Bomber Buzz Is Russia Flexing Its Muscles

(CBS)  The pictures of Russian bombers off the coast of Alaska were not pulled from the archives of the Cold War. As CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports, they were taken this summer by American pilots who scrambled to intercept them.

"They've been flying periodically since then with a good bit of activity over the past few weeks," says Gene Renuart, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

The prospect of a Russian attack may seem far-fetched, but General Renuart, who is responsible for defending the U.S., says in a world where every airplane is a potential threat he has to scramble the jets - and all the airborne radar and refueling tankers it takes to support them.

"Any time you have an unidentified aircraft approaching sovereign air space of the country there's some concern about the intentions of the airplane," Renuart says.

No one thinks the bombers signal a resumption of the Cold War, but Russia feels it's being treated like a second rate power and relations are starting to get a little chilly.

"Russia is willing to assert itself and is looking for a whole variety of ways to show to the United States that Russia is back as a serious power," says Dimitri Simes of The Nixon Center.

Simes sees the bomber flights as the military equivalent of Russian President Vladimir Putin bearing his chest for the cameras. It's a pattern of posturing that includes Russia's claim that it has developed the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the world. Never mind that U.S. intelligence says the bomb represents old technology and that the video of its testing was probably shot years ago.

"There is a perception in Moscow that Russia is being taken for granted," Simes says, "and they want to put an end to this."

President Bush has noticed, sending his two top cabinet officers to Moscow this week to address a growing list of disagreements.

As for those bombers, General Renuart asked the Russians if they could at least file a flight plan. So far there has been no response.

[gretchen121314]

I hope this will not lead to any world destruction again

[lewiston14]

savdavid: In 500 words or less please tell us in your own words what was different between 9/11 and the Alaska fly by. I think the answers are very clear. If yuou need some help ill be glad to.

[savdavid]

Hmmmm.....our guys have to check out bombers buzzing off the coast of Alaska because that is their job. Well, where the hell were you on 9-11?

[johnny_chaos]

bud light, the beer of patriots. like thought, beer need to be watered down.

[johnny_chaos]

competent leadership in the US would really help. we have a bunch of privacy adverse idiots crowing to the moral minority and *** us up here and across the world. bush & co have done more to tarnish americas image than is even imaginable. from torture, unilateral and mismanaged war, to economic policys leaving us with the chinise controlling the future of the dollar. then you have all the regean youth raised on television and rambo, without a clue as to how the world works thinking life is like 24 and wondering why the rest of the world views us like were a bunch of nuts. i mean were borrowing from our enemys, (china) to pay to keep playing in iraq. can we win? not likly, were just not playing the right cards. politics, you got to be smarter then the enemy, and our current leaders arent that at all. how many guns have we supplied to the enemy in the middle east? how can anyone look at the aftermath of the american invasion and call the top leaderships decisions qualified? disbanding the military (iraq) was a huge mistake. also against international law. left a bunch of angry unemployeed people running around being treated like criminals by heavy handed american troops. again, funny, if you treat a person like a criminal, they become a criminal. Putin, bush looked into his eyes and saw a kinderd spirit. only real difference is putin is a soldier and bush is a frat boy.

[lewiston14]

Hey leave San Francisco out of it I like fisherman%u2019s warf. Star? What message would you send? That he has a bigger cache of weapons then we do that just need a little dusting off. Im sure they have more then two Bear Fox trots. Of course you%u2019re so up on the subject you know what im talking about. Old bombs work just as good as new ones. What are you going to win? A hole in the ground you cant even go near.

Bud light that is almost as bad as coors YEK

[hypnotoad72]

''Red scare''? Please. Thanks to our economic policies of the last few decades, Russia, China, and every other red commie state have become our close friends. We wouldn''t trade with enemies, right?

[prairiefox1]

middleman8

YOU LEFT OUT SAN FRANCISCO !

[middleman8]

If bush starts up the cold war again and it gets out of control, I hope if any tarkets are burned out, it will be washington d c, new york and los angles(hollywood).they seem to be the worst instigators. it,s time those that cause all the trouble were the ones who paid.

[prairiefox1]

go suck a bone ya bud light swilling homos.


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Posted by johnny_chaos at 12:56 PM : Oct 14, 2007

THERE IS A PLACE FOR ALL GODS CHILDREN ON THIS PLANET!
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED SPACE EXPLORATION?