Threat to kill Putin during trip to Iran
· Security agencies say they uncovered bomb plot
· Tehran insists allegations are invention of 'enemies'
Luke Harding in Moscow
Monday October 15, 2007
The Guardian
Suicide bombers were planning to blow up Mr Putin, Interfax news agency said, citing a source in Russia's security agencies. Terrorists had been trained to kill the president, the source added.
The Kremlin last night confirmed that Mr Putin, who was on his way to Germany to meet chancellor Angela Merkel, had been informed of the alleged plot.
But there were few details. It was not clear why an Iranian terrorist group might target Mr Putin or how Russia's security agencies learned of the plot on the eve of his visit. "We cannot comment on this information but we confirm that the president has been informed," a Kremlin spokesman told the AFP news agency last night.
Mr Putin is due to travel to Tehran tonight after a Russian-German summit today in Wiesbaden.
During his Iran visit Mr Putin will meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and attend a summit tomorrow of Caspian Sea nations. He is the first Kremlin leader to travel to Iran since Josef Stalin attended a 1943 summit with Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt.
His trip follows an acrimonious meeting on Friday in Moscow with the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and the US defence secretary, Robert Gates. Mr Putin again criticised the Bush administration's plans to install a missile defence system in central Europe and said Russia was considering pulling out of a cold war treaty banning mid-range nuclear weapons.
The two sides also clashed over Iran, with Mr Putin saying he saw no reason for further sanctions against Tehran. On Saturday, Ms Rice, when meeting human rights activists, voiced concern about the Kremlin's monopoly of power in Russia.
Since Mr Putin became president in 2000, Russian officials have reported two previous alleged plots to kill him on foreign trips. Ukrainian security officials said they foiled an attempt during a summit in Yalta in August 2000. In 2001 Russian security officials said the Azeri security services uncovered a plot to assassinate Mr Putin during a visit to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
Both alleged plots were linked to Chechnya, Russia's restive Muslim region. In 1999 Mr Putin sent troops back into the southern republic to crush resistance to Moscow's rule.
Last night's apparent plot comes ahead of parliamentary elections in December for Russia's Duma and a presidential poll next year. Under Russia's constitution Mr Putin is obliged to step down in the spring of 2008. Two weeks ago, he revealed that he was considering becoming prime minister - and remaining in effect Russia's leader.
The Kremlin has been keen to portray Mr Putin as the only leader capable of maintaining stability. Many Russians appear to agree, 61% saying they would like to see him become prime minister.
Mr Putin's visit to Tehran tonight will be scrutinised for clues to Russia's attitude towards Iran's nuclear programme. Moscow has helped Iran avoid tougher sanctions and is building the country's first nuclear reactor. But Russia has hedged its position by delaying completion of the plant and urging Iran to comply with international controls on its nuclear ambitions.
Iran's foreign ministry last night dismissed claims of a plot to assassinate Mr Putin. "Reports published by some media are totally baseless and are in line with the psychological war launched by enemies who want to harm Iran and Russia's relationship," a ministry spokesman said.
 The visit coincides with a summit of leaders from the Caspian region |
Earlier, the two presidents attended a summit of heads of countries in the Caspian Sea area.
Iran's nuclear programme is topping the agenda, with the BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran saying Iran is seeking Russian help in fending off new UN sanctions.
The visit went ahead despite Kremlin warnings of an assassination threat.
The alleged plot to kill the Russian president prompted Mr Putin's staff to cast doubt on the trip, only for the president to announce that he was not deterred.
The Iranian government played down the threat.
Iran's refusal to end uranium enrichment has led to the US and other Western countries pressing for a new round of UN sanctions.
Washington is convinced that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons - a charge Iran denies - and has refused to rule out the use of force to resolve the issue.
At the meeting of the five states bordering the Caspian Sea - Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan - the countries' leaders signed a declaration agreeing to never allow their territory to be used for an attack on another littoral state. 
"The parties emphasise that in no circumstances will they allow their territory to be used by a third country to commit aggression or other military action against one of the parties," AFP news agency quoted the text as saying.
Mr Putin used the meeting to warn against any military attack on Iran and to support its right to nuclear energy.
He told a press conference after the meeting that the five countries had "expressed the idea that peaceful nuclear activities must be allowed".
"Russia is the only country helping Iran to construct a nuclear power station for peaceful ends," he added, in reference to Iran's still unfinished first nuclear energy plant in Bushehr.
As well as meeting President Ahmadinejad, Mr Putin will hold talks with Iran's powerful spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Building plan
Our correspondent in Tehran says that the talks are crucial for the Iranians. Until now Moscow has been blocking any new UN sanctions, saying it wants to enable the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, to work with Iran on clearing up outstanding issues.
As well as wanting to secure diplomatic help in preventing sanctions, Iran also wants to ensure continued Russian technical assistance.
The government hopes Mr Putin will confirm that Moscow will complete the Bushehr nuclear reactor being built by Russian engineers.
If I listened to what the security services said, I would never leave my home 
The programme has been dogged by delays, with Moscow saying Tehran is behind with its payments and Iran accusing Russia of dragging its feet for political reasons, our correspondent says.
It is not clear quite how much support Mr Putin is prepared to give Iran in its showdown with the West.
Mr Putin will certainly be calling for more flexibility from the Iranian government over the nuclear issue and no-one should forget the deep legacy of suspicion that exists between Russia and Iran, our correspondent says.
Moscow has called for a peaceful resolution of the dispute, urging the international community to show patience.
"It is futile to frighten Iran and its people - they are not scared," Mr Putin said before the visit.
Suicide bomb threat
Mr Putin travelled to Tehran from Germany where he met Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks somewhat overshadowed by the alleged assassination plot.
Russian media had quoted unnamed security sources as saying suicide bombers and kidnappers were plotting to kill Mr Putin in Tehran.
Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC that such reports were "very serious".
But the Russian president dismissed the claims, telling reporters: "Of course I am going to Iran.
"If I listened to what the security services said, I would never leave my home."
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