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Commander of US Army in Europe Sees Russia Mobilizing for War
Wall Street Journal ^ | February 09, 2015 | Sohrab Ahmari

Posted on 02/15/2015 6:22:35 PM PST by presidio9

'I believe the Russians are mobilizing right now for a war that they think is going to happen in five or six years —not that they're going to start a war in five or six years, but I think they are anticipating that things are going to happen, and that they will be in a war of some sort, of some scale, with somebody within the next five or six years."

So says Lt. Gen. Frederick "Ben" Hodges, commander of U.S. Army Europe....

"Strong Europe!" reads a sign on one of the walls. Next to it is the U.S. Army Europe insignia, a burning sword set against a blue shield. The two signs represent the strategic framework the three-star general has introduced—building on America's decades-long role on the Continent—since taking command last year of the 30,000 or so U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe.

The U.S. military presence in Europe is more vital at this moment than it has been in many years. American engagement is essential if the West is to deter a revanchist Russia that has set out to "redraw the boundaries of Europe," Gen. Hodges says with a native Floridian's drawl....

The Russians have "got some forces in Transnistria," he says of the state that broke away from Moldova in the 1990s. "They've got forces in Georgia. And I think they view China as their existential threat, so they've got a lot of capacity out there." The Russian military is thus already somewhat stretched, and Moscow had to carve out from existing units the battalion task groups currently arrayed near eastern Ukraine. Yet "they are clearly on a path to develop, to increase, their capacity," Gen. Hodges says. Add to this expansion that "they've got very good equipment, extremely good communications equipment, their [electronic-warfare] capability, T-80 tanks." How long will it take for Russia to reach its desired military strength? "I think within another two or three years they will have that capacity," he says.. -SNIP-


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: europe; moldova; putinsbuttboys; russia; transnistria; ukraine; vladtheimploder
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To: ansel12

Right now NATO his headed by Sultan Obama. What’s he gonna do?


121 posted on 02/15/2015 9:03:35 PM PST by arthurus (it's true!)
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To: GeronL

Sounds good. They can buy that surplus from us.


122 posted on 02/15/2015 9:03:40 PM PST by DirtyPigpen (Semper Fi)
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To: DirtyPigpen

You seem to have a comprehension problem.

You don’t understand talking about Russian forces of the mid 1980s, versus Russian forces today?

You seem determined to fight for Russia becoming what they were in the 1980s, a threat to the very existence of humanity.

There is no reason to allow Russia to once again become such a military and strategic threat to the world.


123 posted on 02/15/2015 9:09:27 PM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: arthurus

Tell me, is he being too strong for you, or too weak for you in opposing Russia?

This pro-Russian crowd considers Obama TOO MUCH like Reagan, in his actions against Russia.


124 posted on 02/15/2015 9:11:25 PM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: ansel12

I tend to agree. I hope Russia knows who and what their true enemies are. Putin is a sob, but I wouldn’t want to see Siberia fall to China, nor would I want to see old genuine Russians one day dominated by young muslim ‘Russians’.


125 posted on 02/15/2015 9:11:39 PM PST by Aetius
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To: DirtyPigpen; GeronL

GeronL, this guy is not going to support anything that gets in the way of Putin’s plans.

Even the discarding of surplus materials.


126 posted on 02/15/2015 9:13:29 PM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: ansel12
Well he (Mitt) said it, and he was wrong. Russia was not a problem then. And that was one the reasons he lost.

It is a problem today of our own making, but a minuscule problem compared to what we face with the Islamists.

127 posted on 02/15/2015 9:17:34 PM PST by duckln
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To: DirtyPigpen
If you didn’t talk out of both sides of your mouth, in two different threads I would have to drag one into the other.---In one thread I don’t agree with spending our money arming Ukraine so you tell me how dangerous a threat Russia is. Then in another thread you day they suck.

If you aren't a lying troll that seems to be playing some game, on these threads.

Then why not show the exact posts of mine that disagree with each other, on the two threads?

128 posted on 02/15/2015 9:17:48 PM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: duckln

Sorry, I realize that you have an agenda to promote Russian interests here, but Russia is an enemy, and a great threat to the future.


129 posted on 02/15/2015 9:19:04 PM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: ansel12

Stop contradicting yourself.


130 posted on 02/15/2015 9:19:57 PM PST by DirtyPigpen (Semper Fi)
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To: ansel12

I pasted your post from the other thread into this one already. Find it yourself.


131 posted on 02/15/2015 9:21:58 PM PST by DirtyPigpen (Semper Fi)
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To: Aetius

Putin is a Psychopath, he will do what serves his personal short term interests, and his obsession with power, and evil, and his own grandiosity.

“Vladimir Putin’s Greek urns claim earns ridicule”

“Russian PM ‘discovers’ two amphorae in shallow waters on the floor of the Black Sea in latest stage of televised heroics

When a scuba-diving Vladimir Putin found two ancient Greek urns on the floor of the Black Sea this week, it seemed a startling discovery. In his latest spurt of televised heroics, the Russian prime minister raised a triumphant thumb as he circled the pair of amphorae in shallow waters off the Taman peninsula near Ukraine.

The find came to “everyone’s utter surprise”, claimed the slavishly devotional Russia Today and other state-controlled TV channels. Once on dry land, Putin posed in his wetsuit with a jug in each hand.

But independent media and Russia’s lively blogosphere are now ridiculing the incident, in a sign of increasing weariness of Putin’s macho photo ops – such as bare-chested fishing, piloting a “water bomber” over forest fires and diving to the bottom of lake Baikal in a mini-submarine.”


132 posted on 02/15/2015 9:23:14 PM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy
Maybe the Chinese have more freedom in Russia than in China.

I bet a lot of North Koreans would opt to immigrate to southern Siberia.

133 posted on 02/15/2015 9:23:43 PM PST by duckln
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To: Sola Veritas

The crash in oil prices should slow them up a bit but long term I’m not so sure.Look for them to start something like taking oilfields wherever they can.


134 posted on 02/15/2015 9:26:22 PM PST by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life's tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: ansel12

Putin would be a comic figure if he wasn’t so dangerous. One can only hope that Russia will get better leadership someday.


135 posted on 02/15/2015 9:28:01 PM PST by Aetius
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To: ansel12

Here from that earlier thread you say I’m assbackwards about them not being able to fight prolonged campaigns. In this thread you agree. Which is it?

Sun Feb 15 2015 14:38:52 GMT-0500 (EST) · 64 of 74 ansel12 to DirtyPigpen That’s right Russia was a greater threat, a threat that was defeated, and broken, and now you are supporting them rebuilding by reconquering.

You are basackwards when you say that they have neither the will or the means to take us on long term, that is EXACTLY the opposite of the reality, as we are right this minute discussing their current military operations as part of the process of displaying that will, that goal, and to reestablish those means.


136 posted on 02/15/2015 9:28:11 PM PST by DirtyPigpen (Semper Fi)
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To: DirtyPigpen

Another lie, you posted an excerpt, I posted the entire thing in post 113.

And there was no contradiction, it described 1980s Russia.

In fact here is the excerpt you posted.

To: ansel12
This is the post where you talk about how powerful they were.

ansel12 to DirtyPigpen Some of us were predicting in 1979 that 1984 was roughly the year or period that Russia needed to move, or else they would lose that window.

That period of 1983 1985 was a very tense time to be a part of those NATO forces, the tension was incredible, and Russia was incredibly powerful at the time, with almost 6 sand a half million men, 7 Airborne Divisions, and masses of Air Assault units and Bridge building and Armor units, a vast military force built entirely on attack, attack, attack.

107 posted on 2/15/2015, 8:43:56 PM by DirtyPigpen


137 posted on 02/15/2015 9:28:12 PM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: DirtyPigpen

Thanks for posting that, you should read it.

You really can’t comprehend the written word.

Read that post again, it doesn’t say they can fight prolonged campaigns, it says they are weaker today and that you want to allow them to rebuild into their past strength.


138 posted on 02/15/2015 9:31:20 PM PST by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

+1


139 posted on 02/15/2015 9:35:50 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: ansel12

Do you even know what you typed?

This is you from the earlier thread. You say they do have the means to take us on long term. Earlier in this thread you say they don’t.

You are basackwards when you say that they have neither the will or the means to take us on long term, that is EXACTLY the opposite of the reality, as we are right this minute discussing their current military operations as part of the process of displaying that will, that goal, and to reestablish those means.


140 posted on 02/15/2015 9:43:54 PM PST by DirtyPigpen (Semper Fi)
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