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Biden was right, Obama will be tested: Russia deploys missiles
pjalive21
St. Louis, MO Posts: 2,818
Medvedev: Russia to Deploy Missiles in Response to U.S. Missile Shield
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
AP
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MOSCOW —
Russia will deploy missiles near NATO member Poland in response to U.S. missile defense plans, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday in his first state of the nation speech.
Medvedev also singled out the United States for criticism, casting Russia's war with Georgia in August and the global financial turmoil as consequences of aggressive, selfish U.S. policies.
He said he hoped the next U.S. administration would act to improve relations. In a separate telegram, he congratulated Barack Obama on his election victory and said he was hoping for "constructive dialogue" with the incoming U.S. president.
Medvedev also proposed increasing the Russian presidential term to six years from the current four, a major constitutional change that would further increase the power of the head of state and could deepen Western concern over democracy in Russia.
Click here for photos.
The president said the Iskander missiles will be deployed to Russia's Kaliningrad region, which lies between Poland and the ex-Soviet republic of Lithuania on the Baltic Sea, but did not say how many would be used. Equipment to electronically hamper the operation of prospective U.S. missile defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic will be deployed, he said.
He did not say whether the short-range Iskander missiles would be fitted with nuclear warheads and it was not clear exactly when the missiles would be deployed.
"Mechanisms must be created to block mistaken, egoistical and sometimes simply dangerous decisions of certain members of the international community," he said shortly after starting the 85-minute speech, making it clear he was referring to the United States.
The president said Georgia sparked the August war on its territory with what he called "barbaric aggression" against Russian-backed South Ossetia. The conflict "was, among other things, the result of the arrogant course of the American administration, which did not tolerate criticism and preferred unilateral decisions."
Medvedev also painted Russia as a country threatened by growing Western military might.
"From what we have seen in recent years, the creation of a missile defense system, the encirclement of Russia with military bases, the relentless expansion of NATO, we have gotten the clear impression that they are testing our strength," Medvedev said.
He announced deployment of the short-range missiles as a military response to U.S. plans to deploy missile-defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic — former Soviet satellites that are now NATO members.
Speaking just hours after Obama was declared the victor in the U.S. presidential election, Medvedev said he hoped the incoming administration will take steps to improve badly damaged U.S. ties with Russia. He suggested it is up to the U.S. — not the Kremlin — to seek to improve relations.
"I stress that we have no problem with the American people, no inborn anti-Americanism. And we hope that our partners, the U.S. administration, will make a choice in favor of full-fledged relations with Russia," Medvedev said.
Tension in Russian-American relations has been driven to a post-Cold War high by Moscow's war with U.S. ally Georgia.
On the financial crisis, Medvedev said overconfidence in American dominance after the collapse of the Soviet Union "led the U.S. authorities to major mistakes in the economic sphere." The administration ignored warnings and harmed itself and others by "blowing up a money bubble to stimulate its own growth," he said.
Medvedev said the president's tenure should be lengthened to six years to enable the government to more effectively implement reforms. He said the term of the parliament also should be extended by a year to five years, and that parliament's power must be increased by requiring the Cabinet to report to lawmakers regularly.
The proposals were Medvedev's first major initiative to amend the constitution since he was elected in March to succeed his longtime mentor Vladimir Putin.
Putin, who is now prime minister and has not ruled out a return to the Kremlin in the future, has favored increasing the presidential term.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
AP
ADVERTISEMENT
MOSCOW —
Russia will deploy missiles near NATO member Poland in response to U.S. missile defense plans, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday in his first state of the nation speech.
Medvedev also singled out the United States for criticism, casting Russia's war with Georgia in August and the global financial turmoil as consequences of aggressive, selfish U.S. policies.
He said he hoped the next U.S. administration would act to improve relations. In a separate telegram, he congratulated Barack Obama on his election victory and said he was hoping for "constructive dialogue" with the incoming U.S. president.
Medvedev also proposed increasing the Russian presidential term to six years from the current four, a major constitutional change that would further increase the power of the head of state and could deepen Western concern over democracy in Russia.
Click here for photos.
The president said the Iskander missiles will be deployed to Russia's Kaliningrad region, which lies between Poland and the ex-Soviet republic of Lithuania on the Baltic Sea, but did not say how many would be used. Equipment to electronically hamper the operation of prospective U.S. missile defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic will be deployed, he said.
He did not say whether the short-range Iskander missiles would be fitted with nuclear warheads and it was not clear exactly when the missiles would be deployed.
"Mechanisms must be created to block mistaken, egoistical and sometimes simply dangerous decisions of certain members of the international community," he said shortly after starting the 85-minute speech, making it clear he was referring to the United States.
The president said Georgia sparked the August war on its territory with what he called "barbaric aggression" against Russian-backed South Ossetia. The conflict "was, among other things, the result of the arrogant course of the American administration, which did not tolerate criticism and preferred unilateral decisions."
Medvedev also painted Russia as a country threatened by growing Western military might.
"From what we have seen in recent years, the creation of a missile defense system, the encirclement of Russia with military bases, the relentless expansion of NATO, we have gotten the clear impression that they are testing our strength," Medvedev said.
He announced deployment of the short-range missiles as a military response to U.S. plans to deploy missile-defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic — former Soviet satellites that are now NATO members.
Speaking just hours after Obama was declared the victor in the U.S. presidential election, Medvedev said he hoped the incoming administration will take steps to improve badly damaged U.S. ties with Russia. He suggested it is up to the U.S. — not the Kremlin — to seek to improve relations.
"I stress that we have no problem with the American people, no inborn anti-Americanism. And we hope that our partners, the U.S. administration, will make a choice in favor of full-fledged relations with Russia," Medvedev said.
Tension in Russian-American relations has been driven to a post-Cold War high by Moscow's war with U.S. ally Georgia.
On the financial crisis, Medvedev said overconfidence in American dominance after the collapse of the Soviet Union "led the U.S. authorities to major mistakes in the economic sphere." The administration ignored warnings and harmed itself and others by "blowing up a money bubble to stimulate its own growth," he said.
Medvedev said the president's tenure should be lengthened to six years to enable the government to more effectively implement reforms. He said the term of the parliament also should be extended by a year to five years, and that parliament's power must be increased by requiring the Cabinet to report to lawmakers regularly.
The proposals were Medvedev's first major initiative to amend the constitution since he was elected in March to succeed his longtime mentor Vladimir Putin.
Putin, who is now prime minister and has not ruled out a return to the Kremlin in the future, has favored increasing the presidential term.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
in the article Medvedev directly refers to Obama...Bush is a lame duck president right now
But, Bush is still in office... he is STILL the President. Lame Duck means he can no longer try to formulate agenda items, such as Social Security reform... but, it does not mean he can shirk his sworn duties as President of the United States.
Hail, Hail!!!
Yeah, he mentions Obama but Bush is and has full control of the presidency for a few more months. There is little at this point Obama could do even if he wanted to other than vote in the senate.
i understand Bush is still in control, but i dont think anything major is going to happen until Obama holds office
talks, actions, yadda yadda
take a good look
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lie beside me
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This is the Cuban Missile Crisis... in reverse. instead of Russin putting their missiles in our backyard... the U.S. is putting our missiles in their backyard. We didn't like it when they did that to us in 1960... why is it okay for us to do it to them in 2008?
Hail, Hail!!!
ummm... you did have missiles pointed at them from turkey back then. they were very quietly removed after the cuban missile crisis.
take a good look
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That's the point. If we don't want the Russians to counter our move by placing their missiles in Eastern Europe... then, we shouldn't place our missiles in Eastern Europe to begin with.... right?
Hail, Hail!!!
true.
though i suspect the russians would do it anyway. just to stir shit up and beat their chests.
take a good look
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If the Russians did that... then, the correct action for the U.S. to take would, ironically, be... the same thing Medvedev is doing.
Hail, Hail!!!
sometimes the best course of action is no action at all.
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Let it begin...
really? you ever dealt with bipolarity before?
take a good look
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A world full of states with no allegiance.
Bipolar meaning two sources of power (Ex. USA vs USSR)
i understand that. but having two powers push and pull and jostle for supremacy isnt as clear as you seem to think. i dont want to be some idiots play thing. i dont want to have to declare my allegiance to one over the other. i remember the last cold war and how warm it really was.
youre either with us or against us? fuck that bullshit.
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first it was communism, it was drugs for a while, now its terrorism. maybe they'll go back through the list again.
1... 2... 3... 4... i declare a thumb war.
i think whats really needed is a war on idiocy.
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I guess my point is that I would rather be on the point of nuclear holocaust with a country like Russia than trying to battle every country that says they have nuclear ambitions or terror ties.
I guess I assume Russia to be slightly more rational....
how rational does one have to be to NOT drop nuclear bombs on people?
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But there is a difference between missile for defense and tactical nuclear missiles.
two batteries of armed deadly end game weapons pointed at each other. whats the difference??
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Okay, maybe I'm confused, but aren't the missiles in Poland non-nuclear? I thought they were only ballistic missiles designed for the sole intent of destroying ICBMs.
nope youre not confused. i was just being alarmist as i tend to be in these situations cause i can see how escalating such posturing can be.
and for soemone the firing of these missiles will bring death. thats the nature of the beast.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say