Putin claims US supported militants in North Caucasus
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Russian President Vladimir Putin in a documentary broadcast yesterday accused the United States of directly contacting and providing logistical support to North Caucasus separatist militants.
In the documentary 鈥淧resident,鈥 which has already been broadcast in far eastern Russia on Rossiya 1 television, Putin made the claim, citing intelligence from Russian special services, to state that it occurred in the early 2000s.
The documentary aired yesterday evening in western Russia. It is being to shown to mark 15 years since Putin became president in 2000.
In the documentary Putin said Russian intelligence agencies had intercepted calls between the separatists and the US intelligence based in Azerbaijan during the early 2000s, proving that Washington was helping the insurgents.
He did not specify when the calls took place.
Following a disastrous war in the 1990s, Russia fought Islamic insurgents in Chechnya and neighboring regions in the volatile North Caucasus.
鈥淭hey were actually helping them, even with transportation,鈥 Putin said. Putin said he raised the issue with then-US President George W. Bush, who promised Putin to 鈥渒ick the ass鈥 of the intelligence officers in question.
But in the end, Putin said the Russian intelligence agency FSB received a letter from their 鈥淎merican counterparts鈥 who asserted their right to 鈥渟upport all opposition forces in Russia,鈥 including the Islamic separatists in the Caucasus.
Putin said Western special services apparently supported the militants because they believed that any opponent of Russia should be treated as an ally.
鈥淪ome people, especially special forces of Western countries, thought that if someone is working to destabilize their main geopolitical opponent 鈥 which as we realize now has always been Russia in their minds 鈥 then it is generally to their benefit.
鈥淚t turned out that鈥檚 not the case,鈥 Putin added.
The Russian president insisted governments should never work with terrorists.
鈥淎bsolutely not, never and nowhere. You mustn鈥檛 even try to use terrorists to solve transitory political and even geopolitical tasks.
鈥淏ecause if you support them in one place, they will raise their head in another place and they will definitely strike those who supported them yesterday.鈥
Putin also expressed his fears that the West wishes Russia harm as he recalled how some world leaders told him they would not mind Russia鈥檚 possible disintegration.
鈥淢y counterparts, a lot of presidents and prime ministers told me later on that they had decided for themselves by then that Russia would cease to exist in its current form,鈥 he said, referring to the time period around the second conflict in the Caucasus.
鈥淭he only question was when it happens and what consequences would be.鈥
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