Posted on 12/16/2007 5:24:50 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
U.S. antimissile launch may provoke counterattack - army chief-2
MOSCOW, December 15 (RIA Novosti) - A possible U.S. launch of an interceptor missile from Central Europe may provoke a counterattack by intercontinental ballistic missiles, Russia's top military commander said.
"If we suppose that Iran wants to strike the United States, than interceptor missiles, which would be launched from Poland, will fly towards Russia," the Chief of the Russian General Staff, Gen. Yury Baluyevsky said, adding that the shape of interceptor missiles and their flight trajectory are very similar with IBMs.
Washington wants to place a radar in the Czech Republic and 10 missile interceptors in Poland, purportedly to counter a missile threat from Iran and other "rogue" states. Moscow has responded angrily to the plans, saying the European shield would destroy the strategic balance of forces and threaten Russia's national interests.
The top Russian military official said Russia operates automated missile warning systems, which could respond automatically in case the U.S. fires an antimissile across Russia against a possible ballistic missile form Iran.
He added that the U.S. also still keeps high on the agenda an issue of a possible global confrontation with Russia.
"The issue of, to put it mildly, a confrontation with Russia, including a direct confrontation, is unfortunately still regarded by my counterparts from the Pentagon as relevant," he said adding that the U.S. missile shield plans in Central Europe are aimed to change the current security system in Europe and not against possible strikes from "rogue states."
He said the formation of the Third Site in Poland and the Czech Republic is a destabilizing factor in Europe and Russia will do everything possible to prevent a decrease in its national defense capability.
"Depending on the situation we [Russia] plan to take adequate and asymmetrical measures aimed to prevent a drop in national defense capabilities," Baluyevsky said adding that the U.S. proposals on the missile shield are unacceptable for Russia.
"We believe that Russia's opinion should be heard and taken into account concerning such important issue as the missile shield in Europe," he said. "We speak for the dialogue, but under the condition that the problem will not be complicated by unilateral steps in this sphere."
Russia has offered the U.S. use of radar stations at Gabala in Azerbaijan, and Armavir in south Russia, as alternatives to missile shield deployment in Central Europe. Washington said, though, it could use these radars only as additional components of the European shield.
Speaking about the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, Baluyevsky said that European states have turned the treaty into a tool of political pressure.
"Western countries have deliberately turned a regime of arms control into a tool for achieving political aims," he said.
The law to freeze Russia's participation in the CFE treaty was unanimously approved by parliament and signed on November 30 by President Vladimir Putin. Russia's unilateral moratorium came into force immediately after midnight on Wednesday.
Moscow considers the original CFE treaty, signed in December 1990 by 16 NATO countries and six Warsaw Pact members, to be discriminatory and outdated since it does not reflect the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, the breakup of the Soviet Union, or recent NATO expansion.
Baluyevsky said that after the moratorium came into force Russia has the full right to move its military units across the country the way it prefers, but the country does not plan to increase weapons stock.
NATO said in a statement Wednesday that it regretted Russia's decision to impose a moratorium on the arms reductions treaty, which the West regards as a cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security, and urged Moscow to reverse its decision.
Russia has urged NATO countries to ratify the adapted version of the treaty, signed on November 19, 1999 and so far ratified only by Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Ping!
Iran attack the USA??!! Oh please! LOL
This layman says that the "use of" radar stations in south Russia are useless because:
1. Too close to intercept ICBMs
2. Doesn't include the use of intercept missiles. Only the radar. Big whoop.
So a reactive deployment of a defensive, non-nuclear weapon
will incite the launch of offensive,
nuclear weapons of mass destruction
Good orders of engagement you got there buddy
I guess this is what the Israelis should do to
Hamas and their cronys
When they lob their missiles into Israel
While inder a flag of peace
Sounding more and more like the Cold War-era Soviets every day. ...Pooty’s comfort zone.
I think the Russians really need to get with the program vis a vis Iran - they are playing with fire and are likely to get burned a bit more than they think...
Then we launch two!
“A possible U.S. launch of an interceptor missile from Central Europe may provoke a counterattack by intercontinental ballistic missiles, Russia’s top military commander said.”
Which of course would result in the incineration of Russia, unless of course by then the U.S. is an Islamic state or run by Mexicans, two increasingly likely scenarios given the direction both party elites seem to be “fellow traveling”.
Russia will not allow any sort of US missile base (defensive or otherwise) in her sphere of influence.
I just hope we are not so crazy as to put one there.
Couldn’t we shape the “interceptor missile” into the shape of say, a bunny rabbit?(/sarcasm)
You should be Secretary of State.
The decrepit and old SovBlock system mistook a scientific launch and put the Russian system at the equialivant of DEFCON 2 in the early morning of January 25, 1995, because Norwegian scientists and their American colleagues launched the largest sounding rocket ever from Andoya Island off the coast of Norway. A launch they had informed the Russian Missile Command about in advance.
Note - Sounding rockets collect data on atmospheric conditions from various altitudes.
Designed to study the northern lights, the rocket followed a trajectory to nearly 930 miles altitude but away from the Russian Federation. To Russian radar technicians, the flight appeared similar to one that a U.S. Trident missile would take to blind Russian radars by detonating a nuclear warhead high in the atmosphere.
President Boris Yeltsin stated the next day that he had activated his "nuclear football" -- a device that allows the Russian president to communicate with his top military advisers and review the situation online -- for the first time.
Also, shortly after midnight Moscow time on September 26, 1983, the sun, the satellite, and U.S. missile fields all lined up in such a way as to maximize the sunlight reflected from high-altitude clouds. This was seen as a massive launch signature from the US missile fields. That was sorted out, but not before the Soviet ICBM force had been alerted.
So, ya, it could happen - despite the posturing, it almost HAS happened.
Since Russia has decided to provide Iran, a criminal regime, with nuclear technology, Russia has exited the community of civilized nations, and has no right or claim to anything, or any respect or deference from, any civilized country.
They can reverse their barbarism tomorrow - but at present, they are an illegitimate troublemaker and there is no reason we should pay the slightest attention to anything they say. And spare me talk of their threats or on the other hand of their assurances - deliberate proliferation of nuclear technology to terrorist criminals, destroys any basis for discussion of any kind.
Clear enough for you?
I agree with that. However, they have do nucs & ICBMs. That said, I believe we should proceed with missile defense in Eastern Europe. We should just come out and state that we are prepared to defend against Russian missiles.
Bluster ... Russia supposedly has the same launch detection capabilities as does the US. They would know that the interceptor launch is defensive. The question would be, if Iran is insane enough to launch against someone, would Russia want to buy into the attack and launch as well? Iran might not care that they get incinerated in return but Russia would.
Syria's nuclear sites were protected by Russian radar, too. Last September, Israel managed to fly in anyway and bomb those sites without Syria knowing a thing about it.
this is a big duh
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.