Russia Renews Threat Against Missile Sites

Commander Says Ballistic Missiles Could Be Aimed At U.S. Missile Defense Facilities

(CBS/AP)  The commander of Russia's strategic missile forces repeated warnings Wednesday that Russian ballistic rockets could be aimed at U.S. missile defenses in Europe if the system is ever built, news agencies reported.

Col. Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov spoke a day before Russia's foreign minister visits Poland, which has agreed to allow U.S. missile interceptors on its territory.

"I cannot rule out that, in case the top military-political leadership makes such a decision, both the missile defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic and other similar facilities in the future could be designated as targets for our ICBMs," Solovtsov was quoted by ITAR-Tass and Interfax as saying.

Poland and the United States reached a deal last month on building the site for 10 U.S. missile interceptors by 2012. Observers said the conclusion of the deal, clinched after months of protracted negotiations, was prompted by Russia's war last month with Georgia, which had alarmed former Soviet bloc countries and others neighboring Russia.

The United States has said the defenses are meant to protect Europe and America from attacks from Iran.

A Georgian police officer was killed by gunfire Wednesday that came from the direction of a Russian checkpoint near separatist South Ossetia, Interior Ministry officials said.

It was not immediately clear who opened fire, but the shooting appeared certain to add to high tensions between Georgia and Moscow, whose forces continue to occupy its neighbor's territory in the wake of last month's five-day war.

The policeman, who was at a Georgian checkpoint about half a mile from the Russian post, died in hospital, Interior Ministry official Shota Utiashvili said. The Georgians did not return fire, he said.

Georgia's private Rustavi-2 television reported that Russian officers at the checkpoint at Karaleti, on the main road leading to the Russian-backed separatist province of South Ossetia, said they did not fire. The report suggested, without citing sources, that South Ossetian gunmen might have been the source of the gunfire.

Russian officials have said repeatedly that they consider the U.S. missile defense site a threat and have threatened to attack Poland - a NATO member - possibly even with nuclear weapons.

"These 10 interceptor missiles cannot significantly devalue (Russia's) attack potential, although this will certainly make some negative effect on it. But the point is that the United States doesn't want to take on any legal obligations but is only asserting verbally: we aren't threatening you," Solovtsov was quoted by Interfax as saying.

"They already promised in words when they unified Germany that not a single NATO soldier would be there. And where are they now?" he was quoted as saying.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was to go to Poland on Wednesday for talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and others.

In an interview published Wednesday in the Polska daily, Lavrov said Washington had destabilized the military balance between Russia and the United States and he said Poland, and its decision to host missile defense, had become "an element of a very dangerous game."

"This means that Poland took revenge on us for having defended the Ossetians," he was quoted as saying. "This was a mean action and a political mistake."

"Unfortunately, the Europeans are following voices from outside the continent and are pursuing a policy that is in conflict with European mentality. That's a shame," he said.

[bks59]

as Russia takes steps to create a new cold war, mccane wants to debate the issue of putting lipstick on a hog, this is a national issue that our presidential candidates should be talking about.

[samsel3]

The truth is, this is all about control of oil & gas pipelines. The BTC oil pipeline in South Ossetia & the Nabucco natural gas pipeline in NW Georgia supply markets in the European Union. In November 2003 the World Bank funded the BTC pipeline to circumvent Russian pipelines supplying europe.

Shareholders in the BTC pipeline are: British Petroleum, AzBTC, Chevron, Statoil, TPAO, ENI, Total, Itochu, INPEX, ConocoPhillips & Amerada Hess.

Russia is the second largest supplier of oil & gas on the planet.
After loosing Iraqi oil to Operation Iraqi Freedom, they negotiated supplies with Iran. The Russians were not happy with Cheneys BTC pipeline or the Caspian Sea Pipelines project going through Afghanistan. This threatens their economy based on oil & gas.

Again it s the Bush administrations lust for money in World markets for their BIG OIL buddies

[gce65]

CNN reports 2 Russian long range bombers have just landed in Venezeula for military exercises...

Perhaps they''ll deliver "humanitarian aid" to Cuba, like the US did in Georgia. Or maybe they''ll even monitor Hurricane Ike as it heads towards Texas, home of Meeester Booosh!

Russian jets in flight
Late, late at night
Deep in the heart of Texas! :)

[metsobitso]

Can''t believe Poland and the Czech Republic would let the US put forward missile bases in their country. Maybe all those Polish jokes were true.

[intheshade-2009]

Saakashvili is not ill, he just has a strong urge to suck on something. Likw his tie.

[guadalcanal3]

zgomer...I agree.

[xalen54]

SAAKASHVILI IS ILL..DONT YOU SEE THAT,AMERICAN PEOPLE??

Posted by espnmspn at 12:23 PM : Sep 10, 2008
------------------------------------------

Yes I do, Saakashvili is a lunatic, I support Russia all the way. Now lets put those missiles in Greece or Turkey if we really want protection against Iran.

[hacker101001]

Most neo-fascists exhibit two characteristics: 1# They are bullying cowards who will eagerly sacrifice the lives of others in wars built upon lies, while using their wealth, political connections and family influences to avoid combat service themselves; 2# They profit from the military industrial complex, and thus welcome a world that%u2019s in a perpetual state of war...

[hacker101001]

The reality is that George Bush and his minions have created the milieu that has brought the world to the lowest common denominator. It was Bush who said *** the United Nations! *** what the inspectors say! *** international law *** the opinion of the rest of the world! *** the argument that war should only be used as a last resort! And most of all *** the truth!!

[TommyCraig]

"We do not what missiles in Cuba,Russia doesn''''t what missiles on there door steps , what wrong with Bush and this idiotic policy "?
Posted by beehive21 at 10:49 AM : Sep 10, 2008
The missiles (10) that the US is placing in poland are defensive against ballistic missiles carrying nuclear weapons. Ten missiles are hardly a deterence against Russsia''s missile capability. These are defensive against the capabilities of the Iranians. Russia is just bloviating with nonsense that these are in any way a threat to its'' security. Maybe they''re just wanting to protect their new ($$$) friends, the Iranians.
Quit acting like a bunch of cowards and grow some will you...
These defensive missiles are justified given the threat that Iran places on the middle east and europe.

[impeach__w]

put missle defense in every country over there. As only the Russians would offer to use inter-continental Missiles on the SAME continent they are fired from! We have the technology to walk ALL over them and sink every sub they have within 3 minutes. What are we waiting for? More ridiculous threats they may act on?

[republic1776]

Obama would be a joke to the Russian''s
They would walk all over pretty boy.

[beehive21-2009]

We do not what missiles in Cuba,Russia doesn''t what missiles on there door steps , what wrong with Bush and this idiotic policy ?

[crusader1200]

Russians are as mentally ill as North Koreans

Posted by MityWhity at 08:57 AM : Sep 10, 2008

It''s all the cheap vodka!!

[zhynaryll]

I fail to see how commentators on this post can blame Bush for the actions of the Russians. This is called "wrongful vision" - especially if they think the Russians would behave differently toward Obama. It isn''t the US President that irks them - it''s the US itself. Time will prove me right.

[crusader1200]

Russians are as mentally ill as North Koreans

Posted by MityWhity at 08:57 AM : Sep 10, 2008.

....It''s the cheap vodka

[hacker101001]

Good!! now we can all glow in the dark!! thank you Bush!!....

[babooph]

Surely the Russiams have buried plenty of nukes in areas they controlled prior to leaving ??[ps- how many came over tye Mex. border to the States too ?]

[gjb5649]

Thank goodness for this missle defense system. I am feeling safer already.

[jgunther7]

Common sense logic would indicate that Russia have a two-tier defense strategy. If Russia felt they were under immediate danger, they would immediately clear all close danger points, such as Poland and the Czech Republic. As they could not be certain which part of those territories held potential missile batteries, they would neutralise the entire area of those territories with their 50 mega ton nukes. There would be no incentive for them to gamble with surgical pinpoint attacks. Missing one NATO missile could cost the lives of millions of Russian citizens. Such an attack would buy them time and give them the opportunity to pause and see if the West was willing to negotiate a truce. No truce and they would launch everything they have at every target they have on the first provocation. It would be illogical for a nuclear war to be fought as a *** for tat, one city at a time nonsense. It would be all or nothing, or nothing at all. It just seems so silly that Poland and the Czech Republic would be willing to sacrifice themselves and offer themselves up as expendable pawns in this big and deadly game.