Medvedev Uncorks a Stunner on U.S. Missile Defense Shield

Fox News ^ | May 26, 2011 | James Rosen

[Qbert]

President Obama had just finished touting the “outstanding relationship” he and Dmitry Medvedev have built between themselves and their nations – the American leader even used the “reset” button metaphor again – when the Russian president turned to the thorny issue of Washington’s plan to upgrade its missile defense shield, and uncorked a stunner.

“I have told my counterpart, Barack Obama, that this issue will be finally solved in the future,” Medvedev told reporters in Deauville, France, “like, for example, in the year 2020.”

It wasn’t merely that Medvedev had chosen a date almost comically far into the future to suggest when the two nations might come to terms; the particular date he chose carried special meaning. 2020 is the year when the State Department has estimated the U.S. will deploy the SM-3 Block IIB, a missile still on the drawing board but being designed to intercept medium- and intermediate-range missiles that might be launched from the Middle East.

Since the Russians purport to see the Block IIB as a threat to Moscow’s own ballistic missile arsenal, Medvedev’s reference to the projected date of its deployment, in an otherwise cordial photo-op with the American president on the sidelines of an international summit, sent an unmistakable signal.

“He puts that marker out there,” explained Michael McFaul, the senior director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council, “to say that we have to have cooperation [on missile defense] before then, because if we don't, then we're going to have to think about these more dire scenarios.”

[Poison Pill]

At the rate they are dying off I wonder if there will even be much of a Russia in 2020?

[Paperdoll]

Bump for later.

[kevkrom]

2020 also guarantees the poser will be long out of office.

[dusttoyou]

In the scheme of things, russia and their anti-civialian military equipment junk / threats is pretty far down the list of real dangers America faces.

The ruskis, like our lib/dems tend to beleive their own bullshi’te.

[Josephat]

I’m not at all sure that he believes that.

[MestaMachine]

Putin will NEVER allow obama to “look like a winner” ever again if he can help it. He dsspises him... amd Putin still calls the tune.

[Robert A Cook PE]

““He puts that marker out there,” explained Michael McFaul, the senior director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council, “to say that we have to have cooperation [on missile defense] before then, because if we don't, then we're going to have to think about these more dire scenarios.””

Hmmmn.

Is this McFaul character actually “on our side” at the NSA? (Is ANYBODY in Washington in the executive branch “on our side”?)

So 2020 comes. We (The US!) have a new missile system that can shoot down some MidEast (and Russian) missiles that could save parts of the US from nuclear destruction. And McFaul thinks that means we face even more “dire scenarios” if we deploy it instead of scrapping with a worthless treaty that the Soviets want?

[SuperLuminal]

"2020 also guarantees the poser will be long out of office."

Dreamer...If he wins in 2012 he will be there long after 2020...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Robert A. Cook, PE.