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U.S. Vice President Richard Cheney (AP)
Last update - 00:00 06/09/2008
Cheney tells Peres: Russia supplies weapons to terrorists
By Reuters and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Iran, Dick Cheney 

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney met with President Shimon Peres on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti forum on the edge of Italy's Lake Como on Saturday, telling the Israeli leader that Russia is selling arms to Damascus and Iran with the clear knowledge that they are being channeled to Hezbollah and terror groups in Iraq.

The American vice president later reiterated these remarks in his address at the economic conference, saying that "Russian arms dealing in the Middle East has endangered the prospects for peace and freedom in the region." He added that the Russian leaders view democracy as a direct threat to their regime. Russia crossed a clear line when it invaded Georgia and attacked democracy and the rights of innocent civilians, Cheney said.

The conflict between Russia and Georgia erupted early last month when Georgia tried to retake the breakaway region of South Ossetia, and Russia responded with overwhelming force sending tanks and troops into Georgian territory.
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Cheney went on to say that the U.S. demands that Russia implement a policy of full disclosure and to allow its neighboring countries to exercise their sovereignty, in peace and with democracy. Russia needs to ask itself whether it wants to remove itself from the global family, democracy, freedom and modern free economy, he added.

In order to end the conflict between Russia and Georgia, Cheney continued, and to dissipate the tension in the region, Europe must adopt a clear and unified policy on this issue.

Addressing the U.S.'s proposed deployment of shield components in Poland and the Czech Republic, Cheney said that Russia sees the expansion of NATO as a threat on its sovereignty. The deployment of U.S. defense systems aims to protect the West from attacks coming from the Middle East, and not to harm Russia, he explained. He added that the U.S. had tried to include Russia in the defense plan, but the Russians responded with aggression toward Poland.

Peres recounted to Cheney his recent talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on the day that Russia invaded Georgian soil. The president said that Russia, like the U.S., opposes the prospect of nuclear weapons in the hands of extremist religious regimes, such as Iran. Religion is opium for leaders, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is seeking to impose terror and religious hegemony on the Middle East as a whole in the name of fanatic religious beliefs, Peres told his colleague. He went on to urge the U.S. and Europe to produce an alternative energy source, explaining that oil profits fund most of the world's terror and its extremist leaders such as Ahmadinejad and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.

The President added that Israel is determined to fight terror in the most effective way, using advanced technology. Peres stressed that Israel and the moderate Arab states must collaborate on a joint intelligence arrangement, with the help of the U.S. and Europe, in order to be able to fight world terror, which centers around the Middle East.

Peres also voiced his strong opposition to allowing the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas participate in democratic elections in the Palestinian Authority, explaining that the course of action in which a group, such as Hamas, uses democratic tools to impose a military dictatorship and terror on an entire population, is unacceptable.

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      1.   Last standing purist neocon stil strong on democracy with a bite 22:09  |  Mark B. 06/09/08
      2.   Cheney Needs A Dipstick 22:52  |  Mark of Lewiston 06/09/08
      3.   True character....the world is watching 23:10  |  allang 06/09/08
      4.   "Nuclear Suppliers Approve US-India Deal." 23:13  |  Maureen Ann 06/09/08
      5.   #3 McCain, the river boat gambler... 23:37  |  Mark B. 06/09/08
      6.   How Rude of Cheney 23:50  |  isratinian 06/09/08
      7.   scoop! hold the presses! Russia is part of the axis of evil 00:02  |  Cateyes 07/09/08
      8.   Who gave al Queda Stinger missiles? 00:31  |  Israel_is_done 07/09/08
      9.   Mr. Cheney is right, however in the wrong way. 01:32  |  Stephen 07/09/08
      10.   Cheney is an idiot 01:52  |  Dave Duncan 07/09/08
      11.   Darth Evil 01:54  |  Pat 07/09/08
      12.   # 5 Mark 01:58  |  allang 07/09/08
      13.   The US supplies arms to dictators and terrorists 03:27  |  FACT 07/09/08
      14.   Russia To Cheney: Spraying US cluster bombs on leb civ is terrori 03:46  |  Aounist 07/09/08
      15.   please Cheney spare us the headache 04:48  |  Fadi 07/09/08
      16.   It feels good to actually agree with the majority for once :) 05:30  |  Magnus K. 07/09/08
      17.   Russia supplies weapons to terrorists 06:08  |  Gromp 07/09/08
      18.   I Have Said This all Along 06:37  |  Eli 07/09/08
      19.   Religion as Balm or Opium. Chaney not precise on Islam. 07:03  |  John Isenhower 07/09/08
      20.   Ah Man 07:27  |  Yosemite 07/09/08
      21.   THE WHISPERER OF EVIL DARTH CHENEY VADER SAYS? 07:37  |  HAFIZ 07/09/08
      22.   Russia is selling weaopns to iran and Syria? So what? 08:07  |  Natallie Durson 07/09/08
      23.   New Cold War 08:45  |  Reid 07/09/08
      24.   they got it backwards... 08:52  |  samos 07/09/08
      25.   CHENEY IS A DISGRACE FOR THE AMERICAN 08:57  |  indrajaya 07/09/08
      26.   Cheney 09:09  |  FTJ 07/09/08
      27.   Just listen who`s talking - (end) 09:48  |  English Resident 07/09/08
      28.   Sadly John McCain has become Cheney`s "son"..... 10:00  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/09/08
      29.   Still remember 10:06  |  Dav 07/09/08
      30.   Between a rock and a hard place 10:26  |  keesmeess 07/09/08
      31.   Russia is known to supply weapons to Iran and Syria 10:34  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/09/08
      32.   #21, Dino 10:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/09/08
      33.   Cheney`s firsthand news 11:08  |  S 07/09/08
      34.   Should come clean about his own self... 11:11  |  JJ 07/09/08
      35.   Pushing the big lie! 11:16  |  Observer 07/09/08
      36.   Peres meets Cheney 11:18  |  Witness 07/09/08
      37.   Russia supplies weapons to terrorists. 12:22  |  David Nigel Braham 07/09/08
      38.   US does not get it 13:39  |  Ronin 07/09/08
      39.   Saddam Was Evil and Hez/Russia Are Evil 13:42  |  Dave Levy 07/09/08
      40.   # 32 Cipora Julianna Kohn (1) 13:56  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/09/08
      41.   Of course Cheney 13:57  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/09/08
      42.   America also sells weapons to terrorists - and terrorist states. 14:06  |  Palestinian Brit 07/09/08
      43.   # 32 Cipora Julianna Kohn (2) 14:09  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/09/08
      44.   Russia is selling weapons to....... 14:10  |  Nora 07/09/08
      45.   The Bush administartion and among it Cheney 14:44  |  Kris Lazar 07/09/08
      46.   Hypocrisy 15:00  |  Shane 07/09/08
      47.   WITHOUT the Soviets the Arabs would have been firing spitballs 15:05  |  PETER SM 07/09/08
      48.   WHO gave Mujahadeen stingers?Look what happens if you help them!! 15:33  |  PETER SM 07/09/08
      49.   The Military industrial complex needs enemies real or imagined 15:47  |  Toronto`s Finest 07/09/08
      50.   If there is any justice left in America 16:10  |  Robbo 07/09/08
      51.   To PETER SM: Without Europe`s Ex-Convicts 16:13  |  Arab 07/09/08
      52.   Nora what are you talking about? 16:14  |  Robbo 07/09/08
      53.   I dont get it 17:32  |  mohamed 07/09/08
      54.   # 47 Peter. Without the U S, there would have been no Al Queda! 17:37  |  Toronto`s Finest 07/09/08
      55.   Observer 18:38  |  lady from USA 07/09/08
      56.   The new President McCain and VP Palin... 18:39  |  Pastor Joseph 07/09/08
      57.   Duh - that`s why Israel should be wary of attacking her neighbors 19:00  |  Pablo B 07/09/08
      58.   Russia is the source of weapons 19:02  |  yUSEF 07/09/08
      59.   To Mohamend from Brisbane 19:19  |  Persian Kitty 07/09/08
      60.   To Nora in Tel Aviv 20:01  |  Persian Kitty 07/09/08
      61.   The Apocalyptic Bomb 20:06  |  Shimon Cleopas 07/09/08
      62.   The "good" Americans and the "bad" Russians 20:15  |  SakuraOne 07/09/08
      63.   #9, Stephen 20:24  |  Gary 07/09/08
      64.   To Gary from Columbus 20:43  |  Persian Kitty 07/09/08
      65.   Cheney 21:02  |  American 07/09/08
      66.   Surprise??? 21:12  |  Harriet 07/09/08
      67.   #56 Pastor Joseph Welcome back! Quite Right On Your Assumption... 21:18  |  Benny 07/09/08
      68.   Cheney 22:07  |  Thundercloud65 07/09/08
      69.   #64, Persian Kitty, Why would I be Kidding ? 22:17  |  Gary