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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Russia may launch bombing campaign against terrorists outside its borders
2004-12-03
Russia may use its strategic bombers to unleash preventive strikes against terrorists outside its borders, the commander of Russia's air force said Friday.
Wouldn't that be kinda dictatorial?
Gen. Vladimir Mikhailov's comments to the ITAR-Tass news agency aired on Friday were the most direct yet in Russia's rising rhetoric on attacking terrorists abroad. Mikhailov did not specify what targets the air force could potentially go after. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and other top officials have said that preventive strikes against terrorists could involve all means except nuclear, but they never went into such specifics as suggesting the use of strategic bombers. "If ordered, our missile-carrier aircraft will attack the terrorists with long-range, highly precise cruise missiles and aerial bombs. We will make use of everything we have," Mikhailov was quoted as saying.
Is there an echo in here?
The Defense Ministry said it could not confirm Mikhailov's remarks, make during a trip to Engels, in the central Volga River region. ITAR-Tass commented that Russia had initiated discussion of preventive strikes over a year ago "due to Washington's regular employment of this method in international affairs."
It'll be interesting to watch the libs convolute themselves over that state of affairs...
Meanwhile, Russia's Federal Security Service said Friday that an Arab mercenary who was killed in southern Russia late last month was a top representative of the al-Qaida terror network in the troubled North Caucasus region, which includes Chechnya. The dead man was identified last month as Akhmed Sambiyev, otherwise known as the "White Arab," now known as "the late" and security officials said at the time of the killing that he was either Syrian or Turkish. The Federal Security Service on Friday identified him as a Syrian called Marvan [Marwan]. He was killed on Nov. 25 when he put up armed resistance to arrest in the southern region of Ingushetia, which borders on Chechnya.
"[BANG!] Stick 'em up, Marwan!"
"Rosebud!"
The security service's press office said that Marvan had been active in Chechnya beginning in 2000 and had been close to the late Arab militant leaders Khattab and Abu Walid. It said he was responsible for training young fighters, explosives training, and distributing money coming from foreign terrorist centers. Last month, he had been identified as a top aide to Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev.
And now he's nothing but a fond memory and a lingering odor...
Posted by:Dan Darling

#21  Forget it. Russia's military is a complete disaster: drunk, disorganized, demoralized, throughly corrupt, in a word, incompetent. They can't even put down a third-rate insurrection within their own borders.

Mark my words: Russia is a failed state. Pakistan North. They need urgent attention and a very tight embrace of the hug-your-enemies-closer variety. Not so different from what we apply to Musharraf. Ukraine and Georgia are not the endgame here; Iran is. Wean them off the Iranian tit-- bribe their nuclear industry, pay whatever it takes, but get Russia out of the nuclear business. A failing state with unguarded nukes and mafia-ridden security services is a catastrophe in the making.
Posted by: lex   2004-12-03 11:02:35 PM  

#20  an attack of Georgia will put the fright into the other former republics.

Sorta depends on how the Georgia attack turns out. Most of the Soviet/Russian military triumphs since 1945 consist of tanks facing down civilians successfully. If they run into armed resistance in Georgia, it could prove embarrassing. In that case, he could be looking like just another third world thug. After all, they use Russian weapons.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-12-03 9:53:17 PM  

#19  There is nothing ailing the Russian draftee pool that a doctor's bribe can't find. As a general rule, the kids don't have nearly the muscle mass of American 18 year olds and you rarely see fat 18 yr old boys.

If Putin attacks anywhere, I expect Georgia. He's trying to put together as much of the old Soviet Union as possible and an attack of Georgia will put the fright into the other former republics.
Posted by: ed   2004-12-03 9:25:13 PM  

#18  Well given the swell levels of readiness and general high quality maintenance the Russky strategic bomber group has received, I would say that for a while at least, the folks living just off the end of the runway are in more danger than the turban heads in Iran, Syria and Saudia Arabia.

Speaking of Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia, isn't that who Vlad ole buddy pal of George W is talking about? Maybe France? Nope, obviously one of the Middle Eastern Big Three.

I think if they can get all of the deferred maintenance done on thier Bisons, Backfires and MIG's, the mullahs would be wise to write their wills, the Russians can be pretty heavy handed when riled. Just ask Berlin.

I think we should secretly give Russia some target lists and some spare parts.
Posted by: SOG475   2004-12-03 7:40:21 PM  

#17  A SPAM burrito?

My guess the Panski Gorge which certain people refuse to deal with in a meaningful way.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2004-12-03 7:30:23 PM  

#16  a riddle, inside a mystery, wrapped in an enigma,

Ooo, lemme finish:

a riddle, inside a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in a soft flour tortilla with cheese and sour cream...
Posted by: badanov   2004-12-03 6:55:03 PM  

#15  Before launching bombing campaigns outside it's borders will Russia first get permission from the UNSC? YEAH, right.
Posted by: GK   2004-12-03 5:56:26 PM  

#14  There's also a rather serious public health issue in Russia - only 11% of conscripts are deemed fit enough for military service.

Almost every man I saw over there was in top condition. The only men I saw who weren't physically fit were either
1) drunk
2) drug addicts
3) disabled in some way.

What else could the 11% mean?
Posted by: Jules 187   2004-12-03 5:46:10 PM  

#13  Russia - a riddle, inside a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, or words to that effect.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2004-12-03 5:42:11 PM  

#12  Putin has a nice "wag the dog" scenario in waiting whenever he deems it necessary to exploit it. Post-Beslan he'll be lionized at home for any action he deems to be directed against terrorists and internationally he's already been immunized from the worst criticisms by the US example in Afghanistan. He's just waiting for the right moment to maximize his personal political gain.
Posted by: AzCat   2004-12-03 5:38:45 PM  

#11  Putin's Russia is a failing state with vague, incoherent superpower ambitions. Like an often- drunk Gerry Cooney way past his prime, they need to be handled very carefully: ignored frequently, flattered often, handled roughly when he gets his blood up.
Posted by: lex   2004-12-03 5:33:09 PM  

#10  Mark Z. has it right. Nothing of any consequence has been done since Beslan. When you pull off a raid or attack, you don't put an ad out about it, you just plan it meticulously, rehearse it, and then you do it. Pooty poot has been consolidating his power to make Russia look more like the old USSR, but he has not been taking care of the real business. He had lots of support after Beslan, but he blew it by inaction and lack of decisiveness.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-12-03 5:26:11 PM  

#9  There's also a rather serious public health issue in Russia - only 11% of conscripts are deemed fit enough for military service.
Posted by: Elmoting Granter5118   2004-12-03 5:25:32 PM  

#8  Is it manhood, Mark Z., or unfed soldiers with nonworking equipment?
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-12-03 4:56:51 PM  

#7  This is nothing but bluster. Russia (Putin) has yet to respond to Beslan, and won't. The vuanted Russian Bear is a f**king pansy. The Bear will stab you in the back (Iran/Iraq), but hasn't the manhood to take on a problem straight forward and head long.
Posted by: Mark Z.   2004-12-03 4:07:41 PM  

#6  Of course, Putin's definition of a terrorist could be pesky demonstrators thwarting his dreams of Greater Russia in downtown Kiev....
Posted by: Dreadnought   2004-12-03 3:53:03 PM  

#5  It'll be interesting to see what % of planes that take off actually manage to carry out their mission without mechanical failure or other mishaps. I wonder if worries over this is why we haven't seen them do this before. These planes are part of their strategic deterrant, and if people see them crapping out, they aren't very scary anymore.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats   2004-12-03 3:38:41 PM  

#4  Hot dawg! Go for it!
Send Tupolevs' finest!
Send in the Bears!

Or prehaps we get a peek at the BackFire in action?

Posted by: Shipman   2004-12-03 3:26:04 PM  

#3  I wouldn't assume he doesn't mean Iran.
Posted by: phil_b   2004-12-03 3:23:10 PM  

#2  too bad he doesn't mean Iran.
Posted by: 2b   2004-12-03 2:25:36 PM  

#1  Article: Russia may use its strategic bombers to unleash preventive strikes against terrorists outside its borders, the commander of Russia’s air force said Friday.

Let me guess - a lot of these strikes are going to be in the former Soviet republics.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2004-12-03 2:21:02 PM  

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