Russia Conducts Test Flights Near N. Pole

Flights Boost Military Presence In An Area Believed To Be Rich In Oil, Gas

(AP)  Russia's navy conducted test flights near the North Pole on Thursday, boosting its military presence in an area believed to contain vast quantities of oil and natural gas.

Cpl. Vladimir Serga, a naval spokesman, said that Il-38 anti-submarine bombers and Tu-142 long-range strategic bombers of the Northern Fleet took part in the exercise, in which the planes' crews tested radio and weapons systems management equipment.

Serga described the exercise as successful.

The flights come two days after a Russian missile cruiser began patrols in the Arctic.

The Marshal Ustinov, a nuclear-capable missile cruiser, was deployed Tuesday in the Arctic area "to provide for the safety of Russia's shipping industry," the navy said in a statement.

Russia has been increasingly assertive in the Arctic region as global warming makes the area's oil and natural gas resources more accessible. Last year Moscow sent an expedition to plant a Russian flag on the seabed under the North Pole.

On Wednesday the U.S. Geological Survey announced that the area north of the Arctic Circle might contain some 90 billion barrels of oil and a third of the world's undiscovered natural gas.

The survey required four years and is the most complete of the Arctic area ever undertaken.

In May five countries with competing claims to the Arctic - Russia, Denmark, Canada, Norway and the United States - agreed that control of the region where the polar melt is expected will be decided in an orderly way.

[yongamerica]

Where is Canada in the list of nations mentioned? Canada should be included as it has a large stake in the Arctic.

[deacon20081]

So what is different about Soviet Bombers flying near the North Pole? They do it all of the time. I have a photo of a Bear Bomber being escorted out of US Air Space by F-16''s from years ago. The Russian Bomber crew is waving at the American Fighter Pilots through a window. Same old thing, just now something to deflect attention I guess.

[edintex]

Who cares about Russia? Put Russia in perspective:
Their total 2007 GDP was 2 trillion dollars, inflation rate of 11.9%, with exports of only 365 billion dollars. The U.S. spends more dollars each year on our social security then the entire Russian exports are worth.
Most of their wealth is now from oil. I believe that Exxon alone makes more than Russia does.

They are not a threat to the U.S. They just want respect & not to be overlooked. But they will get it when they GIVE it.

[cfin5]

Their gonna set up some offensive and defensive weaponry there. It''s in the "strategic mathematics" cards. That''s what all the real hubbub is all about in their claim.......Think about it.

[libsluv2spit]

"Russia has been increasingly assertive in the Arctic region as global warming makes the area''s oil and natural gas resources more accessible. Last year Moscow sent an expedition to plant a Russian flag on the seabed under the North Pole."

******************

that means less oil and natural gasses for all you *** anti-american liberals..ever thought of that??

oh cource your long term solution to that is : "whine about the government"

[libsluv2spit]

Bail Russia out of debt by increasing oil prices and "game on" we can start the arms race (I mean excuse) again.


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Posted by lochlan at 01:23 PM : Jul 25, 2008
+ report abuse


**********************

Man moves forward in history through warfare..

[libsluv2spit]

Posted by talkingham at 04:01 PM : Jul 25, 2008
+ report abuse

************

if that really really really bothers you..then why not do something about it???? better yet why not move to russia?? or europe?? or asia??

I think you are a whinney little bullsh*ter till you ship your arse out of this country and live somewhere you think is not oppressive..

[talkingham]

TBweb, compared to us, Russia is a complete amateur at invading nations. Other than Afghanistan whom we are now in the process of a continuing invasion who has Russia invaded in the last 40 years? I admit their track record up to and right after WWII was horrible under Stalin, but most people believe Churchill and Roosevelt pretty much opened the door for much of Stalins reign of terror at Yalta in much the same we did the hands off with Saddam in Iraq allowing him to persecute anyone he wanted as long as he kept up his war with Iran.

We''ve invaded and/or bombed:
Iraq, twice
Afghanistan (ongoing)
Panama
Grenada
Vietnam
Haiti
Somalia
The Balkans
Cuba (by proxy)
Chile (by CIA proxy)
Libya

I''m sure I''m leaving some out there are so many!

[sepa2]

Any new cold war may be entirely different from the former. New cold war is waged on grab for wealth, a time tested path for brutal war

[lochlan-2009]

Bail Russia out of debt by increasing oil prices and "game on" we can start the arms race (I mean excuse) again.

[tbweb]

The Russians have never been aggressive beyond their borders other than during the WW2 ???????????

Posted by talkingham at 11:10 AM : Jul 25, 2008,,,

Nuclearizing Iran is the face of 3 U.N. Sanctions and Global opposition! Seems pretty aggressive to me.

[talkingham]

Russia has the technology to deal with the cold climate and we don''t. They have conducted more than 80 detailed climate studies of the North Pole compared to 4 for us.

The Russians have never been aggressive beyond their borders other than during the WW2 the power grab years of Stalin and their attempts which we greatly criticized to reel-in Islamic terrorists in their country and neighboring border states. Of course the Reagan-Bush CIA gave weapons to Osama and the Taliban to defeat them in Afghanistan-- and look what it got us.

The Russians are investing the time and money in developing the region and certainly if you look at how Russia has land and islands that reach nearly to the Pole anyway they are going to have a solid claim. With nuke subs all over the world now the Arctic route for a nuke attack is so 50 years ago.

Google Earth has some great imagery of those Russian islands in the region. U gotta be plenty tough to live up there and they do!

[petro49l]

The Russians are developing the capability of launching thermo-nuclear missiles at the United States. The Arctic is used to guide missiles with the help of satellites. George W. Bush is escalating conflict with the Russians to the point of a nuclear exchange. Bush is a typical paranoid schizophrenic. He suffers from alcoholism, delusions, and hallucinations of grandeur.

[johngoodnews]

When ITER goes on line, the age of oil, other than for feedstock, plastics, etc., will be over.

[tmn]

I can hear the ad jingle for Russian oil if Russia gets the land and oil - "you can trust your car to the man who wears the star, the BIG RED Texaco star!!"

[tbweb]

I may be naive but why does Russia have to oppose us in order to be great on the world stage?

Posted by rwsmith29456 at 01:40 AM : Jul 25, 2008,,,

When Michael Jordan was at the top of his game winning 6 NBA Championships there were a lot of TV commercials showing off Michael Jordan the great, everybody wanted to be like Mike! The U.S. is the Michael Jordan on the World Stage, Russia too wants to be like Mike! Its called envy! Everybody wants to be like Mike! :)

[greatdrivew]

Posted by anon00 at 01:00 AM : Jul 25, 2008


Russian test flights near the North Pole
A Russian military base in Venezuela
Russian bombers on Cuba

What a theatre!!! Somebody wants us to believe that the Russian threat still exists.

Probably the same group that will control the entire world once the Muslim "threat" is eliminated.

************

You''re absolutely correct.

[smurfcrusher]

This is what happens when governments get some money.

The ego remains, only our capacity to destroy each other increases.

All of these trillions of dollars are spent by governments to war with each other, because of the focus on differences, not on what we can do to help each other.

It''s because the people in charge our countries are not selfless, by design.

[rwsmith29456]

I may be naive but why does Russia have to oppose us in order to be great on the world stage? We spent 50 years in a cold war that came to almost nothing except the breakdown of the Soviet system. But what did we win? Not much. They had the opportunity to recreate themselves after the breakdown and haven''t done too hot. So they assume the tough, militaristic attitude that marked the former Soviet Union. Are they planning to roll over and dominate other countries again, too? Man, I lived the first 40 years during the cold war. I don''t want to spend any more time in THAT stupid situation, ever.

[beehive21-2009]

Humans are a funny group of fools.