“We mourn the innocent life that has been lost, we stand with the people of Russia, we send them our prayers in this horrible situation,”

As another poster said earlier, "talk is cheap". Come on bubba do what you and all the angry followers of this story want to really do, lets open up a full russian front on this global fight. We have been mad at the russians since we went back into Iraq, time to kiss and make up.

"They are being worked with..."

I think they mistranslated "being worked over".

Asparagirl:

I think, from my limited Russian, that the phrase might be "They are being dealt with."

Ronin: The Russians have a front already open, so to speak.

I'm not sure what they'd need from us, though I'm sure Putin would love some money or equipment... but I don't think he really needs any to fight Chechen (and Chechen-affiliated foreign) terrorists.

Talk (and a more-or-less official "yes, this is part of the global effort" word) is about all the President really can offer, usefully.

It's not like there's no Russian troops around, or we have a spare division just idling polishing its boots, or that there's a concentration of troops to attack if we did. This is more of an intel and spec-ops job, and Russia has plenty of both, with better language and cultural skills for the area that we do.

Like most that grew up in the USSR, I am an athiest. But tonight I will pray for them. If I pray long enough perhaps I will stop crying.

Bush Blames Terrorists for Russian Deaths

Did they have someone else in mind to blame?

Yes - hostage-takers, militants, separatists. Anybody but terrorists. Grrr....

Help Russia, now. Offer them whatever sum they need to cease all support and aid to Iran. Ditto for India.

Time to get serious about a New Entente with nations that actually have both the humint and hard assets in the middle east and the willingness to take the fight to the jihadists: Russia, India, Turkey and of course Israel.

Look beyond the Chechens and AQ. The big challenge is a nuclear Iran, which the farcical dance of the Straw and the other dwarves is utterly powerless to prevent.

If we are to contain Iran, then we need to shift our alliance strategy and our foreign policy focus away from can't help, can't hurt us Old Europe and toward the realpolitik powers of the region. Israel is already stepping up its military cooperation with both Turkey and India, and we should help drive this cooperation and take it to the next level.

But all of these nations (except of course Israel) are being courted assiduously by Iran, which only makes this New Entente more urgent.

Let NATO die a quiet death. Look eastward, Americans. Asian Century needs a Eurasian Entente. USA + Russia + India + Turkey + Israel.

I think, from my limited Russian, that the phrase might be “They are being dealt with.”

I read the original article and wording surprised me - it is translated correctly, ie "worked with".

Here's what Russia needs from us:

-- several billions of $$$ for its ailing nuclear engineering and manufacturing industries that are supplying Iran. Is this a bribe? Yes. Worth every billion, and then some.

-- advice and support in reforming and modernizing their utterly demoralized, incompetent, and corrupt military.

-- a huge increase in funding and resources directed at nonproliferation.

-- about $100 billion in capital invesment into their decrepit oil production facilities.

-- reduced trade barriers in a variety of areas, including (after the election) steel.

I could go on, but you get the point. Russia has geographic proximity and humint and a willingness to use force, but that's about it. We of courswe have no geographic proximity to Iran (aside from Iraq force) and no serious humint in the middle east.

Russia's a beleagured and poor nation that's splitting apart and that has a completely incompetent military. We are the world's pre-eminent, state-of-the-art military power and an extraordinarily rich nation in search of high-growth investments and market opportunities.

What Russia has, we cannot get from any other power, and vice-versa. It's senseless to let them drift toward the French and the Iranians.</b

It'll be interesting to see what becomes of the information that 9 terrorists were arabs. Putin will not be able to ignore that... He may just have to learn to sing a different tune...

I am so close to just saying "nuke 'em all". What kind of person does this? What claim to humanity do they have? And why should they be allowed to live? They took children hostage, mistreated them and then shot them in the back as the children fled. Damn them.

"Did they have someone else in mind to blame?"

The AP? I guess I just assumed they blame Bush, like they do for all bad things that happen.

V,

Russia maybe beleagured but she is certainly not poor. She has riches beyond belief. She's the 3rd largest exporter or oil. She has resources that exceed all of western europe.

What Russia lacks is the legal structure to protect property rights. Her constitution specfically spells out those rights. But so far the courts in that country have not developed the body of precedent to enable that law to have teeth. Lacking that investors are wary.

Nor should you underestimate her military. Yes it is way down from the heights of the 70's but it is far from bankrupt. She still possess core division strength to protect herself. But most of those divisions are holed up along the sino-soviet border.

That country could use the $$ but considering we poured $2.3B in there 1980-85 it would be ill advised to do so. Most of that money just evaporated down a rat hole.

But there are things that can be done:

- If you want to kick money to them, ear mark it for their space efforts. Helping them helps us in that regard. They could afford then to hire the engineers away from the radiological field and move over to astronautics.

- Help in the RICO area. Much of the Russian economy is underground manipulated by Mafia like organizations.

- Open up more opportunity for students to come here for college. That seed plants more goodwill than anything else.

But I should also point out, I don't support terrorists, the Russians have not been innocents in the Chechenen area. There has been blood spilt there on both sides for years. But that's the adults. These kids deserved better.

My wife mourns today for those that were butchered. She's Russian and crying now.

JohnM

An earlier Reuters post explains the Bush Blames Terrorists quote.

In their earlier article they call the "terrorists" separatists and use the "terrorists" with "quotes" when citing Bush spokesmen. They seem to think the "terrorists" are Michael Moore's "Freedom Fighters".

> Anyone know what to make of this Rueters headline?
> Bush Blames Terrorists for Russian Deaths
> Did they have someone else in mind to blame?

The local NPR station today was referring to them as "suspected militants."

JohnM, ahem, your words were misdirected... I, personally, would take a Russian army in any state of disrepair over any other - they do not have a fifth column stabbing them in the back at every turn...

Lakhim? Don? What, no smarmy comments justifying the actions of these muslims? No moral equivalence explaining how these practicioners of the Religion of Piece are entitled to shoot children in the back? No defending the bold courage necessary to not face down six- and seven-year old girls? How about explaining their bold leadership in running away after their valorous deeds?

I'm disappointed. You two used to be more reliable.

Say haven't you guys heard?

They have to kill Russian children because the Palestinians are humiliated by the Israelis?

I'm sure L & D could explain it better than I can having had way more practice.

"Anyone know what to make of this Reuters headline?
Bush Blames Terrorists for Russian Deaths
Did they have someone else in mind to blame?"


The BBC and other news (i.e., propganda) outlets are blaming the Russian troops for the large number of deaths. They are saying they didn't have a proper plan and recklessly stormed in thereby setting off the terrorists. They are not referring to the terrorists as terrorists.

I despise the BBC.

Unfortunately, what the US can best provide, technology and the tactics to use it properly, is probably beyond russian pride's ability to accept. It should be offered anyway.

Any one notice what Jeffin' Kerry has had to say about Beslan?

Or are we still stuck in the jungles of 'Nam?

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