All roads lead to Putin

[sheshe2]

There are two big foreign policy stories in the news these days and it seems significant that Russian President Putin is integrally involved in both. The picture above was taken at a G8 meeting in June when President Obama said that the US was going to provide arms to some Syrian rebels. Obviously Putin wasn't happy with that decision because Russia has been backing the Assad regime - his closest ally in the Middle East.

Now that Assad has used chemical weapons against his own people and President Obama is proposing military intervention against him, Russia is determined to veto any UN Security Council resolution condemning Assad or supporting President Obama's call for the international community to respond. But apparently obstruction at the UN isn't enough for Putin. He is actually preparing to lobby the US Congress to vote against the President. I certainly hope the media will follow this story and let us know which members of Congress are open to being lobbied by the Russian government (cough...Rand Paul...cough).

The other story of course involves Edward Snowden. Shortly after the picture above was taken, he fled to Hong Kong and began leaking the classified documents he'd stolen from the NSA. We now know that not only did Snowden wind up getting legal representation from a Russian lawyer with ties to the FSB (formerly the KGB), he eventually received asylum in Russia. Now we also know that wasn't simply because he got stranded at the Russian airport. As a matter of fact, he stayed at the Russian consulate in Hong Kong for a few days prior to his flight there.

Read the rest.

http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2013/09/all-roads-lead-to-putin.html

[onehandle]

1. All drones should lead to Putin. nt

[leftstreet]

2. Meh, that article is old or something

Putin has said he'd consider supporting a UN resolution

Sept 4, 2013

At the same time he said Russia did not exclude supporting a UN resolution on punitive military strikes if it were proved that Damascus used poison gas on its own people.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/04/putin-warns-military-action-syria

[sheshe2]

4. Sure okay~

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/09/03/20306718-russia-eyes-us-lobbying-campaign

Russia eyes U.S. lobbying campaign
By Steve Benen - Tue Sep 3, 2013 8:44 AM EDT

But don't be surprised if Russia dispatches some lobbyists of its own.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes to send Russian lawmakers to lobby Congress against a strike against Syria. According to a report by the Interfax news agency,

Putin has signaled his support for a proposal made by two Russian lawmakers to send a delegation to Washington.

The initiative, championed by Russian legislators Valentina Matvienko and Sergei Naryshkin, still requires formal approval by the country's Foreign Ministry -- although an informal group of Russian lawmakers may decide to travel on their own.

[David__77]

5. There would be a long time to go to prove that.

And I'm sure Putin would rather support a resolution that does not involve force of arms. That said, I support Putin saying that he might; anything to potentially obstruct the war party.

[NightWatcher]

3. that pic looks like two guys who'd like to quit their job and go fishing

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. I'm glad I don't have to deal with anything close to the gravity that they deal with daily. I bet the two of them would be willing to trade their jobs for a little bait shop near a river in the hills somewhere where they'd never have to deal with anything heavy again.

I'm so glad to be out of my old job where nowadays if I have a bad day, nobody dies.





Now let's get back to ripping them all new assholes

[Blanks]

8. It looks to me like they are fishing...

and the heads are just photoshopped on top of a couple of guys wearing suits.

[Mojorabbit]

10. It is that blog again. I disregard anything from it at this point. nt

[sheshe2]

11. So sad, you hate the author of the blog that I posted.

Do you disregard the link from Maddow too?

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/09/03/20306718-russia-eyes-us-lobbying-campaign

[Mojorabbit]

12. Yes a lot of ridiculous stories have been posted here from that blog

and after a while I and many others do not take anything seriously from it.
I liked the maddow link. Thanks!
It did not throw in some BS about Snowden.. It discussed the topic at hand and nicely.

[Warpy]

6. Among his other qualities, Putin is a smart old bugger

and realizes that anything that destabilizes Assad is going to lead to another fanatically Islamic state in the Middle East, and that's good news for no one, especially the captive population.

I generally wouldn't trust him any farther than I could toss a grand piano, but I think he's right this time.

[kentuck]

7. Yep.

Definitely deserves attention.

[sheshe2]

9. It sure does, kentuck.

It looks like the road keeps getting more and more twisted.