Why a U.S.-Russia alliance makes sense

The Russia Journal ^ | May, 02,02 | IRA STRAUS

[ittybittyspider]

It should be apparent to anyone who follows U.S.-Russia relations that the two countries have plenty of reasons to build a strategic alliance.

First, the United States and Russia face the same real and potential threats around the world. These include:

• Islamic fundamentalism. • Terrorism. • Proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and delivery systems and emerging new technologies of destruction. • "States of concern" — they should combine their lists, since Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Libya and Pakistan ought to be a matter of concern for both the U.S. and Russia. • Chinese expansionist pressures in all directions.

Second, now that communism is gone, the two countries are more similar than different. Russia is trying to be what Russians call a "normal" "civilized" country, meaning a Western-style democracy and market economy, and has made considerable progress on both points.

Both countries need a boost in morale and to feel they have some new friends in the world, now that they face new enemies. Both are morally exhausted following the Cold War, after which they expected a boost in morale. They deserved one, but never got one, and are both hurt by this failure. But they won’t get a boost in morale until they go beyond detente to entente.

The two have almost always been allies in the great conflicts of the past — above all, during the two world wars — and never enemies, except when they were divided by communism. Now that the world is a smaller place, they have reason to be much closer allies.

Both countries derive their main heritage from Europe. Their languages are European. Both trace their roots to the Greco-Roman classical world, and further to Mesopotamia and Egypt. Their main religious heritage comes from Christianity.

The United States and Russia are vast countries with global influence. During the Cold War they developed connections everywhere in the world. At first they were simply doing it against each other, but even while the Cold War was going on, they saw a need to work together to regulate regional conflicts around the world.

Today they can combine their global influence and be very useful allies to one another. ‘’Both are great powers that can do a lot for each other’s security — and would inevitably do a huge amount of damage if they were enemies instead.

Russia can do more for America’s security against its main threat — Islamist extremists — than any other ally; it proved this in the war against the Taliban. America can do more for Russia’s security against its main threat — Islamist extremists — than any other ally; it also proved this in the war against the Taliban.

As allies, Russia and America can assure Russia’s territorial security and make sure that no one can even dream of taking territory from it. Russia can be sure that Siberia and the Far East will remain a part of Russia.

They have tremendous things to contribute to one another: skilled populations, technological capabilities, natural resources, investment, trade, mutual education.

Their societies have a lot in common: urbanization, education, technology, social behaviors, declining fertility, even religious and ideological trends.

They have the same overall interests in the way the world develops:

• Global democratization and modernization. • Saving the global environment. • Maintenance of their own populations, avoidance of global overpopulation.

• Global stability — stability of the leading global role of European civilization even as a global civilization emerges; stability in North-South relations even as the South develops; the spread and stabilization of moderate regimes in volatile regions, especially the Islamic world.

Building the alliance in five easy steps

1. Form a Joint Nuclear Force, using the nuclear weapons that the United States wants to put into storage (see The Russia Journal, Feb. 1, 2002, "Combined nuclear force or continued nuclear impasse"). Form a joint NATO command and joint nuclear doctrine for the joint force. Let the new joint doctrine put the old MAD one out of business.

2. Form a Russia-West energy consortium. Bring Russia into the International Energy Agency (IEA) and compensate it for drops in oil prices, so it’ll be free to compete ruthlessly against OPEC (see The Russia Journal, Nov. 30, 2001, "How to secure Russia’s place as an oil ally").

In one fell swoop we boost both of our economies, boost the economies of Asia and Africa as well and dry up the main root source of funding for our fundamentalist and terrorist enemies.

3. Make the most of the NATO-Russia Council of 20 that is likely to be formed in May. Have active joint projects. Support one another’s forces when they separately take on common enemies.

4. Have the Council of 20 work out a NATO-Russia Joint Security Doctrine. Go through the standard alliance procedures for this — a joint threat review, a compilation of national security interests, a reconciliation of threat perceptions and interests, and use innovative package deals to turn opposing orientations into shared ones.

5. Use the Joint Security Doctrine as a sort of "political platform" for the further participation of Russia in NATO. Work out the specifics of how Russia could join NATO as a member, on terms that would be good for both sides (see The Russia Journal, April 2, 2002, "Whittling down the new Russia-NATO set-up").

Carry out the terms. Bring Russia into NATO. And, voila! We have our alliance.

[ittybittyspider]

"Communism is gone neither from the US Government, nor China. The writer is generally correct, BUT we must do more than just hold arms talks, WE MUST HAVE A TRANSPOLAR FREE TRADE AGREEMENT! In this way, we can expand our influence throughout the CIS, NIS, and Central Asia. The CHINESE populace MUST SEE that the Russians did the right thing; - proof being the prosperity that comes with a politically plural free society based upon democracy and a free market system.

[Tactical Thunder]

Works for me then we could split up the arab states.

[AdA$tra]

A no-brainer to me. Total common sense. That is why it won't happen. If it does happen, it will be because of a huge global catastrophy creating the neccessity. I suppose that in itself makes it possible.

[gilor]

Keep your friends close and your enemies ever closer.

[Phillip Augustus]

Even during the height of the Cold War, and during the age of the Evil Empire, many visionaries in both the US and Russia realized that ultimately we would fight on the same side. The Russians are coming home, to the West, where they have always belonged. And, when that happens, the Islamic world will tremble.

[oyez]

The USA and Russia have been traditionally allies untill the establishment of the USSR then resumed its partnership during WW2. Since communism disposes of frendship when it gets in the way of political and global concerns the relationship was back on ice untill the walls crumbled. After a lifetime of adversarial an relationship it a strange feeling to be an the same side of the table.

[MarMema]

Russian KFOR soldiers decorated for rescuing wounded US soldier

Five Russian soldiers came to the rescue of a US soldier, who was severely wounded during a mine strike on 15 December 1999.

In complete disregard for their own safety, they entered an area known to be mined to rescue the US sergeant, whose vehicle had run over an anti-tank mine. Having administered first aid, the Russian soldiers helped evacuate the wounded soldier to a US medical treatment facility. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries.

On 24 December, General Wesley Clark, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), presented American decorations to the five Russian soldiers. Assigned to the Russian 13th Tactical Group operating in KFOR’s MNB-East area of responsibility, these are the first Russian soldiers in KFOR to be decorated by SACEUR.

[11B3]

I've been advocating this for a long time.

[happygrl]

I couldn't agree more.

To convey your sentiment to the Russian people, click on the link and send them an e-mail via FEEDBACK.

[Tokhtamish]

The Cold War was never personal. We never hated them and they never hated us. The war against militant Islam, on the other hand, is very personal for both our countries.

[swarthyguy]

Before the Bosheviks took, Imperial Russia was a great friend of the UnitedStates who they saw as a bulwark againts the machinations of the British.
Arnaud DeBochgrave advocated this back in 1990.

[MarMema]

To convey your sentiment to the Russian people, click on the link and send them an e-mail via FEEDBACK

LOL. Here is my reply -

"I am out of office. Your email will be read and appropriate action taken, but for anything urgent, please call the secretary at 959 2330 / 37 / 45 and leave a message. Regards Sandeep Goel"

[Stavka2]

The Chinese will never "see" this. They are cuturally biased against everyone else. It's the Middle Kingdom mentality. They are superior to the savages that surround them. Besides, there has never been any historic presidences of putting a value on human life in China and the main religion, Confusism teaches conformaty to your place in life.

[Stavka2]

To bad to many of the Cold Warriors here on FR and in government would disagree with you.

[Phillip Augustus]

The one positive about China is that they historically have not tried to export their visions of grandeur- obviously, there have times when they have, but, on the whole, not that often in the grand scheme of things.

Would that we could say the same for the Musslemen.

[Orion78]

Geopolitical Strategies of Russia, The 'Commonwealth of Independent States' and China

[Orion78]

In an earlier Memorandum to the CIA this analyst explained the common Sino-Soviet long range strategy of convergence with the West and the intended exploitation for the purposes of this strategy of the new openings arising from the 'reformed' political structure of the former USSR and the emergence of the alleged 'democrats', 'non-Communists' and 'independents' who are running it.

The present assessment shows how, because of Western ignorance of and confusion about the strategy underlying 'Perestroika' and because of Western political and economic support for the so-called reform of the Soviet system, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has been successfully installed and has begun to carry out concrete new geopolitical strategies within the framework of the long-standing overall Communist strategy of convergence. These strategies are still being guided and coordinated by the same Soviet strategists who have simply shifted away from the use of the old worn-out ideology and the familiar but obsolete patterns, to the exploitation of geopolitical factors and of the new potentialities of the 'reformed' Communist system. The common feature of these geopolitical strategies is the manipulation and use of the 'democrat' and 'independent' images which the change in form from the USSR to the CIS and it's individual members has provided so abundantly and the nature of which the West has, so far, failed to comprehend.

[contessa machiaveli]

i almost miss the cold war. although we had opposing viewpoints i never felt threatened by the russians. we can't go it alone in our war on terrorism, russia is the perfect partner (plus they have oil).

[Orion78]

The second upgraded strategy involves the use of the new 'independent' Muslim states in the CIS to establish and develop economic and political cooperation with the fundamentalists in Iran and elsewhere in the Muslim world. According to this assessment the much-advertised feud between the Armenians and the Azerbaijanis of Turkish descent in Nagorno-Karabakh may be a tactical ploy to involve Turkey, Iran and other Muslim countries in support of eventual alliance with Azerbaijan and other Central Asian Muslim states in the CIS. This strategy takes into account the growing power of the fundamentalists and the possibility of gaining control over substantial oil reserves.