The news the MSM isn’t reporting is almost criminal in their neglect of the warning they have an obligation to pass along to the American people. It seems that the Bush administration is pressing ahead with plans to implement a missile shield that Russia states will be met with retaliation:
Washington wants to locate interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic as part of a shield it says is essential to protect Europe from rocket attacks by what is calls “rogue states” such as Iran and North Korea.
Russia believes the shield is targeted against its missile arsenal and poses a threat to its national security. President Vladimir Putin has suggested there would be unspecified retaliatory measures if the shield goes ahead.
Russia believes the shield is targeted against its missile arsenal and poses a threat to its national security. President Vladimir Putin has suggested there would be unspecified retaliatory measures if the shield goes ahead.Putin last month drew a parallel between the U.S. missile shield and the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, widely regarded as the closest the world has come to nuclear war. LINK
If you read this article from Yahoo News, it raises concerns, but when you begin to understand the scope and depth of the matter, it gets worse. Below are excepts from Putin’s annual questions and answer session, which is carried live on Russian television. Keep in mind that in the above statement, Putin spoke of : “unspecified retaliatory measures if the shield goes ahead” and then tied it the the US/Russian Cuban Missile Crisis: “Putin last month drew a parallel between the U.S. missile shield and the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, widely regarded as the closest the world has come to nuclear war”
Those are mighty strong words, especially when you take into consideration this statement made on November the 13th:
Russian Military Chief: America Evil
Russia’s Chief of general staff, General Yury Baluyevsky, told Russia Today T.V Channel, that the Russian Armed Forces were under no obligation to protect the world from the “evil Americans”. (Emphasis added)
In an interview with the English-language, state T.V., the top military chief cautioned that the “insidious” U.S. missile defense shield weapons system has nothing to do with countering Iran and is aimed squarely at Moscow, as tensions continue to heat between the two superpowers.He was speaking of U.S.plans to place a radar and missile defense systems in both Poland, and the Czech Republic, supposedly to protect America and it’s allies from Iran and other “rogue” states. MORE
The above statement would make it appear that their have been countries that have approached Russia and sought their protection from the United States, and Russia is telling them it’s their problem except for Iran, unless he has recently switched positions. Of importance is that that Russia seriously considers the United States as being a serious enough risk to publicly state that Russia has no obligation to protect the world from US aggression; this is getting ugly!
And then, after you’ve digested that, Putin held his annual televised question and answer session for the Russian people, and some of his statement are particularly telling:
Putin goes live on TV phone-in to escalate nuclear war of words
President tells of new generation of weapons. “Grandiose” plan to combat US missile shield(Excerpts)
Mr Putin said Russia would defend itself if the US goes ahead with its plan (Emphasis added) to install elements of its missile shield in central Europe. “I can assure you that such steps are being prepared and we will take them,” he said.Analysts said Mr Putin's latest remarks were designed to reassure his public that Russia still had an effective nuclear deterrent. But they were also a message to Washington: that its new and costly missile shield was effectively useless against the latest Russian technology. Mr Putin did not spell out details of his new weapons, which he hinted at in 2004. They are believed to be equipped with manoeuvrable warheads, which detach from the main missile during the final stage of descent.
Predictably, Mr Putin took several swipes at US foreign policy. The US-led invasion of Iraq had been a failure, he said, as was its strategy of confrontation with Iran over its alleged nuclear programme. Mr Putin, who met Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on Tuesday in Tehran, declared: “Direct dialogue with the leaders of states … is the shortest path to success, rather than a policy of threats, sanctions, and a resolution to use force.” MORE
Some of Mr. Putin’s words were vague, but we have to ask ourselves what “defending themselves” actually means; if Putin compares it to the Cuban Missile Crisis and places that much importance in it as did President Kennedy’s position on that historic matter, it could mean retaliatory action for simply deploying the system. It’s hard to tell how serious Putin is, and where rhetoric begins and reality becomes the product of his “promises” to the Russian people.
