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Russia flexes Central Asia military might amid Afghan fears
AFP/Yahoo ^ | Akbar Borisov with Chris Rickleton in Bishkek

Posted on 05/17/2015 4:09:32 AM PDT by Paid_Russian_Troll

Russia has deployed hundreds of troops for drills in Central Asia with its ex-Soviet allies in a show of force as anxiety grows over a surge in fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Around 2,500 personnel from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) are taking part in joint exercises due to run to Wednesday in Tajikistan. The move is seen as re-enforcing Moscow's role as the main guarantor of the fragile region's security after US troops leave Afghanistan.

The Russian deployment of about 500 troops for the drills started last week, bolstered by soldiers from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Belarus.

Tajikistan is in a strategic spot, bordering Afghanistan's Kunduz province where over 200 people have died and 10,000 been displaced by a militant offensive.

Russia's foreign ministry says it is "particularly concerned" by the violence, which Afghan local authorities claim has seen the Taliban link up with jihadists from the Islamic State group battling in Syria and Iraq.

The uptick in Afghan fighting has rattled Moscow's ex-Soviet allies in Central Asia, and some have looked towards Russia for reassurance.

Tajikistan hosts a Russian military base and has called for Moscow to step up its military assistance to the country.

It is the only CSTO member of the three Central Asian states bordering Afghanistan, which also include Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The Kremlin and its partners in Central Asia have been accused in the past of exaggerating a post-Washington 'spillover' effect in the region.

But some experts argue states such as Tajikistan and Turkmenistan would be unable to contain a hypothetical breakout of fighting in Afghanistan's fractious northern provinces without significant outside help.

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Russia; Syria; US: New York; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2016election; afghanistan; armenia; belarus; brazil; brics; centralasia; china; crimea; csto; donetsk; election2016; fairtax; flattax; india; iran; iraq; islam; jihad; kazakhstan; kyrgyzstan; newyork; russia; southafrica; syria; tajikistan; taxcuts; taxreform; trump; turkmenistan; ukraine; uzbekistan; waronterror

1 posted on 05/17/2015 4:09:32 AM PDT by Paid_Russian_Troll
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To: Paid_Russian_Troll

A power vacuum does not exist for long.

The Russian Federation may be almost prostrate economically, but they still have a clear vision of how to drag themselves back up. Just occupy the “world’s policeman” post that is now being vacated by the regime now in control of the territory once known as “the United States of America”.

Projection of military power is still one of the defining characteristics of a first-tier national focus. China is well on the way to acquiring a blue-water navy as well.


2 posted on 05/17/2015 4:16:15 AM PDT by alloysteel ("Before I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement..." Ronald Reagan)
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To: Paid_Russian_Troll

Russkie soldiers routinely beat and rape each other to death and have been responsible for massive crimes everywhere they go. The idea of the Russkie as a “guarantee” of safety is a joke.


3 posted on 05/17/2015 4:56:41 AM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

You forgot murder.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Gyumri_massacre


4 posted on 05/17/2015 5:26:02 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: Paid_Russian_Troll

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization began in 2001 and the CSTO in 2002.


5 posted on 05/17/2015 5:28:42 AM PDT by Ben Ficklin
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To: lodi90

Would pointing at similar crimes committed by personnel of countries other than Russia deployed to countries other than Armenia make a ‘moral equivalence’ for you?


6 posted on 05/17/2015 5:40:46 AM PDT by Paid_Russian_Troll
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To: Paid_Russian_Troll
Afghan local authorities claim has seen the Taliban link up with jihadists from the Islamic State group battling in Syria and Iraq.

We have a common threat here, too bad we can't work together to exterminate it.

7 posted on 05/17/2015 5:46:39 AM PDT by McGruff (What did Hillary know and when did she know it?)
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To: Paid_Russian_Troll
The Rooskie has been a historic rapist for decades. Ask the East Germans...
8 posted on 05/17/2015 6:08:52 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks ("If he were working for the other side, what would he be doing differently ?")
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To: Paid_Russian_Troll

Would pointing at similar crimes committed by personnel of countries other than Russia deployed to countries other than Armenia make a ‘moral equivalence’ for you?


I don’t think the Armenians who see their country being corrupted by one party fascist state Russia much care about your whataboutism.


9 posted on 05/17/2015 6:16:30 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: alloysteel

More importantly those little “stans “will slow down the Chinese when they invade giving Russia time to arm up


10 posted on 05/17/2015 6:18:18 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)
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To: lodi90

Too bad most of them favors Russian military presense in their country.


11 posted on 05/17/2015 6:18:19 AM PDT by Paid_Russian_Troll
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To: lodi90; Paid_Russian_Troll

In other words...you’re a hypocrite.

No surprise here.


12 posted on 05/17/2015 6:40:03 AM PDT by mac_truck (Aide toi et dieu t aidera)
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To: mac_truck

I’ll explain it slowly for you, FRiend. It’s a package deal with Russia in that part of the world. Rape, murder and corruption. Putinist fascist Russia is a very corrosive influence. Nothing good comes when Ivan arrives with his guns & money. Ever. History shows us that where Russia goes, misery follows.


13 posted on 05/17/2015 6:50:41 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: Paid_Russian_Troll

Too bad most of them favors Russian military presense in their country.


No, their dictators favor the Russian cash and blow. Like Putinist Russia, the people there don’t get a free vote in matter.


14 posted on 05/17/2015 6:52:53 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: lodi90

Since when Armenia is a dictatorship? And back to the topic every sane Armenian understands that the moment the Russian military leaves they all be slaughtered by their Islamic neighbors and their land shared between Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan. And since Armenians are Christians it would be largely unnoticed by so-called international community. It has already happened to them, more than once.


15 posted on 05/17/2015 7:22:24 AM PDT by Paid_Russian_Troll
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To: Paid_Russian_Troll
Would pointing at similar crimes committed by personnel of countries other than Russia deployed to countries other than Armenia make a ‘moral equivalence’ for you?

For the Russkie soldier, crime, rape, and murder are the norm. Wanna know how many photos I can produce for you, posted by your countrymen beating and even sexually exploiting their fellow soldiers, entire videos of torture, bloodied bodies in bathrooms after gang rapes, and stories from Chechnya and other locations where the Russians rape and pillage at liberty? Same thing happened in WW2 by the millions. On average most Russians are low IQ, very aggressive, and tend to have some kind of a dependency, whether on drink or drugs. That's what happens to a society under Communism. Think of them as the Muslims of the Slavic world, or a welfare dependent rioter from Baltimore.

16 posted on 05/17/2015 4:19:42 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: mac_truck
In other words...you’re a hypocrite.

Who you calling a hypocrite you slimy Putinist? You're such a tool most of your posts on anything to do with Russia sound like a Communist press release. You are not a conservative. You are some kind of a creature from the Russkie lagoon, and I really wish you'd go back to your cess pool and leave innocent Freepers alone.

17 posted on 05/17/2015 4:21:54 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

Lol...You’re here so Westboro must be missing an idiot!


18 posted on 05/17/2015 4:48:03 PM PDT by mac_truck (Aide toi et dieu t aidera)
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To: mac_truck
Lol...You’re here so Westboro must be missing an idiot!

Hey, if you're here, that means an anti-semetic/Anti-American conspiracy website is missing a reader at the moment, you demon possessed dog.

19 posted on 05/17/2015 5:17:19 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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