Russia Warns Of Military Response To U.S.

Medvedev Says Moscow May React To U.S. Missile Shield In Europe "In A Military Way"

(AP)  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is warning that his country may respond to a U.S. missile shield in Europe through military means.

Medvedev says the deployment of an anti-missile system close to Russian borders "will of course create additional tensions."

"We will have to react somehow, to react, of course, in a military way," Medvedev was quoted as saying Tuesday by the RIA-Novosti news agency.

Russian officials have already warned of a military response to the U.S. plans, but the statement by the Russian leader was likely to further aggravate already tense relations with the West.

The United States says the missile-defense elements in Poland and the Czech Republic are aimed at blocking attacks by rogue nations such as Iran. Russia is convinced the shield is aimed against it.

Medvedev's comments come after he recognized two Georgian regions as independent nations, prompting criticism from the U.S. and Europe.

The White House sought to emphasize that Russia's conflict was with the world, not just with the United States. Several foreign leaders criticized Russia's action on the two provinces.

"Russia is making, I would say, a number of irrational decisions," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto.

"We hope that they hear the loud voices from the international community and understand that it's not in their long-term interests to take these kinds of actions," he said.

Vice President Dick Cheney leaves next week on a trip that includes a stop in Georgia; Fratto said no U.S. officials plan to go to Russia to appeal directly to leaders there.

Bush said the U.S. condemns Russia's actions; just a day earlier, he had appealed to Medvedev to refrain from recognizing the two provinces as independent, to no avail.

Barack Obama, who will become the Democratic presidential nominee this week, condemned Russia's move and said the U.S. should convene a Security Council meeting to do the same. He did not say how the Council would do that, given Russia's status as a permanent member.

Republican John McCain's wife was in Georgia, visiting refugee centers filled with ethnic Georgians who fled villages and neighborhoods in South Ossetia.

"The only place these people want to be is home, and they can't go home because of what has happened to them and because of the situation that the Russians have caused," Cindy McCain said in brief remarks Tuesday outside one of the centers in Tbilisi.

John McCain has been a strong critic of Russia and has proposed expelling Russia from the Group of Eight club of the world's major developed democracies.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the U.S. is looking at a variety of options to respond.

"We're not trying to escalate anything," Wood said when asked whether disagreement between the West and Russia would jeopardize international cooperation. But, he added, "We obviously can't allow what Russia's done to go without there being some consequences."

He would not provide details about possible punishment the United States is considering.

Meanwhile, the United States dispatched a military ship bearing aid to a Georgian port city still patrolled by Russian troops.

[m_moonshine]

A real War on Terror would be over by now, if we had used the worldwide sympathy and good will that followed 9/11 to build alliances and intelligence networks and international police agencies to combat terrorism. All legitimate governments fear terrorism, and would cooperate to allow terrorism no safe haven.

But, sickeningly, this corrupt administration has been willing to terrorize its own population in order to advance its right wing dreams: a vast expansion of executive powers, huge sums of money showered on their cronies in the name of national security, occupation of the second largest oil reserves in the world.

We need to win the War on Terror. And to do that we need to get these neocon war criminals out of our government.

[m_moonshine]

America can not afford to lose the War on Terrorism.

Our problem right now is that the Bush administation has always treated the War on Terrorism as a political program, like the War on Poverty or the War on Drugs. They have used it shamelessly as a political tool to advance their own agenda, and especially as a source of nearly limitless money to pour into the pockets of their cronies.

We have MORE private contractors in Iraq than troops, getting paid princely sums that far exceed what a poor reservist gets. We spend $BILLIONS in contracts to build bases, to operate oil facilities, to protect civilian personnel. Why is the administration negotiating with the government of Iraq for permission to STAY LONGER? Because it''s worth $BILLIONS to them for us to stay there!!!

[lovegetpeace]

Americans lost this ''War on Terrorism'' because Russia and our Enemies will start forming new alliances. The enemy of my enemy is my best friend. Taliban and Al-Qaeda and North Korea will sign military deals with Russia just like Syria did last week with Russia.

[lovegetpeace]

The only way for the GOPs to win the election on November 2008 is to bring the ''''''''Politic of Fear'''''''' to the Living Rooms of Americans. This Missile-Defense system provocation to Russia by President Bush accomplishes that goal for the Republican party.

Idiot Americans will buy this fear. Also, this new threat distract Americans from the failures of U.S. Policies in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. Iraq wants U.S. out of Iraq now. !What a mess my God!

[lovegetpeace]

The only way for the GOPs to win the election on November 2008 is to bring the ''''Politic of Fear'''' to the Living Rooms of Americans. This Missile-Defense system provocation to Russia by President Bush accomplishes that goal for the Republican party.

Idiot Americans will buy this fear.

[lovegetpeace]

The only way for the GOPs to win the election on November 2008 is to bring the ''Politic of Fear'' to the Living Rooms of Americans. This Missile-Defense system provocation accomplishes that goal for the Republican party.

[lovegetpeace]

This Missile-Defense system mutes the DETERRENCE between the USA and Russia.

DETERRENCE is good for both of us, why try to destroy it?

[lovegetpeace]

President Bush provocation of 23 July 2008 with plans to place Missile-Defense systems on Eastern Europe will fail as Russia is not Iran or Iraq.

You don''''t need a lot of intelligence to follow orders blindly and kill people. Truly defending your nation is one thing, but going around the world and dominating other nations for mostly US economic gain is not the same thing and not a worthy or moral endeavor.

President Bush is a true Cowboys and Macho men.

[lovegetpeace]

President Bush provocation of 23 July 2008 with plans to place Missile-Defense systems on Eastern Europe will fail as Russia is not Iran or Iraq.

You don''''t need a lot of intelligence to follow orders blindly and kill people. Truly defending your nation is one thing, but going around the world and dominating other nations for mostly US economic gain is not the same thing and not a worthy or moral endeavor.

[m_moonshine]

Star Wars has no chance of working. It''s a 21st century Maginot Line. It''s pork barrel politics combined with the utter insanity of Dr. Stranglove (a character rumored to be based on dear Dr. Kissinger himself).

So why are we doing this? Because it means billions and billions of dollars of federal spending, and it won''t work. It''s a scam, and what''s worse, it''s a deadly threat to our national security.

If you''re a defense contractor, these are the good times. If you''re a patriot, or even a decent human being, you have to ask Why are we doing this to ourselves?, Why have we sabotaged the SALT treaties?, Why are we reigniting the Cold War and stimulating nuclear proliferation around the world?

Why?

The conflict in Georgia is only the first bloody mess we face unless we stop the Star Wars madness.

[m_moonshine]

Well, the deployment of a Star Wars system would be in violation of the SALT I treaty, and Star Wars was really, really important to the defense moguls pulling the strings of the Bush administration. They wanted Star Wars because it meant truckloads of money, and because it wouldn''t work.

Even the hawkiest hawks had to admit we had enough nuclear weapons to wipe out the world several times over. They just couldn''t sell Minuteman III, where we put nuclear missles on trucks and trains and kept them circling around our prairies to keep them from being targeted. They just couldn''t sell the N-bomb, which killed people by enhanced neutron radiation but would be detonated high enough to leave buildings standing. Our European allies wouldn''t allow it. Sure, it would kill invading Russians in their tanks, with minimized collateral damage. But that collateral damage included our own allies in their own houses, and they just didn''t like the idea.

But defensive systems can still be sold. And defensive systems that don''t work are even better. Once you get a few billions invested, you can go back to Congress year after year, exposing vulnerabilities, scaring people, asking for a few billions more. You''ll get it.

That''s why.

[m_moonshine]

In the 1970''s, Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger began a series of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, and enacted several SALT agreements with the Soviet Union. The first, SALT I, limited defensive systems (ABMs) to small areas around capital cities and missle launching sites.

Later agreements brought actual arms reductions and supervised dismantling of nuclear missles. Great, huh?

Unfortunately for us, the SALT I treaty included a provision that the President could unilaterally suspend it if he thought that would be in the national interest. And that is exactly what George W. Bush did, in December 2001.

Why?

[patriot12436]

cbscrash
You sound like you have the Bush mentality. Why not sit down and talk out the differences. We have been doing this with Russia for several years now. The difference being Russia has built itself strong aghain while we are financially strapped and the world knows it. We could''t do anything if we wantd too.

[babooph]

After Jan,all nations will be less inclined to get macho with the US-current C in Chief would not concern Truman Capote in a fight.

[tbweb]

tbweb
We stuck our noses in an internal matter with Russia. It is the U.S. that needs to back off and mind its own business. We scream when they wabnt to put missiles in Cuba, so what is the difference ?

Posted by patriot12436 at 10:55 PM : Aug 26, 2008,,,

A missile defense system is a good idea, there is always the possibility of an accidental launch in addition to an intentional launch, in both cases a missile defense system is a good safety mechanism. Russia agrees with the need for a missile shield but is opposed to the way its being implemented and since this system is close to Russia`s border it should be negotiated and worked out with Russia since the U.S. would expect the same and would be opposed to a missile shield near our borders. International Law should be respected by all nations or else the World will digress into chaos and drift into the abyss. International Law must prevail to maintain Law and Order.

[tothestars2]

cold war mentality MAD all over again Its called a bluff.

[ndjam]

Russian President Medvedev is a stooge of Putin. He is nothing in Russia and he means nothing to the world.

[metsobitso]

There hasn''t been any mention of a pre-emptive strike by Russia, and I can''t see one having any benefit to them. They have mentioned lining the Kaliningrad border next to Poland with new tactical nukes, and that is the military response that Medvedev is refereeing to. Of course this would make any kind of missile strike against Poland very easy, and they would have to be on a hair trigger to counter the possibility of a pre-emptive strike by Poland. Missiles in Kaliningrad would also be in the middle of Europe and the Baltic states. I wouldn%u2019t want nuclear missiles pointed at me only 60 seconds away, but that is Poland''s and NATO%u2019s call.

[yongamerica]

rUSSIA WAS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE AND REFUSED. NOW rUSSIA IS USING IT''S OWN DENIAL AS AN ENABLING CHIT.

sHADES Of sOVIET ISOLATION.

[ubrew12]

metsobitso said: "the first Polish missile launch that even appears to threaten Russia, Poland will be taken of the map."

Oh, I don''t think so. I think Russia is just saying to us, ''if you insist on placing anti-missile batteries on our border, we insist on taking them out''.

Although I''d always heard the ''star wars'' technology was horribly unreliant, this threat MUST mean that we''ve come a long way in the technology, and it must now be taken as a credible threat.

Russia would be better off undertaking a ''manhattan project'' of her own to develop similar anti-missile weapons systems. No doubt she''s probably undertaking such a program.

And on and on it goes...