Condi fails again, missile defense talks collapse

[ck4829]

High-level talks Friday between the United States and Russia failed to bridge major differences over U.S. plans for a missile defense system in Europe and a range of strategic arms issues.

After a series of tense meetings that began with a blunt rebuff from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates appeared to have been unable to turn around Moscow's opposition to missile defense.

Rice and Gates brought several new detailed proposals to the table meant to ease Russian concerns that the system would be aimed at Moscow, but the pair was unable to convince Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov or Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.

"We see two serious problems with these proposals," Lavrov told reporters at a four-way news conference following the talks.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/5209056.html

[Gman]

1. Can't blame the Russians one bit

when they know full well how out of control the US government is.

[Bonhomme Richard]

2. And the Russians were supposed to be her specialty.

What an embarrassment.

[old guy]

3. Even the Russians know the emperor has no clothes.

[bdamomma]

5. Yes, they do. I wouldn't mess with Putin.

these thugs in our regime are agitators/instigators, and want to start something.

[ljm2002]

4. At this point, all one can do is laugh...

...at the continued incompetency of Condoleezza Rice, who cannot negotiate terms even with the country that she specialized in when she obtained her doctorate.

Any way we can get her doctorate rescinded? I'll bet it has "errors" in it...

Sorry, it's just galling to me how the rabid right has gone after Al Gore, and I'm in a real tit-for-tat mood these days.