Thanks to David Peterson for calling our attention to Ian Traynor\'s anticipation of what may actually be decided in April!  One weakness of the Traynor piece is that it quotes official opinion concerning strategies of the cold war without ever mentioning M.A.D. - Mutual Assured Destruction. The latter was surely the dominant strategy of the age, a scary game of "chicken" which we somehow miraculously survived.  (Don\'t look now, but the game may not be over!)

How many people noticed, back in August 2007, the announcement that the Russians had put their Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers and support aircraft back into the air, 24 hours a day presumably? This means that no first strike on Russia can be entirely pre-emptive, just like back in the bad old days of the cold war.  In other news, part of the American fleet of aging B52s seems to be in a similar mode of always-in-the-air readiness for the worst. 

Dr. Strangelove, anyone?

References:

• Russia restores Soviet-era strategic bomber patrols http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070817/72189719.html (Novosti News Agency 17/ 08/ 2007)
• Russia restarts Cold War patrols http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6950986.stm ( BBC News 17 August 2007)
• B-52 bombers to remain in service for foreseeable future http://en.rian.ru/world/20070821/72908151.html (Novosti News Agency 21/08/2007)

 

 

Mr. Peterson has formulated the mannerism of the cognozanti on a beach-Break--on the Mediterraneum Sea in the pollution, no doubt? While tje use of force is strictly regarded as the regulation of the United Nations due the matter that International Law and Geneva Accords state that \"any us of nuclear-Weapons\" morosely, that depleted-Uranium has made profiteering an immense \"game-plan\" to thos \"contractors\" like CACI & Blackwater in Iraq, so why add more money to the thrill to killing \"laws\" while killing People. Sure, killing is fun, when you\'ve been trained and then can allow oneself the measure of \"strut yo\' stuff\", however. The United nations is far more important than N.A.T.O. and the g-Enron admin has made wht world\'s new-Order into the immediate \"recession\" we are morosely going to have a Congress getting us further into debtor-nation fecundity. You\'re correct, N.A.T.O. has no thermo-Nuclear weapons, but the European-pact is outta boundaries, too--many in state-Dept have reacted to the wAr-Dept. on this \"diplomatic\" matter? N.A.T.O. have abused the uses of \"depleted-Uranium\" in Bosnia, in Kosovo, and in Iraq, well the good-Ole \"national-Guard\" can feel sanctified in protecting the \"extended-US: borders\" of the gulf-Coast mainland? from \"R\" Addison

This is frightening on so many levels.  Some interesting statements from the article:

"Robert Cooper, an influential shaper of European foreign and security policy in Brussels, said he was "puzzled".  "Maybe we are going to use nuclear weapons before anyone else, but I\'d be wary of saying it out loud."

and

"A shift from consensus decision-taking in Nato bodies to majority voting, meaning faster action through an end to national vetoes."

Which by the way, according to Wikipedia:

"NATO’s military operations are directed by the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, and split into two Strategic Commands both commanded by a senior U.S. officer assisted by a staff drawn from across NATO. The Strategic Commanders are responsible to the Military Committee for the overall direction and conduct of all Alliance military matters within their areas of command."

Which alludes to the very real possibility of a nuclear attack on Iran.  Especially seeing as how Israel is a part of the Mediterranean Dialog, which, by the way, recently declared "shared interests between MD partners and NATO, and of the ability to work together to tackle common challenges."  ( www.nato.int/docu/update/2007/12-december/e1207c.html )

-Stephen