.
Asked by a correspondent of the Al-Jazeera television channel, if he regarded the victory of HAMAS in the parliamentary election in Palestine as a failure of the U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Putin said it was “a heavy blow on U.S. efforts in the region.”
He remarked that despite the election victory of HAMAS the refusal to provide assistance to the people of Palestine was a mistake anyway.
President Vladimir Putin at a major news conference in the Kremlin.
Russia does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization, a view not shared by Israel, the U.S., Europe and the United Nations. Must somehow be different from Chechnyans fighting the Russian rule in their former Soviet satellite state.
In the wake of lessened U.S. influence in the world, since the outcome of the 2000 election, the renewed entry of Russia as a world energy power and China as a rising economic power can now be seen in the Middle East, Africa, South America and Asia of course.
RAMALLAH (Al Jazeera) Jan 29 — Russian President Vladimir Putin promised aid and military equipment to the Palestinians as he wrapped up his historic tour to the Middle East.
The Russian leader pledged to rebuild the shattered Palestinian economy, boost security services and sell helicopters to the Palestinians. “Russia will continue to offer aid to the Palestinian Authority to implement reforms and construct a state,” Putin told a press conference after he held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
“We support the efforts of President Abbas to reform the security services,” he added.
Putin also said that Abbas must have enough resources to reform the security services, promising that Russia will “give the Palestinian Authority technical help by sending equipment, training people. We will give the Palestinian Authority helicopters and also communication equipment.”
“We want this cooperation to be fully transparent and not cause any concern on the Israeli side,” he said. Putin also demanded Israel to release all Palestinian detainees and stop its restrictions on the freedom of movement.
However, Russian President didn’t mention Russia’s offer to sell armored vehicles to the Palestinians, a sale that Israel strongly opposed.
Looks like Bush and neocons were successful to build a new coalition of evil: Syria, Palestinians, Iran and Putin’s Russia with extra backing from an emerging economic power China. Quite a record of failed leadership to offer the American voters in the midterm elections later in 2006!
See soj’s excellent coverage in his diary :: 101 Reasons Why
● Rice Admits U.S. Underestimated Hamas Strength
“We do not want to have another Afghanistan in Central Asia, there should be no revolutions, but evolution that would bring about the establishment of democratic governments,” Putin said about the situation in Uzbekistan.
MOSCOW Jan. 31 — “We know what happened in Andijan, who fomented tensions in that city and how. It is likewise clear to us that Uzbekistan still has very many problems.”
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
