A new cold war: US Marines' wintry war games on Norway-Russia border

cnn.com ^ | December 1, 2016 | Nick Paton Walsh, Ghazi Balkiz and Scott McWhinnie

[Berlin_Freeper]

An American tank full of US Marines crashes through the silence of the sub-zero pine forest, far above the Arctic Circle, as unidentified drones hover overhead and yellow and green smoke fills the freezing air.

The troops' target? A bunker up ahead, manned by Norwegian soldiers. Shots ring out as the Marines advance, crunching through the snow beneath gray winter skies.

It's all role-play, of course -- the maneuvers are part of a training exercise, but one jarringly imbued with the new reality along NATO's northernmost border with Russia. Some 300 US Marines are due to be based in Norway on a rotational basis from January, for a year, as part of a package of measures intended to reassure one of NATO's most easterly members.

[WayneS]

It's all role-play, of course...

That's a relief. I'd hate to think our Marines were out there trying to kill Norwegians for real. They're practically an endangered species..

;-)

[Falcon4.0]

Thanks to obama,
the 80's got their foreign policy back.

[Clutch Martin]

...and as we all used to say “why aren’t wars fought in places where the weather is agreeable?”

[flaglady47]

Obama is putting us on a collision course with Russia. It will be up to Trump to pull us back from confrontation with Russia.

[elhombrelibre]

Well said. A military vacuum was created. Putin filled that vacuum knowing that he could push right up to the limits. Now, a steady hand, military preparedness, candid exposure of Putin's crimes, and patience are required. NATO must step up greatly. The alliance must pay its way, and provide the training and defensive (strictly non provocative and defensive) weapons and assistance needed. For the front line states, that means close air-defense missiles (MANPADS), anti-tank weapons (TOWS, Javelins, MILAN), command-detonated anti-tank mines, sniper rifles, recoilless rifles, 105mm Hawkeye artillery, and all the tools needed for an asymmetrical war.

That means giving those nations in the Baltics and Poland the capability that the cost of invading these NATO ally is so severe that it won't be an option for Putin. No little green men can just show up and align these nations with Putin's neo-empire. With the right tools no blitzkrieg will work. Peace through strength and no war.

[Bodega]

Yes. Nothing Obama would like better than to fulfill Hil-liar-y’s need for more WAR!!

Far too many days between now and Jan inauguration. Far too many.

[manc]

I did 9 tours of north Norway dong the Mountain, and Arctic warfare .

Tromso was the nearest major town, and the weather can be brutal, but it sure is good money , and certainly a good tour.

[rfreedom4u]

When I was in the Corps we did this exercise in ‘87, but it was called Northern Wedding. To this day I despise bitter cold. My frostbitten fingers was more pain than I have ever felt before or since. But Norway is gorgeous!

[BBell]

I participated in Battle Griffin during desert storm. Tall people, beautiful women and the aurora borealis every night were amazing. The cold deep clear waters of the fjords were really neat and the old bunkers built by the wehrmacht are still intact and the Norwegian military still uses them. Wonderful place but very expensive.

[Gay State Conservative]

I would think that Fort Drum would work just as well for the Marines.They could train along side of the 10th Mountain Division.

[csvset]

NPR ran essentially the same story yesterday.

We're feuding with Putin!

Hillary is another old white lady that wants to go to war with Russia.

[Lady Heron]

Bingo. I watched a Putin interview on Youtube yesterday from Nov. 1(I think). It was horrifying what he said. When leaders speak to the world they very carefully put words together and every word should be listened to. He was blunt and scary, warning the world that the West's war footing moves(spelled out) was forcing Russia's hand into war. We are one misstep away from WWIII.

He let the Western press have it for not telling the Western people what was going on. He did not know how else he could get it across to the press how close our leaders have us to war(he actually said that to the press).

[AppyPappy]

Putin doesn’t have the resources to go into WW3. China would have to get involved.