Posted on 07/16/2014 5:09:56 AM PDT by McGruff
Russia and Cuba have agreed to reopen the signals intelligence (SIGINT) base in Lourdes, Cuba, which was primarily used to spy on the U.S., Russian business daily Kommersant reports. The base was set up in 1964 after the Cuban missile crisis and is 155 miles from the U.S. coast. Havana shut it down in 2001 because of financial issues and American pressure. "Lourdes gave the Soviet Union eyes in the whole of the western hemisphere," a former head of Russia's foreign intelligence service, Vyacheslav Trubnikov, told Kommersant. "For Russia, which is fighting for its lawful rights and place in the international community, it would be no less valuable than for the USSR." Once the Soviet Union's largest outside of its territory, the facility was manned by about 3,000 military and intelligence personnel who intercepted signals coming from and to the U.S. territory and provided communication for the Russian vessels in the West. Kommersant reported that the agreement was finalized during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Havana last week. Moscow also recently agreed to write off 90% of Cuba's debt dating back to the Soviet era, which totaled around $32 billion. Putin has been emboldened ever since NSA contractor Edward Snowden flew to Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23 of last year after stealing an estimated 1.7 million documents from NSA servers in Hawaii. "All I can say is finally!" one Russian source told Kommersant.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Payment for the forgiveness of debt.
You really think it was closed?? Wake up!!
Translation. U.S. President is too weak to do anything about Russia. Bay of Pigs not happening with this guy.
“Putin makes his chess move.”
And why wouldn’t he? He has no organized, strategic opposition on the chess board.
Sad how this clown, 0bama, has decimated America’s reputation around the globe while opening the border to hoards of illegals, welcoming them with open arms and an open wallet.
We’ve done this forgiveness thing a million times.
I’m shocked that you have gambling here Rick.
Putin has Obama under his thumb. Cuba is an excellent staging base.
Putin makes his chess move.
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And why not? He’d be foolish if he didn’t take advantage of Obama’s weakness and acquiescence. Putin correctly see’s a big green light to do whatever he wants.
I’m really surprised that Putin hasn’t been a lot more aggressive but maybe its just a matter of logistics that’s slowing him down. Whatever, Putin is on the move; Obama is in retreat.
For the folks who have been warning about American meddling in eastern Europe and antagonizing Russia over the Ukraine, this move comes as no surprise.
Cuba is an excellent staging base.
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Along with Venezuela which Russian warships periodically visit.
Now just imagine what is going on that we don’t know.
Uh huh...
To co ordinate with the ‘children’ from South and Central America, in their assault on the US!!
Well, well, well. History does repeat itself.
It's not about Obama being "weak". It's about him basically being on their side with an almost identical worldview and agenda.
I blame the American people for being lazy in 2012. Now it’s 4 more years.
And an excellent reason, when we get a real president, to meddle in E. Europe.
An excellent reason if you’re a defense contractor. Gratuitous escalation of tension between nuclear powers is not so good for the rest of us.
I simply responding to the laughable notion that it’s the US’ fault that Russia is doing this.
Russia has been doing that since Stalin.
If we don't respond, they keep coming.
I don't think that there is any question that since the breakup of the Soviet Union, their political aspirations have clearly been to achieve a "do-over".
Like the closely related Germans, they don't have a word for "Stop".
It's patently clear that the perceived weakness of the US is the driving factor here and they are filling the vacuum. If the goal is to relegate the US to a global busboy along with it's European loser friends.......They are doing exactly the right things.
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