Russia has moved nuclear capable SS-21 missile launchers into Georgia

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=19300

The tactical nuclear weapons game

<snip>As such, amid Russia's military operations in Georgia over the weekend, reports (though not independently confirmed) that Moscow may have deployed OTR-21 Tochka (NATO reporting name "SS-21 Scarab") short-range ballistic missiles on Georgian territory for combat use sounded rather chilling.

US Deputy National Security Adviser Jim Jeffrey said in a 10 August statement at a Beijing press conference that he had "received news of the first two SS-21 Russian missile launchers {on} Georgian territory."

The SS-21 is a weapon capable of delivering either a conventional or 100 kiloton nuclear warhead.

[Junkdrawer]

1. From DemocracyNow on Monday:

"Oh, you thought we had your back? Well, that was before the Russians moved the SS-21s into theater."

...

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about significance of this, in terms of nuclear warfare in Russia? Do we have anything to fear along those lines?

COL. SAM GARDINER: Absolutely. Let me just say that if you were to rate how serious the strategic situations have been in the past few years, this would be above Iraq, this would be above Afghanistan, and this would be above Iran.

On little notice to Americans, the Russians learned at the end of the first Gulf War that they couldn’t—they didn’t think they could deal with the United States, given the value and the quality of American precision conventional weapons. The Russians put into their doctrine a statement, and have broadcast it very loudly, that if the United States were to use precision conventional weapons against Russian troops, the Russians would be forced to respond with tactical nuclear weapons. They continue to state this. They practice this in their exercise. They’ve even had exercises that very closely paralleled what went on in Ossetia, where there was an independence movement, they intervene conventionally to put down the independence movement, the United States and NATO responds with conventional air strikes, they then respond with tactical nuclear weapons.

It appears to me as if the Russians were preparing themselves to do that in this case. First of all, I think they believe the United States was going to intervene. At a news conference on Sunday, the deputy national security adviser said we have noted that the Russians have introduced two SS-21 medium-range ballistic missile launchers into South Ossetia. Now, let me say a little footnote about those. They’re both conventional and nuclear. They have a relatively small conventional warhead, however. So, the military significance, if they were to be conventional, was almost trivial compared to what the Russians could deliver with the aircraft that they were using to strike the Georgians.

I think this was a signal. I think this was an implementation on their part of their doctrine. It clearly appears as if they expected the United States to do what they had practiced in their exercises. In fact, this morning, the Russians had an air defense exercise in the southern part of Russia that borders Georgia in which they—it was practicing shooting down incursion aircraft that were incursion into Russia. They were prepared for the United States to intervene, and I think they were prepared—or at least they were wanting to show the United States that their doctrine of the use of tactical nuclear weapons, if the US attacks, was serious, and they needed to take—the United States needs to take Russia very seriously.

....

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/8/11/up_to_2_000_killed_as

[Junkdrawer]

2. And here's the briefing from National Security Advisor Ambassador Jim Jeffrey...

...

In terms of how we've responded to this, the President was informed immediately on Friday, when we received news of the first two SS-21 Russian missile launchers into Georgian territory. He immediately -- this was at the Great Hall -- he immediately met with President Putin. They had a discussion. The President then engaged with his national security staff continuously over the last two days. He has spoken with -- again with Putin that evening. He then talked with President Medvedev yesterday evening, as well as President Saakashvili. Secretary Rice has spoken repeatedly with President Saakashvili, as well as with her Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Lavrov, and many European leaders.

...

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/press-briefing-press-secretary-dana/story.aspx?guid=%7B6C07094D-D668-43FD-8353-7D1155B78BFB%7D&dist=hppr

[NNN0LHI]

3. 100 kiloton in perspective. Hiroshima was 12–15 kiloton. Nagasaki was 20–22 kiloton

[Junkdrawer]

4. Big enough to destroy an aircraft carrier group if they launched...

smart weapons in support of the Georgian military action.

[NNN0LHI]

5. That is why Bush hasn't sent any carrier strike groups to the area

Or offered military assistance to our ally.

Don

[amandabeech]

6. Yesterday, Saakashvili stated that items that would be considered WMD

had been found in Georgia, which of course would include S. Ossetia for him.

I wonder if the missile launchers were what he was referring to.

This just isn't going well at all.

[shadowknows69]

7. Bush/Cheney's legacy in action

Reigniting and losing the Cold War.

[Junkdrawer]

8. I think, a few years from now, we'll find out that the events of the last week...

were FAR more serious than most suspect.

[originalpckelly]

10. WWIII.

[NNN0LHI]

9. If our media doesn't ask Bush about this you know they are owned

[Junkdrawer]

11. We'll be told that the admin. asked that this not be printed...

"In the interest of National Security."

In 2010, it'll be revealed in a Bob Woodward best seller.