Russia May Scrap Missile Deal Over U.S. Shield - Military Expert

[Purveyor]

MOSCOW, July 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia may respond to U.S. plans for missile defense bases in Central Europe with a host of measures, including the withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a senior military expert said on Thursday.

President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday that Russia would respond to the U.S. missile shield program in Central Europe, adding that Moscow was "dismayed" by the signing of a U.S.-Czech missile deal. He did not specify what steps Russia would take.

In an interview with the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily, Col. Gen. Viktor Yesin, a former commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, said Moscow could deploy tactical Iskander-M missiles in the Kaliningrad Region, from where they could reach U.S. ground based interceptors in Poland, and also station there strategic bombers, primarily Tu-22 M3s, armed with long-range cruise missiles.

He said Moscow could also call a stop to the disbanding of a missile division based in the town of Kozelsk, central Russia, in accordance with the U.S.-Russian Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions (May 2002), and deploy advanced hypersonic missiles there, which can effectively penetrate missile defenses.

Gen. Yesin stressed that such measures would not be in conflict with Russia's international obligations.

Moscow has strongly opposed the possible deployment by the U.S. of 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic as a threat to its security and nuclear deterrence. Washington says the defenses are needed to deter possible strikes from "rogue states."

---EOE---

RIA Novosti: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080710/113695372.html

[thecrow]

1. ....and Smirky thought there would be no repercussions?

:crazy:

[caraher]

2. I think the whole point is to bring back the Cold War

"When I was coming up, it was a dangerous world and we knew exactly who they were. It was us versus them. And it was clear who them was. Today, we're not so sure who they are, but we know they're there."

He's just seeking a return to the clarity of his youth.

Not to mention justification for (otherwise) unnecessary weapons and the big payday that means for his "base," the "have and the have mores."

[New Dawn]

3. 70% of Czechs oppose the new US military base in their country

And they also wanted to hold a referendum to decide the fate of this as well. The right-wing government there clearly does not care about "democracy."