Reply #130: I suspect a made for tee-vee CNN Psy-Ops story intended for Putin.

[chill_wind]

I wish I could believe all the wishful thinking that this story got leaked to the military news sites by noble accident. By rank and file military whistleblowers. or of otherwise rank. Much as I know with all my heart our country owes a great unpaid debt to whistleblowers of many stripes and occupations (however belated, many of them) throughout the Bush admin. I just don't think anything that noble coming out of our AF was at play here.

We (our Dear leaders) are in a new Cold War of their fondest wet dreams.
This fishy smelling story was meant to be lobbed right over our heads to an intended audience abroad, and we are trivial gnats in the drama. Sorry to be so cynical, but that's my instinct.

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Russian bombers launch missiles over Arctic

By Richard Holt
Last Updated: 2:03am BST 04/09/2007

Twelve Russian strategic bombers are taking part in military exercises above the Arctic involving the launching of tactical cruise missiles.
# David Blair: Putin's Bear is not a frightening beast
# In pictures: President Putin reveals even more

The Russian air force spokesman did not specify the exact location of the exercises but confirmed that the TU-95MC bombers would take off from five air bases stretching from the Volga River city of Engels to Anadyr on the Chukotka Peninsula overlooking the United States.

RAF jet shadows a Russian bomber heading towards British airspace
Russian bomber being shadowed by a RAF jet last month

"The planes will also practise mid-air refuelling from Il-78 transport planes," he said.

President Vladimir Putin announced last month that Russia has resumed long-range patrols by its bomber planes for the first time since the end of the Cold War.

Mr Putin said the resumption of patrols was needed to guarantee national security.

In August RAF fighter jets were sent to intercepts a Russian bomber which was heading towards British air space over the North Atlantic.

The Arctic exercises follow a widely advertised scientific expedition to the North Pole last month with the task of finding justification for Russia's claims for a bigger slice of the Arctic zone, believed to have rich mineral resources.


Relations with both Europe and the United States have been deteriorating as Russia, buoyed by booming energy prices, has shaken off the post-Soviet malaise of the 1990s.

In June The Kremlin was angered by US plans to move missile systems into eastern Europe.

(see link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=YCVFEOGWYT1OXQFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2007/06/04/wputin04.xml

Mr Putin threatened to aim Russian nuclear missiles at European cities in retaliation.

While Washington insists that the missiles are directed at the growing threat of Iran and North Korea, the Kremlin is convinced they are directed at Russia.



full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/03/warctic103.xml