Cold War 2.0?

[Prometheus The Supremo]

WTF is going on? somebody reinstate clinton and bring yeltsin out of cryonics!


Exclusive: Putin threatens to target Europe with missiles

DOUG SAUNDERS



June 2, 2007 at 5:34 PM EDT

In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to target Europe with missiles, including potentially nuclear weapons, in a dramatic escalation of his Cold War-style showdown with the United States.

Mr. Putin, in an interview at his country residence outside Moscow, said he considers U.S. plans to build an eastern European anti-missile site to shoot down Iranian missiles a provocation aimed at Russia.

Asked what he might do to retaliate, he said he would return Russia to the Cold War status where missiles were aimed at European targets.

"It is obvious that if part of the strategic nuclear potential of the United States is located in Europe, and according to our military experts will be threatening us, we will have to respond," he said.


"What kind of steps are we going to take in response? Of course, we are going to get new targets in Europe."

He suggested that this could include powerful nuclear-capable weapons.

"What kind of means will be used to hit the targets that our military believe are potential threats to the Russian federation? This is a purely technical issue, be it ballistic missiles or cruise missiles, or some kinds of novel weapons systems - this is a purely technical issue."

Mr. Putin held a three-hour dinner interview with the Globe and Mail along with one newspaper from each of the G-8 nations. He defended his nation's economic policies and tough restrictions on political dissent, repeatedly criticized the U.S. as dangerous and hypocritical, and acknowledged that Russia needs to rid itself of corruption.

Read the full interview with the Russian President in Monday's Globe and Mail

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/04/wputin04.xml




Putin in nuclear threat against Europe

By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow
Last Updated: 1:31am BST 04/06/2007

President Vladimir Putin has sent a chilling message to world leaders on the eve of the G8 summit with a threat to aim Russian nuclear missiles at European cities for the first time since the Cold War.

In comments that seemed calculated to cause consternation and division at Wednesday's meeting in Germany, the Russian leader said that American plans to erect a missile defence shield in eastern Europe had left him with no choice but to retaliate.

"It is obvious that if part of the strategic nuclear potential of the United States is located in Europe we will have to respond," he told reporters from G8 countries in Moscow at the weekend.

"What kind of steps are we are going to take in response? Of course we are going to acquire new targets in Europe."

Mr Putin's anti-western rhetoric has grown more strident since Washington confirmed plans to locate 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic by 2012 - a project he believes is directed at Russia.

With more disputes between Russia and other G8 members brewing, the strain in East-West relations will overshadow a summit that the German hosts wanted to focus on the environment and African poverty.

Despite hopes that an invitation for direct talks with President George W Bush next month would mollify Mr Putin's anger, the Russian president sent out a clear signal that he preferred combat to compromise.

At his last summit with fellow leaders from the Group of Eight industrialised nations, Tony Blair can expect a particularly frosty reception when he meets Mr Putin on the sidelines of the summit.
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The Kremlin is outraged by Britain's demand to extradite Andrei Lugovoi over the murder of his fellow KGB veteran Alexander Litvinenko, accusing London of exploiting the case for political ends.

Mr Putin went one step further at the weekend, accusing Britain of providing shelter to terrorists - a reference to the political asylum granted by the courts to Boris Berezovsky, a tycoon and the president's chief foe, and to Akhmad Zakayev, an envoy of the anti-Russian Chechen rebels.

"The suspicion arises that this is a political move made by those who hide terrorists and thieves on their own territory," Mr Putin said.

America has backed Britain's extradition request, although Russia has already rejected it, and Mr Blair is likely to maintain his support for the US missile shield.

But diplomats suggested that Mr Putin's nuclear threat could be borne from a belief that support from other G8 countries - particularly Germany and Italy - is less solid.

Mr Putin, they suggested, was attempting to persuade European powers that the shield, which is ostensibly meant to protect the West from nuclear attack by a rogue Middle Eastern country, was not worth the risk of provoking Russia.

Returning to a theme that has begun to dominate statements by senior Kremlin officials, Mr Putin acknowledged that targeting Europe with Russian missiles would escalate an arms race he says has already begun.

But, he insisted: "It was not us who started altering the strategic balance."

The president refused to be drawn on which European cities could be targeted.

"It is up to our military to define these targets, in addition to defining the choice between ballistic and cruise missiles," he said. "But this is just a technical aspect."

America has ruled out abandoning the shield, expressing exasperation that Russia has rebuffed repeated invitations to participate in the project.

US officials have called Moscow's fears "preposterous", arguing that the 10 conventional missiles at the heart of the shield would be no match for Russia's huge arsenal.

Russia has an estimated 16,000 nuclear warheads, the world's largest stockpile, with 7,200 said to be operational.

It is unclear to what extent Mr Putin's threat may be bluff. At last year's G8 summit, hosted by Russia, world leaders went out of their way to avoid criticising him - even though he mocked Mr Bush and Mr Blair.

A year later, however, the Russian leader is increasingly aware that the mood of indulgence is swiftly evaporating.

David Kramer, the US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said Washington would no longer "abstain from speaking out".

"The suppression of genuine opposition, the abridgment of the right to protest, the constriction of civil society and the decline of media freedom are all serious setbacks."

Some of Mr Putin's most loyal friends in Europe are unable to bring their support to bear after losing office. The former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder still describes the Russian leader as "an impeccable democrat", but Angela Merkel, his successor, is much more wary.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the new French president, has condemned human rights abuses by pro-Russian forces in Chechnya - a subject that enrages Mr Putin.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Russia has an estimated 16,000 nuclear warheads, the world's largest stockpile, with 7,200 said to be operational.

IMO, most of this ex-Soviet weaponry is useless.

More likely, Russia is becoming annoyed at the world no longer paying it any attention, so it's whining.

 

[AnarchoSocialist]

There are really only two scenarios for nuclear war. Some country launches a nuclear missile at any other country in the world, followed by the United States levelling that country. Or the United States launches a nuclear missile and and the rest of the world shits its pants and hides in fear.

So long as you live in United States, nuclear missiles are not much of a concern. As for everywhere else, playing dice is as good a way as anyway to figure out which country will be the first to be wiped off the map.

Is Putin really as crazy as he seems? We will find out after the commercial break.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

does anybody notice some sort of strange paralell between the last few episodes of 24 and this situation?

 

[Ummagumma66]

I think most of russia's nukes are nothing more than glorified paper wieghts, everyone knows about "mutual asured distruction"...Russia would be hooped if they even considered thinking about lauching a nuke, problem is if they did they would kill every one else too. I think Putin is pulling a power play, the world knows Russia has no real threat capibility, the northern fleet rusts away in Murminsk and Polynarny as I type this, as does most of the stragic fleet (surface and subsurface) the few remaining boomers and attack subs are watched and the states are leap years ahead in anti-ballistic missile tech. Russia has no real power and all putin is doing is playing the bear, makeing some noise and hoping people will back away...

 

[unimaginative2]

This business about targeting missiles is pretty meaningless. Sure, they're all supposed to be targeted on the ocean now, but in 5 minutes they can be pointed back at London or Malmstrom. As for the Russian deterrent, large parts of it are certainly in poor states of repair. Nevertheless, they still maintain a vast capability in all three segments of their triad. Moreover, the Topol-M missiles and these new ones that they've been talking about recently are both very advanced and will easily maintain Russia's position as the world's number two nuclear power. The Americans do not presently have an operation anti ballistic missile system, and it doesn't appear that they're going to have a very effective one in the near future. It might be enough to stop a rogue missile or two from Iran, or perhaps enough to stop China's very limited ICBM force, but against the Russians it would be like plugging a hole in a dam with your finger.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

poor guy, sleept through the good times only to wake when things seem to be going back how they were...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5E45jC38ynQ

 

[Admiral Beez]

This business about targeting missiles is pretty meaningless. Sure, they're all supposed to be targeted on the ocean now, but in 5 minutes they can be pointed back at London or Malmstrom. As for the Russian deterrent, large parts of it are certainly in poor states of repair. Nevertheless, they still maintain a vast capability in all three segments of their triad. Moreover, the Topol-M missiles and these new ones that they've been talking about recently are both very advanced and will easily maintain Russia's position as the world's number two nuclear power. The Americans do not presently have an operation anti ballistic missile system, and it doesn't appear that they're going to have a very effective one in the near future. It might be enough to stop a rogue missile or two from Iran, or perhaps enough to stop China's very limited ICBM force, but against the Russians it would be like plugging a hole in a dam with your finger.

Russia's problem will not be about targetting correct, but will be trying to keep their missiles fueled and capable of leaving their silos without pre-detonating, and of course keeping their crews sober.

 

[Hydrogen]

With an ever-shrinking population, they might be short of staff to operate the out-of-date missiles.