Posted on 10/27/2005 8:40:51 AM PDT by Wiz
Correction:
Russia is planning to spend about 800 billion rubles ($29.6 billion) on its military next year.
That's still a sizable amount for a country with half the population of ours, and arms are much less costly (dollar-wise) to make there. It's also a rather large total expenditure, given Russia's lack of engagement in in any current, large defense effort and Russia's choices in alliances (the most radical Islamist nations).
What USA could offer Russia?
US alliance with Russia would mean helping Russia in isolating Islamists in Caucasus, recognizing Russian sphere of influence in Central Asia and possibly in Belarus, changing side from pro-Muslim/Albanian toward pro-Serbian, getting rid of Jackson-Vanik Soviet era sanction regime, withdrawing moral support for the oligarchs, etc ...
I see, do Russia does not play along then the giving Islamists in Chechnya nukes is a proper response? (I say "Islamists in Chechnya" and not Chechens because many of these terrorists are Saudi/Jordanian Wahabis.)
I wrote, "It's also a rather large total expenditure, given Russia's lack of engagement in in any current, large defense effort and Russia's choices in alliances (the most radical Islamist nations)." With those "choices in alliances" in mind, have a look at some of Russia's military allies.
Kyrgyzstan
slightly smaller than South Dakota
Religions:
Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%
Tajikistan
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)
Kazakhstan
slightly less than four times the size of Texas
Religions:
Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Belarus
Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion continue.
slightly smaller than Kansas
Religions:
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
Armenia
slightly smaller than Maryland
...and the countries that Russia is working with in efforts to destabilize the Middle East--Iran, Syria and others.
It doesn't cost much to make a mess, but it costs a lot to clean one up.
There are over 150 million Chinese living along the border with Russia, and 10 million Russians on their side. With Russia looking at a crashing population in the next 50 years. The Chinese will just walk in....
Russia's enemies are civilized human beings.
Putin showing his colors again... (Red)
And this time, Russia is the one in the driver's seat.
PING
Russia and China, unlike Russia and Germany during WWII, need each other to survive. They won't fight each other until the US and EU are totally out of the picture.;
Russia is the USSR with an image team and a makeover.
Birds of feather flock together, and so do the tyrants of the world.
"However, the Russians must now assess the likelihood of being supplanted by China if they appear willing to trade favours with Washington and lose the confidence of Tehran."
Personally, I think this statement is silly. Iran is a client state of Russia and has been at least since 1997, as is indicated (in my opinion) by CIA studies of Russian MRBM missile technology being supplied to Iran (Iran's Nuclear Option, Al J. Venter (2005) p. 306., along with the Russians building nuclear power plants there.
Of course, Russia has not made a formal statement indicating that Iran is a client state and they support them in their promulgation of terror throughout the world. In fact, Russia makes many statements to the contrary, protesting how much they care about peace, oppose terrorism, etc. So what? There are differences between what the Russians doing now and what they did in the Cold War, but they seem awfully similar to me.
Janes is swallowing bait here.
"Iran is a client state of Russia and has been at least since 1997,"
Russia has been destabilizing the Middle Easst since the 50's
"Russia has been destabilizing the Middle Easst since the 50's"
True, but until the U. S. weakened Iraq, Iraq was a client state of Russia. It was difficult to have Iraq and Iran as client states at the same time.
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