Russia Warns U.S. On Missile Defense

Top General Says Russia Considering "Asymmetrical" Response To U.S. Missile Defense Shield

(AP)  A top Russian general warned on Tuesday that the military will respond to U.S. missile defense plans with countermeasures, and said Washington's trust-building proposals have bogged down in diplomatic arguments.

Lt. Gen. Yevgeny Buzhinsky told reporters that Russia was thinking about "asymmetrical" steps if the United States deploys missile defense elements in Europe. He said Moscow has no intention of building a similar missile shield, but refused to elaborate on what specific measures the military might take.

Buzhinsky said Russia appreciated U.S. proposals intended to soothe Russian concerns, but added they were not enough to change Moscow's perception that the U.S. system would undermine its security.

Washington has promised to delay activating the planned new sites in Poland and the Czech Republic unless Iran proves itself an imminent threat to Europe. It also offered to let Russian officers monitor the sites to make sure they are not directed against Russia.

"We welcome these proposals as a step in the right direction, the acknowledgment that the Russian concerns are well-grounded," Buzhinsky, who heads the Defense Ministry's international cooperation department, said at a news conference. "But the United States needs to abandon its plans to deploy missile defense components in Europe if it wants to remove Russia's concerns."

He added that the U.S. trust-building measures lacked specifics and were "formulated in such a way that they could be canceled at any moment."

Washington suggested that Russia negotiate directly with Poland and the Czech Republic on giving Russian officers permanent access to the planned facilities, but Buzhinsky said the talks had stalled.

He dismissed Polish and Czech arguments that they could only let Russian officers in on the basis of reciprocity, saying that Russia has no similar facilities for them to monitor.

Buzhinsky said Russia did not ask the United States to allow Russian officers to monitor the prospective missile defense sites. "It was you who offered it to us, so why wouldn't you agree on that with your allies," he said.

He shrugged off U.S. assurances that a planned radar in the Czech Republic and a battery of 10 missile interceptors in Poland would pose no danger to huge Russian nuclear arsenals, and said that the U.S. would be able to expand the system quickly.

"New elements could be added to this small component, and we will have an entire web of anti-missile sites around our borders," Buzhinsky said.

He also said Russia remained concerned that the planned missile defense facilities could be converted to house offensive nuclear weapons. "Intermediate-range missiles capable of reaching the Moscow region within minutes could appear next to our border," Buzhinsky said.

Russia has cooperated with the EU nations in planning a more limited missile defense that would protect troops on joint peacekeeping missions. Buzhinsky said Russia would end this cooperation if the EU nations join in the U.S. missile defense shield.

Buzhinsky said Russia would respond to the U.S. missile defense plans without plunging into a new arms race.

"We are thinking about asymmetrical measures, we have them," Buzhinsky said, without explaining. "Naturally, we envisage possible retaliatory measures to minimize the risk for our security."

Russian officials have said that new Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles will be able to overcome any prospective missile defense.

Former President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia may point nuclear missiles at countries that accept U.S. missile defense components.

Putin offered the United States the use of a Soviet-built early-warning radar that Russia is leasing from Azerbaijan instead of the planned missile defense sites, but U.S. officials said it could not serve as an alternative.

Buzhinsky reaffirmed Tuesday that Putin's proposal was an alternative, not an addition to the U.S. plans. "Our sites will never be integrated into the U.S. facilities," he said.

Buzhinsky said Russia does not plan to strengthen the existing missile defense system protecting Moscow, which was developed in the 1970s.

That system was built in accordance with the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which allowed both the U.S. and the Soviet Union to have one area protected by missile defense. The United States withdrew from the treaty in 2002 in order to deploy a national missile defense shield.

"We have Moscow missile defense zone, and I'm unaware of any plans to expand it," Buzhinsky said.

[kennedy7955]

The best way to get out of an arms race is to walk away from it. Base this defense shield on the high seas - and let China and Russia battle out a cold war of their own.

[atpay1]

Why should we be building missile system in Poland & Czech Republic, the Poles don''t want it and Bush claims it''s to deter Iran,someone should give Bush a globe! Iran is southeast of Europe! If the Russians put a missile system in Cuba we would have a fit and Bush would start WWIII, give me a break, America is not made out of money and we are sick of playing babysitter to the world!!

[tootall10142]

They cant complain if they are too weak from from no food!

[samsel3]

Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Co. major Israeli oil company needs more crude and this is why the Turkey Israeli pipelines are going to be built......From there corporate site some info..".One of the reasons that triggered this project was the assumption that part of the crude oil produced in Russia, the Central Asian Republics or in the Caucasus and loaded at Black Sea ports can be marketed at competitive prices for distribution in Southern Asia and the Far East".

[samsel3]

January 9, 2008 Bush met with the president of Turkey on the 10th he was in Israel. The connection is the Turkey Israeli pipelines, the real purpose of the recent middle east peace summit . The actual story are the proposed oil pipelines that will be built down the coast from Turkey to Israel. Condi Rice is trying to broker this deal. BP oil, US oil interests and the Saudis all have a stake in that pipeline. Domonique Strauss- Khan managing director of the International Monetary Fund and Robert Zoellick president of the World Bank were in attendance. Big money won''t finance the venture without stability in the region.
In the Daily telegraph, July 22, 2007 Condoleeza Rice stated her main objective in the middle east was not to push a ceasefire in Lebanon, but to cause an isolation of Syria and Iran. The strategic objective is all tied to oil and oil pipelines. In April of 2007Israel & Turkey made their announcement which included four pipelines which will bypass Syria & Lebanon. The source of the oil is the BTC pipeline from the Caspian Sea Region. Shareholders in the BTC pipeline are: British Petroleum, AzBTC, Chevron, Statoil, TPAO, ENI, Total, Itochu, INPEX, Conoco-Phillips & Amerada Hess. Another very important factor on the war with Lebanon is that Israel will have a strategic role in protecting the pipeline and transportation corridor out of Ceyhan Turkey. The strategy will weaken Russian oil''s role in central asia and also isolate Iran

[vietnam21]

Russian officials have said that new Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles will be able to overcome any prospective missile defense.

SURE
and I have some swampland in Siberia that I can sell you for 10 rubles per acre, comrade!

[factsearcher]

How can you buy the bull about the protection being for Israel!!!!
We r in almost bankrupt because of the nonsense war, which had nothing to do with Israel...just Bush''s special interests
Top blaming other countries for our huge mistakes!!
We''re in an era of global scarcity and as a result nations will fight with their teeth or weapons to get into the power pot.

The protection is for Isreal..... Ridiculous!!

if this is true, Can some one please answer why we are wasted so much money for this little country....

Posted by vietnam21 at 04:04 PM : May 27, 2008

Isreal lobbyists are lining the pockets of the Repug party...protection isnt cheap
Posted by jocro12

[harp1963]

How would we feel if Russia was building military bases all around our borders and putting missle defense systems in Canada and Mexico?

[beehive21-2009]

Russia v USA = the termination of all, bucket up.

[mcvet]

The United States withdrew from the treaty in 2002 in order to deploy a national missile defense shield.


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Posted by vietnam21 at 06:33 PM : May 27, 2008
+ report abuse

Now YOU have to explain that one to me! I remember Sir Lies-A-Lot saying that and it really stuned me since the CONGRESS made the agreements... You KNOW they VOTED on them making the TREATIES!! Now I know some of you freaks think Bush is a Dictator and thus HAS the ability to make or break Treaties but you can''t square that with the Constitution can you?? Sieg Heil Bush

[wardoglrs]

Get off the war monger ***. If your so gun ho then join the military and die for the corp''s and there banks.
This is just more fear mongering to tear up this country and bring another war to kill your young.

If you can truly send off your kids to a war just to come back in a bag then i fear your insane.

All wars are started through the CIA who inturn brain washes the truth so you will feel like a patriot to go and die for your country. What fools you are.

Your money is no good america your ratings are below 4
your dollar is worth 1.5 cents. Your war has bankrupt you. Now you borrow the money from china at 3 billion
a day.

Your oil is out of reach for the poor as always the goverment hits the poor again and again.

So many idiots so much time to kill one by one.

your next president will throw into a war like no other all out kao''s. The likes this country has never seen. The other war is the war on america''s economy
and its being won right under your dumb down minds.

America doesnt know that it a bunch of chickens voting for col. Sanders for president.

Your lives mean nothing to the elite that hide in the dark the ones that control this nation. They hope that you are willing to die for there cause.

[vietnam21]

YOU do know we have an agreement with this country and putting the Missles we want in place will BREAK that agreement... Please tell me you aren''''t one of those bootlickers who''''s word is NO GOOD!!


The United States withdrew from the treaty in 2002 in order to deploy a national missile defense shield.

[Syndicate]

This could be good. We need to TELL the Russians you either help us with Iran or we build it. We could also warn them that if Iran develops nuclear weapons we will arm Poland and the Check Republic with short range nuclear missiles just to make sure everyone is equally threatened.

[mcvet]

Russians have been making a threat to us many times. They fly their WWII vintage bomber to our border. Why do we even allow this? Why don''''t we shot down their WWII vintage bomber, just like thoot shoot down Georgian UAV.


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Posted by vietnam21 at 06:15 PM : May 27, 2008
+ report abuse

Just HOW would that help get their agreement to break the agreement on Missles? I fail to understand your point! YOU do know we have an agreement with this country and putting the Missles we want in place will BREAK that agreement... Please tell me you aren''t one of those bootlickers who''s word is NO GOOD!!

[vietnam21]

Russians have been making a threat to us many times. They fly their WWII vintage bomber to our border. Why do we even allow this? Why don''t we shot down their WWII vintage bomber, just like thoot shoot down Georgian UAV.

[incog-nito]

tbweb: The same could be said of the U.S. We see threats everywhere. The Pentagon budget has grown astronomically. Americans, get ready to pony up.

[tbweb]

"Naturally, we envisage possible retaliatory measures to minimize the risk for our security."

Lt. Gen. Yevgeny Bushinsky, head of Russian Defense Ministry''s international cooperation department

This is an interesting observation by Moscow, however in my view its a bunch of b.u.l.l.s.h.i.t created out of thin air by the Russian Defense Ministry starving for attention having been out of the game for so long due to a lack of finances recently resolved with an influx of oil revenues from over priced oil and Russia''s hostile thief and takeover of Gasprom! Thats one way to bring money into the government, just takeover Russia''s largest energy resource and claim it as your own. Although I will admit many Americans wished our government would do the same to American oil companies, just confiscate them all! When Russia was broke and down and out, nobody bothered Russia, nobody threatened Russia, Russia''s only problem was the Chechens. Now that Russia has money once again Russia suddenly sees threats everywhere, started flying bombers near Western borders, shooting down Georgian aircraft, rebuilding its Navy, Airforce and land forces which is all fine and well, by don''t use fake threats or the American boogie man as an excuse to justify Russian military spending and adventures! Russia is lonely, will the World Press please give Russia some attention!

[talkingham]

Don''t worry about Russia, they and their nukler arsenal don''t matter, just religious states like Iran whom we literally pushed into the Islamic camp with decades of support for another Saddam like Tyrant the Shah of Iran. He was our friend though. buuuiiiccckk.

[vietnam21]

The protection is for Isreal.....

if this is true, Can some one please answer why we are wasted so much money for this little country....

[ramos937]

As the Administration has announced, this missile defense shield is intended to benefit Europe. But, Europe is not expected to contribute one red cent to the cost.

Someone in favor of this shield, please answer me why we are building a shield to benefit Europe when they are quite capable of doing that themselves?