NY Post: What Putin Really Meant With His NY Times Op-Ed

In a rather amusing response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's op-ed in the New York Times warning  the American people about engaging in Syria, the New York Post published  what Putin really meant to say, or as the NYP puts it, what Putin said before the Times' editors got their hands on it.

MOSCOW — Recent events surrounding Syria have prompted me to speak directly to the American people and your leaders. After the president’s speech Tuesday night, let me say what you all know to be true:

Barack, I own you. Or as we say in Russia, the wolf felt pity for the lamb, so he left the skin and bones.

Mr. President, we have much in common. People fear what we might do. We each have a media eating out of our hands. We both hate George W. Bush.

I also share with you the outrage at President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons on women and children. And I have made Russia’s displeasure clear to him. Bashar, I said, if you have to murder women and children, conventional arms like the ones I used at Grozny or the rescue at Beslan are just as deadly. Lord knows I have supplied Syria with more than enough weaponry.

Now I have given you an out on Syria. And you know what? I’ve become the man of peace. Me, the KGB guy. I don’t know how many legions the pope has these days, but I’m pretty sure they’re on my side, too.

I tried to tell you at the G-8 in June we Russians are not the crude caricatures you Americans think. We value negotiations, and we appreciate the UN. Indeed, we share with this great international body for peace and human rights the view that American military action is always an act of aggression. That, and blame the Jews.

The rest here.