Bush's Buddy Vladimir

[emad]

LA Times

It's hard to blame Russian President Vladimir V. Putin for thinking that he can easily get away with pulling Russia back to its autocratic roots. Fresh from orchestrating the forced sale — not to call it a heist — of a subsidiary of Russia's Yukos Oil Co. on Sunday for about half its real worth to a mysterious buyer, Putin was feted by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder during a two-day visit to Germany that ended Tuesday. The former KGB man's flagrant disregard for the rule of law and property rights was viewed as a minor inconvenience.

Not to be outdone, President Bush chimed in at his news conference Monday that "I told Vladimir that we would work in a new term to see if Russia could be admitted" to the World Trade Organization.

At least Germany, which imports much of its oil and natural gas from Russia, has powerful historical and economic reasons for coddling Putin.

During his Germany visit, Putin extended an invitation to Schroeder to attend 60th-anniversary remembrances of World War II in Moscow. Bush's stance is more perplexing because he is under less compulsion to cater to Putin. He talks about wanting to maintain a "good personal relationship" with Putin, even though it's unclear what he's actually gained from that supposedly good relationship. Decrying American efforts to help ensure a free election in Ukraine, Putin said Washington's influence abroad amounts to a "dictatorship." Putin is softening his line on Ukraine, indicating he would respect an election victory by opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-russia22dec22,0,4981927.story

[emad]

1. Caption: Putin fingers Enron heist mastermind

[Union Thug]

2. What I hate is that Yukos is being portrayed as a victim..

They are all players in the same corrupt game. I don't give a shit about the gangsters at Yukos. WHO CARES?