Russia opposes US reconnaissance flights over Black Sea

[Nottingham]

http://newsfromrussia.com/main/2003/10/06/50358.html

Russia opposes US reconnaissance flights over Black Sea

Russia opposes US reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation told The New York Times.

Putin mentioned some examples of Cold War inertia, noting that the United States had informed Russia about its intention to start flying reconnaissance missions over the Black Sea. The need to fight terrorism was mentioned as a reason for such flights and their route, which was to have passed over Georgian areas that border on Russia, Putin noted.

In his words, the Russian Foreign Ministry has noted that it perceives no need for this, and that such flights have nothing to do with the fight against terrorism.

One shouldn't be a military expert to understand that it's impossible to combat terrorism with the help of reconnaissance planes flying at an altitude of 8,000-10,000 meters; this is complete nonsense, the Russian head of state added.

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Obviously Putin is a little smarter than Bush takes him