The Pot calls the Kettle Black...

[AuGmENTor]

http://www.breitbart.com/images/common/dot.gif Bush 'deeply concerned' at Russia arrests
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071126230829.3a6k84jd&show_article=1

Nov 26 07:08 PM US/Eastern

US President George W. Bush (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=%22US+President%20George%20W.%20Bush%22&sid=breitbart.com) said Monday he was "deeply concerned" at a crackdown on opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=%22Russian+President%20Vladimir%20Putin%22&sid=breitbart.com) ahead of elections, and called for their release from detention. "I am deeply concerned about the detention of numerous human rights activists and political leaders who participated in peaceful rallies in Moscow, Saint Petersburg (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=%22Saint+Petersburg%22&sid=breitbart.com), Nizhniy Novgorod, and Nazran this weekend.

"I am particularly troubled by the use of force by law enforcement authorities to stop these peaceful activities and to prevent some journalists and human rights activists from covering them," Bush said in a statement.

Among those arrested in Moscow on Saturday was former chess champion Garry Kasparov, leader of a coalition of Putin opponents called The Other Russia. Kasparov was sentenced to five days in jail for public order offences.

About 200 opposition activists were detained by police at another demonstration in Saint Petersburg on Sunday, one week before Russia is to hold parliamentary elections.

"The freedoms of expression, assembly and press, as well as due process, are fundamental to any democratic society," Bush said in his statement, which followed State Department concerns expressed Sunday over the events in Russia.

"I am hopeful that the government of Russia will honor its international obligations in these areas, investigate allegations of abuses and free those who remain in detention," the president said.

At the same time, the White House refused to repudiate Bush's statement, made after their first meeting in 2001, that he had seen into Putin's soul and that the Russian leader was "very straightforward and trustworthy."

Asked whether Bush misjudged Putin, spokeswoman Dana Perino replied: "No, the president believes that what he saw in Putin is what is there" but that building a democracy "just takes time, and it's difficult."

Russia's middle class is demanding political rights and "there sometimes might be uncomfortable government officials who are dealing with that and reacting in the wrong way," she said.

Bush "has a good relationship with Putin and he treats him with respect, and that is the best in order to work with them. Remember, we are working with Russia cooperatively on many different issues, including Iran, and Russia is part of the Quartet that is working towards Middle East peace," she said.

Following the arrests, Putin Monday accused the United States of trying to "discredit" Russia's elections by pressuring the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=%22Organisation+for%20Security%20and%20Coopera tion%22&sid=breitbart.com) in Europe (OSCE) to abandon its vote monitoring mission.

US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack insisted "there was no interference" from Washington in the plans for poll monitoring, and the OSCE itself rejected Putin's claims.

[simuvac]

"No, the president believes that what he saw in Putin is what is there" but that building a democracy "just takes time, and it's difficult."

I noticed the "it just takes time to build a democracy" line was used on Pakistan as well.

Let's see, it's 231 years and counting over here, and.... how many years over there?

This whole rhetoric of "democracy takes time" is a handy way of dismissing ANY criticism. The Bushies use it to talk about Iraq as well. Only with Iraq they talk about how "history will judge us," a phrase that extends the timeline for judgement by about 1,000 years.

[Gold9472]

Bush Slams Russian Hit on Demonstrators

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jfS6y-A7WF82KotI6KMN41IA3M4QD8T5ONIG2

By WILLIAM C. MANN – 9 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush criticized Russian authorities on Monday for how they broke up weekend election demonstrations against President Vladimir Putin.

Bush expressed deep concern over the detention of political leaders, including former international chess champion Garry Kasparov, during the weekend in Moscow, St. Petersburg and two other Russian cities. "The freedoms of expression, assembly and press, as well as due process, are fundamental to any democratic society," the president said in a statement.

"I am particularly troubled by the use of force by law enforcement authorities to stop these peaceful activities and to prevent some journalists and human rights activists from covering them," Bush said. "I am hopeful that the government of Russia will honor its international obligations in these areas, investigate allegations of abuses and free those who remain in detention."

Separately, U.S. officials vigorously denied Putin's weekend allegations that the United States was to blame for a decision by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe not to monitor upcoming Russian elections. Putin had claimed the absence of monitors was intended to help cast doubt on the credibility of voting that is expected to bolster Putin's power.

State Department officials insisted Putin's allegations were false even though U.S. officials did visit the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights about the Russian voting.

"The Department of State's message was very clear that this was ODIHR'S decision to make," said Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, one of two ranking department officials in the delegation to the Vienna-based organization. The other was Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns.

"At no time did we directly, indirectly, not through nuance, not through pressure, anything; in no way did we try to steer them," Fried said. "I said, `It's not our role to try to steer you.'"

The department's official spokesman, Sean McCormack, echoed Fried's remarks, saying "this was a decision entirely for the OSCE."

The OSCE election monitoring office announced its decision on Nov. 16 not to send an observer mission to monitor Russia's election because Moscow had taken too long to issue visas and had created other obstacles, including restricting the size of the mission to 70 people. Far more observers would have been needed, it said.

"This was not about United States, it was not about U.S.-Russia relations; it was about Russia and its elections," Fried told The Associated Press.

In another development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met privately at the State Department on Monday before a meeting of the so-called Quartet working to bring an Israeli-Palestinian settlement in the Middle East. Russia and the United States are joined in the Quartet by the European Union and the United Nations.

Putin blasts West over 'interference' in Russia affairs

http://www.euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=455986&lng=1

11/26/2007

After a weekend which saw the detentions of leading opponents of Vladimir Putin during election rallies, the Russian president has himself been on the campaign trail.

While on a tour of St Petersburg he accused the US and the EU of interfering in Russian affairs.

Brussels joined Washington in voicing concern over a weekend police crackdown on unauthorised opposition marches.

Russia is entering the final days of campaigning before next Sunday's parliamentary elections, which Putin's United Russia bloc are expected to win comfortably.

Putin also blames the US for the monitoring group the OSCE's decision to boycott the poll.

He claimed it was done on the recommendation of the State Department and said it could harm relations with America.

The OSCE pulled out citing obstruction by Russian authorities.

One of those held briefly yesterday was Boris Nemtsev of the Union of Right Forces party.
He is also a candidate in next year's presidential elections.

"We insist that Russia should have a lawful state and not the lawlessness that Putin is creating," he said. Russia should be a socially-based market economy like other European models," he said.

Another Putin rival, former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, remains in jail after being given a five-day sentence for taking part in a banned march in Moscow.

Authorities portray his and other small opposition parties as Western-backed remnants of the chaotic 1990s.

Polls indicate most Russians agree with them.

[MrDark71]

Dammit...I thought this was about a new way to make marijuana stew.

[AuGmENTor]

HAHAHA Dark! I thought you had the better homes and gardens weed cookbook.