Here we go again

MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) -- Russia's test firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week was in response to U.S. steps that have sparked an arms race and undermined world security, Russian President Vladimir Putin says.

"Our American partners have left the ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) Treaty. We have warned them then that we will come out with a response to maintain the strategic balance in the world," Putin told a news conference Thursday.

"We conducted a test of a new strategic ballistic missile with multiple warheads, and of a new cruise missile, and will continue to improve our resources."

"We are not the initiators of this new round of the arms race," said Putin. "(Our partners) are stuffing eastern Europe with new weapons. A new base in Bulgaria, another in Romania, a site in Poland, radar in the Czech Republic . . . what are we supposed to do? We cannot just observe all this."

Russia test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday featuring multiple warheads that senior officials said could pierce any missile defense system, including the planned U.S. shield in Europe.

Russia says the U.S. missile defence shield is a threat to its security and will change the strategic balance in Europe, but Washington dismisses such fears, saying the shield is intended to counter "rogue states."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/31/russia.missile.reut/index.html

 

The United States argues that the interceptor base under discussion for Poland and a tracking radar proposed for the Czech Republic are to counter the possibility of missiles from Iran.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/w...ec40e3142a8a95&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Seems reasonable to me...or maybe not....

 

And what a missile it is!!

 

Scary thoughts... Iran should be threatened, not Russia.

 

Seems to me that if Iran was to really launch a missile into Europe, it would be more practical to launch one through Turkey or Italy not Poland, Czech Republic or Georgia as that would mean the missile would have to travel further and go over Russian airspace which it would then fall victim to Russian defenses. Just doesnt seem to practical, to me at least.

Korea? well this just seems even more far fetched.

 

Slonisksp, instead of a flat map, use a globe to look at a missile's trajectory. Spherical geometry is not the same thing as planar geometry.

 

Still doesnt make too much sense to me. Why build a missile defense shield in northern Europe and not southern Europe?

 

Get a globe and a piece of string. Then connect Teheran and Berlin with the string, and see where it goes over.

 

Very well, I will be back after this experiment!

 

And I announce the experiment a success!

I find it hard to believe though that Iran possesses nor will possess in the near future such missile technology which could reach Europe. Afterall it is easier to create the bomb then a missile which can travel at such a distance.

Unless im mistaken only a handfull of countries possess such technology... U.S. Great Britain, France, Russia and China...

Though I do agree that such a shield would be necessary in Poland in case of a Russian attack on Europe or an attemp by Russia to annex the country.

 

I suggest every big nation leader watches the movie Dr Strangelove everytime they start thinking "big"...

 

Here's another one........

" The deployment of U.S. missile defense system elements in East Asia is aimed not only against North Korea but also against China, an expert with the Hong Kong think-tank Kanwa said Monday "


http://en.rian.ru/world/20070604/66650397.html

 

Sounds to me as if Putin is paniking too quickly and all the other commies are starting to follow.

Sorry if my post hurts, im still going through the meds thing.

 

Couldn't the same thing be said about Bush as he is placing missile shields to protect Europe from countries that pose absolutely no threat?

 

No threat, yet. NK a few months ago tried a nuclear device, a dud but a nuclear device anyway. They already have the missiles to carry them. Iran is hard at it. So if they present no threat today, June 5th '07, will they present a threat tomorrow? And is it not better to be prepared today than not so tomorrow?

 

My question is why do the old eastern bloc countries want to be involved with the US systems? Has Putin negotiated with these countries or not? If he did why did he fail?

Just a couple of questions in-between...

 

Will Putin pull the plug on the gas?

George Bush is trying to go out on a high note with this one which is really is close to the knuckle, as for Iran I would had thought Israel was there main target and anyway Israel has got there eye on Iran 24/7.

 

I believe the countries in question are now members of NATO and so are entitled to receive US support.

 

Or to re-phrase that, are willing to exchange various economi benefits for becoming another target.

 

Isolationism is starting to sound real good right about now