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Commander of US Army in Europe Sees Russia Mobilizing for War
Wall Street Journal ^ | February 09, 2015 | Sohrab Ahmari

Posted on 02/15/2015 6:22:35 PM PST by presidio9

'I believe the Russians are mobilizing right now for a war that they think is going to happen in five or six years —not that they're going to start a war in five or six years, but I think they are anticipating that things are going to happen, and that they will be in a war of some sort, of some scale, with somebody within the next five or six years."

So says Lt. Gen. Frederick "Ben" Hodges, commander of U.S. Army Europe....

"Strong Europe!" reads a sign on one of the walls. Next to it is the U.S. Army Europe insignia, a burning sword set against a blue shield. The two signs represent the strategic framework the three-star general has introduced—building on America's decades-long role on the Continent—since taking command last year of the 30,000 or so U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe.

The U.S. military presence in Europe is more vital at this moment than it has been in many years. American engagement is essential if the West is to deter a revanchist Russia that has set out to "redraw the boundaries of Europe," Gen. Hodges says with a native Floridian's drawl....

The Russians have "got some forces in Transnistria," he says of the state that broke away from Moldova in the 1990s. "They've got forces in Georgia. And I think they view China as their existential threat, so they've got a lot of capacity out there." The Russian military is thus already somewhat stretched, and Moscow had to carve out from existing units the battalion task groups currently arrayed near eastern Ukraine. Yet "they are clearly on a path to develop, to increase, their capacity," Gen. Hodges says. Add to this expansion that "they've got very good equipment, extremely good communications equipment, their [electronic-warfare] capability, T-80 tanks." How long will it take for Russia to reach its desired military strength? "I think within another two or three years they will have that capacity," he says.. -SNIP-


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: europe; moldova; putinsbuttboys; russia; transnistria; ukraine; vladtheimploder
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

And no one in US Intel knew about it until days after the event. Intel paid the price of pissing off the collectors, who suddenly became deaf.


161 posted on 02/16/2015 1:40:19 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: FlyingEagle

Debunked.


162 posted on 02/16/2015 1:41:45 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: ansel12

Once classified 1967 Soviet report estimated that from the moment the 2nd Guards and others crossed through Fulda Gap, they would be at the English Channel in 72 hours ... despite the use of tactical and strategic nukes by both sides.


163 posted on 02/16/2015 1:48:16 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

“Russians are also part Asian, and they have their own way of doing business.”

Money quote. Everyone should remember this. Russians are not Europeans.


164 posted on 02/16/2015 4:34:20 AM PST by elcid1970 ("I: am a radicalized infidel.")
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To: tcrlaf

I see you can put a lot of trolling words in order trying to dismiss and harass people my claiming they are silly panic spreaders.

So lets come back to the topic. Is Lt. Gen. Frederick “Ben” Hodges a silly delusional alarmist? A frightened maiden scared of a mouse?


165 posted on 02/16/2015 5:02:55 AM PST by Krosan
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To: ansel12

His “weakness” quite possibly is the reason for the Ukrainian problem in the first place. Ukraine is just irrelevant to him. It does not impinge on his project which is Jihad. Neither side in Ukraine is Moslem. It doesn’t affect ISIS or Iran either way.


166 posted on 02/16/2015 5:12:36 AM PST by arthurus (it's true!)
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To: tcrlaf

To add ... it is not just General Hodges.

Here is an article from 10 months ago where General Breedlove clashed with Obama over pretty much the same issues. It is not a new thing.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/11/exclusive-key-general-splits-with-obama-over-ukraine.html

So what is it? Code Pink style “Generals are military industrial complex slave alarmists”?


167 posted on 02/16/2015 5:14:55 AM PST by Krosan
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To: elcid1970

In all fairness, Russians have a split personality: half European and half Asian. And they are uncomfortable with either.

It is said that when they are enjoying the wide open spaces of the East, and reveling in the freedom of the open range, all they can think about is the sophistication of Paris. Likewise, when visiting in the West, they quickly tire of all the order and civility (while stuffing themselves in a bistro), and long for the horseback, and roughing it.

In their culture, they will often swing to the western way, but soon will revert to “Slavophilism”, rejecting everything western. They have done this since Peter the Great, and his bizarre tour of Europe, to steal technology.

But it has been noted that “When a Russian acts like a European, he is lying. But when he behaves as an Asian, you can believe him.”

Finally, there is the German quote, that “Russia remains Russia” (Russland bleibt Russland).


168 posted on 02/16/2015 5:18:44 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("Don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative." -Obama, 09-24-11)
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To: ansel12

Putin isn’t bluffing. This war will escalate if NATO arms Ukraine and if NATO decides to fight Russian troops in Ukraine then it will most likely go nuclear. Why would NATO want to commit suicide? Nobody does but it could end that way once things get set in motion.


169 posted on 02/16/2015 5:29:02 AM PST by Sawdring
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To: Sawdring
Ukraine then it will most likely go nuclear.

Never going to happen as nukes are political weapons, not military weapons. No nation state will ever drop a big one again. Terrorists - that is another issue.

170 posted on 02/16/2015 5:32:35 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: Sawdring

The war will escalate if we don’t as well... if you keep feeding wild animals they will demand more and more.


171 posted on 02/16/2015 5:34:58 AM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: Sawdring

Russia claims they do not have troops in Ukraine. They claim that these are “rebels” taking WW2 tanks of podiums, fixing them up and thus achieving a tank force more numerous than large European nations such as France or the UK. Also tanks and artillery are supposedly coming from local sports and hunting stores.

What if there were a sports and hunting store selling Javelins in Kyiv?


172 posted on 02/16/2015 5:36:27 AM PST by Krosan
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

“The Russian is a delightful individual until he tucks in his shirt. As an Oriental he is charming; it is only when he insists on being treated as the most easterly of Westerns rather than westerly of Easterns that he becomes a racial anomaly most difficult to handle. One never knows which side of his nature is going to turn up next.”

This quote is thought to have originated during the Cold War but was actually written by Rudyard Kipling in 1890.


173 posted on 02/16/2015 5:39:10 AM PST by elcid1970 ("I: am a radicalized infidel.")
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To: presidio9
'I believe the Russians are mobilizing right now for a war that they think is going to happen in five or six years —not that they're going to start a war in five or six years, but I think they are anticipating that things are going to happen, and that they will be in a war of some sort, of some scale, with somebody within the next five or six years."

Read Ezekiel 38 and 39.

174 posted on 02/16/2015 5:39:37 AM PST by ducttape45
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To: StoneWall Brigade
>>Seems things are getting interesting<<

And the vast majority have no clue unfortunately.

175 posted on 02/16/2015 5:54:20 AM PST by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: Star Traveler
>>Maybe they’re getting ready for the Gog/Magog war in Ezekiel 38 and 39!<<

And they don't even know who's putting the hook in their jaw.

176 posted on 02/16/2015 5:57:28 AM PST by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: Sola Veritas

See:

Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The original Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) was negotiated and concluded during the last years of the Cold War and established comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe (from the Atlantic to the Urals) and mandated the destruction of excess weaponry. The treaty proposed equal limits for the two “groups of states-parties”, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact.

[....]

Suspension by Russia

After Russia was not willing to support the US missile defense plans in Europe, Putin warned a “moratorium” on the treaty in his April 26, 2007 address. Then he raised most of his points for rewriting the treaty during the Extraordinary Conference of States Parties to the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe, held in Vienna on June 11–15 at Russia’s initiative.[13] As his requests were not met during this conference, Putin issued a decree intended to suspend the observance of its treaty obligations on July 14, 2007, effective 150 days later, stating that it was the result of “extraordinary circumstances (...) which affect the security of the Russian Federation and require immediate measures,” and notified NATO and its members.[14][15] The suspension applies to the original CFE treaty, as well as to the follow-up agreements.[13]


177 posted on 02/16/2015 6:37:10 AM PST by WhiskeyX
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To: WhiskeyX

Whiskey, what do you think about the new Defense Secretary? He was the one driving the effort of Ukraine giving away their nuclear weapons.

I have optimistic and pessimistic view.

optimistic) He made Ukraine give away their nukes and is going to work towards Ukraine not being destroyed for following his push.

pessimistic) He is a commie working to destroy the western world


I looked up the polls and these say mostly everyone in the USA wants to help Ukraine. Obama makes some noises and yet Canada has helped Ukraine more than USA! Canada! is very small compared to the USA. It baffles my mind how Obama can say something and people are content when he does less than Canada!


178 posted on 02/16/2015 6:47:16 AM PST by Krosan
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To: Krosan

Given Obama’s peculiar and contradictory communist and Islamist background, it appears likely that any Secretary of Defense is going to be a gelded figure in the Obama Administration. That said, this DoD Secretary is an abysmal choice, even if he wants to help the Ukraine.


179 posted on 02/16/2015 6:52:41 AM PST by WhiskeyX
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To: DirtyPigpen
Not sure I’m ready to call Russia a friend yet but at least they know what to do with muslim extremist.

Yup. It trains and arms them.

180 posted on 02/16/2015 6:57:14 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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