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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Russia warns of 'preventative' nuclear strikes
2008-01-20
The Russian military's Chief of Staff says Moscow is ready to use preventative nuclear strikes to defend itself.

Speaking at a conference at the Academy of Military Sciences in Moscow, General Yuri Baluyevsky said Russia must be ready to counter possible threats. "We do not intend to attack anyone, but we consider it necessary that all our partners in the international community clearly understand that for the defence of our sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Russia and its allies, the armed forces will be employed, including preventively the use of nuclear weapons," he said.

Analysts say the General's remarks do not mark a shift in policy, but are the latest in string of assertive comments.
Posted by:Oztralian

#12  Their "pledge" not to use nukes first was just as worthless as every other promise that ever came out of the USSR.
Posted by: Ulomomble Turkeyneck4286   2008-01-20 23:06  

#11  NOSI.org > GEOPOLITICS RUSSIA - THE MYTH OF THE AUTHORITARIAN MODEL: HOW PUTIN'S CRACKDOWN HOLDS RUSSIA BACK.

ALso from NOSI > MILITARY SPACE - HOW CHINA LOSES THE COMING SPACE WAR, + SPACE AND THE 2000-SHIP NAVY.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-01-20 23:01  

#10  RIGHT WING NEWS > THE CASE FOR MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN; + PAYVAND > RADICAL LEFT GROWING AS AN IMPORTANT/POTENT POLITICAL FORCE + IRANIAN.WS > RADICAL LEFT, IRAN'S LAST LEGAL DISSIDENTS, UNTIL NOW. MARXIST-LEFTIST Students and Intellectuals - THEY HATE MOUD + MULLAHS, BUT SSSSSSHHHHHHHH ALSO HATE THE WEST.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-01-20 22:50  

#9  Again, DUBYA = USA is entrenching REGIONALLY + GLOBALLY, policies which de facto threaten the Islamist GLOBAL AGENDA. Regardless of PC diplom rhetoric to the contrary, IT IS NOT ENUFF [in LT]FOR THE ISLAMIST GLOBALISTS FOR THE US = POST-DUBYA POTUS SUCCESSOR TO SIMPLY STOP ENTRENCHING AND LEAVE THE ME = MUSLIM NATIONS.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-01-20 22:09  

#8  REDDIT > ... INCLUDING RUSS ALLIES [read - IRAN?].

See also WAFF.com > PRESSTV.jr - PRAY THE NEXT US PRESIDENT BOMBS IRAN". GUILIANI Adviser-Aide Norman Podhoretz argues that ANY POST-DUBYA POTUS SUCCESSOR, REGARDLESS OF PARTY OR BELIEF, MUST HAVE THE COURAGE TO DISCHARGE BUSH'S RESPONSIBILITY AND ATTACK/BOMB IRAN, ostensibly for the good of the USA + World vv danger of NUCLEAR ISLAMISM = NUCLEAR ISLMAIST RADICALISM.

PODHORETZ > "If NOT - God help us all -the stage will be set up for the outbreak of a nuclear war that will become as inescapable then as it is avoidable now".

* TOPIX > NORTH KOREA - US MILITARY BUILDUP IN SOUTH JEOPARDIZES RELATIONS, INTER-KOREA PEACE. NK rants agz USAF deployment + SOKOR decison to emplace new AEGIS missles on its warships. ALso, IRAN WARNS GUKF STATES OF CONSEQUENCES OF RELATIONS WITH US, ISRAEL.

* See also TOPIX/RENSE > IRAN PREPARES FOR US AIR ATTACKS + IRAN GOVT READIES FOR POSSIBLE US ATTACKS; + NY TIMES > A NEW GLOBAL QUANDRY - COSTLY FUEL MEANS COSTLY CALORIES [Food]. FOOD PROBS/RIOTS have occurred in Pakistan, India, Guinea, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Senegal, Uzbekistan, etc. as higher oil-fuels prices affetcs the collection and transportation of food.
PEAK OIL > GLOBAL LIGHTS OUT + THE OIL DRUM > WE ARE STARTING TO DIM. See also REDDIT > GLOBAL MASS STARVATION IS BEGINNING? and related articles.

*TOPIX > IRAN, CHINA LAUD NEW TIES.

* WAFF.com > XINHUA.NET - MEDITERRANEAN, EU MEMBER NATIONS BACK NEW CRITICAL MEDITERR UNION. Propsoed MU merger will also include ISRAEL, PA, and major NORTH AFRICAN MUSLIM NATIONS. Some EAST EUROS, CENASIA MUSLIM STATES [GUUM-SCO] inquisitive of potens joining same. ALso from WAFF/TOPIX > PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR THREAT - A STATE OF DENIAL + POST-BHUTTO PAKISTAN: A LOOMING NUCLEAR ROGUE. Can Pakis' mostly US trained/educated Nuke Perts, Govt. Handlers work together to prevent internal instability and espec NUCLEAR-CAPABLE SECTARIANISM WITHIN PAKISTAN???

GUAM K57 TALKRADIO News [Pacific News Center] > US MULLING MILITARY AID TO PAKISTAN, espec for NUCLEAR SECURITY amid new Taliban = Islamist violence???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-01-20 22:02  

#7  PRAVDA > SLEEPING PROPHET EDGAR CAYCE FORESAW THE RISE OF THE SOVIET UNION IN 2010. HMMMMM, "Soviet Union".

See also DRUDGEREPORT > DEVELOPING - OLIVER STONE TO MAKE A NEW MOVIE ABOUT GEORGE W. BUSH.

"W"??? As I'd said times before on the Net?
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-01-20 19:51  

#6  Yup. As Wikipedia notes:

In 1982, at a special session of General Assembly of United Nations, the USSR pledged not to use nuclear weapons first, regardless of whether its opponents possessed nuclear weapons or not. This pledge was later abandoned by post-Soviet Russia. India and China are now the only nuclear powers that have declared a no-first-use policy on nuclear weapons.
Posted by: lotp   2008-01-20 14:34  

#5  Actually, this IS a major change in policy or at least the policy from the Cold War. Their policy had been that they would not be the FIRST to use nuclear weapons. Now they are saying that they will be. That is a major departure from their public policy of the past.

The deal was that in the past, the Russians had a strategy to overwhelm Europe with a conventional force. Our strategy was that in such a case, we reserved the right to respond with tactical nuclear weapons. Russia went on record saying they would never be the first to use nuclear weapons to get the anti-nuclear agitators in the West to push for a similar pledge from Western leaders. That would pretty much guarantee a Soviet win in Europe.

This article originates from the BBC which is pretty much a propaganda organ of the left (and by extension, Russia) so it doesn't surprise me that they try to tone it down with "remarks do not mark a shift in policy" with unnamed "analysts".

They do very certainly reflect a major change in policy. One probably aimed at Iran more than us, though.
Posted by: crosspatch   2008-01-20 14:25  

#4  Cause for the Donks, even the dead vote. Its just rigging the census every ten years to make up for all those empty lots and unanswered mailers.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2008-01-20 11:21  

#3  nah they won't care they will be dead
Posted by: sinse   2008-01-20 10:08  

#2  And it's with Russians saying crap like this that the dems say BMD is a waste of money. Yeah, divert it to domestic spending. Those inner city yoofs won't care if they glow in the dark someday...
Posted by: M. Murcek   2008-01-20 08:50  

#1  The Russians really really want to use one of their nukes someday. Let's hope it never comes to that.
Posted by: gromky   2008-01-20 01:23  

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