Conspirator-In-Chief

So it’s all America’s fault, heh, Mr Putin? The Russian-Georgian War as a “wag-the-dog” kind of operation aimed at making John McCain the next US president. Sure. And what about that Third Tower, Mr. Prime Minister?

Mr Putin’s unhinged, Oliver Stone-like conspiracy reminds me of Nikita Khrushchev’s refusal to believe, when he visiting the U.S at the height of the Cold War, that the cars in a car park outside a Detroit factory belonged to the workers. Who owned them then, the Premier was asked? “The CIA have their ways”, he retorted knowingly.

Unlike his predecessor’s, Mr. Putin’s statement is not private. Given in an interview with CNN, it is intended for both foreign and domestic consumption. Blaming the U.S for what was clearly premeditated Russian aggression triggered by Georgia military adventurism is smart. But it does tell us something about the Russian leader’s mindset.