VIDEO In landmark speech, Putin warns of war with Iran, attacks 'very dangerous' U.S. (BBC News)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticised the United States for what he said was its "almost uncontained" use of force around the world.

Washington's "very dangerous" approach to global relations was fuelling a nuclear arms race, he told a security summit in Munich.

Correspondents say the strident speech may signal a more assertive Russia.

The White House said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the Russian president's comments.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6349287.stm

Too busy posting to see the video so far. . .

The system of government they created is flawed; it doesn't seem to be able to stop our leaders from starting a war without the Peoples' consent. They'd try to correct that.

... of the neocon dimwits.

Bush claims that the Yalta Conference that set up the WWII alliance between Roosevelt and the USSR was a "Munich appeasement Pact."

Putin on the other hand claims that countries should have a multilateral approach and says Roosevelt was the US's best president.

Russia - Roosevelt Russia's ideological ally
en.rian.ru/russia/20070208/60427066.html

Before WWII, American presidents believed that the US was not in a position to dictate world affairs. Roosevelt knew that multilateralism and cooepration was best. Now America is very powerful, but I don't think it can still give up cooperation- that's how it got into Iraq!

Shouldn't politicians be more like Roosevelt who cooperated with other leaders when it was in both countries' interests?

The Iranians are one of the bigger purchasers of Russian military exports and is also a source of cheap oil to Russia; however, the last part is buttressed by the fact that since oil is so expensive now, Russia's own oil resources are now viable once again.

Putin is speaking out because the economic ramifications of an attack on Iran would hurt Russia.

Russian oil and gas would skyrocket in price.

I think that part of this is that the U.S. kicked Russia when it was down after the Soviet Union fell. The Russians that I know are proud people, and they will exact revenge. No one wants to be a loser.

it certainly doesn't make him wrong.

"One state, the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way.
This is very dangerous. Nobody feels secure anymore because nobody can hide behind international law.
This is nourishing an arms race with the desire of countries to get nuclear weapons."
Putin

It occurs to me there is a parallel in Iraq: The longer we stay the more the war goes on.

I swear these fuggers are crazy.

I feel as if the American people are being held hostage by gangsters. We need other people and other nations to speak for us, and to rescue us. We have no representation in the White House or anywhere in the executive branch. They are utterly deaf to us. The Democratic Congress is not all that representative. It appears to be a bust, as to stopping Bush Junta aggression.

SEVENTY-FOUR PERCENT of the American people was this war stopped.

EIGHTY-FOUR PERCENT of the American people, polled last summer, oppose any U.S. participation in a widened Mideast war.

Yet they are escalating the existing war, and trying to start another. We came out in great numbers and outvoted the machines, to put people in Congress to end the war and change the country's direction--but I guess that the 5% to 10% Diebold/ES&S "thumb on the scales" for Bushites, warmongers and corporatists is really telling now. We cannot GET a responsive Congress.

The comment upthread that Putin is just seeing to Russia's economic interest (in Iran) was off point. What else should he be seeing to? That is his job. And, in this case, his job is to stop a war that will harm the interests of his people. And if that helps us, that's fine with me. The Bush Junta is a rogue state, with the entire U.S. military under its thumb. They ARE what they said Saddam Hussein was--a danger to everyone. He wasn't a big danger. THEY are. And Iran is a danger to no one. They haven't killed 100,000 innocent people by bombing. They haven't destroyed a country. They aren't running torture dungeons all over the planet. That's what Putin is saying. They want nukes because they are SCARED. Nuke proliferation is spinning out of control because of Bush Junta aggression.

I'm not a Putin fan. But then there aren't many politicians that I am a fan of. That is beside the point. The point is that NO ONE can engage in normal trade, and normal life, and normal international relations, with this rogue monster roaming the globe, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of people, threatening relatively Innocent nations, and stomping all over the international agreements that hold the world's fragile peace together.

What worries me is that Putin feels compelled to say it publicly. I had figured that some quiet talks were going on, including China (which also has a big interest in Iranian oil), Russia, European nations (especially those in proximity to the Bushites' proposed scene of conflagration), Mideast nations and others, to defuse the situation, and to allow the Bushites to provide cover for a US retreat from Iraq. That's what I've been hoping the buildup of the US fleet in the Persian Gulf was really for. Now I'm worried that, whatever may have been going on behind the scenes, has broken down. A public statement like this indicates as much.

We need to think: What is Putin trying to accomplish by it? Rallying other nations? Rallying the UN? Deterrence? Counter-threat? Something has gone wrong, that he is trying to correct or influence. Is he perhaps trying to influence Congress to get rid of these bad actors? But frankly it seems like a cry in the wilderness. Like he's thrown up his hands.

:yourock: :headbang:

:applause:

Bush to attack Iran. If bush does it anyway, they will find some way to punish us. They both have it within their power to do so. I sense a showdown coming.