Putin dismissed British dossier on Saddam as “propagandist”

LONDON, October 12 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – British newspapers reported Saturday October 12, that British Prime Minister Tony Blair suffered a humiliating setback during a visit to Moscow to coo President Vladimir Putin into backing tougher U.N. resolution threatening to use force against Iraq.

Putin "scorned Tony Blair’s claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and told him that Britain and America had failed to produce “trustworthy” evidence to justify immediate military action," said The Times.

Putin vowed to consider a new United Nations resolution on weapons inspections in Iraq, but this fell far short of the “ultimatum” to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein which Blair had hoped to snatch during his 24-hour trip, added the paper.

In a joint press conference at the Russian President’s dacha north of Moscow, Putin described Britain’s dossier on the threat posed by Saddam as “propagandist”, said the paper.

The Independent newspaper of Saturday October 12 also said Blair's mission to win Russian support for an attack on Iraq failed when Putin cast doubt on whether Saddam has weapons of mass destruction.

"A downcast Prime Minister flew back from Moscow knowing he had a diplomatic mountain to climb to persuade UN Security Council members to issue an ultimatum for the Iraqis to comply with weapons inspections," wrote the paper.

"Blair had appeared uncomfortable as President Putin delivered a scathing critique of "propagandistic" claims that President Saddam was illegally stockpiling deadly weapons," said the paper.

"The rebuff for Mr Blair came on the same day that the Nobel peace prize was awarded to the former American president Jimmy Carter, who has warned of the "tragic error" of his country's moves towards war," recalled the paper.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Blair, Putin expressed skepticism at the immediate threat posed by President Saddam as set out in a recent Downing Street dossier.

"Any government would release some information to the mass media. That is certainly done to shore up their position. It could be seen as a propagandistic step," stressed the Russian president.

"Russia doesn't have in its possession any trustworthy data which would support the existence of nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. We haven't received from our partners any such information as yet."

“We do not exclude the possibility of coming up with a coordinated decision which may include the possible adoption of new UN resolutions.”

But he added that there were no “formal real grounds” for a fresh resolution, saying that “fears (about Saddam’s arsenal) are one thing but hard facts are another”.

Commenting on the visit, The Sun, Britain's biggest selling daily tabloid, said Putin's "slap in the face for Tony Blair and George Bush is just the news Saddam Hussein wants."

"The more the world seems dis-united in its approach to Iraq, the more Saddam will feel he can call our bluff," added the paper.

The right-wing Daily Mail reported that Blair had suffered a "humiliating rebuff in his crusade against Saddam Hussein," said the Agence France-Press (AFP).

Blair's "upbeat optimism that Moscow would back Britain and the U.S. over action ... was embarrassingly dashed," added the paper.

The tabloid said in an editorial: "Yesterday's debacle in Russia is a damning indictment of the Foreign Office that so incompetently misread the situation in Moscow."

Blair had been "publicly rebuffed", the AFP quoted the left-of-center Daily Mirror as saying.

But the tabloid, which warned that Bush was becoming increasingly isolated in favoring an attack on Iraq to achieve "regime change", added: "President Putin's 'no' is not a defeat for the prime minister. It is a victory for common sense and Mr Blair should accept it as that."

Shortly on the heels of Putin-Blair summit, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yury Fedotov said Friday, October 11, Russia will not accept a U.S. proposal for a U.N. resolution threatening the use of force against Iraq.

"The U.S. draft resolution cannot be accepted as a basis for a future U.N. Security Council resolution on Iraq as it contains clearly unfulfillable (sic) demands," he stressed.

"If we are to reach a new decision (in the Security Council over Iraq) it should reflect the views of all members of the Security Council, including Russia," said the diplomat in a statement.

"With this aim in mind, I do not rule out reaching a joint position (on the Iraqi issue), including a U.N. resolution," he added.

The Putin-Blair meeting took place as Bush obtained authorization from Congress to wage war on Iraq, citing a "continuing threat" posed by Iraq's alleged weapons buildup.

The same argument was further substantiated by Putin’s Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov who said in a British press interview published Friday October 11 that Washington has failed to provide conclusive evidence to justify the need for an attack on Iraq.

"Unfortunately, I have not found facts which could prove without doubt the presence (of weapons of mass destruction)," Ivanov told The Guardian.

"We do not have any data about either the financial or material support of the Iraqi leadership for international terrorists," said Ivanov, adding that requests for such data had been made at the highest level.

Ivanov dismissed speculation that Washington had offered a compensation package for the possible loss of Russia's economic interests in Iraq in the event of military action.

He insisted, however, that Russia could not be bought: "It is not a matter of bargaining," said Ivanov, who is considered Putin's closest confidant.

"We are sure that military force can be used only after all -- I repeat all -- political and diplomatic measures have been tried without any result."

He said Washington's "refusal to take into account the fact that the world is interdependent" and its determination to undertake "unilateral measures that do not resolve problems, but create new and unpredictable ones," imperiled U.S.-Russian relations.

The defense minister dismissed Anglo-American attempts to broker a new U.N. Security Council resolution and called for the immediate deployment of weapons inspectors in Iraq.

Invasion into Gaza Arafat HQ Destroyed… In Pictures Homeless in Minutes War on Iraq.. World Reaction Palestine: Israel Kills Palestinian, Foiled Attack Targeted Tel Aviv Cafe Palestinian Olive Crop Hit By Israeli Practices: Report Israeli Army Kills Palestinian Woman, Makes Incursion in Gaza Israel Could Use Iraq War to Deport Palestinians to Jordan Iraq: U.N. Security Council Prepares to Fight It Out over U.S. Intentions Regarding Iraq South East Asian Countries Feel A U.S. Attack on Iraq Is Imminent Egypt, Kuwait, Iran, Jordan May Accept "Justified" War on Iraq: Straw Despite Congress Vote, World Opposes War on Iraq Noble Prize Winner Carter Opposes Unilateral U.S. Attack on Iraq U.S. Congress Gives Bush War Authority U.S. Will Occupy Iraq, Impose Military Rule, Control Oil Blasts Rock Indonesian Resort, Foreigners among Victims Hung Parliament in Pakistan, Islamic Alliance Holds Balance of Power Kabul International Airport Closed over Security Alert Controversy over Appointment of New Prime Minister of Nepal Apex Indian Muslim Body Slams U.S., Israel U.S. Congress Calls for Sanctions Against Sudan Government Serial Killer Continues to Terrorize Washington as Latest Shooting Probed Iranian Commander Calls for 100 Million World Militia to Free Palestine Eight dead, 90 injured in Unabated Anti-Falwell Demos in India Taliban Urges Hekmatyar to Unify Against U.S. US Talk Show Host Slammed For Dubbing Muslim Women “Unattractive” British Press: Blair Suffered Humiliation During Moscow Visit Ordinance Banning Religious Conversion In India Stirs Controversy Yesterday's News Search Articles      News Archive : Day: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31     Month: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12   Year: 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999