Russia strikes the wrong note with Obama (Russia is "low Priority" for Obama)

The Scotsman ^ | Nov. 14, 2008 | News Scotsman

[FocusNexus]

DMITRY Medvedev, the Russian president, looks to have committed a strategic blunder by sending Barack Obama a message on his election day threatening the deployment of nuclear missiles to Kaliningrad.

On an occasion, when even America's twin nemeses, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, sent telegrams of good wishes, Mr Medvedev's act stood out.

The truth is that the Obama administration, facing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the nuclear ambitions of Iran has assigned Russia a low priority.

[FocusNexus]

It was no "strategic blunder" -- Medvedev and Putin know exactly what they are doing.

"Mr Medvedev has since tried to back-track on the issue, insisting the Iskander-M tactical nuclear missiles would only be deployed if the US set up its planned anti-missile system in the Czech Republic and Poland." -- This is NO backtracking, this is what he said to begin with.

I think the MSM is trying to defend the Russian action and is having trouble doing so.

"The truth is that the Obama administration, facing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the nuclear ambitions of Iran has assigned Russia a low priority."

Obama, by signaling that the US is too busy with Afghanistan and Iraq, that it can't handle Russia will just embolden them.

I just posted an article earlier about Medvedev going to visit Cuba and Venezuela and is doing joint naval exercises with Venesuela in the Carribean!

[ArchAngel1983]

Russia is “low priority” for Obama

Oh, thank God, I thought America was.

[ETL]

I just posted an article earlier about Medvedev going to visit Cuba and Venezuela and is doing joint naval exercises with Venezuela in the Caribbean!

Russia, as usual, seems up to no good...

From National Public Radio (NPR):
August 29, 2006
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been visiting countries such as China, Iran and Russia as part of an effort to build a 'strategic alliance' of interests not beholden to the United States. He considers the United States his arch enemy.":
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5729764
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From the Russian News and Information Agency:
July 27, 2006
"'I am determined to expand relations with Russia,' Chavez, known as an outspoken critic of what he calls the United States' unilateralism, told the Russian leader, adding that his determination stemmed from their shared vision of the global order.":
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060727/51913498.html
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From Investors Business Daily:
September 8, 2008
"On Monday, Russia accepted Chavez's invitation for a first-ever joint naval exercise with Venezuela."
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=305766737761086
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From The Associated Press:
Russian navy ships head to maneuvers in Venezuela
September 22, 2008
MOSCOW - A Russian navy squadron set off for Venezuela Monday, an official said, in a deployment of Russian military power to the Western Hemisphere unprecedented since the Cold War.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080922/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_venezuela
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Venezuela Set to Develop Nuclear Power With Russia
September 29, 2008
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that Russia will help Venezuela develop nuclear energy — a move likely to raise U.S. concerns over increasingly close cooperation between Caracas and Moscow.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,429441,00.html
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Biden predicts early crisis will test Obama
October 20, 2008

From CNN Political Producer Alexander Marquardt Biden predicts Obama will have to make some unpopular decisions in his first six months in office. Biden predicts Obama will have to make some unpopular decisions in his first six months in office.

SEATTLE (CNN) — Joe Biden told Democratic fundraisers Sunday night that there is no doubt in his mind a crisis will occur during Barack Obama's first six months in office that will test his mettle and force him to make unpopular decisions.

"Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy," said Biden to a roomful of donors. "The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America."

"Remember I said it standing here, if you don't remember anything else I said," Biden continued. "Watch, we're going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/20/biden-predicts-early-crisis-will-test-obama/
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The closest the world has come to nuclear war was the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. The Soviets had installed nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of the United States. U.S. armed forces were at their highest state of readiness. Soviet field commanders in Cuba were authorized to use tactical nuclear weapons if invaded by the U.S. The fate of millions literally hinged upon the ability of two men, President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev, to reach a compromise.

http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/
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Russian nuclear bombers in Cuba?
July 23, 2008

The media has been abuzz today at the prospect of Russian nuclear bombers being stationed in Cuba if the US goes ahead with plans for missile defense bases in Eastern Europe.

The story has riled the US enough that a US general has been wheeled out to tell the world’s press that any Russian attempt to build another nuclear base in Cuba would cross US “red line”.

The story broke earlier this week, when Russian newspaper Izvestia quoted an un-named source from within the Russian military. He told the Russian daily:

“While they are deploying the missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, our strategic bombers will already be landing in Cuba.”

The quote hasn’t been independently confirmed, but the Russian Defense Ministry added fuel to the fire when they refused to comment on the story.

The prospect of Russian nuclear forces being stationed in Cuba - which is, after all, only 90 miles from the US coast - would bring back some rather unpleasant memories for the US of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, where the Soviet Union under Nikita Kruschev launched an audacious and foolhardy bid to station nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island.

http://www.siberianlight.net/2008/07/23/russian-nuclear-bombers-cuba/
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"the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the [20th] century" -Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the collapse of the Soviet Union...
"World democratic opinion has yet to realize the alarming implications of President Vladimir Putin's State of the Union speech on April 25, 2005, in which he said that the collapse of the Soviet Union represented the 'greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.'
http://www.hooverdigest.org/053/beichman.html

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From the Sino-Russian Joint Statement of April 23, 1997:
"The two sides [China and Russia] shall, in the spirit of partnership, strive to promote the multipolarization of the world and the establishment of a new international order."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/HI29Ag01.html
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Russia, China flex muscles in joint war games
Reuters: Aug 17, 2007

CHEBARKUL, Russia (Reuters) - Russia and China staged their biggest joint exercises on Friday but denied this show of military prowess could lead to the formation of a counterweight to NATO.

"Today's exercises are another step towards strengthening the relations between our countries, a step towards strengthening international peace and security, and first and foremost, the security of our peoples," Putin said.

Fighter jets swooped overhead, commandos jumped from helicopters on to rooftops and the boom of artillery shells shook the firing range in Russia's Ural mountains as two of the largest armies in the world were put through their paces.

The exercises take place against a backdrop of mounting rivalry between the West, and Russia and China for influence over Central Asia, a strategic region that has huge oil, gas and mineral resources.

Russia's growing assertiveness is also causing jitters in the West. Putin announced at the firing range that Russia was resuming Soviet-era sorties by its strategic bomber aircraft near NATO airspace.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-29030120070817?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

[FocusNexus]

Cross reference:

Obama’s missile gap

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2132526/posts

Russian leader Medvedev heading to Cuba, Venezuela

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132205/posts

[huldah1776]

Is the reason obamination not concerned with Russia because he intends to have America join the communist nations?

[penelopesire]

LOL!!

[jveritas]

Now Obama is praised for ignoring the aggression of Russia.

[FrankR]

Someone should redesign the playing matt for the game "Twister", replacing the color circles with outlines of Russia, Iran, N. Korea, Afganistan, Iraw, Pakistan, etc...and present new version of "Twister" to obama.

It's going to be fun watching him go into his contortions trying to cover all the "hot spots" on the matt.

Of course, knowing "the one", he'll probably put the matt on the floor and have conversations with it, with no preconditions.

[FocusNexus]

Thanks for adding all the helpful information about Russia and her leaders’ intention — adding it to related threads helps spread the info.

Thanks again for taking the trouble of collecting and posting it.

[denydenydeny]

Russia strikes the wrong note with Obama

This entire spin is pretty infuriating.

For the last eight friggin' years, every single thing that went wrong in the world was, as we know by now, Bush's fault. If someone is making warlike noises, it can only be because the evil Bush has done something to antagonize them.

Now, we have entered a world where Obama is flawless, and anytime someone doesn't like him, it's obviously their fault, because His Majesty Obama, being perfect, can never be blamed for anything.

[marron]

This is not a ploy. Obama is not pretending to be uninterested in what Russia does. He sincerely is not interested in what Russia does.

Russia is going to try and get his attention, and its not going to work, because he doesn’t care what they do. He doesn’t see them as being anything he needs to worry about.

If they intimidate eastern europe, or even western europe, fine, whatever. Let the europeans worry about it. If they are intimidated by Moscow, it doesn’t interest him one way or the other. Is the Russian fleet steaming up and down the caribbean trying to get his attention? They’re wasting fuel. He doesn’t care. Moving missiles onto the German and Polish borders? He doesn’t care. Iran gets a nuke? Not his worry. Iran and Russia form an alliance with China and move on Taiwan? As long as its not Chicago, its not his worry.

I predict he will end the embargo against Cuba within days of taking the presidency. Are there Russian bombers in Cuba? Fine, whatever. Unless they are flying over Democratic voters and scaring them away from the polls, he doesn’t care, its not his worry.

[FocusNexus]

Sad, but true.

But what is he going to do if Iran lobs a nuke at the US, because Obama dismantles the MIssile Shield, as unnecessary?

U.S. general urges Obama not to cave to Russia

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4AB9L720081112

Dropping the planned installation of missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic “would severely hurt” U.S. ability to protect against Iran’s growing missile force, said Lt. Gen. Henry Obering of the Air Force.

Obering noted that Iran and North Korea were making significant investments in developing missiles of increasing range.

Iran said it test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface missile using solid fuel on Wednesday and that the Islamic Republic was ready to defend itself against any attacker.

Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the Sejil missile had a range of close to 2,000 km (1,200 miles), almost as far as another Iranian missile, the Shahab 3. That would enable it to reach Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf.

Obering said that the test-firing would represent “a major step up” in Iranian capabilities if what Tehran said about the latest launch is true.

[informavoracious]

They didn’t donate enough money to Barry’s campaign.

[A message]

We should tell the Russians fine if they want to stick their crap bombers in Cuba then we will not have to fly that far to shoot them down.

[Captainpaintball]

Trans-ration: (Standing up to ) Russia is a low priority for this administration.

[freeangel]

The ONLY prority 0bama has is to turn this country into a socialist state ASAP.

[April Lexington]

It is becoming clearer by the day that the “establishment’ has figured out that Obama cannot be allowed to become president.

I wonder if that's why Keyes filed the latest lawsuit today in California challenging Obama’s birth certificate.

Scary times, indeed....

[VlPu]

Armageddon = NATO v Russia

Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad v Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez: one is a NATO agent and another is not, yet he has already shown several times he can be easily fooled. From Ahmadinejad to Obama.

[mad_as_he$$]

ANY President of this country MUST keep the Russkies engaged. They can be a “low Priority”. Foolish amateur mistake.

[Grateful One]

Translation: Do whatever you want Vladimar, I’ve got a lot of checks to write out and don’t have a lot of time to engage you in areas where I already know you are on the right side of. Love, Barack.