Posted on 11/06/2008 1:52:50 PM PST by Chet 99
Russia throws down the gauntlet to Obama
Thursday, 6 November, 2008
Russia, Iran, Syria, Venezuela and Bolivia have welcomed Barack Obama's election, though Russian President Dmitry Medvedev unveiled plans to site missiles in Russia's westernmost Laliningrad region.
Medvedev congratulated Obama on his victory and called for "constructive dialogue" between Moscow and Washington "on the basis of trust and taking into account each other's interests."
Yet just hours after Obama was declared the winner, the Russian president vowed to base Iskander short-range missiles in Kaliningrad "to neutralise the missile defence system."
"This is the first time in 20 years that Moscow has threatened to create a genuine military threat to the West. This is definitely a cardinal change in the situation," independent defence analyst Alexander Golts told news agency AFP.
Golts called the promised missile deployment "an attempt to inflict maximum damage on US-Russian relations."
"I have no rational explanation for why this came less than 24 hours after the election of a new US president," Golts said. "Even in Soviet times they refrained from such harsh reactions."
If deployed, the missiles would be Russia's first concrete step against US plans to build an anti-missile radar base in the Czech Republic and to site interceptor missiles in Poland, which neighbours the Kaliningrad region.
'Positive response'
Other countries which have had a tempestuous relationship with the US under President George W. Bush also expressed hopes of improved relations once Barack Obama takes over the presidency.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Obama's election is an "evident sign" Americans want basic changes in policy, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Iranian politicians and analysts welcomed Obama's victory as America's first black president-elect, hoping his promise for change will lead to a thaw in Tehran-Washington ties.
Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations for nearly three decades.
The late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini branded the United States the "Great Satan" while President George W. Bush denounced Iran as part of an "axis of evil".
However, Obama has pledged to open negotiations with Iran in the light of the failure of US-led sanctions to persuade Tehran to halt its uranium enrichment programme.
Syria welcomes 'change'
Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said he hopes Obama's win "will help change US policy from one of wars and embargos to one of diplomacy and dialogue."
Relations between Damascus and Washington have reached their lowest point since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 that Syria fiercely opposed.
Leftist Latin America 'hopeful'
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez congratulated Obama on his "historic election" and emphasized his desire for "new relations" between Caracas and Washington, the foreign ministry said.
Chavez kicked out the US ambassador to Caracas in mid-September, and Washington responded in kind.
The United States is the largest customer of Venezuela's oil, its most important export.
Bolivian President Evo Morales, another hard-left US critic who has also expelled the US ambassador to his country, saw parallels between himself and Obama.
The US president-elect, son of a black Kenyan father and white mother from Kansas, "is a man who comes from one of the most discriminated sectors," said Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president.
"It's certain that relations are going to improve," Morales added. In Cuba, ailing former president Fidel Castro -- who remains first secretary of the ruling communist party although out of the public view – gave explicit backing to Obama in the official press on Tuesday.
Obama, "is without a doubt more intelligent, cultured and composed than his Republican adversary," wrote Castro.
Many Cubans have expressed hopes that Obama's victory could overturn the 46-year-old US economic embargo on the communist island state, which was hardened under Bush.
In Myanmar, described by the United States as "an outpost of tyranny", a junior government official appeared non-plussed at the historic election result.
"We are not very interested in this. We have so many things to do here. People are also not interested -- they are only interested in their daily lives," the official told AFP.
No reaction was immediately forthcoming from North Korea.
Does Obama play chess?
and poker?
Is that a typo? Shouldn't it be Kaliningrad?
He picks his nose.
“I’m as close as a phone call away.”
BHO
Obama does not support the anti-missile program and will be happy to give the Russians what they want.
the shame of this election is (IMHO) there was to much put on the economy, nothing put to the elected president ( can’t bring my self to saying his name w/ the word president yet, makes me shutter ) on his abilty as Commander in Cheif
I see 0 going one of two routes:
1. Total wimp and slink away and allow Putin to retake E. Europe without a whimper of protest.
2. Try to prove his ‘tough guy’ street creds in the world arena and totally overreact and provoke an unnecessary crisis and the resumption of a full fledged cold war.
Hope I’m wrong.
It would more useful if he played World Of Warcraft...he’s gonna need it, -soon-.
[And thanks to all the brainless idiots who exposed our belly to the countries that loathe and seek to destroy us! The only “bright side” is -you’ll- all die too.]
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. The Liberal Messiah will be challenged by every hostile country; maybe even some friendly ones. All of us will pay for the stupidity of those taken in by this false prophet.
Castro and Chavez know the communists won.
Russia can see that Obama is gullible.
WOW! Is this ever a stupid move on Russia’a part.
Bush won’t be gone for another 60+ days. He has lots of time and now reasons to “box their ears”, so to speak. If Dubya doesn’t do something I’ll be surprised.
He’ll take number 1 of course.
Is that a typo? Shouldn't it be Kaliningrad?
No, now that Obama has won, his supporters have re-named L.A. -- Soviet Style.
Yes. In the rest of the article it’s correct.
and Iran is a small country that does not pose a threat
obammy is about to find out along with Rev. wright and that ilk the reason why Africa has always been at the bottom of the list of foreign priorities.
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