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Britain - RAF scrambles to intercept Russian bombers
Times Online (UK) (excerpt) ^ | July 18, 2007 | Richard Beeston

Posted on 07/18/2007 1:16:31 AM PDT by HAL9000

Excerpt -

RAF fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian strategic bombers heading for British airspace yesterday, as the spirit of the Cold War returned to the North Atlantic once again.

The incident, described as rare by the RAF, served as a telling metaphor for the stand-off between London and Moscow over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.

While the Kremlin hesitated before responding to Britain’s expulsion of four diplomats, the Russian military engaged in some old-fashioned sabre-rattling.

Two Tu95 “Bear” bombers were dispatched from their base on the Kola Peninsula in the Arctic Circle and headed towards British airspace.

~ snip ~


(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: coldwar; kremlin; litvinenko; raf
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To: ElectricStrawberry

lol yeah - and compared to a proton in a linear accelerator...


21 posted on 07/18/2007 5:24:07 AM PDT by Rummenigge (there's people willing to blow out the light because it casts a shadow)
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To: Ronin

Now if they had done this with a couple of Backfires it might have been a different story.==

The purpose of this exercise was to check the response time of RAF. And in what moment they found tu-95s. If it is the moment when they had unloaded thier cruise missiles then it is good.


22 posted on 07/18/2007 5:24:36 AM PDT by RusIvan (Western MSM zombies the western publics.)
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To: yldstrk

and why ?


23 posted on 07/18/2007 5:24:42 AM PDT by Rummenigge (there's people willing to blow out the light because it casts a shadow)
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To: RusIvan

um it’s 2007 - noone needs to detect a bear.

let’s put it like that:

If the porter of the radar installation in scotland feels an itch in his leg it means that a commander of a russian airbase just thought about drawing a flightplan for a bear.


24 posted on 07/18/2007 5:26:56 AM PDT by Rummenigge (there's people willing to blow out the light because it casts a shadow)
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To: HAL9000; All

Interesting. Thanks to contributors to this thread.


25 posted on 07/18/2007 5:32:02 AM PDT by PGalt
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To: DB

I think it’s part of a plan to begin to split nations into alliances.

The Soviet mentality is happiest when there are clearly defined groups of “us” and “them.”

Such a setup does not bode well for the future, though, based upon history.


26 posted on 07/18/2007 5:36:13 AM PDT by Ghost of Philip Marlowe (Liberals are blind. They are the dupes of Leftists who know exactly what they're doing.)
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To: LegendHasIt

They may also be testing Britains resolve now that there is a new P.M. IS he a sissy limp wristed liberal or just a sissy liberal? I think Russia knows it can walk all over the U.K., particularly since G. Brown likes to cut military spending for social spending.


27 posted on 07/18/2007 5:37:02 AM PDT by doc30 (Democrats are to morals what an Etch-A-Sketch is to Art.)
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To: HAL9000
Be sure that many enemies paid attention to how the Iran hostage crisis was handled.

Look around. There are far more powerful and dangerous nations against Britain and the U.S. than are for it. All it takes is a little balls by Putin. A nuke in Iraq,Russian strikes at the U.K., an all out Arab attack on Israel. Oil Embargo by our Arab pals and a Chinese strike at Taiwan and Japan in sync. Nuke in D.C. by terrorist cell. Nuke in South Korea. Its possible, if someone has the balls or is nuts enough to start it, and Putin is nuts enough.

28 posted on 07/18/2007 5:37:30 AM PDT by normy (Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft.)
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To: Pro-Bush
“Does pu-pu need attention again?”

- In terms of a military threat, Russia is now just a giant Potemkin village that Putin is trying to maintain to save face over the fact that it is no longer a military force to be feared. Without it’s oil reserves, Russia would be just a shell.
I’m convinced that this is the reason the Bush continues to humor Putin over his threats to do this or that in response to Bush’s star war plans. Bush knows that Putin cannot back up these threats and so he just plays along and then goes ahead and does exactly what he wants to.

29 posted on 07/18/2007 5:48:02 AM PDT by finnigan2 (>)
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To: johnny7
This is all about the poisoned, Russian spy... but I’m sure that the rooskies also see Gordon Brown as a gutless, panty waist.

Foreign powers love to test the resolve of the new guy.
30 posted on 07/18/2007 5:57:21 AM PDT by Eagle of Liberty (The United States of America is the only country strong enough to go it alone.)
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To: finnigan2

- In terms of a military threat, Russia is now just a giant Potemkin village that Putin is trying to maintain to save face over the fact that it is no longer a military force to be feared. ==

Even 5000 nuclier war heads are not be feared? Why then those interceptors in Europe?
Remember the war in Iraq got started on the presumption even only one Saddam’s nuke and half buckle of the WMD chemicals. Russia still has the tens thousands tonns of chemical WMDs and thousands of the nuclier tipped missiles.
In case of WMD capabilities Russia are still an Everest comparing with Iraqi& Iranian mice.


31 posted on 07/18/2007 8:26:42 AM PDT by RusIvan (Western MSM zombies the western publics.)
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To: RusIvan; finnigan2
Russia still has the tens thousands tonns of chemical WMDs

I'ld be more worried about those going off in Moscow. In russia everything is up for sale. Watch out for the chechens.

32 posted on 07/18/2007 7:51:20 PM PDT by BrooklynGOP (www.logicandsanity.com)
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To: BrooklynGOP

I’ld be more worried about those going off in Moscow. In russia everything is up for sale. Watch out for the chechens.==
Chechens are busy with making a money now. They are through with building the islamic khaliphate for some times. They serve in Russian army now. Fight with Russia’ enemies:).


33 posted on 07/19/2007 12:52:57 AM PDT by RusIvan (Western MSM zombies the western publics.)
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To: RusIvan

Muslim Chechens fight in Russian army?


34 posted on 07/19/2007 1:21:20 AM PDT by Eva
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To: Eva

Muslim Chechens fight in Russian army?==

Yeah:). And not only them. Accually all Russia’s muslims fight in ranks of russian army. They are all the citizens so it is naturally that they fight for Russia. Some of them are separatists but far from all of them. SO the majority fight for Russia and even kill those minorities who are against.


35 posted on 07/19/2007 2:33:26 AM PDT by RusIvan (Western MSM zombies the western publics.)
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To: BrooklynGOP
“I’ld be more worried about those going off in Moscow. In russia everything is up for sale. Watch out for the chechens.”

- Agreed. Russia still has a navy which is rusting away in various ports due to insufficient funds, an air force which is sustained through sales to third world countries and an army made up of many Asiatics and Moslem's from it’s outlying regions whose loyalty to Moscow is growing increasingly suspect.
While Russia still has the ability to launch a surprise missile attack, the political determination to carry out such a drastic measure is not there and, even after such an attack, Russia doesn’t have the economic or military infrastructure to sustain an extended war.
As you say, the main danger from Russia is if it’s nuclear arsenal were to fall into the hands of Islamic terrorists.

36 posted on 07/19/2007 4:12:41 AM PDT by finnigan2 (>)
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To: RusIvan

My Russian neighbor would have a hard time believing this. He emigrated from one of those ‘stan countries because the Muslims hated the Russians so much that they were seizing their property.


37 posted on 07/19/2007 8:25:27 AM PDT by Eva
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To: RusIvan
5000 nuclier war heads are not be feared?

Since the 50s the entire planet has been living with this. The proper emotional state to be in is not fear but something more existential such as weltschmerz.

38 posted on 07/19/2007 8:31:08 AM PDT by RightWhale (It's Brecht's donkey, not mine)
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To: RightWhale

Magog awakens, the writings on the wall, tick, tock, tick, tock ...


39 posted on 07/19/2007 8:35:53 AM PDT by Scythian
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To: Scythian

The moving hand has writ, but who reads cuneiform anymore?


40 posted on 07/19/2007 8:37:30 AM PDT by RightWhale (It's Brecht's donkey, not mine)
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