Putin Calls Bush
Policy 'Dictatorial'
By Douglas Busvin
12-4-4

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web
sites) accused the United States on Friday of pursuing a dictatorial
foreign policy and said mounting violence could derail progress toward
bringing peace and democracy to Iraq (news - web sites). Reuters Photo

Putin also criticized the West for setting double-standards on
terrorism, pursuing Islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan (news - web
sites) and Iraq while giving refuge to "terrorists" demanding Chechnya
(news - web sites)'s independence from Russia.

The Kremlin leader's tough remarks came on a visit to former Cold
War ally India, where he and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a joint
call for greater cooperation in stabilizing and rebuilding Iraq.

Unilateralism increased risks that weapons of mass destruction
might fall into the hands of terrorists, and would stoke regional
conflicts, Putin said in a hard-hitting speech to an invited audience.
"Even if dictatorship is packaged in beautiful pseudo-democratic
phraseology, it will not be able to solve systemic problems," Putin said.
"It may even make them worse."

Putin did not name the United States, but clearly had the
administration of President Bush (news - web sites) in mind when he said
policies "based on the barrack-room principles of a unipolar world appear
to be extremely dangerous."

Russia was a vocal opponent of the U.S.-led war to oust Saddam
Hussein (news - web sites), but has since joined efforts to rebuild Iraq's
war-hit infrastructure. Moscow's assent was key to a recent Paris Club
deal to write off most of Iraq's foreign debts. MOUNTING VIOLENCE

Putin said he was worried by mounting violence and loss of life
linked to operations by U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq, and said these
may disrupt plans to hold elections now scheduled for Jan. 30, 2005.

Again, the Russian leader was not specific, but he appeared to be
referring to the U.S. operation to crush die-hard insurgents in the Iraqi
city of Falluja.

"This may put a question mark over holding of fair and democratic
elections in Iraq early next year," he said.

Putin's speech echoed comments he made earlier to an Indian
newspaper in which he said the war had turned Iraq into a breeding ground
for terrorists.

"As had been the case with Afghanistan, Iraq turned into a major
hotbed of a terrorist threat, a firing ground and incubator for
militants," he told the Hindu newspaper.

He rounded on Britain for giving asylum to Akhmed Zakayev and the
United States for giving refuge to Ilyas Akhmadov, spokesmen for Chechen
separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov.

"Providing safe haven and support to terrorists, their accomplices
and sponsors actually serves as a justification and, indeed, an
encouragement of their crimes," Putin said.

Both men deny being terrorists. Maskhadov, regarded in the West as
a moderate, led Chechnya to brief de facto independence during the 1990s
before Putin ordered Russian troops to retake the turbulent North Caucasus
province.

Putin, who backed India's bid for a United Nations (news - web
sites) Security Council seat, said he had found in India a strong ally
against terrorism.

"Terrorists benefit from the conflict of civilizations and
religions," he told the hand-picked New Delhi audience. "Let it be known
that our multi-confessional and multi-ethnic states will not be broken
up."

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