Missile defense may cause downward spiral in US-Russian relations
Independent Institute
by Ivan Eland
08/22/08
The U.S. missile defense program, which contributed to the deterioration of U.S.-Russian relations that helped generate the Russian-Georgian conflict, has benefited from that conflict and may cause a further downward spiral in the relationship between these two great powers. Along with the recognition of Kosovo’s independence from Serbia and repeated rounds of an expanding NATO — a Cold War alliance the Russians perceive as hostile — to Russia’s doorstep, the unilateral U.S. abrogation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty to pursue missile defense humiliated a weakened Russia. But with oil prices high, economic growth robust, and new bold leadership, a much stronger and grumpier Russian bear has emerged from hibernation, as predicted by U.S. doves as early as the mid-1990s...
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=2300
The war that never was
AntiWar.Com
by Nebojsa Malic
09/11/08
Had there actually been a war on terrorism, targeting the jihadists, Washington could have counted on help from just about anyone. Once it was obvious that America was pursuing not Islamic fanatics but global hegemony, offers of assistance dried up. Worse yet, Washington has done its best to annoy and alienate other powers, such as China and Russia in particular, from the bogus ‘missile shield’ in Eastern Europe to the secession of Kosovo in February this year. In August, when the U.S. client regime of Mikheil Saakashvili in Georgia decided to ‘reintegrate’ a couple of pro-Russian provinces refusing to accept his authority, Moscow struck back. Howls of outrage from the West only underscored the hypocrisy over Kosovo. Either no one in Washington realized that the price of crushing Serbia would be ‘losing’ Russia, or they didn’t care...
http://www.antiwar.com/malic/?articleid=13443
Informant: Thomas L. Knapp
--------
Russian Jerks Meet Western Knee-Jerks
Steve Weissman, Truthout: "The Russians can be real jerks, but they are not the only ones dragging us into a cold war redo. Blockheads on all sides are bringing back the risk of all-out nuclear conflict, along with a new arms race and the thrusting of American power from the Russian borderlands to wherever we see a Russian proxy. Even if Barack Obama and Joe Biden manage to win the election in November, the financial cost of a rush to yesteryear could cripple any real chance for a better tomorrow."
http://www.truthout.org/article/russian-jerks-meet-western-knee-jerks
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=missile+shield
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=nuclear+conflict
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=arms+race
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=hegemony
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Georgia
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Kosovo
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Ivan+Eland
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Steve+Weissman
by Ivan Eland
08/22/08
The U.S. missile defense program, which contributed to the deterioration of U.S.-Russian relations that helped generate the Russian-Georgian conflict, has benefited from that conflict and may cause a further downward spiral in the relationship between these two great powers. Along with the recognition of Kosovo’s independence from Serbia and repeated rounds of an expanding NATO — a Cold War alliance the Russians perceive as hostile — to Russia’s doorstep, the unilateral U.S. abrogation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty to pursue missile defense humiliated a weakened Russia. But with oil prices high, economic growth robust, and new bold leadership, a much stronger and grumpier Russian bear has emerged from hibernation, as predicted by U.S. doves as early as the mid-1990s...
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=2300
The war that never was
AntiWar.Com
by Nebojsa Malic
09/11/08
Had there actually been a war on terrorism, targeting the jihadists, Washington could have counted on help from just about anyone. Once it was obvious that America was pursuing not Islamic fanatics but global hegemony, offers of assistance dried up. Worse yet, Washington has done its best to annoy and alienate other powers, such as China and Russia in particular, from the bogus ‘missile shield’ in Eastern Europe to the secession of Kosovo in February this year. In August, when the U.S. client regime of Mikheil Saakashvili in Georgia decided to ‘reintegrate’ a couple of pro-Russian provinces refusing to accept his authority, Moscow struck back. Howls of outrage from the West only underscored the hypocrisy over Kosovo. Either no one in Washington realized that the price of crushing Serbia would be ‘losing’ Russia, or they didn’t care...
http://www.antiwar.com/malic/?articleid=13443
Informant: Thomas L. Knapp
--------
Russian Jerks Meet Western Knee-Jerks
Steve Weissman, Truthout: "The Russians can be real jerks, but they are not the only ones dragging us into a cold war redo. Blockheads on all sides are bringing back the risk of all-out nuclear conflict, along with a new arms race and the thrusting of American power from the Russian borderlands to wherever we see a Russian proxy. Even if Barack Obama and Joe Biden manage to win the election in November, the financial cost of a rush to yesteryear could cripple any real chance for a better tomorrow."
http://www.truthout.org/article/russian-jerks-meet-western-knee-jerks
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=missile+shield
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=nuclear+conflict
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=arms+race
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=hegemony
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Georgia
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Kosovo
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Ivan+Eland
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Steve+Weissman
rudkla - 25. Aug, 10:23
