Friends with Russia or Nuclear Free Iran?

reuters.com ^ | 2009-02-13 | kilner et al

[QenBirQeni]

If anyone is under the illusion that Russia has become insignificant in the international stage better think again. To day, they still pose the greatest threat to the United States. What's worse, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the general threat of terrorism throughout the globe, as well as a soon to be nuclear Iran, have caused many of our politicians to settle into complacency. No more is this evident than the utter silence of any political talk on the current negotiations by the White House with Russia to back off the deployment of the missle shield in Eastern Europe. With US-Russian relations stressed over the past few years, more recently over Georgia and Kosovo, a tit for tat is being considered:

The United States on Friday signaled a willingness to slow down plans for a missile defense shield in eastern Europe if Russia agreed to help stop Iran's nuclear weapons programs...The Kremlin has been pressing Washington to give ground on the proposed missile shield in exchange for Russia helping supply the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan...Moscow says Tehran does not have the capability of hitting Europe and sees the shield as designed to neutralize Russia's nuclear arsenal. It has threatened to deploy missiles on Poland's border if the shield goes ahead.

From Reuters

Yes, Iran is indeed a threat to everyone, and the Russians know a nuclear Iran will negatively affect them in the long run as well. Still, there is no need for the US to downplay its hand with the missle shield all the while pressuring the impotent EU to step up and act on Iran.