Russia to move missiles to Baltic

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Russia is to deploy new missiles in a Baltic enclave near Nato member Poland, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says.

Short-range Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad region would "neutralise" the planned US anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, he said.

The US says its shield is a defence against missiles from "rogue" nations, but Moscow sees it as a direct threat.

Mr Medvedev also said he wanted to extend Russia's presidential term to six years from the current four.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7710362.stm

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. And thank you President Bush -

because of you we can't step up to the Russians and say "What are you worried about? Look at our history! We NEVER attack first. Relax!"

He still has two and a half months to get us into another war.

[Corgigal]

2. Can we get those moving vans to the White House

quicker, please? I prefer the level headed adult to handle this situation, and so does most of the free world.

[TheEuclideanOne]

3. Imagine if McCain was elected, he would already be getting Mavericky

He probably would declare war on Russia tommorrow, regardless of whether he was in the White House yet or not.

[Ghost Dog]

5. Send in the "white coats" now,

backed-up by a few Generals, with escort, and some real 'intelligence' officers.

Loose cannons require leashes.

[14thColony]

4. Check, as in the chess move prior to check mate

Iskander is a conventional (that is, NOT nuclear) short-range ballistic missile designed to engage a variety of surface targets with either area or unitary warheads. It's launched from a heavy wheeled mutli-axle truck-based launch vehicle, which are notoriously hard (damned near impossible) to find in a real-world combat scenario.

Iskanders follow a low trajectory well inside the atmosphere, and therefore would never get high enough to be engaged by the US ABM system planned for Poland and the Czech Republic. Several of them, fired from dispersal sites, could neutralize the ABM launcher complex in Poland, at least for a time. If the range is further than currently believed, they could even hit the radar complex planned for the Czech Republic, which would be a more vulnerable and more critical component.

[Ghost Dog]

6. And that is precisely what Russia's government has already said

(with plenty of reason on its side, no doubt) it is going to do.

Be cool, please, everyone.

[14thColony]

14. Yes, you're quite right

Medvedev alluded to such a counter-move back in July. It's really just prudent military planning and nothing more. Russia will do whatever it needs to do within reason to ensure the viability of its nuclear deterent force, as would we.

I was mainly trying to point out that these missiles are not nuclear, so this move doesn't really up the ante like during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A pretty sober and logical move really.

[Phoonzang]

7. He's testing Obama.

[TheLastMohican]

22. Testing?

Testing what?
you don't probably realise that the "missile shield" is a loaded gun aimed at Russian head. They will do whatever necessary to preserve their national interests and security as would we.
Bush has picked up the wrong place and the wrong time to flex muscles with Russia.
The Russians are dead serious about this - their nuclear detterent is at risk.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Russian leader blasts US, vows to deploy missiles near EU

Source: Agence France-Presse

Russian leader blasts US, vows to deploy missiles near EU
26 mins ago

MOSCOW (AFP) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced plans Wednesday to deploy missiles on the EU's doorstep in a warning shot to US president-elect Barack Obama and Washington's allies in central Europe.

Just hours after Obama's presidential election victory, Medvedev rounded on the United States for ills ranging from the global financial crisis to the recent war in Georgia in his debut state-of-the-nation speech.

He announced the deployment of Iskander short-range missiles in the western Russian territory of Kaliningrad, wedged between Lithuania and Poland, in response to US plans to site missile defence bases in eastern Europe.

~snip~
"What we've had to deal with in the last few years -- the construction of a global missile defence system, the encirclement of Russia by military blocs, unrestrained NATO enlargement.... The impression is we are being tested to the limit," he said.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081105/wl_afp/russiapolit...

[NRaleighLiberal]

9. I can just see it. Dubya - "Barack, want to start early?" Obama - screening calls!

[amdezurik]

10. So Biden was absolutly correct

what a shocker...

[Dennis Donovan]

12. That was my first thought...

[Jackpine Radical]

11. Watch Obama find the perfect diplomati response to this stuff.

It's the kind of thing he excels at. He'll have the Russan bear eating out of his hand by March.

[TheLastMohican]

23. you believe the Russians are stupid idiots?

shame on you. The Medvedev-Putin tandem has proved that they are much more capable than the drunkard Boris Yeltsin.

[TheLastMohican]

24. you believe the Russians are stupid idiots?

shame on you. The Medvedev-Putin tandem has proved that they are much more capable than the drunkard Boris Yeltsin.

[ohio2007]

34. feeding them what "stuff"? Eating out of his hand by march?

That sounds like bs to me.

[tigereye]

13. wow. It's back to the Cold War in spades...

[johnnyrocket]

15. Good thing Palin's keeping an eye on them.

[xchrom]

16. recommend

[lovuian]

17. Poland asks for it and going to get it

Europe is a mess right now

[glinda]

32. What do you mean about Poland?

[unkachuck]

18. I'm curious....

....to see how much Obama is going to deviate from the neocon policy and strategy....

[freedomnorth]

26. With Bzerzinski endorsing and probably advicing him

I suspect the deviation could be limited.

[MadMaddie]

19. Guess * and Condi couldn't see this coming.

[KamaAina]

28. And remember, Condi's supposed to be this big Russia expert

speaks Russian and all (but can't see it from her house).

[Poseidan]

20. what exactly does Russia hope to achieve?

Certainly I understand the need for self-defense. Perhaps that line can be respected, allowing the United States and Russia to establish friendly relations?

[Amonester]

21. i dunno, but maybe they want to warn bush, cheney and condiliar

for they should not attack iran in december as they *could* plan to (just to throw the new administration in deep doo-doo from the start)

after all, what's another war crime for them when they've committed so many and got away with them scott-free (so far...)

they know they can

[TheLastMohican]

25. I think it is pretty simple

Russia is clearly sending a message - we are open to normal relations but you have to back off from the plans that threaten our national security. See that was easy, wasn't it?

[sofa king]

30. And another thing.

Now they have something very valuable to offer in trade. Take away our shield and they'll move their missiles, and everyone is safe again. And all we lost was a little prestige and a few hundred million dollars in the process. Par for the Bush course.

[ohio2007]

33. brinkmanship. He wants to look Barack in the eye...

EU voices strong concern over Russian missiles


http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/11/07/europe/O...

He only wants the breadbasket of Russia back.There are Russians in the Ukraine being repressed by that rogue state that continues to build up Georgia's military.

Besides

its a fact being reported in the Russian media.

[curse of greyface]

27. Crap the could strike Marvin Gardens from there. nt

[sofa king]

29. Tee hee.

The stated purpose of the Bush Administration in building that bullshit missile shield was not to protect against the Russians. It was to protect against "rogue" launches by terra-ists and Iranians. So what's the problem if the Russians make things a little less safe? That is after all what all responsible thinkers on the subject said would happen.

The problem is that the Bush Administration stated a purpose, which is most likely in keeping with their policy of never, ever telling the truth.

[ohio2007]

31. Moscow had been issuing Russian passports in Crimea, a region in southern Ukraine

Joe Biden mentioned a test before mid summer of '09

Ukraine: Concern About Russia

Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner of France said Tuesday that Moscow had been issuing Russian passports in Crimea, a region in southern Ukraine where Russia’s Black Sea fleet is based. “We all know that they are handing out Russian passports over there,” Mr. Kouchner said in an interview with Kommersant, a Russian online newspaper. The government of Ukraine has said it wants the fleet to leave the Crimean base in Sevastopol when its lease runs out in 2017. But the Russian naval authorities have indicated that they want to retain the base. Mr. Kouchner said Russia might try to make advances in Crimea after the success of its military operations in Georgia in August.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/world/europe/29briefs...

I'm sure Putin is ready to come off the bench and protect the Russian minorities planted in eastern europe in the springtime.