Posted on 08/15/2008 6:40:42 AM PDT by docbnj
A top Russian general said Friday that Poland's agreement to accept a US missile defense battery exposes the country to attack, pointing out that Russian military doctrine permits the use of nuclear weapons in such a situation, the Interfax news agency reported. *** Interfax said he added, in clear reference to the agreement, that Russia's military doctrine sanctions the use of nuclear weapons "against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them." Nogovitsyn said that would include elements of strategic deterrence systems, according to Interfax.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
I hate to break it to you in your obvious overly emotional and dramatic state lady, but they’ve had nukes pointed at our heads for decades and we’ve pointed back. This is nothing new.
BTW, since they have nukes pointed at us, does it really make sense to carpet bomb or nuke them? Maybe your husband can draw you a warm bath or pour you a glass of wine so that you can relax a bit.
Sorry to burst your bubble. It is and was a simple reality of the conflict. What is the point of all the chest beating and flag waving that simply overides basic common sense? Lots of posters on Freepers in full armchair general mode would have nuked Moscow by now if they had been in charge. They wanted the A-10s circling over those Russian tank colums and wreaking the ‘Highway of Death’. It was never going to happen so they simply turn on the likes of President Bush and Dr Rice as if they have failed them in regards to the Russians. Thank goodness for level headed common-sense!
NATO must immediately terminate all contact with the Russian dictatorship and confront Putin's Kremlin head on, before more nations attacked by this vile, historic enemy of freedom.
As someone who lived through the Cuban Missle crisis, and experienced, first-hand, the terror of what could have happened if push came to shove, I can say, categorically, that the situation then was entirely different than today.
That being said, the mindset of the Russians has never changed -- it is the same now as it was then regarding the conundrum of MAD, or Mutually Assured Destruction. MAD is what kept both countries from even considering the use of nukes against each other, even tactical ones, because a nuclear strike on any NATO ally would be considered a strike on all NATO allies, and would bring about a swift and immediate retaliation, and Armageddon would cease to be an abstract concept.
The Russians stubbornly stuck to its mindset throughout the first Cold War, and then in this "new" Cold War, that a shield of anti-ballistic missles constituted a deterrent to their nuclear strike capability, and would tilt the balance of MAD in favor of the Allies. MAD was seen as the primary deterrent to nuclear war, and it would only work if both sides had equal capabilities to theoretically pull it off.
The Russians viewed the addition of anti-ballistic missile systems as tantamount to tipping the scales of MAD in favor of the US and its NATO allies, as if they had added a greater offensive strike capability. It's sort of like a race between two brand new cars, equal in make, model, year, engine, and horsepower. However, before the race, one of the drivers replaces most of his car's body panels with carbon fiber panels that make his car much lighter than his competitor. The owner of the other car cries, "Foul," and to neutralize the advantage of his opponents lighter car, he adds a nitrous oxide system (NOS) to his car. Then his competitor adds a turbocharger, so he adds a supercharger, and so on.
The Russians see no difference between adding an improved offensive weapons system designed to defeat the advantage posed by an improved defensive weapons system.
Which is why Reagan told the Russians, and the rest of the world, that the US was going to create an anti-ballistic weapons system deployed in space (aka, Star Wars) and then give that technology to whomever wanted it.
It was a brilliant ploy because Reagan took away the motive for Russia to build a more effective offensive missile capability when everyone else would be building defensive missile systems. To do so would forever paint Russia as the "800-lb gorilla in the room," or the only belligerent and bullying nation in a defensive-minded world.
The Russians had always concentrated their efforts to deter our first-strike capabilities with building bigger and bigger missiles capable of carrying more and more multiple warheads.
But, the prospect of having to face a missile defense shield in every NATO nation that would take away even a portion of their offensive strike capability, forced the Russians to spend more and more money on buiilding technologically "smarter" and more expensive offensive weapons systems that eventually would bust not only their defense budget but also other sectors of their economy.
It's like having one soldier wearing a Kevlar bullet-proof vest that forces his opponent to make both a rifle and ammunition having armour-piercing capabilities. The vest is infinitely cheaper than designing and manufacturing both the rifle and the ammo.
The bottom line is that Russia has dissolved whatever line there might have been between offensive nukes on their and defensive non-nukes on our side. It's been like this ever since Russia s\tarted building nuclear-carrying ICBM's.
Ma’m,
Why are you rolling your eyes at me? I’m not following your homosexual comment. I didn’t call you a lesbian anywhere in my post. In fact, I actually referenced your husband. I guess I just assumed you are married.
Night.
It is the same all the time though! If half you guys had been in charge you would have caused WW3 by now.
The Georgians had close air support aircraft in the same class as A-10s. The Su-25 Frogfoot. It didn’t do them any good as the Russians either shot them down or destroyed their operating bases. Having A-10s wouldn’t have made any difference.
All the Russians have to do is wait until The Exalted One dismantles all United States nuclear weapons. Then the Russian empire will extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
“My gut reaction is to want to say that Russia is over-reacting here. But I cant help be reminded of the Cuban missile crisis. The U.S. reaction to having missiles 90 miles off our coast is fairly analogous to the Russian reaction over this issue.”
A defensive shield against missiles does not equate to missiles.
Not quite right. The missiles that will be in Poland are aimed at no one. They are interceptors good for defensive use only.
Correct. They are kinetic weapons with no offensive value, whatsoever.
The justification for their emplacement is Iran -- though they could be used against Russian incoming, as well.
..Yeah - he's waiting for his minister of oration to write him a speech.
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