Russia is getting frisky aren't they? And, of course, we can be rather sure they are emboldened by the fact that we are basically doing nothing in retaliation (as John Bolton has made abundatly clear).
We will regret these days, if we don't make a drastic change in policy.
From LGF:
Today, following the US-Polish agreement on missile defense, Russia is threatening to use nuclear weapons against Poland.
MOSCOW - A top Russian general said Friday that Poland’s agreement to accept a U.S. missile interceptor base exposes the ex-communist nation to attack, possibly by nuclear weapons, the Interfax news agency reported. ...
“Poland, by deploying (the system) is exposing itself to a strike — 100 percent,” Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of staff, was quoted as saying.
He added, in clear reference to the agreement, that Russia’s military doctrine sanctions the use of nuclear weapons “against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them.” Nogovitsyn that would include elements of strategic deterrence systems, he said, according to Interfax.
14 comments:
A change of policy most definatley needs to happen. All of the former Warsaw Pact nations need to be concerned, Ukraine, Belarus need to be and in fact are very worried right now. Russia's behavior comes as no surprise to me and I am 100% sure, to American military planners. Does anybody know if a Dna sample of Curtis LeMay is in cold storage anywhere? If so it needs to be cloned....NOW! They called him the 'Demented Cold War Warrior'. I called him a realist who saw the writing on the wall. So in summation I propose a Curtis LeMay day, for more than any, I feel it is he who understood the nature of the threat from Russia.
PS, the threat to use Nukes is no empty Haji threat. Look at WWII. Russia has repeatedly shown itself willing to sacrifice Millions of it's own people to accomplish a military objective. Russian culture is all about the strong man. Simplistic thuggish behavior transcends all levels Russian society as the ideal for Masculinity, which brings us to Putin...who is a weedy, weasly looking wimp my grandma could whip in a snap! This equals danger. A Russian dictator ( democracy in Russia!? Don't make me laugh!) who is 'too legit to quit', who clearly has issues with the diminutive size of his manhood...and wants to prove himself to be a 'Big strong man! Who's woman is astounded by his magnificent girth...' (or so those endless Russian/Borat spam E-mail ads for clone Viagra tell me ).
Watching and waiting with pissant Russian conscripts in my gun sights...Kiss my black ass Russia. Georgia...I stand with you. (everything else aside, they attacked Russian troops on Georgian Sovereign soil, or have we forgotten the Westphalian agreement? That is the start and end of the moral debate for me.)
Question: Do you think that, in a twisted way, Russia actually has a point about Poland?
Would we allow Russia to set up a "Missile Defense System" in Cuba?
Forgive my ignorance, but what's to prove those missiles are merely defensive in nature?
No, but then, what are the odds we would use nuclear blackmail on Cuba.
Russia wants, and NEEDS to know that they can blackmail their opponents at will anytime they need to.
Otherwise why oppose a system whose use can never be against you, ONLY your weapons, and ONLY if you use them.
As we can see with Georgia, Poland and ALL THRU THEIR HISTORY, nomatter if the name was Muscovy, Russia of the Tsars, the USSR or modern Russia, it's all the same place, and all the same means.
Everyone ELSE is the enemy unless they can be controlled.
It's really a mental disease
AHH Pastorius my friend, the ability to play devils advocate shows higher functioning reasoning....speaking for myself at 02.21 on a Saturday night...a little worst for wear having done my infidel thing as one is inclined to do....a couple were had in honour of yourself and Epa, it must be said. GOD I LOVE BEING AN INFIDEL!
Russia and the defensive screen, well as my other half has just said 'Russia...it sucks to be you'. Are we to complain for having the upper hand? If Russia could deploy an effective missile screen, they would. If Russia's response is we will nuke Poland for having the screen on their soil, isn't that a reason for having the screen? Sorry not being a diplomat here. Russia uses the threat of cutting of the gas supply as a constant threat. I am disgusted with our planners for allowing our energy security to be dictated by Russia, All of our strategic planners should be lined up and shot for allowing this situation to develop in the first place. So no sympathy from me. If Russia deployed a missile screen in Cuba how do you think the US would react? I am torn as Mutually Assured Destruction keeps the peace, no question. Missile screens inevitably alter that equation, thus destabilizing the balance of M.A.D. However as it is clear a new cold war is upon us I care little for the security concerns of the enemy and am wholly focused on their utter destruction. If Russia wants to be stupid enough to escalate this to a hot war, I am confident that between us they will find Moscow a very very hot target. I seek some pride in the knowledge that British missiles will get there first. This behavior on the part of Russia is classic Russian geostrategic doctrine. The French and Germans may have behaved in a way that has lost American confidence but just watch how things change when Russia is stupid enough to attack a Nato country. The French and Germans will rapidly respond....aggressively. We cannot hope to meet them with conventional forces so the escalation to strategic ordnance would be rapid. Thanks America for Trident with multiple independent war heads. Russia it's your move.
Watcher,
You said: The French and Germans may have behaved in a way that has lost American confidence but just watch how things change when Russia is stupid enough to attack a Nato country. The French and Germans will rapidly respond....aggressively. We cannot hope to meet them with conventional forces so the escalation to strategic ordnance would be rapid. Thanks America for Trident with multiple independent war heads.
I say: Well, that's an interesting perspective, and one that is historically accurate.
It took Europe an awful long time to get off their asses in WWII, but it was exactly when Germany went after Poland that England and France finally said enough is enough.
I hope the US, UK and France have the cajones to do what is right.
The stakes are so much higher now, not only because the weapons are more dangerous, but because the potential for subjugating huge populations of people is also far worse.
Whilst I have zero confidence in UK defense planners, the pathetic state of our military, IMHO, having the best soldiers in the world with the worst equipment (the concept of close air support is still beyond the British army senior staff and don't even start me on medivac...), a look at the experience in Afghanistan has even seen the UK government considering hiring helicopters from Black hawk industries, because the senior staff did not consider air mobility as a vital component in British military operations and so did not buy very many helicopters! Incredible!
We are a nuclear armed, first world country whose military psychology/doctrine is stuck in WW2 technology and strategic planning! (how embarrassing!).
Fortunately we have a good tank in the form of the Challenger 2 that will make mince meat of T80's & T72's. With that in mind the Russians out number us massively. Germany is not Nuclear armed which to me is nothing short of foolish. What exactly do they intend to do when the Russians do come for them? Rely on other Nuclear armed NATO members to risk Armageddon to save them?
The stakes are indeed high. I pray for peace yet am preparing for war...
Watcher,
I'm not sure about this, but I think the reason Germany is not nuclear armed is because we American "imperialists" would not allow them to be so after WWII.
Same thing with Japan, although we helping to equip them now.
I started blogging in March of 2004. One thing I have been very consistent on is that I believe in Europe and the West in general, and the reason I believe in us is because our history proves we are a very very mean people who are willing to do whatever it will take to defend our land.
If that means nuking some nations, we will do that.
If that means pulling flesh from bone with our bare hands, we will do that.
No, the US stationed Nuclear weapons in Germany , retained control of them in peace time but handed them over for deployment by the host country (Germany) in time of war. Germany like many other EU countries has a dislike of the Nuclear deterrent.
'...As recently as June 2005, however, NATO has refused to even consider discussing the possible withdrawal of these weapons. NATO Defence Ministers at their biannual June meeting issued a communiqué which reaffirmed “the fundamental political purpose of NATO's nuclear forces: to preserve peace and prevent coercion.” This announcement came after European politicians from Belgium external link and Germany called for the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from their states’ territories in April 2005. On 15 July 2005, the Belgian Parliament adopted a second resolution external link calling for the removal of NATO weapons from Belgium. '
http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/nuclear-weapons/issues/nato-nuclear-policies/index.htm
....But yes, Indeed the human animal is the most vicious creature on the face of the Earth...
So then, does that mean Germany does have nukes now?
From Wiki
'....Under NATO nuclear weapons sharing, the United States has provided nuclear weapons for Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey to deploy and store.[49] This involves pilots and other staff of the "non-nuclear" NATO states practicing handling and delivering the U.S. nuclear bombs, and adapting non-U.S. warplanes to deliver U.S. nuclear bombs.'
Also interestingly...
'... Belarus had 81 single warhead missiles stationed on its territory after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. They were all transferred to Russia by 1996. Belarus has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.[55]
Kazakhstan inherited 1,400 nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union, and transferred them all to Russia by 1995. Kazakhstan has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.[56]
Ukraine has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Ukraine inherited about 5,000 nuclear weapons when it became independent from the USSR in 1991, making its nuclear arsenal the third-largest in the world.[57] By 1996, Ukraine had voluntarily disposed of all nuclear weapons within its territory, transferring them to Russia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_with_nuclear_weapons
This article suggests that a draw down of Us Nuclear deployment in Germany has been under way...
'....The U.S. Air Force has removed its main base at Ramstein in Germany from a list of installations that receive periodic nuclear weapons inspections, indicating that nuclear weapons previously stored at the base may have been removed and withdrawn to the United States.'
Suggesting that Büchel Air Base remains the only repository of Nuclear Weapons in Germany (US controlled). Interesting article have a read.
http://www.fas.org/blog/ssp/2007/07/united_states_removes_nuclear.php
I wonder what Ukraine got out of transferring every single nuclear weapon back to Russia. That doesn't seem like a good idea in retrospect.
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