President Putin's statement that the current U.S. government is attempting to return to the Cold War has a ring of veracity. The GWOT is a wash out as a way of generating revenue for the military industrial complex. Its difficult to justify buying multibillion dollar weapon systems when your enemy drives a camel and carries a surplus AK. Taxpayers are completely fed up with the Iraq adventure, but they meekly payed for fleets of B-52s,nuclear subs and Minuteman missiles when the Soviet Union was the official, godless enemy of a righteous America for four decades. So a return to a nuclear standoff in Europe is as good a way as any to keep the government in expensive guns. Since the beginning of the decade defense spending has nearly doubled not counting spending on the current wars. Twenty eight big ticket weapon systems alone will account for $44 billion in 2008.The rationale for putting unproven anti-ballistic missiles in Poland to defend against a non- existent Iranian ICBM is, as Putin said, laughable if were not so sad. What is left unexplained by the militarists is why the rich Europeans are not capable of providing for their own defence against the alleged threat. Apparently, the Europeans are not impressed by Iran as a security threat. The reason the Russians are so upset about the plan is that the system could just as easily be used against Russian missiles on there way to strike U.S. military bases in Europe should the unthinkable conflict ever become a reality. Russia has been dealt setbacks in prestige and influence since the end of the Cold War. It has watched nervously as it's Cold War adversary, NATO, advanced to the European border. The U.S. desire to place anti-ballistic missiles on it's doorstep and thereby dilute the deterrence effect of it's nuclear arsenal is one shove to many. Can anyone blame President Putin for not taking the Charlatan's word as a security guarantee, given his unilateral and unprovoked attack on Iraq? America's arrogance is sometimes frightening to behold.
Weekend Update: Blowing hot and cold on the Baltic coast the U.S. regime got it nervous Nelly ally, Poland, to restate its commitment to resuming of the Cold War. Within 24 hours it rejected an offer of a common approach to possible ballistic missile threats put forward by President Putin. He suggested basing a joint missile shield in Azerbaijan. Caught of guard by the suggestion, U.S. officials labeled it "interesting". But when meeting with the reflexively anti-Russian Poles, the Charlatan apparently rejected the friendly offer. Secretary 'Condo' Rice
chimed in with an obvious remark that basing missile systems is "all about geometry". Duh, look at the map Ms. Secretary. Its clear the the triangulation of Flyingdales and the proposed site in Czech Republic is pointed directly at European Russia. The battery location on the Baltic coast of Poland at Gorsko is ideal for intercepting Russian ICBMs on course for U.S. nuclear bases in UK. A battery located in Azerbaijan would be closer to missiles leaving Iran, but less effective against missiles headed toward U.S. bases in Europe. Did Tony Blair get more than a medal for being a lap dog on Iraq? I think he got a commitment from the U.S. to shield Britain with an anti-ballistic missile system.