US Says Russia Violated a 1987 Nuclear Missile Treaty

[Rayaan]

WASHINGTON — The United States has concluded that Russia violated a landmark arms control treaty by testing a prohibited ground-launched cruise missile, according to senior American officials, a finding that was conveyed by President Obama to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in a letter on Monday.

It is the most serious allegation of an arms control treaty violation that the Obama administration has leveled against Russia and adds another dispute to a relationship already burdened by tensions over the Kremlin’s support for separatists in Ukraine and its decision to grant asylum to Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/world/...reaty.html


I think this is quite hypocritical as it is coming from a President who himself violated international laws with the use of secret drone strikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Gaza, and possibly other countries.

Are there even valid evidences for making this accusation?

Discuss.

[Anomalocaris]

WASHINGTON — The United States has concluded that Russia violated a landmark arms control treaty by testing a prohibited ground-launched cruise missile, according to senior American officials, a finding that was conveyed by President Obama to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in a letter on Monday.

It is the most serious allegation of an arms control treaty violation that the Obama administration has leveled against Russia and adds another dispute to a relationship already burdened by tensions over the Kremlin’s support for separatists in Ukraine and its decision to grant asylum to Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/world/...reaty.html


I think this is quite hypocritical as it is coming from a President who himself violated international laws with the use of secret drone strikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Gaza, and possibly other countries.

Are there even valid evidences for making this accusation?

Discuss.

The US unilaterally abrogated the 1973 ABM treaty in 2003 to pursue ballistic missile defense. ABM treaty was the cornerstone of Russia's continued security in its role as a strategic nuclear power. After that it would be hard to convince Putin and the Russians any arms limitation treaty with US should be taken as more than an cynical American joke at the expense of Russia.

[vorlon13]

The weapon in question is more appropriate for attacking China than us.

Interesting that we are complaining . . .

[Anomalocaris]

The weapon in question is more appropriate for attacking China than us.

Interesting that we are complaining . . .

That's a little like saying F-35 is more appropirate for attacking Canada then anyone on the other side of the oceans. True in itself, but irrelevent in the existent geopolitical situation.

It seems to me the most likly armed conflict between Russia and US would probably involve tactical attacks by US tactical air forces on Russian forces in Russia's so-called near aboard such as Ukraine and Armenia, and Russia attacks on American staging grounds for these attacks, such as US forces in Black sea or in one of the central Asian republics. So cruise missiles will very likely play a very large role in any open conflict between the US and Russia.

It is most interesting that we found nothing wrong with this supposed breach when it happened, but piped up indignantly when we found ourselves trying hard to incovenience Russia 7 years later.

[Minimalist]

Right now the F-35 can't fly far enough to reach Canada.

[Welsh cake]

America's stance on morality, treaty and diplomacy has always been "do as I say, not as I do".

All I see, is two big playground bullies throwing a lot of trash talk around, but both are guilty of behaving like thugs towards the littler kids.

[Minimalist]

Oddly....or perhaps not....John Oliver did a segment on nuclear readiness. Perhaps we should worry more about what we are doing and less about the fucking Russians?


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/28/jo...r-arsenal/

John Oliver: US uses ‘weapons-grade bullsh*t’ to rationalize massive nuclear arsenal

[LastPoet]

War always has been a way to get more money. To some, amongst other things.

[Anomalocaris]

Right now the F-35 can't fly far enough to reach Canada.

They can if they parked their nose wheels on the border marker, and the pilots and ground crews got out and pushed.

---

America's stance on morality, treaty and diplomacy has always been "do as I say, not as I do".

All I see, is two big playground bullies throwing a lot of trash talk around, but both are guilty of behaving like thugs towards the littler kids.

You should compare Obama's righteous indignation at Putin for Ukrainian Rebels shooting down the Malaysia Airline MH17, with the Reagan and SecDef Frank Carlucci's boldfaced dissembling and stone walling when the US Navy shot down Iranian airline flight 655 in 1988, with almost exactly the same loss of life.

In the latter case, the US lied about where the US warship was (she was in fact inside Iranian territorial waters illegally), what the Iranian plane was doing (Climbing normally to cruising altitude, not diving towards the US ship as Carlucci falsely claimed), and what the Iranian plane was broadcasting (on standard commercial frequency, not military as Carlucci falsely claimed).

Compare to what the US said and did in the aftermatch of Iranian airline shoot down, even Putin's worst alledged deflections and excuses seem like paragons of rectitude and honesty.

[Rayaan]

It is most interesting that we found nothing wrong with this supposed breach when it happened, but piped up indignantly when we found ourselves trying hard to incovenience Russia 7 years later.

It is also very interesting that this recent sanction imposed on Russia has occurred almost right after the launching of a $100 billion New Development Bank (NDB) operated by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) in July 15, 2014. And I think that the new BRICS bank is very likely a hidden catalyst (or at least one of the reasons) for the imposing of the sanction against Russia by the US. Why, you ask?

Because the BRICS bank poses a predictable danger to the long dominance of the US dollar in global trading as well as dollar-backed institutions.

OPINION: US Dollar’s Days Are Numbered as BRICS Meet
BRICS Establish $100bn Bank and Currency Pool to Cut Out Western Dominance
Will the BRICS Bank Shift the Balance of Power?
BRICS Set Up Bank to Counter Western Hold on Global Finances

One of the things that America might do to battle this economical problem now is to administer "sanction attacks" against countries which oppose its policies.

But, Vladimir Putin is well aware of this and he has already stepped up to preventing such threats from the US:

Russia will press other BRICS emerging market nations to agree measures to prevent "sanction attacks" by the U.S. to "harass" countries opposing its policies, President Vladimir Putin said.

Putin Wants Measures to Protect BRICS Nations From U.S. Sanctions

And sanctions are precisely what the US is doing:

Donetsk, Ukraine (CNN) -- Russia became more isolated Tuesday than it has been at any time since the end of the Cold War after new, hard-hitting sanctions were announced by the European Union and the United States, U.S. officials said.

U.S. President Barack Obama said the measures would take an "even bigger bite" out of the stagnant Russian economy than sanctions Washington and the EU had already implemented against Russia over its disputed annexation of Crimea and its support of pro-Russian rebels fighting the Ukrainian government.

U.S., EU hit Russia with more sanctions as Ukraine fighting continues

* * * * * * * * * *

War always has been a way to get more money. To some, amongst other things.

Maybe not always, but I think that is very true with regards to the current events and the recent sanctions by the US, as I've explained in the comments above.

But sanctions offer the powerful - those with guns and armies again - the chance to make even more money, by smuggling goods in and out of war zones and then charging high prices. Busting sanctions can be a lucrative business. "Remember, this war is about making money," explained a Sierra Leonean journalist in Freetown during that country's war, before ticking off the interests of fighters, mercenaries, peacekeepers, aid workers and other hangers-on at the war's edges. The impact of money in war, says the report, should be borne in mind by outsiders whose spending may cause inflation, whose aid may feed rebels and whose trading may prolong the fighting indefinitely.

War and Money: The Business of Conflict