Written by: Beck

Russian President Vladimir Putin has plenty of reasons to dislike the United States. American officials routinely criticize his policies, condemn his human rights abuses, and join battle with him on the field of international diplomacy. I can't imagine he enjoys being told how to run his country by mid-level bureaucrats of a foreign nation. Furthermore, he strongly opposed the invasion of Iraq, and numerous Russian citizens are complicit in the ever unfolding oil-for-food scandal. So what's my point, you ask?

My point is that Russia has no cause to do the Bush administration any favors. It's sad that I have to go to such lengths to try to lend credibility to anything Putin (or anyone else) might say should that thing turn out to be beneficial to Bush, but that's the kind of environment conservatives must operate in today.

Let's engage in a brief thought exercise. WMD, violating UN sanctions, and Gulf War I aside, would it be a legitimate reason in and of itself to invade Iraq if it turned out that Iraq had plotted terrorist attacks against the United States? Mind you, I'm not asking about Iraq collaborating with terrorists, I'm talking about a hypothetical attack entirely planned and carried out by the Iraqi regime.

Of course it would. There's no question. So now, on with Putin's recent statements.

Putin said Russian intelligence had been told on several occasions that Saddam's special forces were preparing to attack U.S. targets inside and outside the United States.

"After the events of September 11, 2001, and before the start of the military operation in Iraq, Russian special services several times received information that the official services of the Saddam regime were preparing 'terrorist acts' on the United States and beyond its borders," he told reporters.

Well spank my ass and call me Charley.

One final note: from the text of the original Reuters report, can you spot the bias? Think of it like you would a Where's Waldo book.

The Kremlin leader's comments were certain to bolster Bush, whose campaign for re-election in November is under pressure from the Iraq crisis.

Only instead of a cluttered picture, there's just Waldo on a white piece of paper.

(H/T: Captain's Quarters)