U.S. General Warns Russia on Nuclear Bombers in Cuba

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

July 23 (Bloomberg) -- A U.S. Air Force general warned Russia not to cross a ``red line'' by stationing nuclear bombers in Cuba, heightening a dispute over U.S. missile-defense plans.

If Russia pursues the deployment, ``I think we should stand strong and indicate that that is something that crosses a threshold, crosses a red line, for the United States of America,'' General Norton Schwartz, nominated to be U.S. Air Force chief of staff, told a confirmation hearing yesterday in Washington, according to a government transcript.

Russia may send nuclear bombers to bases in Cuba in response to U.S. missile-defense sites in eastern Europe, Russian newspaper Izvestia reported on July 21, citing an unidentified ``highly placed source.'' Russia said on July 8 that it would react with military means to the U.S. system. Russian leaders have threatened to aim nuclear missiles at the planned bases in the Czech Republic and Poland, which they say would threaten Russia's security.

The deployment of Soviet missiles in Cuba brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear conflict during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Under the deal that ended the crisis, the Soviet Union withdrew the missiles and pledged not to station offensive weapons on the island, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of Florida.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aCEyhnlMZgls&refer=latin_america

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum, or else what?

[phantom power]

2. Oh no, not again.

[BOSSHOG]

3. While I agree

we don't want Russian Nuclear Bombers in Cuba, why would Russia want our Nukes in Eastern Europe? I guess I'm just a a fucked up liberal (with 24 years of military service.)

It is really quite cleansing not having conservative "values"

[Hydra]

4. Ah, shit

I thought we were done with this Cold-War stuff. I guess the CIA and Pentagon felt lost without unlimited budgets and no oversight.

Cuban Missile Crisis 2.0- Brought to you by Bush and Cheney.

[paparush]

5. Not this shit again....

[drm604]

6. Didn't we do this already? n/t

[KansDem]

7. Uh, ah, umm...isn't the President suppose to be issuing a warning like this?

I mean, JFK had no hesitation in warning the Soviets about putting missiles in Cuba. Now Russia wants to station nuclear bombers there and a US general reads them the riot act?

Where's Bush? Why isn't he giving this warning?

[Mojorabbit]

15. That is what I was wondering

Since when does the military give orders to other countries?

[balantz]

8. I'm thinking

Putin-on and shrubbery co. are playing their big games. At some secret level they are working together for the elite.

[L0oniX]

9. What ya gonna do about it ...assholes? It's about time Russia pushed back...

and I hope they do more of it. It's time for the USA to get off its high horse and stop policing the world at tax payers expense. Yea ..it's ok for the US to plant some new missiles in their old backyard but oh no don't let them plant some shit in our backyard. Fucking hypocrites!

[cobalt1999]

10. Russia pushing back means more money for the Pentagon

That's why you have a general trying to provoke the situation. Those generals secretly WANT Russia to put bombers in Cuba, it'll keep the money flowing.

[Pavulon]

11. Then SAC is Back friend

we will pull up the looking glass and kneecap and start orbiting aircraft with nuclear armed weapons 30 minutes from Soviet.err, Russian air space.

We will re target the mx and others. We may even shitcan the treaties that cover development of better weapons.

We will bankrupt them..again.

We did not put any nuclear weapons near them.

But they if they do this we will spend big dollars.

[Purveyor]

13. One little problem with your scenariot. It is Russia that has the budget surplus and a precious

commodity that will kept them prosperous for many decades. The US has little that the rest of the world needs/whats except weapons.

The US is damn near 'bankrupt' as it is over this Iraq invasion and foreign investment in our debt is dwindling.

[Pavulon]

14. Pulling out the GDP calculator

Seems that the US is still 4 times the size of the nearest competitor in GDP. Seems like the Russians can't count on dead dino juice to run a country.

Diversified economy..

Russia is a shell, if you have ever been you would be appalled by the poverty. Certainly not on par with a western euro nation.

Those numbers pretty much nullify the us is broke meme.

[daleo]

19. No doubt China is pulling for your scenario

Two of their main geo-strategic rivals can squander their treasure on nuclear brinkmanship while they look upon with amazement.

[L0oniX]

16. Bankrupt them..again??? heheh ...we are about to go bankrupt right now.

[RC]

12. Correction: Cuba is not our back yard. It belongs to the neighbors.

But otherwise you are correct.

Ah, for the good ol' days when B. Clinton had peace breaking out in places that counted, like the Middle East.

[ladjf]

17. If Russia wanted to hit us with a nuke, they wouldn't use an outdated

giant bomber to do the deed. This is pure bluster.

[bemildred]

21. Shhh, don't let the cat out of the bag!

The "missile shield" is bullshit, the "bombers in Cuba" threat is bullshit. It's ALL bullshit. It might even be the case that the Russians made this bullshit threat deliberately bullshit. Who says irony is dead?

[IndianaGreen]

18. The Cold War is over, asshole! General Schwartz thinks he is the reincarnation of Gen. LeMay

Had LeMay had his way, we would have never been born. The world would have been incinerated in a nuclear holocaust.

The Russian deployment to the sovereign nation of Cuba is in response for Bush's aggressive policies in Eastern Europe. Bush is the one that threatens the entire planet, not Russia!

[David__77]

20. I hope Russia sends them.

Someone needs to cross that "red line" and prove that US hegemony is sitting on very, very weak ground. That's the first step toward peace and stability internationally.

[bdab1973]

23. Hmmm...apples and oranges

We put defensive anti-missile systems in Europe, designed to shoot down ballistic missiles. They use that to justify putting nuclear bombers in Cuba, designed to flatten entire cities. Gee, that's about even. The missile defense shield wouldn't do ANYTHING to harm Russia...really. It involves a handful of missiles, when Russia has several thousand to fire at us anyways.

This is Putin swinging his fist around.

[Ian David]

22. Russia is playing this very stupidly.

What they SHOULD be doing is telling the U.S. to go right ahead and build their "missile shield" because they know it won't work, anyway.

They should tell us to go ahead and throw billions of dollars into some stupid white elephant if we want to.

In fact, Russia should offer to sell us some of the parts to build the thing.

The "missile shield WILL NOT WORK.

Period.

And I'm saying that as someone who owns stock in one of the companies building the thing.

It.

Will.

Not.

Work.

Period.

So, lighten-up, Ivan.