Posted on 10/17/2001 7:43:32 PM PDT by kattracks
Nearly 40 years after troops from the Soviet Union arrived in Cuba, President Putin of Russia has ordered his military to pack up and leave what was once an important spy base there, heralding the end of Moscow's presence on the island. Russia said the move, announced after a stormy meeting at the Russian defence ministry, was down to the cost of keeping the base going. But others see it as a goodwill signal to Washington and President George Bush. Only 100 miles from Key West in Florida, the Lourdes spy base proved crucial for intelligence during and after the cold war. It is said to be Russia's largest spy base, covering 28 square miles south of Havana and able to spy on the White House and Nasa. The base has been a big cause of irritation between the US and Russia. Last year, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to try to prevent America from rescheduling Russian's international debt unless Lourdes was shut down. Through the base, the Kremlin is said to have learned of America's battle plans for the 1990-91 Gulf war. President Putin praised the base and its thousand-plus employees when he visited last December. The chief of the general staff, Anatoly Kvashnin, said that Lourdes had been vital during the cold war. But priorities had changed, making the base's annual cost of $200m harder to justify. "Now, the military-political situation has changed and there has been a qualitative leap in military equipment. With that money we can buy and launch 20 communication, intelligence and information satellites, and buy up to 100 sophisticated radars," General Kvashnin said. Military experts saw the decision as a sign to Washington that Russia is serious about a partnership with the west. "It's the first real signal of Mr Putin's that he is sincere in his relations with the United States," said Alexander Golts, a military expert with the Moscow newspaper Izvestia.
That is what we should be afraid of. It is not if they will or will not, but THEY CAN, IF THEY WANT TO.
Islam will be a brief and silly memory.
Even if Russia and USA become allies, the above 2 may not happen at all. China is going to be a big player, not becuase of its military power, but mainly because of its importance in the economic world. Also with 1.2 billion people following Islam, it is going to be around for a while.
Yes! One of the interesting things about Putin is his wrapping Russia in the old 'defender of the Christian Faith' banner of Tsars. It may be just good internal politics for the old KGB head, but who cares? After all the atheist nonsense of the communist era, Russia seems to be coming around hard right.
I don't buy it, too risky for mass retaliation of nukes, but there is a more realistic scenario that concerns me. What if they try to hold Bush hostage? Coincide with several terrorist acts in US(truck bombs, infrastructure attacks, smallpox bio spread) that are limited but show capability, attacks on Isreal and S. Korea. Immediate massing to take Taiwan, warn that any US interference will result in nuke attacks, death of pres., and massive terrorist actions.
OK, tin-foil hat off now, but how is there no risk of such a scenario by the proponents of Unlimited Warfare?
Cam Ranh Bay also! Either they are too poor to keep them or major moves and realignments are being made.
Well, I think OBL and friends are helping us there. He is showing that the choice is (a) 8th century moon god worship with all the trappings (and the promise of 72 more or less virgins when you die) or (b)life in the 21st century and Jesus Christ. While the former may have some appeal if all you have is a pair of sandals, a lot of sand and you can't read, it kind of pales against the Truth and modern life.
You can fool some of the people some of the time, etc.
The Vietnamese still don't like China either, that's why we will probably get Cam Ranh Bay back.
Judge him by his deeds.
For one thing, China wants to use antiterrorism as a cover
to solve its own breakaway Muslim problem. The PRC
could well be a ally in the fight against terrorists. Russia
also for its Chechen problem. This is realpolitik. Real
issues at stake. There is something addlebrained about
dismissing actions as propaganda.
in·e·luc·ta·ble (n-lkt-bl)
adj.
Not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable
What is inescapable about propaganda?
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