Posted on 03/07/2007 6:51:39 AM PST by Ooh-Ah
RUSSIA is to replace its military doctrine with a more hawkish version that boldly identifies NATO and the West as its greatest danger.
In a statement posted on its website, Russia's powerful Security Council said it no longer considered global terrorism to be its biggest danger. Instead, Russia was developing a new national security strategy that reflected changing "geo-political" realities, and the fact that rival military alliances were becoming "stronger" - "especially NATO".
"There have been changes in the character of the threat to the military security of Russia. More and more leading world states are seeking to upgrade their national armed forces. The configuration has changed," the council said.
Though the President, Vladimir Putin, ordered his generals to revise the military doctrine in June 2005, the blueprint reflects the sudden deterioration in relations with the West. In particular Russia has been incensed by the Bush Administration's plans to site two missile interceptor and radar bases in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Senior figures in the Russian military said on Tuesday that they were infuriated by what they regard as NATO's "relentless expansion" into "post-Soviet space" - the countries of former communist Eastern Europe and the Baltic. Russia felt increasingly "encircled" by hostile neighbours, they said.
Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that Washington had failed to explain why it wanted to site missile bases on Russia's doorstep. Mr Putin has ridiculed the US claim that the bases were designed to shoot down rogue missiles from Iran or North Korea, claiming their real target is Russia's nuclear arsenal.
It is not clear when Russia's new doctrine will be in place. But the council is likely to recommend a new strategy by the end of the year, military sources said. The doctrine follows a big increase in military expenditure announced last month.
Analysts said the new doctrine would be "much tougher" than the one adopted in 2000.
"It will be much harsher towards the US and NATO. The doctrine will reflect Russia's concerns about NATO enlargement and the ABM [anti-ballistic missile] system deployment close to Russia's borders," Sergei Kortunov, a former member of the council, and professor at Moscow's School of Economics, said. He added: "Russia is concerned about the US's creation of new arms systems. It is also worried about the dangers to Russia from the US and other Western countries, and their political role in the countries of the post-Soviet space."
The chairman of Russia's academy of military science, Mahmoud Garayev, said Russia could no longer afford to ignore the threat from NATO. Drugs and terrorism were an irrelevance, he said.
The doctrine comes as the Bush Administration has reportedly decided to step up its arguably erratic bilateral engagement with Moscow.
The New York Times has reported that the White House intends to "reach out more often and more intensively" to Russia, an acknowledgment in effect that it has not always consulted Russia on foreign policy and national security plans.
Guardian News & Media
I have noticed lately that those who speak out against the Russian government seem to be accident prone. One reporter fell out of a window.
As is the slow Chinese repopulation of Siberia...
He is making a big mistake. Not in his reasoning, for he knows all too well that this bluster about NATO being more dangerous than Muslim terrorism is false. Putin is erring in alienating us when we need to be working together. If he wants to bring back the Cold War, he will regret it. And for certain, Russia will continue to be attacked by Muslim terrorists, with or without our help. Unless Putin is secretly siding with the Muslims against us...and may God help Russia if that is the case. A majority Muslim Russia is truly the world's worst nightmare. Mohammed with thousands of deliverable nuclear weapons. Think about it.
We'll just have to win the cold war again.
Russia seems at least adept at dealing with Muslims on it's territory. Christian education in schools, zero tolerance for islamofascism.
Putin is a bigger threat to Russia than NATO.
...Putin is secretly siding with the Muslims against us.With this strategy, he wins--we won't call him on it or make him pay. And, he gets market$ and possibly some help for the terror problem he faces at home.
This caught my eye:
"The New York Times has reported that the White House intends to "reach out more often and more intensively" to Russia, an acknowledgment in effect that it has not always consulted Russia on foreign policy and national security plans."
Why should we consult them?
Russia has aligned itself for Iran and Syria and against Israel. I think the increased babble from Moscow is directly related to our more aggressive stance against Iran. If we strike Iran I hope we keep a keen eye on Russian movements.
"Russia seems at least adept at dealing with Muslims on it's territory. Christian education in schools, zero tolerance for islamofascism."
...but they love islamofascism on their borders, so long as it's islamofascists thay pay hard currency for weapons.
Iran...
Well let them out of it! It's not good to force anything down the throat of those who will never accept it.
yea but i'd love to see us adopt the zero tolerance and christian education in schools.
i'd love to see us nix relations with muslim monarchies and dictatorships too.
foxnews yesterday had an article on saudi arabia where a women who was raped is being charged for being alone with men while her rapists all go free. how many hijacker were saudi citizens?
Why wouldn't they fear NATO more than terrorism? They know how to handle terrorists, blow away the terrorists, their families, the towns they came from, and to hell with any innocents who get in the way and anybody who complains about the overkill.
Dr. Jack Wheeler: Chinese Siberia
The geopolitical bottom line is that there is no way Russia is going to be able to hold on to Siberia for much longer. Within 20 years or less, it's going to be Chinese Siberia.
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For all of this is a reminder that our tussles with Mexico and Moslems are just the preliminaries - that the Main Event of the 21st Century will be America's struggle with Communist China.
Interesting. Informative. Scary... a China possessing Eastern Siberia with all its resources would be in position to become the next superpower.
Sun Tzu was a clever fellow.
Tell me, did US suffer more from 9/11 than Serbia suffered from NATO?
As of right now, I don't think it is a threat. Anyway, most Chinese in Sibera have a beef with the PRC government, and wouldn't help them at all (they don't like the Russians either, and are subjected to re-education camps if sent back to China)
Why? During the war in Kosovo Clinton and his butt boy General Clark nearly got us into a war with Russia, China and India. Lucky for us people with in NATO refused a direct order to attack the Russians.
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