and foremost, are patently false. But it also sounds like his defense officials who said they believe this to be true are giving him really bad advice."

She added: "To suggest that the United States orchestrated this on behalf of a political candidate just sounds not rational."



Unfortunately for cute little mouthpiece Perino, it is all too "rational" given the way that the Bushites have shown they are willing to operate.

Maybe when Perino no longer needs the job, she''ll tell the truth about Bush-Cheney the way that Scott McClellan has.

[cdfoxtrot2]

Maybe it''''''''s time to bring ''''''''Shock -n- Awe" to Russia if they don''''''''t leave Georgia.

Posted by misands at 02:11 PM : Aug 28, 2008

The problem is that Russia, unlike Saddam''s "Eye-Rack", is able to fight back - and if a nuclear superpower like Russia throws all it has at the US, life as we know it will be over in, oh, an hour or so. I keep hearing how, after 9/11, everything changed. No it didn''t. But it will, if idiots who call for attacking Russia or provoking it into conflict have their way.