...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks...
said Friday that Russia cannot send troops to the Golan Heights peacekeeping force after President Vladimir Putin
...Second and fourth President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...said he was ready to bolster the force.
Putin offered troops earlier Friday after Austria decided to withdraw its 377 soldiers from the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) between Syria and Israel because of growing spillover from the Syria conflict.
But U.N. front man Martin Nesirky said Russia was banned from taking part in the force because it is one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
"We appreciate the consideration that Russia has given to provide troops on the Golan. However,
corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds...
the disengagement agreement and its protocol between Syria and Israel does not allow for the participation of permanent members of the security council in UNDOF," Nesirky told news hounds.
"Considering the difficult situation that is developing today in the Golan Heights, we could replace the departing Austrian contingent in this region separating Israeli forces from the Syrian army," Russian news agencies quoted Putin as saying.
The Kremlin chief stressed that this was only a proposal and that a formal request had to come from the United Nations and be agreed with both Israel and Syria."Of course (this will happen) only if the regional powers express an interest in this, if the U.N. secretary general asks us about this," said Putin.
The Russian leader added that he had recently received a request for Moscow's broader participation in U.N. peacekeeping missions during a meeting with U.N. Secretary General the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan...