Posted on 09/19/2007 7:36:53 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
GROWING military co-operation between Australia, Japan and the US is worrying Moscow, as is work on US-Japanese missile defence co-operation, a top foreign ministry official said in an interview today.
"The strengthening of US-Australian-Japanese ties has got our attention.... Narrow alliances, especially tight military-political unions, are a worry,'' Deputy Foreign Ministry Alexander Losyukov told daily Vremya Novostei newspaper.
"We don't hide that concern - we talk about it with the Australians and the Americans,'' he said.
Mr Losyukov said Moscow was also worried over US-Japanese co-operation on missile defence.
"They explain this by what appear to be not entirely justified fears about North Korea. It's possible the (North) Koreans could cause some unpleasantness for the Japanese or... us. But they can't reach the Americans and they won't likely be able to for years.''
Moscow and Washington have also clashed over US missile defence plans in Central Europe...
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
The Russians are looking for a fight.
There's no real reason for this worry considering that we're all on the other side of the freaking globe from European Russia. If they want to worry, worry about that Chinese military monster they are helping to birth. It will eat the closest low density populated land next to it. Like Siberia.
Bingo. Russia should worry more about China. I cannot imagine why Russia would be worried about Australia.
Russia is run by a bunch of nut cases.. I cannot believe we are so damn lax about them.. They are itching to get back into the cold war with us...
Australia??? not exactly a large military right??
Hey mate. The Aussies lost proportionately more men in Vietnam - fighting as our allies - than did the U.S.
They are also with us in Iraq, too.
Ri-i-i-i-ght....
Apr 30, 2001 - Russian military forces intervened in a mock nuclear conflict between China and the United States over Taiwan during strategic exercises that included Russian preparations to use nuclear weapons on U.S. forces in Asia, The Washington Times has learned.
Russian forces help China in mock conflict
Jul 26, 2004 - About 18,000 Chinese troops using their country's most advanced weapons systems last week rehearsed coordinated air, sea and ground attacks on Dongshan, an island in the South China Sea that resembles Taiwan in terrain and weather.
Feb 7, 2005 - Quietly, with almost no notice taken in the U.S. media, Russia and China have just stepped up their military cooperation to a level not seen in half a century since the end of the Korean War.
Jun 18, 2006 - Leaders of the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, embraced a Chinese-led plan during the summit to increase military cooperation and discussed a Russian proposal to create a regional ``energy club" that would exclude the United States. The SCO also indicated it would soon invite Iran, India, Pakistan, and Mongolia -- nations that have observer status in the organization -- to become full members.Last July, as soon as Iran, India, and Pakistan were inducted into the SCO as observers, the organization also formally asked the United States to withdraw its troops from member states. Since then, Uzbekistan has asked the United States to vacate an air base it set up after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Aug. 16, 2007 - Russia and China today host Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a summit of a Central Asian security club designed to counter U.S. influence in the region.
Aug 17, 2007 - On Friday, Mr. Putin will join leaders of China and other members of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Russia's Chelyabinsk region to view the final stage of the group's most ambitious joint military maneuvers yet, to include 6,500 troops and over 100 aircraft. Also on hand will be leaders of SCO observer states and prospective members, among them India, Pakistan, Iran, and Mongolia.
Based on its natural resources, Russia is potentially the greatest power on earth, if it would fully embrace Western ideals. It's tragic that the Russians refuse to learn from their blood-soaked history, and continue down the path to despotism. They'll learn a hard lesson when their putative allies in Beijing eventually turn to them for 'lebensraum' in Siberia.
“The strengthening of US-Australian-Japanese ties has got our attention”.....Good!- It should do.
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