Putin Fears NATO Plot To Contain Russia
Times Online:
President Putin accused Nato yesterday of threatening Russia’s security and ordered the military to place the country’s strategic nuclear arsenal on a higher state of alert.
“In violation of previous agreements, certain member countries of the Nato alliance are increasing their resources next to our borders,” Mr Putin told generals in a meeting broadcast on state television. “Russia cannot remain indifferent to this obvious muscle-flexing.”
Mr Putin, whose rhetoric has become more strident as relations with the West have deteriorated, went on: “One of the most important tasks remains raising the combat readiness of the strategic nuclear forces. They should be ready to deliver a quick and adequate reply to any aggressor.”
He issued his stark message as Russia confirmed that it would pull out of a landmark arms limitation treaty on December 12. The Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty was fundamental to ending the Cold War.
Mr Putin hit out at Nato less than two weeks before Russians vote in parliamentary elections. While there is a clear element of sabre-rattling for domestic purposes, the Kremlin has also been alarmed by what it regards as a Nato plot to contain Russia.
Mr Putin is determined to increase pressure on Nato in an attempt to divide European members over a United States plan to place a missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. He has already threatened to station nuclear missiles in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which is surrounded by EU states, if Nato ignores Moscow’s objections.
Poland’s new Government has stated that it is willing to review the US proposal to place interceptor missiles on its territory. Washington says that the shield is aimed at rogue states such as Iran, but Russia is adamant that its own security is at risk.
The Kremlin is also angry at the prospect of Nato expanding to take in former Soviet satellites such as Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, bringing the military alliance along most of Russia’s western border.
The 1990 CFE treaty imposed limits on the deployment of tanks and other forces in Europe. Nato refused to ratify an updated treaty in 1999 until Russia pulled troops out of the former Soviet republics of Georgia and Moldova.
Moscow has rejected any link between the two issues. Mr Putin said that Russia had honoured the CFE treaty while Nato members had continued to build up their military capabilities.
Mr Putin said that Russia would return to the CFE treaty only after Nato countries had ratified it. He urged the generals to seek “new ways to mitigate threats in the early stages”.
Mr Putin also praised the military potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which links Russia, China and four former Soviet states in Central Asia. The group held its first joint military exercises in August at Chebarkul in the Urals.
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SUPREME KGB AGENT Vladimir Putin places tiny listening device in ex President Bush’s dog’s ear.
November 21st, 2007 at 1:50 amI expect the devices are worn out as the dog by now
November 21st, 2007 at 2:42 amNot to worry Putin, after all, ol’e dubya, the open border SOB from Texas “looked into his (Mr Putin) eyes and saw his soul” and all is gonna be hokiee-dokie.
November 21st, 2007 at 5:29 amThe alliance is now set for WW3. Just as the days preceding WW1 & 2, the alliances have formed, industrial military complexes are up and running, nations are expanding the capabilities in case of an “attack” and we find ourselves on the brink of a confrontation between East and West. It seems as though Francis Fukuyama was not correct about the end of history. While freedom and oppression set themselves for the last great armed conflict of this world, our children (and friends also) are found idolizing Hannah Montana, Britney Spears, Madden NFL and the alter of self interests. Shall our complacent proletariat, drunk on iPod-Xbox-MySpace be the downfall of not only our nation but our entire society and way of life? Or shall a lion emerge amongst the flock of sheep and re-awaken the masses, motivating them to save their own lives instead of burying their heads in the sand?
Hopefully they’ll have 10 years or so to figure it out before it’s too late. Reality though is that both the month of March and the uranium centrifuges are on a rapid collision course.
Oh for atleast a pack of Wolverines!
November 21st, 2007 at 6:15 amMr Putin won’t hurt his best gas and oil customers ;
who will give him the sure and good money he needs to rebuilt his infrastructures ?
this is just a political performance ;
Nato is at its ends of life ;
Poland doesn’t want the missiles umbrella anymore… so, let’s see how it will goes in 2008
November 21st, 2007 at 7:23 amErik is right, it is time to choose a side; both domestically and internationally.
The people of France and Germany chose a side this last election. England and Spain are still wandering in circles.
We are lining up domestically also.
RE the idolizing and infatuation with the mundane reminds me of the passing of the orb in Woody Allen’s Sleeper.
http://fusionanomaly.net/sleepernaziorb.jpg
November 21st, 2007 at 7:44 amSorry Frenchie, Russia’s market share expansion is not going to be into Western Europe or the U.S. The two fastest growing economies in the world share land borders with them which facilitates the much less risky and costly transportation method of pipelines. Even though the “Bear” is pounding his chest like a gorilla and bearing his teeth with reckless abandon, he knows who runs the show on the Asian and sub-Asian continents. Russia has crumbling infrastructure, a dessimated military and a frightenly dwindling population. Meanwhile his neighbors have a combined population of 2.4 BILLION to their 141 million.
As far as Poland goes, it be nice if the EU could actually get their act together in getting Poland’s concerns satisfied so they can become true members. Remember, the easiest way to combat communism and fanticism is through PROSPERITY and not dialogue.
November 21st, 2007 at 7:47 amI Agree China and India will make the difference in Putin’s options ; though they aren’t white caucasian people ; and Russians are still looking towards us, who share a commun back-ground civilisation.
Soon or later, they will feel anger at these eastern overwelming economies
Remember, the easiest way to combat communism and fanticism is through PROSPERITY and not dialogue.
I don’t see any more communism, just an infinitesimal percentage of lefties that still make noise, but doesn’t weight on the balance ; and Polishs had always a self confidence in their difference : they sit between 2 chairs or ” ils ont le cul entre 2 chaises” ; (the same by us can be appealled to the Alsacians)
November 21st, 2007 at 8:10 amFrenchie,
Even though it is true that the Russian people do have more in common with us vs. the eastern interlopers, reality does not support their vodka and techno dreams. Who’s fault is that? Curiously I don’t remember the flood of russian goods onto the world market that we were promised when the curtain fell.
Yes Poland has “sat between two chairs” since before the time of Napolean and yes they have actually taken a sort a sadistic joy from playing to both sides over the years. But, their own country is at a turning point where they will soon make the true choice between an open democratic society and a closed totalitarian one. Why? Because although they found early success with their new found freedoms, they have stagnated and it has given a voice to the old hardliners.
The U.S. has made the mistake of not heeding the requests of its less powerful friends before when they were trying to make a democracy work (Ho Chi Minh and Castro) with great costs both to ourselves and those we turned our backs on (interestingly, Communists always step-in where we fail to act). The EU is finding itself in the same situation now. What will your decision be?
And the problem with Russia is that it will take a combined effort of the US and Europe to turn the tide of poverty there then to defend and secure them so as to facilitate the success and engagement of their own proletariat in their future (militarily if need be). But of course, that won’t happen because the French are too concerned with retiring at 50 with full state funded pensions and only working 35 hr. weeks.
November 21st, 2007 at 8:35 amI don’t remember the flood of russian goods onto the world market that we were promised when the curtain fell.
arms, uranium, … caviar !
for the rest, they hardly are sufficient for their inner market
The EU is finding itself in the same situation now. What will your decision be?
I don’t see your point, EU will never become a US sosie though : it’s been a tradition of social democraty, but yes there was a problem with the communists after WWII, not anymore : communist represent hardly 1 % in the last elections, the other 5 % mixed far-lefties are different “greens” or “intellos”.
EU will try to adapt to the “mondialisation” and remain “protective” to its own people
But of course, that won’t happen because the French are too concerned with retiring at 50 with full state funded pensions and only working 35 hr. weeks.
euh, I am still looking for working till 65 years old (yeah, may-be cause I didn’t have a permanent worling life) but most of my compatriots were working till 60 years old as far as the baby-boom generation is concerned; now the youngs know they’ll have to work 3, 4; 5, 7 years more.
The only problem is the administration : that’s why we had riots the last past week, still not finished for the radical unions ; but they know that the golden times are over .
I don’t see any nation in EU, or Russia, who wants the same privileges, it is not realistic.
The youngs in Poland, don’t want the aparatchniks back ; they voted massively to avoid it a few weeks ago.
Russia is imitating your system : they develop a “2 class” of people, the richs and the poors : the poors are and will be more numerous and will have no weight on the future of Russia ; back to the Tsar’s times !
November 21st, 2007 at 9:32 amForeign investment was supposed to help convert their military-industrial complex into a hybrid one similar to what western europe and the us have where prosperity is determined by what your citizens provide for themselves and not by what the government does to provide for itself.
“US sosie”?
Not sure of the translation but I think you mean the EU will not become a branch of the US or our lapdog ala “Sarkozy the American”? Here of course you show your lack of not only historical reference but also the fallacy of your socialist ideology.
Is Western Europe’s or the U.S.’s security more at risk? Who has had terrorist attacks on their soil since 2001 (the suburb riots were acts of terrorism too)? Whom shares a land border with those in question? Understand that we can always raise the draw bridge and choose not to be entwined in the problems of the old world.
There will always be a problem with Communist nations (if not individual communists) because a communist nation cannot exist among non-communist nations - they will always collapse under their own weight - Stalin knew this and that is why he claimed his goal was for all nations to be communist.
Communism is nothing more than the purest form of socialism and every citizenry that finds itself under the thumb of the socialist soon finds themselves choosing between the boot of the communist and the ladder of capitalism. The French majority recently chose the ladder of capitalism while a minority has wishes for the boot which are personified in the socialist fanatics rioting and sabotaging your national infrastructure this past week. These are not mere “greenies” or liberals, regardless what are the endstates of the global warming-poverty movements? Nothing more than an ethereal central government imposing its authority without regard for the individual. Everything you do is done for the perpetuation of the state. Gee, looks like communism to me. They even want to criminalize those who dissent and equate them to those that deny the Holocaust!
Thousands of people are protesting and rioting because they don’t want the 50 yr. retirement age to end so apparently the problem in your country is larger than you admit.
“2 class system”?
What 2 class system? Am I denied employment because of my last name? Am I denied employment because I was not born to the right social class? Am I denied employment because I am an immigrant? If only you could see the bigotry of your own nation. While we may have taken a little longer to turn the corner of equality, not only your country, but Europe in general pales in comparison to the opportunities available to people legally present in the U.S. Anybody, ANYBODY here can go to whatever school they want if they have the grades. Anybody, ANYBODY here can work where ever and in what ever job they want to as long as they have the skills to do it. Anybody, ANYBODY here can become a millionaire or more as long as they work hard and keep their nose to the grindstone. There are more self-made, non-college educated millionaires running around in America than the rest of the world combined. Kids who started mowing lawns at 10, kids who invented something in their garage when they were 13.
Your accusations are not only socialist indoctrination rubish, but I find them EXTREMELY offensive. I am the great grandson of a Scottish immigrant peasant that came to this country to help rebuild San Fransisco after the great earthquake. My greatgrandfather spawned a Colonel in the Air Force that fought in WW2 & Korean, several self made millionaire entreprenuers, attorneys, business professionals and one veteran of Operation Iraqi Freem and the Global War on Terror. My IMMIGRANT family has been directly involved in freeing oppressed peoples in Europe, African, China and the Middle East INCLUDING FRANCE!!!
Your immigrants can’t even find employment.
November 21st, 2007 at 10:23 amErik Marsh,
I should have chosen “double” instead of “sosie” ; from there comes the thread of your angry ranting.
It is clear you don’t understand our world ; say, I suggest you to finish your laws cursus in France, why not in la Sorbonne or Poitiers, or Aix-en-Provence ?
you seem to still live in the fifties
the thousands of people in the street today were not specially protesting for their retirement, (the “fonctionnaires” ’s day) but to increase their wages and for the number of their collegues to still be the same (or higher)
Apart of that, our best exportations rates are done by mixed state/private Cies as Eads (Airbus), TGV (trains), EDF-GDF (electricity-gaz that we sell to our EU partners), Areva (civil nuclear reactors), Toal (oil), Agro-alimentary industries such as Carrefour, Auchan… that we can find in the world wideness (private), etc…
so the system works OK, state finances help to have a long term investment (for researches, for the heavy costs…) when private investments expect a short term rapport.
This has been working by us since Louis the XIVth, and we are still in the G8 and it is not communism ;
the handicap we had, as I told you, only dated from the last WWII, when the unions became powerful, ; now they represent only 8 % of the working class, mostly in mere administration.
November 21st, 2007 at 11:14 amERik March
if you want to put the label “communism” on us, while your government is giving subvention to your farmers to keep the competitive prices with third world or EU (but I expect with the low dollar, thiswill not be necessary anymore)
while your government is giving subventions to “Boing” to make sure your planes will be a definitive choice because of the prices….
your veiling your face, it’s the same business as us though
I don’t think all the kids in your nation have the opportunity to go to universities, because of the cost of them ; while by is it cost s only a few hundred of euros (for the insurances)
as your talking of our immigrants who have difficulties to get a jo which fit their formation (lots of them are grduates though), this is on the way to be solved : the baby-boom working class is going into retirement.
what about your “alliens”, how many do you have across your hudge country ? I read : about 43 millions ; more than 8 millions are illegals, so !
November 21st, 2007 at 11:35 amFrenchie,
Angry rant because you don’t want the EU to be the double of the US (which is exactly what I thought you said)? On the contrary my dear! Neither I nor my countrymen seek for the EU to be the US’s double. In fact we fear certain politicians in this country and their desire to create a double of the EU here in our hemisphere.
How many lay-offs did Airbus have this year? 10,000 plus? While our private company, Boeing, is out pacing them by multitudes in worldwide sales.
How well are those TGVs working for you in France right now considering that 500,000 train drivers have been out on strike?
State sponsored oil exports? Too bad they don’t even register when comparing marketplace percentage meanwhile Exxon/Mobile a PRIVATE company is ranked 5th globally behind the Saudi-American Oil Co. (SaudiAramco).
And don’t even try to attempt a comparison of over all exports, GDP, etc. with ours because ya’ll aren’t even in the same ballpark.
But I digress. My rant had nothing to do with your little EU chip on your shoulder. But of course if you would leave your bubble long enough you would recognize that. It had to due with your insult of me and my country.
And why finish my law courses in France? I’ve been there, seen it. By your nation’s imperialistic track record in the 20th century (Indochina? Hello?), there is simply nothing to learn there. Anyway. I’ve also done England, Amsterdamn, Greece and Germany. I’ve walked in the most lavish halls in Europe and the U.S. and then walked through some of the most depraved neighborhoods in the world also. I’ve seen people in Western Europe riot in the streets because they raise train fares and I’ve dug-up bodies in Mass Graves. So I do not know of what world you speak. Maybe the one that eats caviar and sips French Champagne at a cafe on the shores of the Seine while unemployed immigrant youths burn the city around you.
Your economic model has done right by ya’ll? Wow, there’s over 10% of your population that’s employable yet unemployed that would disagree with you I bet.
November 21st, 2007 at 12:03 pmEriK march,
it is simply not useful to go on, because your not going to concede me something, so whatever I would say, you would take it as an offence or arrogance, better leave that here before we go to a full colored vocabulary ; I hope life will open your eyes though, depends on you to step down the pedestal ; I understand you had a hard life, don’t forget it when you’ll be in “business”
November 21st, 2007 at 12:19 pmDidn’t you read my family’s history? I, nor my patronage, have NOT had a hard life simply due to the opportunities this country has offered us. That is my whole point which you seem to continuously miss.
Government manipulation of costs and currency is not the same as government owned companies and last time I checked Airbus was having to take a net loss for every plane they sold to cover the taxes and admin. costs imposed on them by the controlling govts. (just an FYI see, I AM in business)
And every kid here can go to Universities. State universities run between $700 to $2500 per year plus books depending on what state. Additionally, both state and private universities, federal and state govts., and private organizations pay scholarships based on financial capabilities and/or test scores. People from our poorest towns go to the most expensive universities without paying a dime for it every year. Does that make us better than you? NO But it does show that we do not have a stratified society like you seem to believe.
There is no pedestal from which I need to climb down since there is no pedestal here to even be atop. What I would suggest to you is to visit here and go to places that are not on the tourist map. Don’t even go to places that are thought to be “honored and regal”. Visit Wichita, Kansas; visit Colorado Springs, Colorado; visit Nashville, Tennessee; visit San Antonio, Texas. It is in these places where you find the majority of Americans. It is in these cities where you will find the children of illegal immigrants attending college courtesy of public support. It is in these cities where you will see communities working together to improve their lives. Not because the government tells them, but because its the right thing to do as Humans. It is in these cities that you find America.
By the way, I NEVER called the French communists! In fact I mentioned how your country has taken steps to move away from communism towards a more free market (capitalist) approach, reversing the trend that your country had found itself in. Why don’t you re-read my 10:23 am (u.s.) post. Its not a rant against you but against those certain elements in your country. Do you think that I don’t lambast their counter parts here in the U.S.?
Anyway, even though I think you are misguided and ill-informed you needn’t worry about me resulting to the same language that some who disagreed with you in the past have done. Not all Americans are like that.
November 21st, 2007 at 12:55 pmI visited your site, that’s where I got the feeling you had that “10 years hard experience”
Well, May-be I need to go into your country to get a proper idea of what it is like ; I get an idea through the net though (I usually don’t go on leftist sites
); dunno if I’ll get the opportunity or the envy to make the trip (I am in charge of a business and of 3 boston-terriers that I don’t want to leave alone) ;
and there still are so many parts in EU that I don’t know too, or place I’d like to revisit as St Peterburg that I knew during the cold war, because they make sense for me as far as “art and civilisation history” is concerned
but I invite you to come over too, not into Paris or the coast of Azur, make a proper trip in the country and montains
November 21st, 2007 at 1:15 pmI appreciate your review, just remember that “hard experience” is not the same as a “hard life”. We have many, many welfare recipients here in the US that have cell phones, Xboxes, iPods and plasma TVs. Impoverishment here is just not the same as it is in the 3rd world (for the most part).
While I am planning on visiting the former eastern bloc countries on my next trip maybe I’ll attempt a side journey. I’d have to say I’d much more enjoy the company of Sarkozy supporters as opposed to the Chirac one’s I had to deal with last time.
November 21st, 2007 at 3:32 pmthanks for the reminding of the 2 words meanings ; it was lazyness from me someone would say !
well if you come over, don’t expect that people would have changed because of Sarkozy : they are Frenchs ; if you take them easy, you’ll no problem
November 21st, 2007 at 4:32 pm