Putin angry over Poland muggings

[emad]

Nick Paton Walsh in Moscow
Tuesday August 2, 2005
The Guardian

Vladimir Putin reacted angrily yesterday to news that three teenage sons of Russian diplomats serving in Warsaw had been beaten and robbed of their mobile phones in a park in the Polish capital.
President Putin called it an "unfriendly act that cannot be characterised as anything other than a crime".

Polish police were questioning the victims, three boys and a friend from Kazakhstan aged between 13 and 14, in the hope they would identify their attackers from a line-up of nine suspects.

The Russian foreign ministry seized upon the attack, which happened on Sunday night, as a sign of growing hostility towards Russia, summoning the Polish ambassador to Moscow.
"Russia is expecting an official apology," said Boris Malakhov, a spokesman from foreign ministry.

"What happened is outrageous and cannot be considered as an accident. There are obvious links with anti-Russian sentiments that have been encouraged in Poland, including unfriendly statements by Polish politicians."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1540662,00.html

[Kingshakabobo]

1. How DID they ever come to dislike Russians?

Not condoning violence against 13 year olds or anything but geeze.

[cap]

3. look at history

and you will understand why they came to dislike the Russians.
Look at the Katyn massacre for example.

Not to condone violence against kids

[moodforaday]

2. Provocation written all over it

This has provocation written all over it. Putin is seriously pissed about Poland's role in removing the Ukrainian regime, and now there's a huge crackdown on Polish nationals in Belarus, including house searches, arrests, and fabricated embezzlement charges.

Unconfirmed: apparently the Russians knew about the mugging incident and sent an angry note to Poland before the Police in Warsaw were notified about the mugging (unconfirmed, though).

[podnoi]

4. Come on Guys

These were Skinheads who beat up Children (12 and 13) because of prejudice. You sound like you are advocating violence because of nationality. Isn't that what skinheads do?

I have family in the CIS so I get to hear the side that is not presented in our press. Putin has made statements because the Polish Government has made statements indicating that "it was not a crime".

Do you think beatings of children are justified because of the country of origin of their ancestors?

[smirkymonkey]

5. No, not at all.

I think they should make sure the Russians are at least 18 years or older before beating them up.

[blackhorse]

6. What am I missing in this article?

. . . I saw nothing in the article except Putin's assertion that the attack was based on anti-Russian sentiment.

Warsaw *is* a large city with plenty of crime, and the diplomat's kids probably dressed well enough to attract the wrong kind of attention.

Now, would some Poles get a charge out of beating up Russians or otherwise provoking Russia -- probably, but that doesn't mean this was the primary motivation for the attack (unless, like I said, I've completely missed something here).

Cheers

BH

[Javaman]

7. Sounds like pootie poot, is looking for a reason to invade...

"When soviet troops occupy Poland, there were no muggings!...no food or clothing either, or freedom for that matter..."