Pat Buchanan Praises Putin NYT Op-ed: 'Outstanding Piece'

At least one Republican liked Russian President Vladimir Putin's New York Times op-ed urging the United States not to attack Syria: Pat Buchanan.

"Candidly, it was an outstanding piece," Buchanan told Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren. Buchanan said Putin made a better case against U.S. strikes in Syria than President Barack Obama made in favor of them a night earlier.

Putin laid out a danger of having Syria's chemical weapons fall into the hands, Buchanan said: jihadists and al-Qaida who have infiltrated some of the rebel groups in Syria.

Putin actually wrote in his piece that he believes it was rebels, and not the Syrian government, who used poison gas on civilians last month.

"I don't think Assad is any threat to use chemical weapons against the United States or Israel," Buchanan said. "As for some of the people in the rebel community, I think they are a real threat to use them."

Russia is the main player as a peaceful solution is sought, Buchanan said. As Syria's ally, it has lines to President Bashar Assad that America doesn't.

"Russia alone can get Assad to identify where the weapons are," Buchanan said.

President Ronald Reagan, for whom Buchanan worked, was eager to talk to Russia, he said.

"What is the United States doing stiffing the president of Russia, not having meetings with him? I think it makes us look petty," Buchanan said. "I think, frankly, in the last week Vladimir Putin looks like a statesman."

Van Susteren argued Putin was poking the United States in the eye by writing the piece. But Buchanan held his position.

Citing a crisis half a century in America's past, Buchanan said he rather see the president of Russia writing op-eds in The New York Times than putting missiles in Cuba.