Posted on 10/27/2004 9:27:50 AM PDT by winodog
US concerned about missile monument October 26, 2004 Posted: 14:37 Moscow time (10:37 GMT)
The US intelligence services are concerned. The American satellite tracking system located a Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile in the Russian city of Kostroma, NTV reported.
A 20-meter container weighing about 10 tons and having a diameter of more than 2 meters, arrived in the Kostroma missile division from the Sverdlovsk region, where the missile system was deployed.
Yury Oshkin, Deputy Commander of the Kostroma missile unit, said the plastic container contained a missile in active service.
US intelligence services expressed concern why the container arrived at an operating military base, and sent a request to the Russian authorities. The Russian military said it was a museum exhibit, a gift from the Russian Defense Ministry, and it would not be launched. Instead, it will be put up as a monument to the missile troops in one of the citys parks.
However, the Americans were not reassured. They gave Kostromas military command 10 days to remove the monument from the military base and transfer it to the local administration. The monument will be put to mark the 60th anniversary of the victory in the Second World War. RosBusinessConsulting
Source URL: http://www.russiajournal.com/news/cnews-article.shtml?nd=46091
http://www.globalsecurity.org
I guess Sorros is upset that Bush is going to win!
"They gave Kostromas military command 10 days to remove the monument from the military base and transfer it to the local administration."
Or else what? yea this article has too little info. I'm also interested to see what others have to say about this. I am sure we move our missles around the country too...
Kids, you get down off that [active and highly explosive] monument.........
American officials GAVE the Russian military command 10 days to get rid of the missile ? That can't be right. I don't know much about Russian psychology here, but I'm sure bossing foreign military around is 100% counter-effective. Imagine if Russia GAVE the SAC 10 days to do their bidding ?
The Russians don't tell SAC to do a damn thing, because in case anyone needed any reminders, AMERICA won the Cold War, the Soviets lost it, and *that* is why we refer to them now as 'Russians' instead of 'Soviets'.
The Russians know better than to ever even dare to DREAM again about challenging the United States militarily, let alone on a nuclear basis.
Quote: Kids, you get down off that [active and highly explosive] monument.........
Kids, you get down off that [active, highly explosive and radio-active] monument...
Ok - since when did Russia cease to be a sovereign country, Mammoth ?
This looks like an attempt by the Russians to get around the START treaty. As such, the US has the right to demand enforcement of the terms of the treaty.
Russia can do the same thing. We had to chop up our old B-52s with a guillotine and leave the carcases in the sun for two weeks so the Russians could verify that the bombers were being destroyed under the terms of the treaty. If we weren't following the terms of the treaty, they would demand compliance just like we do of them.
Well, I wondered about whether the Topol missiles were supposed to have been destroyed or at least deactivated, but I didn't see it in the article. Did I miss it ?
This may have something to do with one of the various disarmament treaties that are in place between the US and Russia.
June 8, 2001:
Tom Daschle, newly reseated Senate Majority Leader, says
of the US Missile Defense program
"This isn't rocket science here"
Missiles as monuments, sounds like the start of a theme park in Russia.
Ops4 God Bless America!
I was a START Inspector and have been to Kostroma once. Kostroma had SS-24 Rail Mobile missiles. The Topol is a Road Mobile 22-25 and although none were based there, the START Treaty prohibits static displays at operational bases. It does allow each side to have missiles on static display and these displays are inspectable under the treaty. The missiles typically will have a hole cut in the missile body and nozzle to make them inoperable.
Wonder if this has anything to do with the 40 day mourning period coming to a close.
Putin said he would retaliate for Beslan after the appropriate religious mourning...
Treaty Violation!
Thanks.
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