>Russia: Putin's Statements On Chechnya May Reflect Public Opinion
>By Gregory Feifer
>
>Russian President Vladimir Putin's vitriolic speech against Chechen rebels
>issued on the heels of this week's EU-Russia summit may have surprised the
>West, but at home, the remarks have caused barely a ripple. Instead of
>causing embarrassment, Putin's coarse language and denunciation of the rebels
>as murderers is viewed as giving voice to the public's views on Chechnya. The
>president is seen to be actively projecting the country's interests, while
>the European Union simply refuses to accept "international terrorism" as a
>threat. But by chastising those calling for a peaceful solution in Chechnya,
>is Russia threatening to export its brutal conflict abroad?
Does he always talk about hacking off phalli, or was this an unusual outburst?
And years ago Spy magazine had a piece claiming that Gorby spoke vulgar, rube-ish Russian. Is that true?
Doug