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General discussion

Putin and the new cold war.

by grimgraphix Jun 4, 2007 12:28AM PDT

Putin: Missiles may target Europe MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- Moscow could aim nuclear weapons at targets in Europe as part of "retaliatory steps" if Washington proceeds with building a missile defense system on the continent, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday. Speaking to foreign reporters days before he travels to Germany for the annual summit with President Bush and the other Group of Eight leaders, Putin assailed the White House plan to place a radar system in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in neighboring Poland. Washington says the system is needed to counter a potential threat from Iran. In an interview released Monday, Putin suggested that Russia may respond to the threat by aiming its nuclear weapons at Europe. "If a part of the strategic nuclear potential of the United States appears in Europe and, in the opinion of our military specialists, will threaten us, then we will have to take appropriate steps in response. What kind of steps? We will have to have new targets in Europe," Putin said, according to a transcript released by the Kremlin. These could be targeted with "ballistic or cruise missiles or maybe a completely new system" he said. On Monday, Iran's top security official called the U.S. plans for the missile defense shield a "joke," saying Tehran's missiles do not have the capability to reach Europe.

Next step for Putin? President for life?

Discussion is locked

4 Posts

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I suggested sometime ago

by duckman Jun 4, 2007 12:44AM PDT

Putin would be dictator for life there. Perhaps this new "national crisis" will be what he needs

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I think Putin has fallen off a wagon

by Dragon Jun 4, 2007 8:18AM PDT

and hit his head on a rock.

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I've been listening to the news about this issue and

by jmhal Jun 5, 2007 10:04AM PDT

still cannot twist "logic" enough to understand how Putin starts at a missile defense system and ends with nuclear weapons aiming at Europe.

I mean,
1) Since when does a defense system justify retaliation
and 2) if Putin disagrees with this missile defense system so much and claims it is useless, why give it a purpose?

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Goes back to the concept of MAD

by grimgraphix Jun 5, 2007 12:11PM PDT

Mutually Assurable Destruction.

A crude way of saying you will sleep better if you now you have as much capability of killing your neighbor as they have of killing you.

Any "defensive" technology means you have destabilized the status quo.

I believe Putin is just playing a game to justify taking over permanent leadership of his country since he is the only one with a strong enough "Will" to resist the US hegemony from dominating the world. Check out the conflict in independent Estonia where pro-russian youth are protesting against taking down soviet era statues from the city squares of that country. Everyone yearns for the days of strong leadership and national pride. Nationalism never goes out of style and he (Putin) is certainly cultivating it in former Soviet territories.

Best way to cap off a power move is to convince everyone there is a bigger enemy out there and what you do... you do for the security and safety of your nation.

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