Russia and U.S. continue drift into new Cold War in wake of Bush and McCain's bluster

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September 2, 2008 - 9:25 AM


Putin promises Russia will 'answer' NATO ships in Black Sea

What happened to George's good friend Vladimir? Just another example of the Republican's foreign policy mistakes of the last four years. … Want another four more years of a messed up foreign policy? Vote McCain.

MOSCOW - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia will respond calmly to an increase in NATO ships in the Black Sea in the aftermath of the short war with Georgia, but promised that "there will be an answer."

Russia has repeatedly complained that NATO has too many ships in the Black Sea. Foreign Ministry official Andrei Nesterenko said Tuesday that currently there are two U.S., one Polish, one Spanish and one German ship there.

Russian officials say the United States could have delivered weapons to Georgia under the guise of humanitarian aid.

"We don't understand what American ships are doing on the Georgian shores, but this is a question of taste, it's a decision by our American colleagues," he reportedly said. "The second question is why the humanitarian aid is being delivered on naval vessels armed with the newest rocket systems."

He said Russia's reaction to NATO ships "will be calm, without any sort of hysteria. But of course, there will be an answer," Interfax quoted Putin as saying during a visit to Uzbekistan.

Asked by exactly what measures Russia would take, Putin was quoted as answering "You'll see . . ."

report: http://www.startribune.com/world/27758249.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aUbP%20%3Cimg%20src=

related:

Russia Makes New Threats Over U.S.-Poland Missile Deal
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=5617271&page=1

[Hugabear]

1. They should send Russian naval ships and submarines to the Gulf of Mexico

Park them right off the coast of Florida. Let's see what Fuck-face does about that.

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2. Was an Independent Ossetia a US Election Ruse Gone Wrong?

Wag the Dog in Georgia

" . . . the Russian military carried out a successful test of a Topol RS-12M nuclear capable stealth rocket from the Plesetsk space centre. Analysts are already speculating that Putin (OK, Medvedev) may well “take out” the Polish missile site. “He has no other option. The proposed system integrates the entire US nuclear arsenal into one operational-unit a mere 115 miles from the Russian border. It’s no different than Khrushchev’s plan to deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba in the 1960s,” writes Mike Whitney at Online Journal. At the very least he “will be forced to raise the stakes and send warplanes over the construction site. That is the logical first-step that any responsible leader would take before removing the site altogether.” So if Cold War II keeps accelerating and something like this happens later this year, what should we make of it? Is this Russia threatening and even invading its neighbour, or is it a justifiable warning to the US to back down from its attempts to instigate WWIII?"

article: http://www.counterpunch.org/walberg09022008.html

[ogneopasno]

3. Good thing Rice speaks Russian,

and that she's an expert on Soviet stuff! Good thing, huh! What a help she's been! Yeah!

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4. better to change the subject to the Russians and Georgia, rather than dwell on the disaster in Iraq

"If McCain had to run on his economic policy record in the Senate, he might be a loser even in his home state of Arizona, whose residents are suffering mightily from economic disarray presided over by the Republicans.

Better to dwell on the dubious success of the surge in Iraq than on the surge in home mortgage foreclosures and the price of gasoline that has crippled Arizona’s and the nation’s economy.

Still better to change the subject to the Russians and Georgia, rather than dwell overly long on the disaster of Iraq, which has cost our nation trillions of dollars and where the prime minister now is far more zealous than Sen. Barack Obama in calling for an early withdrawal of U.S. troops . . .

article:

Robert Scheer: Cold War revival plays well for McCain’s presidential prospects
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008/09/02/opinion/doc48bd64634d935938596186.txt