Russia Says U.S. Building 'New Berlin Wall'

[Purveyor]

Source: Interfax, AFP

July 8, 2007 -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov says that U.S. plans to set up a missile-defense system in Central Europe amount to building a "new Berlin Wall."

In comments aired on the Rossiya television channel, Ivanov said placing rockets in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic "presents an obvious threat to Russia."

--
Washington's plans for the missile shield have led to a further deterioration of already unsteady relations between Russia and the United States in recent months.

Read more: http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/07/3d38da77-ac9d-4027-8129-e91a72525c61.html

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. US in predator-mode isn't working

Bush and Cheney are just upsetting the whole world.

Yesterday at Live Earth was an example of how the US can make amends.

[William769]

2. How is that a "New Berlin Wall"?

[ohio2007]

4. It's not. The Soviet wall in Berlin was built to keep it's people from fleeing

Soviet occupation of its Berlin sector, not keep out invasion.

[Igel]

5. Moreover, the Berlin Wall wasn't much of a threat to the West.

Now, to the Warsaw Pact's own population, maybe.

Then again, Putin is so much in public denial about the USSR and anything not quite perfect about it that there's no surprise.

[sandnsea]

7. But that's not what they said

They said it was to prevent people from taking advantage of the free social programs and not contributing to them. Kind of like the wall on the Mexican border.

Missile defense is just another dumbass waste of money. It's what they were ranting about in 2001 when they should have been paying attention to terrorists.

[ohio2007]

9. Didn't see that comment in the link at all

July 8, 2007 -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov says that U.S. plans to set up a missile-defense system in Central Europe amount to building a "new Berlin Wall."


In comments aired on the Rossiya television channel, Ivanov said placing rockets in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic "presents an obvious threat to Russia."

Russia has continually voiced its opposition to the U.S. missile defense system that Washington says is meant to offer protection against attacks from Iran and North Korea.

Washington's plans for the missile shield have led to a further deterioration of already unsteady relations between Russia and the United States in recent months.

Russia has proposed creating a joint missile-defense system with United States and NATO participation as an alternative to Washington's current plan, but U.S. officials have treated the proposal cautiously.

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/07/3d38da77-ac9d-4027-8129-e91a72525c61.html

imo, they don't like the idea that Poland or Czech Republic will profit from renting real estate to base any US radar or missile systems. Russia has offered to rent property also but the current admin isn't biting
Western European real estate property that bases US military costs more and our footprint after,sixty two years, should be reduced. I don't think the Nazi's are going to rise up from any ashes.

btw, As I recall, those two countries are members of the coalition of the willing.

[OwnedByFerrets]

11. Its not only a huge waste of our tax money.....

its also another gigantic threat to peace in Europe.

[Danger Mouse]

3. Since perpetual war in the middle east isn't enough for Bush...

how does Cold War 2.0 sound to you? I recommend Bush not get any further on Putin's bad side. Invading Iran, I think, could provoke military involvement from Russia AND China...in which case we'd be well fucked.

[Igel]

6. Perhaps Putin shouldn't get on the West's bad side.

What am I saying? There's no downside to that, only upside, at least for him. Demagogues love threats that they provoke, love to nurture xenophobia and sense of combined humiliation and innate superiority among their populaces.

[Danger Mouse]

8. In that sense, Bush and Putin aren't so different from one another...

:shrug:

[martymar64]

10. Maybe the Russians can put missiles in Cuba and Mexico now

It's about the same as our putting missiles in Poland.