Russia Is Not a Friend of the United States

Magic City Morning Star ^ | Aug 23, 2006 | Jim Kouri

[Tailgunner Joe]

During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union embarked on the most massive military buildups in history. Part of President Reagan's strategy for winning was to entice the Soviets into a competition it could never even hope to win. A communist economy by its very nature is ill-equipped to compete with a free-market, capitalist system whether it's foreign trade or weapons technology.

And so, slowly the Soviet economy became a basket case due to the communists desire to exceed America in an enormously expensive arms race.

After the Cold War, with the Soviet threat gone and with Democrat President Bill Clinton in the White House, terms such as "the peace dividend" became commonplace within the Washington Beltway and in the mainstream news media. No longer was the political establishment interested in defense, and the new agenda for the US was domestic.

However, slowly and methodically Russia's steel-eyed leader Vladamir Putin began to rebuild and expand his nation's arsenal and its fighting forces. This new phase in Russia's military buildup has created fear in some quarters in the US that a new arms race exists. Recently the Russians deployed a nuclear ballistic system that their generals made clear could render US anti-missile defense systems ineffective, according to reports in the European news media.

While Americans and Europeans celebrated the Christmas holiday in 2005, the Russian army activated a large number of Topol-M class missiles that can fit nuclear warheads and travel 6,000 miles, while rapidly switching their trajectory in order to neutralize any US- or European-based interception device.

As usual, the news media in the US is so busy bashing the Commander-in-Chief regarding the Iraqi conflict and President Bush's tactics for combating terrorism, that they've failed to report on the Russian advances in weaponry and the accompanying hawkish rhetoric of the Russian military commanders.

In addition, most of the media have chosen to ignore the Russian buildup because the liberal take on the Cold War was that it was a result of a misunderstanding between two superpowers. During the height of the Cold War liberals -- some like Senator John Kerry who are still in power -- were more concerned over how many missiles and weapons we had. That mindset continues and it does no good for the liberal establishment and their media echo chamber to allow the American people to learn that their old enemy is quietly gearing up for a second arms race or worse -- a new Cold War.

While Americans believe that the only problem facing the US is terrorism, one Russian leader, General Nikolai Solovtsov, commander of the Russia's missile forces, has mobilized a brand new Topol-M missile battalion, with each missile having a one megaton warhead. One megaton is over 35 times the power of both US bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.

The Russian general claims his missile system is able to penetrate any missile defense system. He boasts that the Russian missiles are unaffected by electromagnetic blasts used by current US anti-missile systems.

While Russia had disbanded two missile divisions last year to show the US and European Union that they were serious about disarmament, it has recently been discovered that they formed close to 25 new units -- in what's considered the fastest increase of nuclear spending since the days of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

According to the Military.Com, the US Navy carried out tests of an anti-missile interceptor, which can be launched from an Aegis class cruiser in the Pacific Ocean. A warhead from an incoming rocket was completely neutralized and destroyed one hundred miles above sea level. Its success marked the first time an anti-missile defense system succeeded in tests when launched from a warship. While not vocally announced by the Pentagon, experts believe this testing was a result of the Russian buildup.

The debut of the Topol-M and Russia's hawkish bravado mark the fastest expansion of nuclear missiles since the SS-18 and Pershing II technologies appeared during the Reagan Administration. Since that time US-Russia arms control treaty was signed in 1993 at the Kremlin and Russia struggled to fund technology to replace its aging war machine. Their defense budget also withered away due to their depressed economy situation.

With the Russians now enjoying a certain amount of prosperity thanks to its new oil wealth and weapons system sales, their nuclear missile program reemerged. Just last month an almost $2 billion increase from the Kremlin was earmarked for the military and Mr. Putin's popularity also increased as a result. Equally disturbing is that one of the larger states from the old USSR, the Ukraine asked to come back under the former Soviet military shield and they expect to be protected by the Topol-M stationed in the Volga River.

Meanwhile, the European Union has denounced Putin's intentions to sell anti-aircraft missiles to Iran, whose president announced his desire to "wipe Israel off the map."

With most of the US intelligence and military resources concentrated on the terrorism war, the Russians have taken advantage of the situation and have once again taken a lead role in international affairs, especially when it comes to nuclear arms and advanced weapons technology.

[ffusco]

Should have disarmed the bear when we won the cold war. Biggest scam in history that that disgusting country is treated like a world power.

[GarySpFc]

Boy, good thing we gave the Soviets all that foreign aid after the wall came down.
/sarcasm

We didn't give the Soviets zilch. We blew it by giving the money to a "few" Russian oligarchs who raped the Russian people by buying up all the natural resources and industries.

[Freelance Warrior]

1.History makes it painfully clear that nations know no "friends". All they ever can acheive is "alliances", which by and large are all too often quite temporary.

This opinion is shared by many Russians in respect for their country.

2. They also think that the nuclear arsenal is vitually necessary to prevent a possible agression from the USA. The threat may be both of military or not military matter (e.g. using economical weight). That's as simple as that.

[Gantz]

"That's as simple as that."

Yes. It has always been this way.

Someday mankind may outgrow such instincts. But I don't expect it to happen in my lifetime.

[venucor]

Which nation today doesn't have a nuclear deterrent today whether directly or by default. The only alternative is to improve on defences, I guess...And to respect others sentiments and feelings too.

[Thunder90]

Russia/Soviet/Coldwar2 PING!!!

To be added or removed from this list, please FReepmail me!!!

[Thunder90]

Did you know that Russia has military and nuclear missile bases in Kazakhstan and most of the rest of the "Former" soviet union?

[Thunder90]

Russia' Topel M missile is specifically designed to attack the US as a preemptive strike weapon.

[Freelance Warrior]

Nations have contradicting interests, and nuclear arsenal is a good trump in the political game. Moreover, Russia has no alternative trumps after the Catastrophe of 1991 when all Russian public institutions (economy, public services, military, educatuion, culture, etc.) practically collapsed and only nukes left to keep independence.

[GarySpFc]

Did you know that Russia has military and nuclear missile bases in Kazakhstan and most of the rest of the "Former" soviet union?

Mr. Sloganeer, please name the former Soviet countries where Russia has "military missile bases?" We have lots of overseas military bases as well. BTW, you might want to read the following, and see how open the Russians were about allowing an American journalist and film crew into their main missile base at Saratov.

The Director's Story: Behind Russia's Nuclear Front Line (Full article)

Excerpts
For a few weeks recently, we were able to film the day-to-day life of the men and women who command Russia's most sophisticated Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, or ICBM -- the TOPOL M, designed to elude America's proposed missile shield.

"When do you want to come, and what do you want to see?" he asked. We gave him a list of sequences closely related to the material we'd filmed with America's missileers. The general made notes and said this should all be possible. We survived the first of many banquets and many toasts, and agreed to be in touch.

But Pozner also told the general at our first meeting that we would insist on full access, and that any attempt to control our filming would mean the end of the project.

A few weeks later, Pozner sent me a list of suggested ingredients for a film he'd just received from General Khomeinko. It included everything I'd asked for, some things I didn't want, and some surprises. I rejected some obvious public relations stuff, but I was intrigued to hear about the roketchiki song and dance troop. I was certain it would be a long way from the cowboy style of Cheyenne Wyoming. I told Pozner we were coming.

The roketchiki had proposed some individual officers to be filmed, but accepted without question when we chose instead to feature the gold-toothed Colonel Petrovsky and the bright young Lieutenant Evgeny Pavlov. To my surprise, we had as much freedom to choose our characters as we'd had on the base in America. In both countries, we had an accompanying escort when we filmed -- in the U.S., a Press Office sergeant, in Russia a silent and rather forbidding security man. Neither of them prevented us asking anything, but I was startled to find the Russian escort less attentive than his American equivalent. He rarely showed up for our interviews, whereas in Wyoming, our press officer sat in on every conversation.

On our final afternoon, we had a breakthrough. On a few minutes notice, we were suddenly taken out to a missile launch control center. The base commander had either won his battle -- or taken a considerable risk. We filmed deep underground in the tunnels built to withstand a direct nuclear strike, and I felt I was back in the depths of a Cold War nightmare. But the undeniable fact that I was there and filming with a Western crew meant that the Cold War was over, and we had all moved on.

[Alex-DV]

You forgot to mention that Putin was a communist.

[G8 Diplomat]

After the Cold War, with the Soviet threat gone and with Democrat President Bill Clinton in the White House

Um, I don't think the Soviet threat would be gone then....

[Marysecretary]

Russia and the Arab states will go after Israel, I believe, before they hit us. They must know we'll strike back. Russia has never been a friend to us or to anyone else for that matter.

[Thunder90]

I think that they will go after the US and the UK first, then there will be a massive Russian/Chinese/Muslim (and even possibly Indian) attack on Israel.

[Thunder90]

The Russian military is Communist in it's makeup. Many units still wear Soviet motif, even the elite ones.