Russians move 2 SS-21 Medium Range Ballistic Missile Launchers into South Ossetia

word press ^ | 8/11/08 | word press

[Flavius]

Col. Sam Gardiner notes, in an interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now, Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons to South Ossetia. The SS-21 Missile launchers are relatively small compared to bombs that have already been used against Georgia by the Russian air force. However, this move does indicate Russia is potentially upping the game from a conventional weapons war to a tactical nuclear weapons war. Gardiner notes that at a news conference on Sunday, the US Deputy National Security advisor has noted these weapons arriving in South Ossetia.

Business Wire confirms the subject matter of the news briefing in Beijing. Link

[Flavius]

In terms of how we've responded to this, the President was informed immediately on Friday, when we received news of the first two SS-21 Russian missile launchers into Georgian territory. He immediately -- this was at the Great Hall -- he immediately met with President Putin. They had a discussion. The President then engaged with his national security staff continuously over the last two days. He has spoken with -- again with Putin that evening. He then talked with President Medvedev yesterday evening, as well as President Saakashvili. Secretary Rice has spoken repeatedly with President Saakashvili, as well as with her Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Lavrov, and many European leaders.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/template.NDM/news/more/?javax.portlet.tpst=0b2c9a4dd5f89b80977dd367cc87b42f_ws_MX&javax.portlet.prp_0b2c9a4dd5f89b80977dd367cc87b42f_viewID=news_view_popup&javax.portlet.prp_0b2c9a4dd5f89b80977dd367cc87b42f_newsLang=en&javax.portlet.prp_0b2c9a4dd5f89b80977dd367cc87b42f_ndmHsc=v2*A1215860400000*B1218521888000*DgroupByDate*J2*L1*N1000837*Zjim%20jeffrey&javax.portlet.prp_0b2c9a4dd5f89b80977dd367cc87b42f_newsId=20080810005040&beanID=202776713&viewID=news_view_popup&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

[Flavius]

ping y’all

[randomhero97]

Well, I say we see his SS-21’s and up him some “strapped” B-2’s in Incirlik.

[Domandred]

Oh not good, not good not good.

I really hope they don't use those on their own people...or on anyone else for that matter.

[B-Chan]

Not good.

[JerseyHighlander]

Let me fix your link:

Business Wire confirms the subject matter of the news briefing in Beijing. Link

[libh8er]

This is Bush’s second biggest challenge of his Presidency. In some respects you could say his biggest till date. The commies are a whole different ball game than the Islamofascists.

[1rudeboy]

C'mon. They are simply being deployed to protect innocent South Ossetians from the vaunted Georgian military.
/sarc

[EagleUSA]

I really hope they don’t use those on their own people...or on anyone else for that matter.
:::::::
The possibility reminds me of Saddam Hussein and what he did to his people -— all dictators and communists are the same.

[skeeter]

Has Turkey weighed in on this latest development? I would think they’d have something to say.

[Sola Veritas]

An SS-21 can carry a nuclear weapon, but they also can carry conventional ones.

This appears to be more posturing to me. This is rapidly turning into a new “Cuban Missle Crisis.”

[Lurker]

FYI.

[al baby]

If this escalates and we get involved will Bush suspend the elections????

[1rudeboy]

The Russians are playing this perfectly. We need a break. (We’ll get one, but maybe not soon enough to help the Georgians).

[Domandred]

Hrmmm google search came up with SS-21 being primarily a high explosive conventional warhead, but could be outfitted with mines, bomblets, chemical, or tac-nuke.

Any confirmation what they carrying besides just the launchers being moved in?

[rjp2005]

The missiles were moved in on Friday?

[libh8er]

Putin had promised some sort of ‘response’ to the US/Poland/Czech missle defense pact. I guess this is it.

[libh8er]

Putin had promised some sort of ‘response’ to the US/Poland/Czech missle defense pact. I guess this is it.

[perchprism]

This is A-100 crappola. What we need to do now is not in the ‘What if?’ book. We need to bomb those SS-21’s out of existence with whatever clever stuff we have that they can’t see coming. Just bomb them out. Then tell them by way of the diplomats we’ll be escorting out of Washington, that further ‘A-100 Crappola’ will not be treated as nicely.